University degree not worth as much as touted

baby_boomer

Do they still give 2:2s?

I heard that universities are reluctant to do so in case they get sued by parents who might complain about the (lousy) tuition for which they've paid £10K. (And that's before the current round of savage cuts that are just starting.)

It's become a degraded currency IMHO.

No wonder employers are increasingly coming up with their own tests for graduates to take.

beckeroo

2:2 Yes you can still get them. The drinkers degree!!

Where did you here about universities being reluctant to give them?

I am always amused by the amount of people who seem to want to suggest that a university degree is worthless. Someone who has achieved a degree has shown that they can both work independently and work under pressure. Two very important vocational skills I would argue.

Not only that but the life experience gained at university is priceless. University largely made me in to the person I am today and I would go back to those days in a heartbeat.

wymondham

beckeroo wrote: »

Not only that but the life experience gained at university is priceless.

... I'm interested - how would you compare this with life experiences 'out in the wild' ?

Radiantsoul

baby_boomer wrote: »

Do they still give 2:2s?

I heard that universities are reluctant to do so in case they get sued by parents who might complain about the (lousy) tuition for which they've paid £10K. (And that's before the current round of savage cuts that are just starting.)

It's become a degraded currency IMHO.

No wonder employers are increasingly coming up with their own tests for graduates to take.

Do you have any evidence for such a bold assumption

olly300

ninky wrote: »

i'd say it's related to success to. all those posh activities rich kids get to do - horse riding, ski-ing, trips to art galleries, sailing - it all adds up to being in a world you feel familiar with and have shared interests in. i don't think those who had that even fully appreciate the benefits these sorts of things give them. cultural capital etc.

You need to meet more people as you will find that the children with the most cultural capital tend to be those whose parents and grandparents are academics or teachers. Many of whom are taught in the state sector.

As pointed out before just attending a private or public school doesn't mean you will succeed in life. I personally have had to listen to family and friends rant about in-laws whose children have had loads of money spent on their education but don't work or can't hold down a job.

Hence some of my siblings who can afford to or know how to get scholarships to privately educate their children have just sent them to the local comp. Their children won't suffer as they experimented on dragging me to cultural events as a child.

olly300

beckeroo wrote: »

2:2 Yes you can still get them. The drinkers degree!!

I thought that was a 3rd.

beckeroo wrote: »

Where did you here about universities being reluctant to give them?

Definitely The Guardian and I also think The Times have published articles on the nannying of university students where parents will ring up and try to sort out their child's lives for them.

They have also published articles on the fact that lecturers are pressured to pass students especially foreign students on to the second year of courses for fees reasons even though the student has failed.

olly300

anewman wrote: »

I have a first class degree from the University of Huddersfield (admittedly not considered a brilliant University, but I thought it was good, and all work marked at a first was sent off to be externally validated, so they weren't giving firsts away willy nilly). I also got a pass with merit at Masters that wasn't far off a distinction from University of Leeds. Still I am unemployed

You are not unemployable.

Firstly it's a recession and secondly even in the days when jobs where more frequent, the majority of people I knew with degrees fell into their permanent jobs after temping at the company.

Radiantsoul

olly300 wrote: »

They have also published articles on the fact that lecturers are pressured to pass students especially foreign students on to the second year of courses for fees reasons even though the student has failed.

Allowing people to continue to the second year is different from passing those who don't deserve to pass.

Degree classification depends on performance in the last two years. The first year is just a foundation, so I don't think that allowing people to continue onto the second year is really cheating anyone. It is a bit like messing up a mock exam, but still being allowed to sit the real thing. And many foreign students will be struggling with a language barrier.

MissMoneypenny

ninky wrote: »

and that's the thing. parental background has a far greater impact on career success than education. even if you didn't help him out with contacts he'd be familiar with the world of it etc. i didn't even know what investment banking was until i entered my 30s. and i was top of the class (in my various state schools). not that i mind. i don't think it would have suited me.

It's a good theory, but how does that explain how I went into investment banking? My parents didn't know about investment banking.

carolt

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

It's a good theory, but how does that explain how I went into investment banking? My parents didn't know about investment banking.

I don't know, how does it explain how you went into investment banking?

Slightly off-topic (but only slightly) can you tell how you did end up doing that?

I'm just interested.