Is a University degree worth it?

LannieDuck

Does she know what she wants to do as a job? My sister knew from a young age that she wanted to be a vet, so uni was a no-brainer. I had no clue, but enjoyed academia, and loved my time at uni. I've since gone on to get a PhD in a subject I very much enjoy, and which I couldn't have accessed without my degree.

If in doubt, I would say definitely send her to uni. It will keep her career options much broader than not having a degree, and she'll only have to pay it back when she starts earning.

UnderTheBridge

Not all degrees are equal, and it's important to consider that there are millions of people out there with degrees who are unemployed. A school is just a school and has little to do with how successful you will be.

It's important to consider the degree itself as well. Is it a degree that directly leads to a good job (like engineering), or something like history that doesn't? There's also the fact that when she graduates she'll have 0 relevant work experience and if she spends those 3-4 years working in her related field, even if she's starting at the bottom, she'll have relevant experience.

Daedalus

UnderTheBridge wrote: »

There's also the fact that when she graduates she'll have 0 relevant work experience and if she spends those 3-4 years working in her related field, even if she's starting at the bottom, she'll have relevant experience.

Difference is that a student has access to internships, which will give you experience at a far higher level than working 3 years at the bottom. 8 week internship in summer trumps working for years at the bottom.

LannieDuck

Meant to add that I agree with those people who say that there's a big difference in quality of the degrees available. If you're going to have a big student loan to repay, make sure your uni/degree course is well respected.

andrewjf

LannieDuck wrote: »

Does she know what she wants to do as a job?

No, I believe she could do anything. But I'm a bit biased I guess

zagfles

Don't worry about the cost - it's really no more than it was for the previous generation. I went to university in the 80's - no tuition fees, there were grants for living costs but they were means tested on parental income. But basic rate tax when I started work was 29%.

Now there are loans for tuition fees which everyone gets, plus loans and/or grants for living costs which are means tested on parental income. But the point to note is that loans only get repaid at 9%, basic rate tax is 20%, so the end result is pretty much the same as it was in the 80's.

Have a read of Martin's guide on the subject.

LannieDuck

andrewjf wrote: »

No, I believe she could do anything. But I'm a bit biased I guess

Well, "anything" includes quite a few jobs that require a degree... I would keep her options open as long as I could.

dawyldthing

I went to uni and while i'm glad I went I don't really use my degree in my everyday life but looking back I probably would still have gone. I have to say I think what is as important is having work experience during it or during the holidays as every job nowadays wants experience and most degrees are less than 15 hours study most weeks and around 30 weeks of the year by the time all the extra weeks off are added together which will help give her skills when entering the workplace. I know that working abroad as a camp counselor and in the uk in various part time jobs has helped me get other jobs as they always ask you what you have done which does look good

andrewjf

Brassedoff wrote: »

As an employer and person who sources new staff for projects, I find some degrees worthless. When I did my degree, anything less than a 2.1 was not even considered anything worth shouting about. Yet now you see 2.2, thirds or even passes being heralded as "having earned" the qualification.

Well I have a 2:2 degree and I don't consider it worthless.
I do find it quite laughable how some job requirements specify a 2:1 or better degree. In my field, most of the technologies I use day to day didn't even exist when I was doing my degree course. Having the benefit of 20+ years experience, the ability to constantly keep my skills up to date, and more importantly, enthusiasm and aptitude for what I do makes me a valuable employee.

TopQuark

inmypocketnottheirs wrote: »

An exception to that statement would be India. A country that has one of the highest numbers of university graduates per head of the population. Education certainly isn't tax payer or state funded there. Moreover, it is valued as a way o a better job. Exactly as it should be here.

Can you cite your source on this please? India has 1 billion+ people, so that's an awful lot of graduates. My (very quick & dirty) search results show Canada as the number one country in this respect, with the UK at 7. India doesn't feature in the top ten. (OECD Education at a Glance, 2012).

In fact, the BBC reports that 25% of India's population is still illiterate; only 15% of Indian students reach high school, and just 7% graduate.