Uni's and the worth of your degree

[Liefrich]

Get a 2:1 set your sights on a reasonable job with prospects and you will be fine.

A degree does not necessarily mean you will more than those without a degree straight away, but it normally contributes to your future earning potential which will be higher.

If your A level grades are less than BBB many of the large graduate schemes will be closed to you, however they are only the small majority of jobs. Find something which is challenging, has a clear career progression and is rewarding, and by the time you're 30 who knows where you might be.

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

Sheff Hallam is a very poor uni. I know no someone there who does sociology or something and she said to me, 'isn't uni easier than 6th form'.

A degree is not a fixed curiculum (sp?), so a degree at one uni does not equal a degree at another uni. Wheras an Alevel at college A is worth the same as college B.

Hallam is not a red brick institute (this is obvious as it is the 2nd uni in the area). Sheffield Uni is good, Hallam is not, and employers know this.

or do the educted snobs just need an attitude adjuster?

Not sure what you mean by this. A course as Hallam will be quite easy compared to the same course at a good uni. Your terms will be shorter (I bet you finish early May), you will have less hours per week and the course material is easier.

It is not University snobbery. Employers want good uni grads as they know more and are less likely to spend the 3 uni years getting hammered 4 nights a week.

 

[Liefrich]

Sheff Hallam is a very poor uni. I know no someone there who does sociology or something and she said to me, 'isn't uni easier than 6th form'.

A degree is not a fixed curiculum (sp?), so a degree at one uni does not equal a degree at another uni. Wheras an Alevel at college A is worth the same as college B.

So you have based your whole opinion about an insititution on one person's view?

Also redbrick actually means only 6 universities, Leeds, Bristol, Brum, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. Obviously you know very little about the history and prestige of our Universities.

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

So you have based your whole opinion about an insititution on one person's view?

Also redbrick actually means only 6 universities, Leeds, Bristol, Brum, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. Obviously you know very little about the history and prestige of our Universities.

http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php

Hallam is crap. End of.
I seriously doubt graduates there get jobs near the 20k mark.

You can turn a blind eye to how poo it is all you like, but when you graduate and don't get interviews, it isn't as you have no experience, it is because you did an easy degree.

Universities never have and never will be all equal.

 

[Liefrich]

http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php

Hallam is crap. End of.
I seriously doubt graduates there get jobs near the 20k mark.

Haha by chance are you a graduate? Do you know everyone's earning levels? What constitutes a "crap" university?

 

[OzyOly]

There will always be snobbery when it comes to degrees.

When I applied for my course in 2007 (York Uni), the department was the 4th best in the Uk and the University the 7th/8th best.

The entry requirements were;

A in A-level maths,
A at either Physics, Chemistry or Biology A-level
And a high grade in another subject (A/B depending what it was)

Now the Uni has slipped in places and is now only the 10th best for CompSci and 11th best overall. By the time I graduate in 2012 my degree might not be worth much either. : /

 

[AGD]

I think the point is that there is a difference in the quality of courses at unis and how much work you must put in. That's not to say someone from a "worse" uni can't go as far, but it will be harder (sometimes much harder) than someone at a better uni.

I would say it goes oxbridge and london (ucl, imperial, lse), then the rest of the russell group, then all the rest a fair bit lower in terms of perception by employers.

Many people who do degrees at bad institutions may well be wasting their time but that doesn't mean it applies to you personally.

 

[Liefrich]

There will always be snobbery when it comes to degrees.

When I applied for my course in 2007 (York Uni), the department was the 4th best in the Uk and the University the 7th/8th best.

The entry requirements were;

A in A-level maths,
A at either Physics, Chemistry or Biology A-level
And a high grade in another subject (A/B depending what it was)

Now the Uni has slipped in places and is now only the 10th best for CompSci and 11th best overall. By the time I graduate in 2012 my degree might not be worth much either. : /

Rubbish, York is a solid unviersity and besides you have good A levels so get a 2:1 and you will be fine.

Rankings mean squat honestly, each year a university can move up or down by 10 or more places, there is no objective and true accurate way of judging which uni is better than the other.

Think about it each university gets given a variable amount of funding and so can then become worse or better in a given area over a period of time. Warwick was only created in the 1960's yet it is now seen as a world class institution.

Just enjoy your time at university, there will never be a more stress fee time in your life where girls are everywhere and eager, drinking is encouraged and life is pretty damn sweet. Get a 2:1 apply for jobs in your second/third year and all will be fine.

 

[purexxevil]

There will always be snobbery when it comes to degrees.

When I applied for my course in 2007 (York Uni), the department was the 4th best in the Uk and the University the 7th/8th best.

The entry requirements were;

A in A-level maths,
A at either Physics, Chemistry or Biology A-level
And a high grade in another subject (A/B depending what it was)

Now the Uni has slipped in places and is now only the 10th best for CompSci and 11th best overall. By the time I graduate in 2012 my degree might not be worth much either. : /

York was my second choice, but just because its slipped a few places doesn't matter. It's still a good university.

I agree Hallam kinda isn't ... You'll always be explaining yourself "I went to Hallam.. but it was good for my course!!".. people don't automatically link Hallam with a good degree, even if it actually is!

 

[Jingo...]

