What's the reason you study?

HangTime

HangTime

HangTime

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Just curious as to what the main motiviation behind studying is for those of you who are untaking some kind of course? Note this doesn't have to be a fulltime school/college/uni course, it includes vocational / parttime / work related study too, as long as it has some sort of formal qualification at the end of it. Some possible choices, feel free to add your own:

-To earn more money in the long term.
-Because you are interested in the subject and enjoy learning.
-Forced/Pressured into it by the state/parents/work.
-Easy option / cba getting a job / copying your friends

Obviously for some of you, more than one of these may apply. But try and choose the primary motivation if you can.

Personally I haven't studied anything (aside from short courses at work) in over 5 years, but I've been toying with the idea of doing another degree with the OU. This got me thinking about what the main reason for me doing it was... I'm not sure that it will earn me a great deal of extra cash, it's more about craving knowledge and missing the challenge associated with education.
 
i want to have a future to live up to... and have a job that i actually enjoy as opposed to dreading every weekday morning going to..

and also to be proud of my self :)
 
I work in IT.
If I dont spend time studying I will be left behind so its a requirement really.
Plus obviously increased knowledge leads to better positions and more money.
 
To gain some form of qualification so I can teach the little people.


Yes thats right, i want to be a teacher :o
 
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So I have a 9 to 5 that I can speak proud of. I obviously enjoy the subject too, that's absolutely essential in my education but my motivation for being in education is getting a relatively enjoyable job.
 
Because it's the best route for me to get into the career I want.

I do also enjoy it for the sake of learning.
 
Degree: because I needed it for the job I want to do
Masters: because I needed it for the job I want to do + because I was interested in it (about a 70/30 split)
BVC (start in September) - because I need to do it for the job I want to do
 
Im doing my OU ICT degree because i enjoy it, i like to learn new stuff. Part of me is doing the degree through to help me get a job, but recently ive been learning towards joining the army in an infantry regiment instead of signals, so it may turn out my degree will be of no use whatsoever, but i still am doing to compleat it as i enjoy it, and due the the grant the OU is giving me, im doing it for free too.
 
I study my degree (Biology) because I was highly interested in pursuing my interest in the subject area. However I have decided that a career of this nature is not for me.

My next degree (Law) is purely to obtain a job with a handsome salary, although I am moderately interested in the subject manner.
 
i just love learning
i'm applying to go back to uni part time, alongside my full time job, even though it will more than likely cost a fortune, it will mean no financial benefit in terms of my career (even though it's a career specific MSc), and will eat into my 'free-time' as i'll be studying around work
i just want to know more and more and more!
 
Because I'm not willing to commit to a 'career' until I'm certain of what I want to do. So I figure studying for qualifications in the general field will A) Give me time, and B) Improve my chances of success when I do finally decide :).
 
Because it should give the me that chance to increase my future earnings, and should open more doors in to more specialist areas. The way I look at it is, the more specialised you can become ie. you can perhaps only do the job with certain qualifications, the less people that can do the job and therefore you become more demanded.

Hopefully........
 
Studying for ACA accountancy exams at the moment.
Main motivation is money and improved career prospects. A close second is a strong interest in learning new things and a slight enjoyment of competitive tests. I’m thinking seriously about an MBA here or in the US for the same reasons. I know you learn a lot in the workplace, but having had structured learning for the last 7 years since age 16, it’d feel odd to stop all of a sudden :)
 
I'm doing an OU short course at the moment. Doing it simply because I enjoy learning :) When I got the prospectus from the OU, I could name about 15+ courses that I wanted to do :o
Hopefully I'll be able to afford to do more in the future.
 
Brum Man said:
the more specialised you can become ie. you can perhaps only do the job with certain qualifications, the less people that can do the job and therefore you become more demanded
Click to expand...

There is a bit of a chicken-and-egg type situation here though - in some cases, the reason some qualifications are relatively rare, may be because there isn't a great deal of demand for it.

In general being able to stand out from the crowd isn't a bad thing though. In some fields being a specialist allows you to charge a high premium for your services.
 
Studying mathematics with the OU in my spare time - partly because I'm interested in it & regret opting for computer science while at uni and also because a decent grounding in mathematics can lead to some stupidly well paid jobs.
 
fini said:
Masters: because I needed it for the job I want to do + because I was interested in it (about a 70/30 split)
BVC (start in September) - because I need to do it for the job I want to do
Click to expand...

Bar Vocation Course? If so, I doubt the masters will help you much. But good luck anyway.
 
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