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Original poster

If you went to university what courses or degrees would you say are worth it and what is pointless to study?

213 replies

Cupcakeicecream · 02/02/2020 10:54

Whether you went to university or would start over and go back to university what would you study.
How many of you actually use the degree you got is it actually relevant to your life or a complete waste?
What degrees would you say are absolutely pointless to study and why.
If you had the chance to change your career what would you study.
Or would you bother going to university if you had your time again.
What degrees are worth it either getting you into a job with work life balance good salary job prospects ect

OP posts:
DuesToTheDirt · 02/02/2020 11:13

I studied Linguistics and have used it in all my jobs, unusually I think. At my uni interview many years ago I was asked, "What is the point of studying Linguistics?" to which I replied something about furthering human knowledge....

Incidentally, most of the Linguistics-related jobs I have done did not exist when I was a student - they have come about through technological advances.

DuesToTheDirt · 02/02/2020 11:14

Though I sometimes wish I'd been a dentist, they seem to be in demand, well paid and have lots of time off!

Hefzi · 02/02/2020 11:17

No education is pointless - it all adds to the dimension of who you are.

If you want a degree that obviously leads to a job at the end, though, choose something vocational Confused

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Higher education
Hefzi · 02/02/2020 11:18

Obviously, non-vocational degrees are also highly transferable and can lead to you being highly employable, but I think, from your OP, you will probably struggle with.

jaffaeclipse · 02/02/2020 11:27

I've got a BEd. It's not worth the paper it's written on.

Trahira · 02/02/2020 11:30

I've got an engineering degree. Although I've not worked as an engineer since leaving uni it has still been very useful in terms of getting the jobs I have had. I think any STEM degree is useful to show that you have a good numerical / problem solving mind.

Faircastle · 02/02/2020 11:42

The answer to this question depends on whether you think the purpose of a degree is to enhance your career prospects, or whether you think there is intrinsic value in higher education, either for the skills learned or for the opportunity to study a subject you are interested in.

Having to pay (or pay back) tuition fees might cause more people to be in the former group.

NooooNoNo · 02/02/2020 11:43

I did theology and philosophy at a top university and loved it, this was in the 80s so no tuition fees. I had a career but following divorce and difficult time I now work in a non graduate admin role. Knowing New Testament Greek helps with crosswords and pub quizzes Grin I would think twice these days before doing this subject with full fees unless you want to teach or have a clear idea of where it will lead.

nevernotstruggling · 02/02/2020 11:44

I have a degree in social work. I've never been out of employment and am happy with the salary

MulticolourMophead · 02/02/2020 12:01

I'm going to be applying for Uni in 2021. I'm planning on Ancient History. I'll be 53 by then, but eligible for all the student loans and maintenance (and may never need to pay it back). I messed up my A levels and ended up in the Civil Service for a long time. I'm planning my current life to enable me to go, as I'll need to keep earning while attending, but as I've been supporting others all my life, my DC have been fully behind me making this change.

I'm doing this for me. I would be able to get a new job afterwards, but it's not just about the job or career, I want to learn and also have the experience, too.

Kernowgal · 02/02/2020 12:26

I did languages, back when there were no tuition fees. Since then I've also done a vocational degree, about 10 years ago when tuition fees weren't outrageous. I'm now doing a master's in a vocational subject with the aim of changing career.

If I were a young person today, applying for undergrad, I would think very carefully about what I wanted to study, and it would probably be something with a good employment rate after graduation. I might still do languages, but probably in combination with something more vocational.

My language degree got me my first and second jobs out of uni, so no regrets on that front.

If

TeenPlusTwenties · 02/02/2020 12:31

I did maths. I have never used any of my degree level maths in real life. However I do think that my degree trained a particular way of thin king and problem solving which helped enormously during my career.

SittingAround1 · 02/02/2020 12:34

Sadly, I think it depends on finances and if you want good earning potential after. If so go for a vocational course such as law, medicine, engineering or dentistry.

