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

Sigur_2

I couldn't dream of getting a job in the field I want to go into without a degree.

All these people who are saying that certain employers are taking experience over degrees, that nice and all. Except when you're 21, you won't have much experience and basically every job I've applied for has asked for a degree of a 2:1 classification.

So to me, university is required.

elisebutt65

I didn't go into my degree with the intention of improving my job prospects as i already have 20 years behind me so didn't really need it.

However, my husband had left and I had 2 children under 8(one still at nursery at the time)and the only job I could find at the time was call centres or Tesco's - the prospect of this filled me with glee as you can imagine.

So I researched all the opportunities out there for further education and the amount of debt i would be saddled with, weighed up the pro's and con's etc etc. I decided that I would rather fill my time in between childcare duties feeding my brain, than just getting by scraping a living in a dead end, go nowhere job, filling in time until the kids got older.

I can honestly say that the last 3 years (so far) have been the happiest of my life. I may not go to a red-brick, but my degree is accredited by one (Birmingham) I have learned so much more about myself and my own abilities, i have learned how to be assertive and a more well-rounded individual. I have learned that I am not just 'mum' and I have finally started to grow up and into my personality. I didn't have a career in mind, apart from the fact that I wanted to do 'something' on tourism. Now I know that I want to teach and spread my knowledge to as many people as I can. I love doing study groups and helping my fellow students understand facts we may have picked up in a lecture but not known how to apply to reality.

I feel like an evangelist sometimes and preach(a bit too much lol) to all my grown up friends(as opposed to student friends) about the joys of learning later on in life. The best bit is coming home with another A and the kids seeing how happy I am, and hoping tht they want to follow my example:D

Who cares about the debt - it'll come out of my salary eventually and the 16-20,000 it will have cost me is a drop in the ocean compared to the happiness I have felt this last few years and i will feel truly sorry to leave it behind in June.

tr3mor

Of course universities are elitist. Jobs are elitist. Life is elitist.

If a company has a choice of ten candidates for one job surely they would choose the best candidate!

DavidPeakeweb

Unfortunately, I missed the programme, but wanted to comment after reading all the posts.

I am currently on a sandwich placement, working towards a computing degree. I worked 'part time' whilst at university, managing the IT requirements of the Retread department at Michelin. I have 4 A levels, an NVQ 4 and a Microsoft Developers Qualification, which I attained while working full time. The simple reason I get to earn 13k part time, do my degree, and I recently set up my own business, is because I am prepared to work hard, and am prepared to, almost, make people give me a chance.

Whether one has a degree or not, in the end its all about how much you want to succeed, how willing you are to fight for it, and what you are willing to give up to get where you want to be.

I like to think that when I graduate in 2008 I will be in the excellent position of having a 1st class degree, and 9 years work experience (I started at 16), then I'll go and do what I need and want to do, and keep pushing myself until I get there.

si1503

anewman wrote:

Not if you don't reap any benefits, like improved job prospects, I would argue. Of course you ony find this out after spending a few years at university and paying fees and everything else.

Not if you've done your homework. A degree in the right subject will certainly improve your job prospects with a lot of companies. If you believe it won't, then you really have to ask yourself why are you doing it?

si1503

andyrules wrote:

Personally, I would only consider it worth the effort and time (and the rest!) if it makes me a more attractive proposition in the job market. At the moment I don't believe this to be so.

In that case don't go to uni.

si1503

m.smith14 wrote:

I'm in my final year of a Law degree from a redbrick uni and I can honestly say that unless you wish to go into Law (for which becoming a solicitor is a prerequisite) I would have found it better to work with a growing level of responsibility (i.e. not just in a call centre!) and feel that this would have equipped me better than this degree has for future careers. As for knowledge of the Law it has proved invaluable and has personal worth. As for my employability, I have had one interview for a graduate entry position but just hope that my 2:1/2:2 will have made the course worthwhile. As for others I would say that once you have mastered the 3R's, if you're not particularly academic do not be pushed forward with those around you going to uni but consider the vocational opportunities available to you.

One clear point to make here is that not all degrees have the same worth. I've heard many people in this thread moan about how they feel a degree has not helped them improve their career prospects blah blah blah, but at the end of the day if you want to go into law, a degree is pretty much imperative for any career in that line of industry. Same goes for business and financial careers, and medical careers, and so on. For many of us, a degree is going to improve our prospects 10 fold! I couldn't manage trying to find work in the city without a degree, its hard enough trying to find work with one!

andyrules

In that case don't go to uni.

I think that was the point Trevor Mc was making - should so many people be going? At the moment the advice from schools/colleges is go to uni, whatever. I was quering the validity of this blanket advice. I'm not referring to those professions which have always, and always will demand HE, eg medicine.

andyrules

correction - querying

melancholly

DavidPeakeweb wrote:

Whether one has a degree or not, in the end its all about how much you want to succeed, how willing you are to fight for it, and what you are willing to give up to get where you want to be.

i missed the programme too, but this is a great comment.

life is all about taking opportunities available to you. for me, that was working hard and getting a good degree (and then never leaving university!) - for other people it's about getting a good break in a job at 17 and rising up in a company, yet more people start their own businesses and do really well.

if you have the chance to get into uni and work at it and do well, it certainly won't hinder getting a job. that certificate alone won't get you any job you want - it just doesn't work like that.

the other really vital thing is that (in general) you don't just walk out of uni into your dream job. there are always other things to do (get experience, start at a lower level). even with a good degree you shouldn't expect that. i think a lot of graduates need to temper their expectations - a degree will most likely help get onto the right career path, but expecting a perfect job at 21 is over-ambitious!