Did you go to University?

[Foxglove]

Originally Posted by poprock

Amen to that.

That goes for anyone in a job they enjoy too, regardless of having a degree.

[Purplerose]

Originally Posted by Devastator

If not, why?
What did you do instead?
Do you regret not going?

Well I left school at 16, went to college and got an NC in Media Studies then went on to do the HNC. I dropped out halfway through the HNC and then the following year I made another attempt at another HNC that I thought sounded good at the time but it just didn't interest me enough to keep at it so I dropped out again.

Had I continued down the Media studies route I could have had a degree at 21. But I didn't and basically went from crappy job to crappy job in call centres and shops and temping in offices. I was then unemployed for a while which wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs and then just over 2 years ago I went back to college and this June I completed an HND in Admin & IT.

So now I'm back to temping in a crappy office...

Originally Posted by Devastator

In your opinion, is getting a degree actually that important in terms of getting a well-paid job and getting ahead in life?

To be honest with you, I keep asking myself this at the moment. I was supposed to start Uni in September this year but decided to get a job and perhaps go to Uni next year. Now I'm at the stage where I should be thinking about filling in that UCAS form and I don't know if I should bother or not.

My HND will get me into year 3 of various Business Degrees but really the idea of doing anything more to do with business makes me feel fairly ill. Not only that but by the looks of things, I would come out of the degree and go into a job pretty similar to what I am doing right now. I work with loads of people who have degrees and they are doing the same job as me.

On the other hand, I would love to do a degree in Theatre Studies or History or maybe a General Humanities one but although I would find these courses very interesting, I'm doubtful they will do much for me career wise. The majority of people I know with these kind of degrees are all working in crappy admin jobs.

So to be honest with you, after that 2nd time I dropped out of the HNC at 18, I really wish I had just went and got an admin job with a decent company. By now I would have about 6 years experience and would probably be earning a fairly good salary and I probably wouldn't still be living with the parentals. Although I'm very pleased I got my HND I still feel that for many jobs, until I get more experience, the qualification doesn't really mean much of anything, which is a tad deflating.

If you really want to do a degree I think you have to look really hard at what you plan to do at the end of it, focus upon that and work hard towards it. Otherwise, if you aren't motivated enough then you are probably better looking at other options and about where you want life to take you.

Ooft that was a tad long winded, soz

[GoddamnElectric]

If yes, why? - I dunno, it just seemed like the thing to do. I want to be successful and at 17ish it just seemed like going to uni was the best avenue to take.
Did you gain anything from it? - Absolutely. I got my two degrees (I needed both) and now have a job offer with exactly who I want. I've also learned loads about time management, social skills and self discipline.
Did you actually enjoy it? - Not really to be honest, it became a chore very early on. I was having to work like crazy and didn't even scratch the surface of the 'fun' side of uni
Are you glad you did? - very much so.
In your opinion, is getting a degree actually that important in terms of getting a well-paid job and getting ahead in life? - 10 years ago I'd have said no. My old man has more money that I will ever earn, and he didn't do anything beyond a few O-levels. But nowadays you've got thousands of graduates with the same skills as the non graduates, but they've also got the paper and the experience. I'd say that if you don't have a relevant degree you're going to struggle to find your ideal job unless either a) your ideal job is vocational and doesn't need a qualification or b) you've got loads more to offer in terms of your experiences and skills.

Originally Posted by Withnail

Oh,can we do letters after name game? i've only recently acquired some of mine...

GoddamnElectric BSc Hons, LLB

[spoonie]

as a little add on, 45% of all graduate schemes are non-specific about the degree you have to have. remember, many of the skills you acquire are transferrable and a business degree doesn't necessarily mean a classic business-type job.

