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May 15, 2009Hi,
Well, i plan on going to uni in September, have chosen my firm choice etc. but ..I'm not 100% sure about it.
I am looking forward to the experience side of it and i haven't been thinking about the masses of debt because it isn't drastic but now i'm starting to wonder what i'll get from it.
The course i've chosen is IT with Business Management.
I don't have a clear idea of what i want to do career wise i just know i'd like to be in that field.
Hearing many people telling stories of how they, or their children, went to university and ended up with the sort of jobs, or worse jobs, than those that didn't. Up to now i've just thought 'Maybe those people didn't try hard enough' but..now i'm not so sure.
Is me going to sixth form and then uni going to be useless? Here's me doing all this whilst one of my cousins (23 years old) has worked in dead end jobs since leaving school and another cousin (18 years old) is getting money off the government to feed and house her and her baby
I would definitely go to uni now. I was going to go to uni when I was your age and then, felt unsure and decided against it. I have regretted it ever since and now, at the age of 42, am finally at uni! I love it, but have to juggle a household, kids, pets, part-time job, etc., etc. and do envy the younger ones with fewer responsiblities who can enjoy all the social side of things.
Go and really enjoy it. If you don't you will always wonder 'what if' and will be stuck in jobs being told what to do by other people and feeling increasingly frustrated.
Good luck!
Horaayy..there are 13 comment(s) for me so far ;)
You will get a dregree at th end of it like everyone else.
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Uni does get you places, you can't get a good job these days without getting a degree. The debt isn't that bad, you get your student loan which I don't think has interest on it, but I'm not 100% sure and you only start paying it back once you earn a certain amount of money. Scottish uni's are different from English one's though, so I dunno about debtness in England.
Definitely go
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I think that last sentence says it all really. Think about it, if you really want to work in IT then a uni qualification is likely to give you more chance than none, right? Plus the point of uni isn't just to be able to say " i have a degree", but you will actually learn a lot about your chosen subject which will help you to a) get a job and b) succeed in that job.
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Go for it. Most importantly, try to get work experience at the same time, even if it's not related. It will help you manage your debt load plus future employers will see your work ethic and you will be more likely to get employment. The only people who benefit from not going into University are tradespeople that have developed a skill through apprenticeship, like plumbers or tool and die people.
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Ok, so it is not just about the course but also about the institution and the department ranking
look up their RAE (research assessment exercise, this will tell you how they are rated by their peers, basically how good they are in their subject) it will be a mark out of 5 (although some of the Oxbridge Premier league go up to 5*, as do some other red brick uni departments)
their TQA score out of 24 will tell you about how well they teach
A good degree 2.1 or above, from a good dept in a prestigious subject will increase your marketability
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Uni lecturer and worked on UCAS clearing for ages
I think that if a degree is required for you to get into your chosen career path then great, go for it. But if you are just doing a degree for the sake of it I think it is probably going to be a waste of time and money. Try to get a job where they train you and increase your wages dependent on your performance. I was going to go to uni after a year out after 6th form to work for a year and save some money. I ended up getting a job as a trainee in the field I was interested in, and they were putting my money up every 3 months, when september came around I decided to stay where I was instead of going to uni. Best decision I ever made, 5 years on I am now earning £30k and have no debt! I can't give you the answers, only you know what is right for you, but I hope you find my example useful in making your decision.
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it all depends what you want and how you feel.
if you dont feel you really want to go to university you might be better to get a job, which will give you experience and hopefully your career can progress from that.
the up side of course is also that you would be earning rather that getting into debt.
all i can tell you is that my son who is 30 has a phd in genetics and works as a postman ( indoors on nights not delivering) as its good money and as secure as any job is and pays more and is more secure than a job he could get in his field.
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by taking a stupid degree like that…..yes it's a complete waste of time…
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I work in accounts and I didn't go to 6th form or Uni. I'm actually better of for not having gone as recently I had someone who'd just finished a degree come in at a junior level to me while being two years older.
Generally though, you seem like you want to make something of yourself career-wise so I would have thought you'd manage to do that if you show some determination in whatever job you pick.
Maybe if you don't know what you want to do then Uni is a good idea as IT and Business Management should give you a good grounding in most jobs.
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I would definitely go to uni now. I was going to go to uni when I was your age and then, felt unsure and decided against it. I have regretted it ever since and now, at the age of 42, am finally at uni! I love it, but have to juggle a household, kids, pets, part-time job, etc., etc. and do envy the younger ones with fewer responsiblities who can enjoy all the social side of things.
Go and really enjoy it. If you don't you will always wonder 'what if' and will be stuck in jobs being told what to do by other people and feeling increasingly frustrated.
Good luck!
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I went to uni and graduated with a business studies honours degree last june, since then I have endlessly applied for jobs and had no luck. In my exprience uni has not helped me at all, I am a graduate who works in a bookmakers and I have friends that got jobs when they left school who now earn twice what I do and have no student debt!!!
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Depends on what university I guess, if it's ranked too low then watch out. BUT on the plus side you're taking a course in IT… which is something that's insanely in demand. When I was temping recently they asked in particular if i had any IT qualifications, and I wished I did! If you're really not sure, see if there are any IT courses that go to the same standard in something like a college, rather than a university, which would be cheaper, but your course seems to be giving you a good start. Work hard and get a strong degree, and most importantly, do a lot of work experience.
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The key thing to get the most out of this is to work hard and play hard - both.
For the best opportunities you need to get a good degree: a 2i (said as two-one) or a first. Lecturers will be looking for hard work and an attempt to think around the subject - qualities also desired by employers. In your second year look at the jobs in demand, then try to tailor your final year options / electives and dissertation towards those (assuming you can stand the type of work).
Don't let it drift by. If you want to learn to scuba dive you join the university society. If there isn't one then you form it! As a student there are a lot of systems there to help you develop - but you need to drive it.
Seize the day.
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20+ years in universities as student and lecturer.