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

[Cupcakeicecream]

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

If you think 55 hours is a long week, you are not in the real world!

Well, I do think that's long, and I do live in the real world. In the industries I've worked in in data science and statistics, nobody works those hours as a norm. I'm sure many do in other jobs/senior positions but it's not some sort of badge of honour that we should be aiming towards.

If teaching was that easy, then why do most teachers leave the profession within 5 years, and a huge number are off sick with stress or breakdowns? The ones I know work all through their holidays.

I'm a chemist - my job isn't dull at all. DH too - though his in industrial chemistry was harder/stressful he did do a lot of interesting things.

Ooh, interesting - what job do you do? I've heard on the internet that you need a phD for the interesting jobs. If I ever get a windfall or one of my relatives pops their clogs, I'd love to go and do a Chemistry degree and have a lab-based job.

I wouldn't say anything is pointless, but whether it is with £9,000 per year for 3+ years is another matter.

I got a degree in Linguistics, English and Philosophy when the fees were £3k per year. I haven't necessarily used it directly. However, I use transferrable skills in logical thinking, thinking outside the box, as well as writing and reading skills in my work. I am complimented on the reports and papers I write at work and I do think that a solid grasp of English, coupled with an ability to succinctly and clearly describe something, has helped.

I picked my subjects for the love I had for them. Unfortunately I don't know if I could make the same decisions if I was going to university today.

Ooh, interesting - what job do you do? I've heard on the internet that you need a phD for the interesting jobs.

I write scientific software, it's the sort of thing that's used by pharmaceutical companies to help discover and understand new medicines. I can't think of any scientists in our part of the company who aren't PhDs. But I guess this is at the more esoteric extreme of things!

Ahh, interesting! I used to work in clinical stats in pharma but didn't really enjoy it - it's very regulated and quite repetitive as you're going through the same process and producing the same analyses/documents/tables for each clinical trial. But my husband really enjoys it.

Ooh, interesting - what job do you do? I've heard on the internet that you need a phD for the interesting jobs.

Define interesting. I'm a biochemist (with a PhD) and work in pharma but know lots of chemists, some of who do very similar work to me in pharma as well as the usual patent lawyers, accountants and management consultants). Where I work a PhD gives you a first job a few grades above someone with just a degree (so straight to a management job but still lab based) but if you are smart then not having a PhD isn't a hindrance. Head of R&D where I work doesn't have a PhD and he's got a few hundred scientists working for him.

I have been a school governor for 20 plus years. I’ve seen one head work through the holidays. Everyone else - no. That includes relatives and friends who have lovely holidays! Several times a year! If all teachers were leaving there would not be any left. Clearly that’s not the case. Turnover is less than 10%. There are still people that choose to do this worst job on the planet! Not all of them are suited to it but would working longer hours for treble the money make them happy? Probably not.

I do think reasonable hours are important and many companies should be working towards this. However international trade and markets plus deadlines can mean very long hours.

With any job, finding out what it’s really like is vital. You have to want what it offers or it’s a horrible existence. That goes for all jobs.

I feel the need to wave the flag for an English degree from Leeds! It might not sound as glam as one from Oxford (as mentioned earlier) but I’ve done well in publishing with it, and have pals who went to Oxford and work in admin roles. One factor was that the oxbridge courses are v traditional and don’t reflect contemporary publishing. Also work experience and a bit of entrepreneurial spirit helps with job applications. So if you have a teen out there studying English do not panic - and there might be a Leeds grad interviewing them...

I think what you study can be less important than where and what grade you achieve. There are career specific degrees such as law, medicine and architecture but there are a truck load of graduate training schemes offering a decent starting salary and good career progression where you just need a decent grade from a decent university. I have friends with language and music degrees who ended up at big 4 accountancy, for example. A first class music degree from Oxbridge is far more impressive than a Desmond in economics from an ex poly.