/x

[Stew]

• If yes, why? Seemed like a good idea when I was 17.
• Did you gain anything from it? A degree and a high tolerance for alcohol.
• Did you actually enjoy it? Not really, it bored the ass off me and I grew tired of where I was.
• Are you glad you did? I guess so, no point in regretting it.
• In your opinion, is getting a degree actually that important in terms of getting a well-paid job and getting ahead in life? Probably not, no. Most decent jobs require experience, you don't get that at Uni.

[GoddamnElectric]

It seems that most of these high flying entrepreneurs kicking about the country didn't go to University. They are however mostly utter wankers. Which tells me that having a degree is no more effective at increasing your wealth than being an utter wanker

Seriously though it would be impossible to go into my sphere of work without the right degree(s), but then this is a very small fraction of the workplace. Plenty of good paying jobs out there that don't need one, you just might have to look harder than others who not only have the benefit of the degree but the support of a decent careers service in their Uni.

[Hammer]

If yes, why? - I wasnt too sure what else to do after school and all the jobs that I would quite like to do required a degree.

Did you gain anything from it? - Other then manic depression and a realisation of how social inept and incapable I am, all the skills I gained have come from extra-cirricullar activities (such as being on the QM Board).
I have gained a good bit of knowledge from it as well.

Did you actually enjoy it? - Hell no. I don't get on with the vast majority of the people I've met at Uni to be honest, which is a major factor.

Are you glad you did? - I'm not sure. If I didn't go to Uni then I'd still be doing bar and council work in the middle of nowhere, but I've really not enjoyed my time at there so far.

[fastre]

i went straight from school to work full time in the Royal Bank of Scotland. i was 17 when i left 6th year, i got sacked after 6 months.
i then went back to my old job of engraving. stuff like jewellery and glass aswell. then i went to college for a year, left, then worked in a pub, left there to work in a kitchen, left there to start a call centre, which i start on monday :/
i dont regret not going to uni straight from school. Only a few of my friends did. Maybe something i would think about in the future though.

[Devastator]

Probably stands to mention that I want to do something with kids, but probably not teaching. There's also no way I want to sit at a desk all day every day (but I do like wearing suits).

This thread's actually really interesting, finding out lots I didn't know about people.

What's also interesting is the folk you consider as being the ones who really have their heads screwed on aren't necessarily the ones with degrees.

[stripey_kitten]

Originally Posted by Withnail

Oh,can we do letters after name game? i've only recently acquired some of mine...

Oh oh oh, can I play...I have some of those funky letters.

Anyways, I went to uni straight from school because I wanted to move as far away from my parents as possible. Also I was pretty bright and everyone just assumed that uni was what I would do, no other career options/training courses were ever discussed with me.

I've gained 3 degrees from it, and managed to bag a job that I love (which I wouldn't be able to do without 2 of my degrees) but that was all by chance. I didn't know I want to be a teacher when I started out and it was only through time that I figured it out. I suppose uni gave me that breathing space.

I enjoyed it in that I enjoy studying but I found the lectures and tutorials boring, preferring to undertake my own personal study in the library. Even though I'm really big on education, and think everyone should get an education, I don't think uni is for everyone. There's more to life and there's loads of other ways to get an education.

[Kenny Everett]

Yep, a degree can't teach you maturity and common sense despite what the universities might tell you

[Vonnie]

Originally Posted by Devastator

Probably stands to mention that I want to do something with kids, but probably not teaching. There's also no way I want to sit at a desk all day every day (but I do like wearing suits).

This thread's actually really interesting, finding out lots I didn't know about people.

What's also interesting is the folk you consider as being the ones who really have their heads screwed on aren't necessarily the ones with degrees.

Have you considered something in the Social Work field? I spent time last year working for a charity that provides young people in local authority care with a representative who will speak up for their needs and basically fight for their rights against the system. It really made me change my mind as to where I wanted to go professionally as my intention was always to go into teaching. Now, when (if?) I graduate from this degree (BA Social Sciences) I'm hoping to pursue something in that field.