The profession I am in requires an RIBA approved degree as the first part of my professional qualifications, and eventually, my legal position as an Architect.

 

[ac1d1ty]

I have my a-levels, and will be buggering off to uni.

I don't NEED to, but I want the life experiences, ability to get drunk without working the 9-5.

Basically i'm dossing for a few years before I start working for the rest of my useful life.

 

[ichabod crane]

The profession I am in requires an RIBA approved degree as the first part of my professional qualifications, and eventually, my legal position as an Architect.

Where are you studying Architecture? The RIBA accreditation holds the most weight in this profession and so does mean that employers are less interested in where you studied and more on your actual portfolio and ability!

 

[BoomAM]

A degree is mostly just a way of getting to the interview room.

I agree with that.
Theres some snobbery about the country about degrees by people who have them, who then think that having them means intelligence or competence, then they get into the position of hiring people, and only look at people who have degrees. Its an endless cycle.
Quite pathetic imo.
As a shame really, as i think everyones intelligent in their own specific way, theres different types of intelligence quite frankly. I don't personally see a need to have a piece of paper to validate myself for intelligence.
A sweeping statement, maybe. But one that from experience holds true for the most part.

 

[leaskovski]

Depends what job you are after, but for the most, I would say it isnt all that. Ive got a BCs in Computer Systems Engineering, and I would say it hasnt played one part in a) helping me get a job, b) applying the knowledge i learnt. And I even work in the IT industry.

Having said that though, it has c) Given me some really good mates, d) Got me laid on several occasions, e) Got me onto the housing ladder.

Uni is an experience, experience it, don't sit at home playing computer games.

 

[Deyvy]

I agree with that.
Theres some snobbery about the country about degrees by people who have them, who then think that having them means intelligence or competence, then they get into the position of hiring people, and only look at people who have degrees. Its an endless cycle.
Quite pathetic imo.
As a shame really, as i think everyones intelligent in their own specific way, theres different types of intelligence quite frankly. I don't personally see a need to have a piece of paper to validate myself for intelligence.
A sweeping statement, maybe. But one that from experience holds true for the most part.

I also agree with everything you've said there. But can anyone, from an employers perspective, suggest a better way to select prospective new employees/graduates?

It's impossible to interview everyone who applies for a job. Even from my own experience, they might come across well in the interview but when it comes to work, its a different story.

All you have is a CV to decide if they are worth calling back for an interview. If you had to choose between two candidates, exactly the same apart from one went to a 'better' Uni, straight forward choice there.

If you're the one who didn't attend a good uni, you need to beef up your CV with stuff which other candidates might not have.

Which uni you went to shouldn't be that important, but it can be. But it can also have very little bearing at all on your chances of getting the job.

 

[The Halk]

A degree might get you an interview. Past that it's unimportant.

There's certainly a ranking with degrees, a "proper" university is better than some polytechnic with a name change. A degree in something recognisable is better than some vague piece of paper like "management psychology" or "business and information technology".

A huge con that's been pulled on us by both the conservatives and then labour is universities. Universities themselves are simply involved in bureaucratic empire building, and actual learning is something for lecturers to worry about (if they choose to).

18 year olds are frankly useless, and if I'm given any new recruits at that age I find that the only thing they have over older employees is they're easier to manipulate. Older workers have a much better work ethic and greater general knowledge and common sense.

The 3 or so years wasted in uni with all the debt that's attached simply means retail gets part time workers, and graduates leave uni with slightly better "life skills" than school leavers... but nowhere near as much as someone who chose not to go to uni.

 

[Nitefly]

Rubbish, York is a solid unviersity and besides you have good A levels so get a 2:1 and you will be fine.

Rankings mean squat honestly, each year a university can move up or down by 10 or more places, there is no objective and true accurate way of judging which uni is better than the other.

Think about it each university gets given a variable amount of funding and so can then become worse or better in a given area over a period of time. Warwick was only created in the 1960's yet it is now seen as a world class institution.

Just enjoy your time at university, there will never be a more stress fee time in your life where girls are everywhere and eager, drinking is encouraged and life is pretty damn sweet. Get a 2:1 apply for jobs in your second/third year and all will be fine.

I concur.

 

[Vanilla]

As already said just have fun and do your best.

I got a 2:1 Comp Sci from Brighton. Was very hard but had a good time and wasn't a 'top' university.

I'm 28 now and my salary is more than what most people would even dream about.

 

[The Halk]

As already said just have fun and do your best.

I got a 2:1 Comp Sci from Brighton. Was very hard but had a good time and wasn't a 'top' university.

I'm 28 now and my salary is more than what most people would even dream about.

Do you feel your degree was integral in your success? Do you feel if you had not gone to uni, but instead had worked your way up in a company for 3 years in the same field, and then applied for the job you got leaving uni you could be in the same position you are in now?

(Those are real questions!)

 

[Liefrich]

Do you feel your degree was integral in your success? Do you feel if you had not gone to uni, but instead had worked your way up in a company for 3 years in the same field, and then applied for the job you got leaving uni you could be in the same position you are in now?

(Those are real questions!)

I'm going to guess that you are not a graduate.

Graduates over time earn more money than non graduates on average (fact). Of course if you’re dedicated enough from 18 you can be successful but it is easier to earn more money with a degree.