I wouldn’t waste my time with anything lower than Russel Group unless you desperately want to do a specific subject that might make sense. Obviously there is the other aspect of going to university for the general benefit of the learning and social experience but at 9k a year tuition I wonder how hard that is to justify.

If high salaries are your metric, the data suggests otherwise (a combination of course and uni) with some courses at some non RG unis (Bath is the most obvious) being very good.

But, horses for courses, ones size doesn't fit all. And we're lucky in the U.K. to have loads of really good choices available.

Here's
www.telegraph.co.uk/education-and-careers/0/what-highest-paying-degrees-uk-top-graduate-salary-britain/

I did an Education degree, rather than a bEd, and I have no regrets. I knew I wanted to work in schools but didn't want to be a teacher, and it's worked out well for me.

A bEd doesn't have as many transferable skills, whereas the BA in education does (and you can do a one year PGCE afterwards if you want to teach at that point).

I love working in education. All the benefits of school holidays, short working days without having to teach. However, it is SHITTY pay! But I don't mind that as I'm not financially motivated, I have a job I love and it suits our lifestyle.

ErrolTheDragon I moved into software sales...my sales deals are 7 figures with multi-million $ but commissions are a slice of that and I earn on retention and renewals. . I discovered quite late (after 20years working in a regular 9 to 5 non sales job) that the big ticket money is in sales. I'm in a technical sales role, right place right time. To put into context, my annual salary in my previous job was earned in a single sales commission on top of a £130k base. It's the sales commissions that makes the difference.

On the flip side you could get fired at relatively (very) short notice if you don't make your number.

I agree with previous poster that getting a 2:2 could be tough entry into certain kinds of jobs. But I've hired grads with 3rd class degrees (stem ones) and they've been more than able to deliver. I think what sets apart those who get hired Vs those who don't is confidence, polish, and those who eloquently answer well in interview well. We don't pay attention to extra curricular stuff but we do pay attention to entrepreneural initiatives
Hate to say it but it's reality. We tend to hire those who we think can fit in and hit the ground running.

Don't stay in science if you want big bucks..I exited science as soon as I graduated and never looked back!

However, after the first 5 years, the best paid grads are economists and medics. Might not be big bucks but bigger than most bucks! I do agree that degree class isn’t everything but many employers bin a 2:2 and 3rds these days!

A job in sales is my idea of hell on Earth.

I did a BSc in Midwifery and I’m a midwife 🤷🏼‍♀️ Was the only way

HE benefits you in many ways, regardless of the subject matter of your degree. It's about learning how, not just what. How to study, to learn independently, to manage your time, to do research, to think critically, etc etc. Whether you use your particular subject or not in your job isn't the whole point.

Japanese studies and politics - entirely the wrong degree for me and haven't used a bit of it since graduating. My time at university was an education but not so much academically.

Don't stay in science if you want big bucks..I exited science as soon as I graduated and never looked back!

Friend of mine worked in academic for a few years then set up his own biotech company that he's just sold for $$$. He came from nothing. If you are smart and driven you can make money whatever you do.

I did English because it was my best subject in school and I watched Hollyoaks and thought that's what uni would be like. Complete waste of time (for me). Did start a PGCE to make a career out of it, but teaching just wasn't for me.
I'd say a degree that leads to a career is a better plan. I'm seriously considering Midwifery. I think 15 years on I'm in a better position to decide what I want to do in life!

There was lots you could have done with English though, you just chose the wrong path for you. That doesn’t mean no one should study it and, as with many subjects, it’s the transferable skills that count. Few degrees train for a career. Many will give you transferable skills but you have to successfully implement that transition. There are very many highly paid grads with arts or humanities degrees. You just have to go in the right direction and then enjoy it.

Our local university offers a degree in Visitor Attraction/Resort Management. The students get lots of hands on experience at a local theme park.

The employment stats are really good.

I did business studies at a Poly and then qualified as a management accountant. The degree exempted me from the first stage of the exams so was quite helpful.