Would you go to University?

[slinxy]

On the day of A-level results, the question has popped back into my head...

I did go to university straight after college, it didn't give me much of a head start in my working life and saddle me with a load of debts. God knows how students coupe now a days.

For many years of my life, I wished that I didn't go to uni and tried getting a job straight away or at least took a year or two out. But my year was the last year of free tuition so it was an opportunity I had to take straight away.

Given that most young people need an university degree just to get any sort of job now a days as they lack the experience and certifications some roles require, and now that I've been student loan free for a while now, I'm glad I went to university, if for the experince and nothing else. At times think about doing another course like a masters, phd or an undergrad course in something different.

So the question is... for those who went to uni, and I mean real uni not the university of life.. are you glad that you did?
for those who didn't or attended the univeristy of life, did you wish you went to uni?

Has anyone gone back to being a student or thinking about it? or even thinking of going for the first time.. later on in life..

 

[slinxy]

While not the case for everyone, one of the problems IMO is that at that age people often don't know what they really want or what direction is going to pan out for them - I studied IT as it was something I was interested in and other people pushed me that way career wise as it was something I was good at, but then found it is something I enjoy as a hobby and both don't enjoy it as a job and detracts from my enjoyment of it as a hobby. Sadly did that instead of doing a degree in chemical engineering which would have probably been a better career direction.

Same here buddy, I enjoyed IT and may have been good or even great at it but I excelled at Maths (in my youth).

I choice a degree in computer science and softare engineering, non of this soft courses BS... and I hated it... when I left; I was all programmed out and wanted a job in anything but programming; hence why I used to think my time at uni wasn't well spent. I only recently (3 years ago) started a role that required programming everyday, and I'm like a duck to water. It doesn't mean that I enjoy it and if they told me that during the interview stage; when they clearly said I wouldn't need to programm.. then I may have not have taken the role.

I have all the lovely computer games and the last thing I want to do is sit infront of a screen, god forbid updating drivers, overclocking etc on a PC. I gave up PC gaming many moons ago and never looked back.

with my 20/20 vision, I wish I did Maths now.. I may have been an accountant or something but who knows' it's a passing intreast of mine at the moment but I may hate doing that as "work" too.

 

[slinxy]

Someone I knew died recently he was 62, turns out he was a professor which I’m led to believe is one of the highest levels in academia. I only found out he was a professor after he’d died. He was a nice chap, didn’t come across as a snob.

It's normally a person that holds a PhD that works in or associated with eduction, I had a load of them at one of the places I worked at; a medical reasearch center that was involved with a university.

One chap, was a professor, crown prince of a country, knighed by our late queen and nobel prize winner... that's a pretty big and well impressive flex but rather being addressed as HRH or Sir, he prefered Prof.
one of the nicest man you could meet, but he doesn't need to tell you off, he just get's one of his people to do it.

 

[slinxy]

Yes definitely.

Aside from career and financial prospects its where I met a lot of my lifelong friends and wife who are all of similar intellect.

Red brick Uni 20 years ago this year, £35,000 debt, earnt 6 figures from late 20s

would you say the 6 figure salary came from having your degree or the fact it came stamped by a redbrick or the networking you did at uni?

It's like golf clubs... my nephew in law keeps telling me I should join so I can "network"... I'm like.. "dude I have a bad back" and unlike you (a company tax accountant) I don't need to network to keep myself in a job.

 

[slinxy]

Nowadays i don't think its worth going to university considering you would be £30k plus debt when you finish

it's not the debit, 30K is a laughable amount IF you leave uni and get yourself a 50-60K plus job straight after. Yes you might have to live at home with your parents for a year or two but you can pay it off quickly.. is the fact that the degree doesn't even get you an interview now a days for a job that pays 60K and most people will be looking for start position at most companies. Heck there are companies where the MD isn't on 50k.

 

[slinxy]

Not only that, but the quality of people's spelling and grammar is appalling. This doesn't seem to get completely fixed by university, but it's certainly better.

Mine's down to 100% laziness, I'm glued to devices that have spelling and grammar checkers all day. If I actually proof read the stuff I write then it wouldn't be so bad but I have staff to do that at work... lol

It could also be down to the fact that my English teacher was a ****...