Is going to uni worth it ?

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Thought I'd quote my mate...

"For those of you starting uni this year, just remember that it is difficult; we work 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 2 weeks a year"

Bloody wasters :p
 
Moses said:
I'm studying law, but I'm not going to be a solicitor or barrister... is that pointless? According to you, yes... but it's not as though I just sit there and learn entire statute books!

It'll help prepare me for entry into all sorts of areas, imo. In a few days I start a course on "international taxation in practice", where I'll be going to Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte, and PwC... that's an awesome opportunity, which I wouldn't have got, if I wasn't at uni.

I'll be doing various courses on aspects of international law, which will be useful if I go into the civil service (which is a distinct possibility).

I'm looking at doing courses in (international) commercial arbitration, which could be useful if I go into numerous fields.

Etc.

But, on top of that, the experience of uni will prepare me for work in general.

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That's just from my perspective, but I'm sure someone who studies classics (somewhere good) will be prepared for work in many ways you're just not appreciating.



That's just lol. Do a harder course? Or, as you say you're "doing alright"... try and push for a better classification?
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It doesn't surprise me that someone taking law won't go into that field of work because most people fit into one or all of the following:

a) Aren't doing well enough to get noticed
b) Aren't going to a uni that is notable
c) Don't have the contacts/experience to get noticed.

Very hard field of work to get into, I don't envy you. Of course having said that you just stated you were possibly going to go into your field of work anyway. I mean stating you aren't because you aren't going to be a solicitor is like saying a Mathematician isn't going into his field of work because he's not counting numbers in it.

Of course we both know that my statement was aimed at those doing art or business etc and then going "Bugger, I'm screwed" when they don't know what job they wan't and can't find one anyway.

It's funny how people are so protective over their degrees. As for telling me to do a harder degree because I am not finding it hard. I don't think there are many degrees harder than maths. If I can survive 21 hours of uni a week, 3 pieces of work in uni a week and up to 12 four hour tough exams a year without really putting a huge amount of effort in I refuse to believe the likes of business and that are difficult. My friend doing classics has something like 5 hours of uni a week and 4 exams. He admits it's a bum degree and doesn't find it hard at all as a result. And no I'm not saying I must be extremely brainy. Simply that people don't bother trying. I just missed my first this year but I feel it would take an intelect higher than I possess to get a first over my third and fourth year as well unfortunately. Maths is just one of those things you can't just keep revising to do well. It's not about remembering things and writing them back down like so many other subjects.

People think because they go to uni they should get a degree. Just want things handed to them and quite frankly a lot of the private schooled people in particular are used to being spoon fed from what I've seen.

I fully support people doing degrees at uni to further their career. I just think most people don't actually think about their career first. You picked law because you knew it would get you somewhere. Can you say the same for so many other people?
 
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8igdave said:
Pick your job, then pick you degree. Only reason to do it the other way round is if you know you're doing a degree just because you can afford to. By that I mean my millionaire flat mate doing classics just because he wanted to knowing full well it won't get him a job at the end of it but it's ok because his debts are paid by his parents.


I really don't get how people say uni is so hard. It's really not. I am so lazy, I barely do any work for it and so far I'm doing alight going into my third year. Most people do degrees which weren't even as hard as a levels probably. At least not furthermaths and chemistry at a level. Now they were hard. I mean well, they wern't as hard compatibly to being 16/17 trying to do them and juggle another 2 ontop of that. I do a maths degree and I arguably found further maths harder. I mean obviously now I'd ace furthermaths but I certainly didn't at the time.

In my opinion uni seems to scale quite well and first year you literally don't have to pay any attention and still come out ok. Spend that time socialising getting drunk and the last 2/3 years just pay more attention.


Anyone stating "top 10 uni" instead of stating the name of it is most likely lieing so I just stopped reading.
fgdfgdfgdfgfdgdfg
Now read my post.

Now go re-read my post.

Also, OMG COMPUTER SCIENCE? *yawn*.
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Imperial. However different universities have different rankings for different subjects, so it just easier to say top 10 for my subject.
 
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I reckon it was worth it when I went in (2004-07) but I would definately think twice if I were to do it all again now. Too expensive for me now, but I had an absolutely amazing time, so is it priceless? Maybe.
 