[Semprini]

If yes, why? Pressure, I guess. It was kind of expected that if I got decent exam results I'd go to Uni. My mum said that she didn't mind what i did, as long as I was happy doing it, but deep down, we both knew that wasn't true.

I started an MEng in Mechanical Engineering, but stopped after part of second year, because I simply wasn't enjoying it, and things were building up and getting on top of me[1]. One breakdown later, and I took the rest of the year out and started a BA in the autumn. Graduated in Politics 4 years later.

Did you gain anything from it?
Aside from 2 letters after my name? Yes, actually. I found the subject interesting, and learned a lot about myself while doing it. Cliches aside, it's one of these subjects with 'transferable skills'. You may not care about politics, but it'll certainly teach you to think differently and sceptically.

Did you actually enjoy it?
See the answer to question 1. Hated the first attempted degree[2], didn't hate the next attempt. Obviously, there are moments where you sit alone in your room at 3am with a large chunk of assignment needing done before sunrise, and at those times you'll hate it andwonder why you bother, and think you could be out earning, but it's worth sticking it out, the sense of achievement when you finally finish is huge.

Are you glad you did?
On balance, yes. The good moments outweigh the bad.

In your opinion, is getting a degree actually that important in terms of getting a well-paid job and getting ahead in life?
No. It's necessary for certain jobs, but for most, a degree is not a requirement, and what you learned isn't what's important, it's that you learned how to learn. A degree may help you get a foot in the door, but you'll have to go the rest of the way, and a scroll with your name on it won't help you do that, it's down to you.

[1] See when they offer you an academic counsellor to talk to if things start to affect you? Take advantage of it. Best piece of advice I was wrong to ignore.
[2] I know what you're thinking. Why did it take 2 years to realise you hated it? Mainly because the first year was very little new stuff, large parts of it were rehashes of what I'd done in 6th year of school, so it was easy and relaxing. When it got harder, I began to understand that even if I did struggle through the next few years, was this something I wanted to do for the rest of my life? It wasn't.

[Elmo]

I did yes. I went because, mainly, it was expected of me by both my family and my school. I knew no different. None of the careers advice at school told us that there were other ways of going about getting a decent job.

Yeah, i enjoyed it for the first couple of years, by my 3rd year i'd gotten bored of it and wasn't interested in going any deeper into the subject as i'd decided that that wasnt the career path I was wanting to follow, but didnt know what WAS. I loved the social side to uni, i've made life long friends and so i'm really glad i went, even if i got nothing of great importance out of it.

as for a degree being the only way to get a decent job, i wouldnt say it was. Sometimes you can be lucky and just fall into a job, or work your way up the ladder, but really, the only thing that people will take from you having a degree (in anything) is that you're self diciplined and can work to deadlines (obv. this applies to non vocational degrees). I don't have letters after my name, but the fact i've been to uni and done 3 years is enough once I explain the reason for leaving, and the fact I didnt just mearly give up.

[Mos Def]

If yes, why? Coz i'm smart.
Coz I liked the idea of studying planes at Uni.
Coz I firmly believe that unless you're very lucky (or a footballer), then a degree is the only way to get a half decent job (for example, your starting salary will almost always be much higher than people who left school at 16, and have been working for 5/6 years before you even graduate).
I like the idea of learning new stuff.
I knew that i'd have a good time at Uni.

Did you gain anything from it? Yes. I currently have, in essence, two degrees and a job which is much cooler than yours.

Did you actually enjoy it? Aye, it was fucking amazing.

Are you glad you did? Absolutely

In your opinion, is getting a degree actually that important in terms of getting a well-paid job and getting ahead in life? Very much so unless, like I mentioned above, you're lucky or natually very talented at something specific. In my opinion, people without a degree will always be disadvantaged. Like I said (and not that I earn anything utterly fantastic), there will be some people that will work their whole life and not earn what I earn now (i've been working 5 months, this is my first job). Fair enough, money isn't everything, but anyone who says they don't want a pay rise is lying. Plus, again, my job is amazingly cool.