Degree Education? Worth it??

MoneySavingUser

There was a time when I would say yes but luckily when I went to university the fee was only £1200 a year and my parents could easily afford this

But now the fees are going to be a lot higher and you have no guarantee of a job at the end of it (related or unrelated) - which can lead to a lot of debt (admittedly if you don't earn £21k a year you don't pay it back etc. but it is still a worry)

He should really have a good think about what sort of career he might wish to pursue - a number of careers also have A Level entry routes which he should consider - if after considering this he still thinks university is the best option for him then he should go.

As others have mentioned he make sure to get work experience and to extra-curricular activities during university to give him a better chance of getting a job at the end of it

TrickyDicky101

University taught me nothing other than how to drink. I feel I wasted the 3 years I was there and it cost my parents a lot of money to support me. I now work in a discipline completely unrelated to what I studied (university for me was nearly 20 years ago).

Frankly, I wish I had entered the world of work before going on to university, and spent some time considering what it was I really wanted to do and chose my degree accordingly.

esmy

Whether he goes to university and what he studies is up to him - whether you assist him financially is up to you. It's doable without any contribution from parents but he needs to understand how student finance works and if he would need to work whilst studying to keep afloat. You need to be very clear with him about what you would offer financially, if anything, so he can make his decision knowing how much support you're willing to offer.

mr_sifter_2

I graduated this summer from university. I did Business & Finance at Manchester Uni and I'm still looking for work, so I have quite a lot to say on the subject.

First of all I'd agree that knowing what you want to do as a career will definitely help. I've only very recently come to a conclusion on this, so I feel this has hindered my chances somewhat. For example if I'd have known a few years ago I could have done work and being involved in groups etc. to strengthen my CV and experience. So if your son is wanting to go into politics there's quite a lot he may want to do; gain experience with local politicians, get involved in school councils (if there is one) and maybe even set up a blog where he could comment on political stories, thus highlighting his enthusiasm for the topic.

Back on to university itself though, I feel I can't comment appropriately at this time. Given my circumstances I'd say it has been a waste of time - for example, I went for a job interview the other week and didn't get it due to a lack of experience; despite me having a degree and the other person having none. Maybe this industry specific, I don't know. However, on balance my views on uni might change in ten years time when I'm in a job, so it's best not to discount it yet.

The positives of university in my experience were more related to gaining independence and resilience. I've always been quite mature and independent, but going away to university can only strengthen that. As my parents aren't blessed with bags of money I had to rely on my student loan etc. to fund my education, which was difficult at times, but has taught me many valuable lessons and has made me a stronger person. So, all in all, I'd say it's a great character building exercise, but is that really worth the soon-to-be 9k a year tuition fee? I don't know.

One last thing I will add is tell your son to take things they say at sixth form/college with a pinch of salt regarding further education. I was slightly naive in that I took the school's information on its own and didn't research enough myself. For example, I have since seen great opportunities to go straight into work from A-level with banks earning very good money in return for pretty average grades. The school never mentioned opportunities to us other than university and one of my friends who opted not to go and take an apprenticeship as an accountant was basically mocked and put down about his choice. Disgusting in my view as the school was only thinking about its own appearance and not of the interests of each student.

I wish you the best of luck anyway, it's a lot to take in and such an important decision to make at a young age.

somethingcorporate

vax2002 wrote: »

I am often astounded by how many people do degrees and never thought of sitting down with the jobs section of the newspaper first and thought about making a list of the most in demand qualifications in the jobs section.
It seems a bit odd to spend 3/4 years and umpteen thousands of pounds then decide to look in the job paper only to discover your new degree is pretty worthless in the job market.
But I suppose if you are only going for a laugh and to run down your parents retirement fund then who cares.

The problem with this is between picking your uni course and graduating the world becomes a completely different place. I started my degree in 2003 when the economy was booming and everything was rosy. I graduated in 2007 when the jobs market was quite different and it has continued to change dramatically since then. I was fortunate that I secured my job at the end of 2006 after a year in industry so missed the cuts that followed shortly after.

If you just go for the books and the drinking, a degree, unless first class from a brilliant university is going to be difficult to do much with. Go to a uni to expand horizons, join clubs, gain meaningful work experience and it will stand you in good stead when it comes to getting a graduate job - whether or not it is related to your subject is difficult to gauge 4/5 years in advance of entering the workplace.

motorguy

Crazy_Larry wrote: »

After some thought, all I can advie is mind your own business and let HIM decide his future.

Fair enough, however we're talking about a debt amounting to £50K here perhaps over 4-5 years. Plus a 'loss of earnings' over that timeframe of maybe £50-70K by not working.

Would you not be wishing to ensure you had as much info at hand to advise your son?

motorguy

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Actually, studying Politics at a reputable university is a perfectly sensible choice and shouldn't be compared with something like Media. Most graduates don't use their degree vocationally any way.

OP, why do you say that he'll be studying for 4 years, are you in Scotland?

Northern Ireland. Usually three years plus a placement year.

motorguy

vax2002 wrote: »

Depends on how well feathered the nest is or if he is planning to fund himself via loans.
The days of degrees have been severely eroded with the majority ending up doing a job that they could have done without the degree in the first place.
University has two faces, the one where people know the course and target it towards a working choice and the romantic face where it looks a good laugh for 3 or 4 years whilst someone else pays for it, then think about getting a job.

THATS my fear.

motorguy

The other side of it is that he doesnt want to get into politics or be a politician, he just wants to do the course.

Lokolo

pgilc1 wrote: »

Northern Ireland. Usually three years plus a placement year.

A placement year is a very good option to have as he will have a years experience under his belt. In this economy, having the extra bits will make him stand out amongst the crowd.

As for course choice, the best way to come out of uni with a degree if by studying something you LOVE. When your son applies for jobs and they are why he studied Politics, his enthusiasm when he answers the question is what interviewers will like!

And your last post, I did Computer Games Programming and didn't want a career in the games industry (although I did want a Soft Eng job). The 2 IT graduates last year for the company I work for, 1 did Economics, no background in IT, yet got the IT job.... The degree title means very little nowadays (for the most) as a lot of companies give training.