Red Porsche said:
I have no time for elitist bigots.

You would have thought University would make people more mature, accepting of different ideas/logic and empathetic. Instead it appears from this thread that certain "soon to be/graduates" are "know it alls" , ignorant, pompous and have such a jaded view of reality its unbelievable!

In my opinion it all comes down to what you want to do and how good you are at it. If someone is good at art or humanities or whatever field is frowned upon... SO WHAT? If they enjoy it and are genuinely good at it then go for it. Where you go or what you do shouldn't matter as if you are good enough and work hard enough then you get what you deserve; it may require a bit of luck in being in the right place at the right time but in the end the majority get what they deserve!
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I don't think that's a graduate disease, graduates tend to be pretty understanding. Its OCUK disease, they all think they know best.

They all think its better to work your way up. Buts a lot harder than it looks. On your way, you are going to meet various people such as bosses which feel threatened, trying to put downward preasure on wages. The bosses won't be meritocratic or necessarily educated, they could be the ex-bully from school for all you know. Bosses who are alumni of various universities, who might have prejudice against non-graduates for example. Charisma is why psychopaths tend to get into high positions.

Keeping that in mind, you have to have charisma really, more than skill. If you have skill and knowledge but no charisma you are going to find it harder, than someone with just pure charisma. Therefor if you have less charisma but you are quite smart, its better to try skip bypass a lot of the ass kissing, and try to start as high as you can.
 
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As stated before because everyone is behind a screen this is why they think they no best. Get a really big hall and put all OcUKers to debate will be a different story.

Uni is worth it depending on how much effort you put into wanting to properly study. Most students these days use it as an excuse to get away, go on wild parties and just go mental.
 
Moses said:
Every degree, if done somewhere good, can lead to a career :confused:.
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I was just about to say that. To be fair it's getting harder now for graduates to get a job but once they do get a job and obay the right people and put the effort in then they have potential to rise extremly quick from job to job. It really depends what people enjoy and where they want life to take them.
 
Moses said:
Every degree, if done somewhere good, can lead to a career :confused:.
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I did my BSc some where crap, did a placement and had job offer straight off as a software developer?

I went on to a MSc at a better university though. Then a phd at a even better university.
 
mrbell1984 said:
BSc in what? MSc in what?
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Computer Science. I've already discussed my career on here.

But I did not like standard software developer work, to boring. Most business applications at big companies is creating 10000 different ways of inputting/reading data from a database. I wanted to work on the bleeding edge of theory.
 
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8igdave said:
As for telling me to do a harder degree because I am not finding it hard. I don't think there are many degrees harder than maths. If I can survive 21 hours of uni a week, 3 pieces of work in uni a week and up to 12 four hour tough exams a year without really putting a huge amount of effort in I refuse to believe the likes of business and that are difficult. My friend doing classics has something like 5 hours of uni a week and 4 exams. He admits it's a bum degree and doesn't find it hard at all as a result. And no I'm not saying I must be extremely brainy. Simply that people don't bother trying. I just missed my first this year but I feel it would take an intelect higher than I possess to get a first over my third and fourth year as well unfortunately. Maths is just one of those things you can't just keep revising to do well. It's not about remembering things and writing them back down like so many other subjects.
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A degree in subject X is as easy or difficult as the University choose to make it. The fact that you find your mathematics degree easier to deal with than A-Level further maths probably indicates that your University have chosen to make the course fairly easy (relatively speaking).
 
w11tho said:
A degree in subject X is as easy or difficult as the University choose to make it. The fact that you find your mathematics degree easier to deal with than A-Level further maths probably indicates that your University have chosen to make the course fairly easy (relatively speaking).
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Maths is one of the hardest where ever you go. The reason I found further maths very hard was because I was getting 1 lesson a week on it and it was being taught to a 16 year old. Now I'm 20 and in uni and despite learning much more advanced concepts I do not find it too hard.

I just feel that while the concepts are quite advanced and hard, uni tends to lead you into them far better than college did. Then again, my college was terrible.
 
I've been to university twice and not finished either course. I originally moved away at 19 to study Business at Manchester but only stayed 3-4 months before dropping out. I didn't really enjoy the course, area or social side of everything. I returned to Birmingham uni when I was 23 to study Biology, living at home this time, but struggled to keep focused on the work so didn't return for my second year. So for me uni wasn't anything to write home about.

