Tonight with Trevor McDonald (degrees worth it?) 24/11

anewman

Thought I would alert people to the Tonight With Trevor McDonald programme this evening at 8pm

Description on Digtal TV EPG is

"It's a huge financial decision to go to university. But is it worth it? Jonathan Maitland looks at graduates' pay and asks if some degrees are worth the paper they're written on."


- My views are my degree hasn't helped me get a job. It's certainly helped me get 3 interviews I would never have dreampt of getting otherwise (ie. for jobs with a wage of £18k+), but it's geetting a job, not interviews that matter. But simply because I haven't managed to get a job, I am not earning over £15k (or ever likely to) a year so do not have to pay back my loan, so my degree helped me get free money. Lets see what the program says anyway, my guess is it won't be very hard hitting but we'll see

StudentSaver_2

I wasn't very happy with the programme. I'm only in my second year of a four year degree, so I don't know how I'll fare when I graduate and start looking for a job, but right now I'm doing my best to ensure that I'll stand out from other candidates.

Watching the programme I wondered if any of the people that were still looking for a job up to 18 months after graduation had participated in activities outside of their degree course. Too many students do their work and spend the rest of their time sleeping and drinking beer. Fair enough, I do spend a disturbing amount of time sleeping and I am fond of the odd pint or few, but I make sure that I am actively involved in my university. For example, I sit on the Union Council, I sit on the Board of Studies and the Staff Student Committee in my school and I have a part-time job to increase my other skills. Hopefully these will increase my job prospects in the future and will help me find a graduate job.

But all in all, I don't agree with the anti-university view portrayed in the programme.

ftbworried

All sounds good StudentSaver, you're dead on the money degree does not = good job anymore- you have to have something EXTRA on top of other graduates. Extra curricular stuff is good but the best one is work EXPERIENCE. I did a 4 year sandwich degree where you go out in industry for a year and as such it has made me very employable- to the point where I have been offered every position I have been to interview for.

There's a girl who has just started working at my Mum's workplace (in an admin office), and she is a Maths graduate and only on 10k! Ouch! Saying that, it is a Third and from a 'metropolitan' university.....

'Trevor McDonald's' programs (I write it in inverted commas because he only ever appears in 2 minutes of it), are over-the-top sensationalist stuff. He fails to look at reasons WHY certain graduates are unemployable (bad degree classification, low quality course, 3rd rate university) and prefers to shout from the roof tops that ALL degrees are useless. :mad:

anewman

ftbworried wrote:

'Trevor McDonald's' programs (I write it in inverted commas because he only ever appears in 2 minutes of it), are over-the-top sensationalist stuff. He fails to look at reasons WHY certain graduates are unemployable (bad degree classification, low quality course, 3rd rate university) and prefers to shout from the roof tops that ALL degrees are useless. :mad:

There was in fact that young guy who was signing on at the job centre who went to York University and studied Politics. A good university, and I would have thought a good course. The scottish young lady with the glasses went to Stirling University I think it was, another respectable university, can't remember what she studied, but she ended up on temping jobs.

However, as you mention, one *BIG* bone of contention, they did not mention what classification any of them got, or any other aspects of their lives or education. They could have all got thirds for all we know.

And we didn't hear from any graduates who walked into a job and earn lots, I'm sure there are a good few of them.

As you say, all sensationalism. I was unimpressed with the program. I wonder how many parents are now changing their mind from send kids to uni, to get them out to work after seeing the program.

And I would argue that saying a degree from an ex-polytechnic is not as good as from another is elitism, like only accepting graduates from oxbridge. I went to the University of Huddersfield, now I am at The University of Leeds studying a masters I feel my experiences highlight that the standard of education, the standard of resources etc and the standard of assessment at Huddersfield was in fact very good. It might have been a different story at Leeds Metropolitan though, but I'll never know.

Talentguy

I'm 23 and have gained a massive amount of experience since doing a basic gnvq course at college and looking back I still wouldn't have gone to university straight from college as I agree it'd put me in the situation many of the people in the program were in.

Unfortunately because of my age and the field I want to continue to work in; experience isn't enough. I've been for many interviews both internally and externally and each and every time I'm beaten by people who have degrees.

A problem with businesses these days are that they aren't willing to invest in staff and want someone with years or experience and an amazing revelant degree and don't want to deal with anyone else which saddens me greatly and the day I'm up there with the people who are the top earners like Sir Philip Green, I certainly won't be taking people on just on the basis they have a degree and will be looking at people, as in his words, who have "common sense degrees"!

andyrules

There was in fact that young guy who was signing on at the job centre who went to York University and studied Politics. A good university, and I would have thought a good course. The scottish young lady with the glasses went to Stirling University I think it was, another respectable university, can't remember what she studied, but she ended up on temping jobs.

I think she studied English and Media, and tried (not surprisingly) to get a job in media.

Did I hear right at the beginning, Trevor Mc said some students leave with debts of £15,000? Myy DD (started this year) will finish her course with a minimum debt of £28,000. Maybe he just meant the fees?

studentphil

You know, a third does not make you unemployable. A third probably has no bearing on how well you can do a job. All it shows is you did not do well at essays!

So I do not really see why what degree class they have really matters!

elisebutt65

Of course the classification makes a difference!!! FGS Phil get your head out of the sand!!! Degrees aren't all essays you know - there's exams, reports, group work, presentations and seminars!!!

I'd hate to think I'm striving for a First only for someone to say "Oh, the classification doesn't matter, you can have an ordinary for all we care here!!!"

I need a degree to do my chosen career - lecturer as I can't go on to do the PGCE without it.

Luckily, I also have 20 years of work experience behind me, and am doing the degree purely to get the bit of paper to prove I can do the job, IYKWIM? I'm also student rep for our year -did it just for the CV as I can't work atm cos of the workload and kiddiewinks:rolleyes:

What does pee me off is the way(stated in programme) that you'll soon need a degree to clean the flipping loos. I did that quite well for some years, in the mornings as well as my full time job, without a degree - lol.

I think though that the market will soon be flooded with graduates and the Govt needs to concentrate on more vocational qualifications as well as academic ones. There is no way my eldest will ever be able to sit through 3 extra years of formal learning, he has several learning difficulties and has trouble just in Yr 7!!! He wants to join the RAF cadets when he's old enough and then to carry this on as a career - carrying on the family trade etc.

jennifernil

I watched the programme. I think it depends to a great extent on what your degree is in. Our daughter is in the 4th year of a 5 year Masters in Software Engineering and from her summer placement this year she has a firm offer of a job for July 2008 on a salary of £25k. Her brother did a similar degree and went straight into a good job 13 years ago, he is now on £60k.
We have supported them both through Uni so they had/have no debt, I hope they realise how fortunate they are!!!

si1503

studentphil wrote:

You know, a third does not make you unemployable. A third probably has no bearing on how well you can do a job. All it shows is you did not do well at essays!

So I do not really see why what degree class they have really matters!

Of course they matter! The difference between a 1st and 2:1 is by no means the be all end all of degrees. However a 1st or 2.1 grad is certainly going to have an easier time finding decent employment compared to say someone with a 2.2 or 3rd. Ceteris paribus.

studentphil

si1503 wrote:

Of course they matter! The difference between a 1st and 2:1 is by no means the be all end all of degrees. However a 1st or 2.1 grad is certainly going to have an easier time finding decent employment compared to say someone with a 2.2 or 3rd. Ceteris paribus.

There is no logic for that!

Writing a good English exam or an English Essay will not make you a good employer, there is no logical connection betwwen the two!