Why are so many YP going to uni, when uni isn't right for so many YP? AIBU to think fewer YP should go to uni as it's only giving them a huge debt?

My son has just started his 3rd year at Uni. He's doing an Art degree. He knows that AI is taking over what would be entry level jobs for him in that industry so his degree won't do anything for him. It's just a piece of paper with thousands of debt attached to it. So the education side is useless to him.

But the social side? He has an amazing part
time job which he loves and will hopefully lead to a career. He never would have had the job is he didn't go to that University. He lives with his 2 best friends. He's grown and developed so much as a man he wouldn't be the person he is today if he hadn't gone through all of the crap he has in the last few years. A very expensive way to get to where he is!!

Daughter is doing her A levels and will not go to University.

There is more to life than work. DD could have stayed in our (provincial) town, and gone from school to, say, an insurance office or accountancy firm. Yes, she would be earning - but it's all a bit bleak isn't it?

Why wouldn't you do this if you could?

Debt, of course, but you only pay that back if you earn well. A lot of public sector workers (the employer of choice on MN) will never have to pay the full amount back.

That’s not true. My DS is applying for 5 and has to achieve A*AA in 3 of his 4 A-Levels to get his place, that is not an easy achievement. He’ll work his butt off to get this next summer to get onto the degree he wishes to study.

Totally agree. We’re a long time working, so young people should have fun in education for as long as possible.

They should aim high. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, well at least they had an amazing experience whilst they tried to better themselves.

It doesn't mean it's not true. It might be true of the course and uni he wants to go to, but there are many universities and courses that just want bums on seats. Behold: the foundation year. If you do poorly, you get to do an extra year in uni.

Good apprenticeships are bloody hard to get on to and are often taken by the kids who get the high A level grades anyway.

There needs to be more for the C-E candidates who aren't really sure what they want to do yet.

You could of course go to uni for 3 years, and then get a job at an insurance company in a provincial town, assuming you're not passed over for the 18yo who is cheaper and has the same job skills as the 22 yo grad.

It's not a wasted thing for some. I would have sucked in anything trade related, I kid of think the contempt for academic education is equally unfair as some people's contempt for trades. Each person has their own path, forcing people into any one is short sighted.

Obviously i had a student loan but I will never be earning enough (disabled) to pay it off so I don't bother thinking about it.

Why would they? Why use a longer word when people understand a shorter one

To be fair, I think my b7 pay reflects the responsibility I have. I have a masters level qualification (pgdip) and got a distinction but my experience gave me the skills for the job, the pgdip was interesting and I enjoyed it but I don’t know I do my job better for it.

That takes too much time 😂

Not in the UK, but its because theres so much competition for so few jobs. Average person has a masters these days.

Here there is a significant cost you have to pay back in order to go to uni. Is that not the case in the UK?

Yes, it costs in the region of 70 - 90k for a 4 year uni degree.

Exactly, even with so-called grade inflation my father wouldn’t have a hope in hell of getting into his university these days (I just checked and his course now requires AAB). He wasn’t more intelligent or hard-working than students nowadays, he was just fortunate to come from a well off middle class family.

I think that there is a philosophical question here of what uni is for.

I think that, for some, it equips them for a profession (doctor, lawyer etc) and for others it about general academic advancement and discovery. However, for far too many, at the moment, it is a pointless combination of low level study and partying, at great cost.

I just don’t see how study beyond 18 can be of much use to much more than 20% of the population (tops). And then the government could put a lot more resources per capita into those who would genuinely benefit from tertiary study.

Universities are businesses with places to fill

I personally think there are benefits to attending university aside from the degree. I had a blast at university and would love my kids to experience the same uf they choose

but I would try and influence them to study something academic rather than arts based

I totally agree with you OP.

Most students get a loan to pay tuition fees, rent etc. But there is threshold you have be earning enough to pay it back, after a number of years or you die its written off. If you never earn that amount you never pay it back.

Living costs are likely the largest element of this total but you would have those regardless. Uni student or not, everyone needs food, clothes, transport and a place to live.