Then it depends which university you can get into. An Oxbridge degree will always carry more weight than one from an ex -poly.
But personally I think if you have a passion for a subject you should go for it. University provides a great life experience in itself no matter what you study.

noblegiraffe · 02/02/2020 12:35

I also did maths. It was useful because it meant that when I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do, I could easily find a job, first in the pharmaceutical industry and then in teaching.

Now I’m a maths teacher I don’t think I ever need to worry about my ability to earn money.

SittingAround1 · 02/02/2020 12:36

Forgot to say my degree lead directly into my job/ career so was worth it.

I think people who did more general degrees struggled with knowing what to do after.

CountFosco · 02/02/2020 13:31

I did biochemistry, a BSc and PhD at two ancient universities. I use my degree knowledge every day, I'm a senior scientist working in pharma. The top 10 highest paid careers all require STEM skills except Law. We still have a skills shortage so if you want a well paid job do STEM.

I am of a generation that did not need to worry about fees or loans and having been at school in Scotland I had Highers in both sciences and humanities subjects, I loved English and History but for me as a teenager it seemed much possible to study a STEM subject and maintain an amateur interest in history and literature in my leisure time but impossible to do the reverse.

As far as what is pointless, that depends as much on the university as the subject. Classics at Oxford will get you further in life than Classics at the University of Central Midlands. But a degree in a STEM subject from a newer university will handicap you less because of the skills shortage. But all education is worthwhile as long as you really learn how to think (so e.g. Goldsmiths non-platforming radical feminists is doing their students a disservice).

Mintjulia · 02/02/2020 13:44

I Have a business degree and use the content in all my roles.

Aybeesee · 02/02/2020 13:50

Don't do a psychology degree. Too many people have them nowadays.

jaffaeclipse · 02/02/2020 13:52

Don't do a psychology degree. Too many people have them nowadays.

It's one of the really popular ones isn't it? My eldest has one but only because they are on the way to becoming a psychologist. For anybody else I don't think it's worth it.

MrsCat1 · 02/02/2020 13:56

I have a languages degree from a good university. Although I have rarely used foreign languages since then there are many other transferable skills such as analysis of texts and the ability to put forward a structured, evidence based argument which have proved very useful throughout my career. My degree helped get me my first job - 900 applicants and only those with 'good' degrees from top universities were considered. I wouldn't change it.

LemonGingerCakes · 02/02/2020 13:57

I think the only ones worthwhile long term are the STEM ones. I wasn’t allowed to do STEM a-levels, so couldn’t go further and I did one in the arts. It was a waste long term.

There’s a a big difference between something vocational, leading straight to a job and something that will stand you in good stead long term and giving you the background to change careers easily.

LemonGingerCakes · 02/02/2020 13:58

Not to say I don’t have loads of transferable skills, but on paper I don’t...

ImportantWater · 02/02/2020 14:00

I did English literature. Constructing arguments in essays, reading very quickly, using a lot of different sources to write an essay, understanding how words can be used in different ways for different purposes, as well as being exposed to different ways of thinking (Marxism, feminism) and the history of ideas, all those things have helped me in what I do now, which is journalism. However most other essay based subjects would also have done that, especially history. And I think a degree in anything is useful for journalism, as then you have that specialism that not every journalist has, whether that is law, science, whatever.
Having said all that journalism is absolutely not a job with a good salary or prospects, although I do have a good work life balance. I would definitely still go to University if I had my time again, the access to ideas, discussion, learning, thinking, added to the opportunities to get involved in so many things (acting, music, student paper, debating, sport) all in one place. And the opportunity to learn to live independently while still having a safety net.

Lunaballoon · 02/02/2020 14:01

I did psychology back in the day of no tuition fees. I haven’t used it since but it served its purpose of ticking the graduate box in all jobs I’ve had since.

TheFallenMadonna · 02/02/2020 14:04

I also have a biochemistry degree and PhD, and also a psychology degree. I teach maths in a PRU. To be a teacher I needed one of those degrees, so it was definitely worth it, as I love teaching. The PhD was only worthwhile in that I learned that I prefer teaching to research, and the psychology I did for fun while I had a stint as a SAHM. Financially not worth it (nor necessary career-wise) but worth it in every other way.