Your thoughts on university

Pont

claire21 wrote: »

I wonder if anyone has ever applied for a job that asks for a degree (a job where the majority would think it wasn't needed) when they haven't got one. Asking for the opportunity to be interviewed and given the chance "to sell themselves" ?

I now work in an occupation where I 'teach' skills for work. I would encourage all of my customers to apply for jobs, regardless of degrees, if they had the skills/experience desired.

Personally, if I were an employer, a degree wouldn't be that important to me in particular sectors. Medicine, Law, Education etc, it would be a necessity. However, admin, management, hospitality, ICT industries, media, arts etc - it wouldn't. I would look for experience, communication skills, ability to think laterally, ideas, approaches, personality, drive, ambition, determination etc etc. I would look for, above all, commonsense - and no university in the world teaches that one!

jackyann

Person_one wrote: »

If you think people don't like it be horrid to nurses you might want to have a glance at DT from time to time, we're only slightly more well liked than 'benefit scroungers' and corrupt politicians! :rotfl:

It was slightly tongue-in-cheek! But in this context, people who want to moan feel awkward about lumping nursing & midwifery in with "media studies" & "event management" (note: I'm not knocking those subjects)

Of course, they sometimes like to say "but you don't need a degree to care!" (usually these are people who would run a mile from feeding someone, washing them & making them comfortable!) and sometimes they dare moan about our pensions (so I tell them I earned it with my unpaid "caring" overtime)

theoretica

Pont wrote: »

I've just done the maths. £9,000pa divided by 30 weeks = £300 per week divided by 20 hours per week contact time = £15ph

£15ph X 30 in class = £450ph

Lecturer's pay = Approx £50ph You have left out preparation time - a decent lecture takes a lot of preparation. Less if it is the 20th year the lecturer has given it, but it seldom is! A day's preparation for the slides and handout would not be at all unreasonable, so make that 8 hours x your £50ph = £400 to the lecturer, employers NI, maintaning his/her office etc.

Nice little earner - £400ph for the university! How much does it cost to hire/maintain a classroom with good facilities? £50ph?

Whilst I appreciate there are add ons such as Student Services, Pastoral Care, Library Services etc. etc. The sums don't add up IMO.

The sums seem to add up reasonably well for purely book based subjects - there is a gaping hole for lab based ones!

claire21

Do your outside interests / hobbies come into factor anywhere when applying to a uni, or is it just the points system.?

If they do, does anyone have any examples of something they think helped them securing a place.

Anatidaephobia

I learned so much at university and none of it was academic.

theoretica

claire21 wrote: »

Do your outside interests / hobbies come into factor anywhere when applying to a uni, or is it just the points system.?

If they do, does anyone have any examples of something they think helped them securing a place.

They certainly do for distinguishing between high achieving candidates - it makes it clear the student hasn't been working flat out to achieve their grades, whatever the hobby is. Music, sport, charity volunteering, own business, sheep dog training...

CH27

claire21 wrote: »

Do your outside interests / hobbies come into factor anywhere when applying to a uni, or is it just the points system.?

If they do, does anyone have any examples of something they think helped them securing a place.

Yes! They have to do a Personal Statement.
My son worked part time, did DofE, volunteered, plays guitar & golf.
Unis use the PS to decide between high achieving students.

Armchair23

Sorry if it's already been mentioned , but the points system is fairly arbitrary. It's more to do with the popularity of a course and the University rather than the academic ability needed to complete the degree successfully or the quality of the course itself.

So you'll find some very good courses have a lower points requirement based on the fact that the nightlife isn't as good, it's a bit remote and nobodies best friend happens to be going there !

stebiz

Anatidaephobia wrote: »

I learned so much at university and none of it was academic.

How much a pint of milk was.
What time Asda reduced the bread.
How to switch an alarm clock on.

The truth is even those of us who didn't go to University straight from school managed to work these things out in our small brains. It didn't take 30k to do so.

Person_one

Pont wrote: »

I did too, and DD2, who is at home at the mo is doing just the same. However, 'independent studies' is just that - 'independent' (not subject to fees).

I've just done the maths. £9,000pa divided by 30 weeks = £300 per week divided by 20 hours per week contact time = £15ph

£15ph X 30 in class = £450ph

Lecturer's pay = Approx £50ph

Nice little earner - £400ph for the university!

Whilst I appreciate there are add ons such as Student Services, Pastoral Care, Library Services etc. etc. The sums don't add up IMO.

Where, in any other part of our everyday lives, do we just pay up without question? All I'm suggesting is that we question what is happening with regards to tuition fees.

I would be as mad as hell if my daughters only received 10 - 12 hours a week contact time.

The library is invaluable. If you added up the cost of every academic book you use in 3 years, plus the cost to subscribe to every journal and online resource needed, it would be astronomical, even for more practical or arts based courses assignments still need to be written and they need to meeting the national criteria for academic standards.