I'm now a builder, earning good money and really enjoying it so I really do think it's down to the individual.

The whole best time of your life thing alway struck me as a bit sad as most of us will have another 60ish years after graduating.
 
Moses said:
Lol, or practicing law just doesn't interest me - ask any lawyers on here how much they have to work... it's not cool! When it comes to ~areas~, I enjoy studying international law, and am tempted by academia, going into the Civil Service fast stream (Diplomatic Service) or joining the forces (officer role, obvs). From what Icebus has said, I'm slightly envious of his job, too, ha.

Your a/b/c is lol, but I'll play.

a) Well, I'm fully expecting a 2:i, whilst my course stands out reasonably well, as there aren't many institutions which do European and international law (with a combined year abroad) - it can certainly be a talking point, anyway.
b) Sheffield's alright, innit - red brick/Russell Group ftw.
c) I have an uncle who's managing partner of a firm with clients such as Sony/BA/Samsung/et al, so I'm sure that if I wanted to get valuable experience, or be mentioned, I could be - I know that's no guaranteed job, etc, etc, but you threw the word contacts in there. In terms of experience, I've been VP of a students' union representing 22 000 people, I've been a case manager on a pro bono project (woo, ~relevant work experience~), I've had committee roles at uni (could well be president of my club, in my final year, but that won't be sorted for a while).
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My flat mate's mum is a top barrister in the country. Pretty much destroyed their family as a result. Well aware of the work involved. But at the same time the moment is terrific if you can manage it.

I'd bet money you didn't enjoy contracting though :P. I didn't say you fitted into them, I said generally people do. Many of my friends at uni are doing law and most of them can't even get a firm to look at them.

Why are people fixated on what course it is?! An ~arts degree~ can be bloody good, as can a maths degree, as can a science degree, etc... if they're studied at a good university... but they can all be rubbish degrees, too, if studied somewhere terrible.
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Goes without saying that if you are going to a bad uni and you don't get a very good grade you will struggle until you get some decent experience under your belt. But the point i was making is for the large part people are getting degrees that don't have jobs at the end or they get jobs which they could have got without their degree anyway and in the current climate the debt you will stack on your self is just ludicrous.

I didn't pick law as I knew it would get me somewhere, I picked it because I liked the issues it brought up, such as human rights/use of force/etc - coincidentally, it'll probably ~get me somewhere~, but so will loads of the arts degrees people have!

I know someone doing Information Systems Management (I think!)... I guess you think that's pointless? He's currently on a placement year, down in London, working for Goldman Sachs, earning loads of money (and it's only a placement, remember!).

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Edit :: PS. Lol @ your exams... I have 6*3 hour exams, each year :3 (although they're invariably on consecutive days :().
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But it wasn't his degree that put him there, most likely a friend no? My friend doing classics gets all sorts of good jobs just because his mum knows anyone worth knowing.

My exams are a freaking joke! The year coming up none of my modules have any coursework attached to them either bar the project one. They are also often in a row. Though because I had so many last year second semester they started on the 11th of may and ended on the 8th of june :'(.

Still, not as bad as gcses thats for sure. I thought they would never end!
 
Go to uni if you want to study what you originally planned to.

If you don't get the grades don't go for some random course.

I wanted to do pharmacy but with my grades I just about managed a place to do a chemistry degree. I initially accepted it but then declined it because I still want to do pharmacy.

I will try to improve my a levels this year if I get into pharmacy then the extra year will be worth it, if not then maybe uni won't be right for me.
 
8igdave said:
But it wasn't his degree that put him there, most likely a friend no? My friend doing classics gets all sorts of good jobs just because his mum knows anyone worth knowing.

My exams are a freaking joke! The year coming up none of my modules have any coursework attached to them either bar the project one. They are also often in a row. Though because I had so many last year second semester they started on the 11th of may and ended on the 8th of june :'(.

Still, not as bad as gcses thats for sure. I thought they would never end!
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I'm doing Computer Science at Bournemouth (not a very good Uni) and I'm doing a Placement at a company similar to Goldman Sachs with no contacts. Bad uni's can still open up good opportunities if you look in the right places. There are quite a lot of employers who just see university and places them above other candidates.
 
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