Your thoughts on university

cazziebo

zagubov wrote: »

IMHO the government should have expanded the OU immensely to accept new students instead of making the polys into universities.

:T So agree with this. We had some great Polys in the UK that became second rate Universities. I also think we undermined a lot of professional training when we forced it all down the academic degree route (and excluded a lot of potentially excellent nurses, physiotherapists and so on because they didn't do well at school) .

I went to a Russell Group university and loved it. It was an excuse to get away from the remote island I lived on. I met and keep in touch with people who are now in the UK Cabinet, on tv, work in film, write in the nationals, have senior positions in multinational companies, written best sellers etc etc. Had I gone straight into the police, civil service, or local fish processing and knitwear industries, I would never have had that exposure. But times are very different now.

My younger daughter took a year out before going to university to study law. She travelled for six months, and then worked in a call centre. She was doing "technical support" for people who couldn't work their satellite TV boxes for minimum wage. She was the only non graduate in the team. Some of them had pretty suspect degrees but one of her colleagues had a First in Law and didn't have the money to do the essential post grad Diploma to get a traineeship.

It's such a tragic waste of our young people's talents. We force them down the expensive education route when there is nothing at the end. And for everyone that says "I didn't have a degree, and I did well", it is different now. Some people will always succeed due to a combination of luck, talent and/or support from those around them.Not everyone is fortunate.

As for my daughter,she gave up the Uni place and went travelling instead. She's done a year in Australia, six months in the Far East, two ski seasons and now has a work visa for Canada for a year. All without a penny from me and no debt. Much more value than a degree in <insert useless subject here>!

Flugelhorn

VJsmum wrote: »

I have never had anyone drinking wine in my 0900 lectures.

No I am glad to say that no one did in my lectures either but I am aware of some young relatives partaking at their unis....

chucknorris

VJsmum wrote: »

Our courses are approved by the RICS and they are very picky about who we can take, how and what we teach them and our assessment strategy.

Ours are too, but some of our competitors have recently lost their RICS accreditation. I guess they didn't take enough notice of the RICS criteria, but I really don't know how they lost it.


EDIT: I had a drunk student (level 4) in one of my lectures in February, he wasn't too disruptive, just talking nonsense, and it was mid afternoon (apparently he had had a liquid lunch) rather than 9 am.

claire21

This thread has been quite a wakeup call to me, I had no idea people with a degree end up working in a call centre, I find that quite depressing.

I'm definitely going to take a lot more interest in what happens at school, it's quite had with a 6ft 14 year old boy who grunts quite a bit to get much out of him but I know he's very happy at school.

jackyann

inkie wrote: »

For some careers not having a degree is not an option. I didn't go straight from school, but did nursing, and then midwifery, and topped up my qualifications and studied part time for first degree. I am now doing an MA part time - in a different line of work now. Eldest daughter will be starting at university of Wales in September. I think it is about broadening your horizons and increasing independence and deepening your subject knowledge as well as obtaining a degree.

But of course now, to do nursing (at least to make a career of it) you would have to go to University & get a degree.
If I recall correctly, 14% of all university students are doing nursing or midwifery. A significant number are doing other degrees in things like social work, physiotherapy and other professions that 1-2 generations ago had training courses outside of university.

I would always say to decide first what you want to do, then look at how to get there.
Also, if undecided, take a year or two out to get some perspective. Work at whatever you can do to earn the money you need, do some volunteer work or follow a dream if possible, then make your decisions. You will make them wih a clearer head, more experience, and hopefully some money!

adindas

Again I echo opinion of other people. It completely depends what they want to do.
If you just want to become shop assistant, manager in a supermarket, receptionist, electrician, plumber, mechanics, builders, politicians or working for your relative's/parent's business then degree might not be necessary.

But if you want to become a qualified solicitor, doctor, Dentists, pharmacist, Engineer then you will need a degree.

Some people might get five/six digit income without having a degree. This is definitely true. Look at talented entrepreneurs, businessman, or people who are fortunate, people who get help or inherit business from parent's/ relatives. But how many this sort of people around ? not many as we know for sure ...

But statistics and research shows that in general people with the right university degree will get job easier compare to those who do not. Also statistics and research shows that in general people with degree earn more than those who do not.

The university at least will train a student to analyze and to think more critically. It is true you could also gain this skills from university of life but it will take longer.

Person_one

jackyann wrote: »

But of course now, to do nursing (at least to make a career of it) you would have to go to University & get a degree.
If I recall correctly, 14% of all university students are doing nursing or midwifery. A significant number are doing other degrees in things like social work, physiotherapy and other professions that 1-2 generations ago had training courses outside of university.


!

I'd be interested to know where you found that statistic. I live in a city with three universities that offer nursing, two of them with a national reputation and relatively big cohorts each year. All of those student nurses and midwives put together is still less than 1500 from a student population of around 70,000!

Even if they're counting CPD courses taken by qualified nurses that still seems like a very high percentage.

Bennifred

It's a sad reflection of the times that all the posts in this thread (unless I've missed any) seem to think that it's only worth going to university if it contributes towards getting a job.

Does nobody think studying a subject for the love of it is worth doing any more?

Buzzybee90

Bennifred wrote: »

It's a sad reflection of the times that all the posts in this thread (unless I've missed any) seem to think that it's only worth going to university if it contributes towards getting a job.

Does nobody think studying a subject for the love of it is worth doing any more?

If I wanted to spend 27k on something just for the love of it, I'd buy a land rover.

MrsAtobe

Tropez wrote: »

I'd like to add my agreement with this. My degrees are OU (I'm studying for another one at the moment) and it has helped my career massively.

As someone in a management position, it is true that employers generally regard OU degrees very highly as they are seen as a clear indication that someone wished to improve themselves academically and committed to what can be quite a difficult educational process because of the amount of personal drive, determination and self sufficiency required to complete an OU degree.

I'd also say that I feel the government handled the OU poorly. I signed the OU petition to try and exclude the institution from the fees overhaul because it is my earnest belief that the OU is something this country should be proud of; an institution that gave many, many people a new lease on life and a chance for self improvement regardless of background and personal circumstance. It is still a fantastic institution and I will always gladly endorse them.

The OU was set up with the help of the wife of the man who set up the NHS, what an amazing couple!