If they made all higher education free and accessible tomorrow....

[Candiscophonous]

So if higher education became entirely free to students tomorrow, and more accessible (eg more evening lectures, a mixture of online and in person, looser entry requirements etc), What would you study?
(I realise that it’s possible to study most things for free these days by way of massive online courses etc, but the difference here would be you’d get the recognised qualification at the end!)

Linguistics. It sounds really interesting.

Archaeology. Ancient burials to be precise.

Linguistics is not interesting! We had to take a class in that for my degree and it wasn’t fun... our lecturer was nice though.

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

Linguistics is not interesting! We had to take a class in that for my degree and it wasn’t fun... our lecturer was nice though.

This. Hated that module!

What was your degree in @ThatIsNotMyUsername? I did an English language degree so my definition of interesting might be different from other people's!

Yes I would. I have actually never paid directly for any of my third level education (I was very lucky!) and I am currently being paid to do another degree. But yes I imagine if it continued to be free I would study more. I love it!!

I’ve enjoyed having my teens here for lockdown. I can wander into the kitchen for a physics lecture or a biology lesson. It’s made me want to go back to school!

Thanks op. Because of this thread, I just enrolled on a free course on Coursera.
Loads of free education out there.

I have zero qualifications so it's a bit pie in the sky for me as I'm probably too old to do the access courses I'd need first but I'd love to study psychology.

Id qualify as a psychologist.

I fancy archeology as well but not sure about cold digs and a bad back.

Probably forensic anthropology.

I recently finished a work funded MSc which I loved doing. I have realised I really like studying. If I could do anything I would do Costume design next

Ignoring the fact that I very much don't have time for any additional study and the dissertation for my original degree when I was in my early 20s without children or other demands on my time nearly killed me, I would like to study English Literature or History. I did a vocational degree to lead to a job I had wanted to do since I was 3, but, if I hadn't had that life plan, I would have studied English Lit. If I could have chosen another A Level, I would have chosen History and maybe then a degree in it.

I agree there’s loads of free education out there. I’m a mooc evangelist and an eventbrite aficionado. I’d recommend both avenues to everyone. That said, having studied so many courses in this way, I have to conclude it feels a bit self indulgent when there’s no actual qualification at the end. Coursera etc are fantastic, but I find it hard to justify (to myself mostly) spending so much time to do courses without a real qualification at the end. Especially given that for a lot of these type of courses, the content is just as challenging and time consuming as the higher education equivalent.

@ NCAnon since it’s a big fantasy you can just join the course with no access qualifications . You only have to relinquish your place if you fail a module!

I have an ambition to study the RHS horticulture level 2.

I’d do linguistics as I loved studying it as part of my degree. Sociolinguistics was great too. I’d also like to do more history and maybe anthropology...

There are practical reasons which would hinder me from doing this, but assuming all barriers removed.... I'd do an MA in Children's Literature. I have an English degree and always been interested in this.

I'd audit whatever took my fancy. I have dreamed of doing that if we win the lottery.

I really want to do a Masters in Education. I’d also like to do an English degree.

@NotCornflakes - I have a degree in applied linguistics and I found it fascinating!

If I had to study something else, well, I think I would struggle with the choice.

English Lit because it is both interesting and (I think) I would find it easy
Geology because it interests me
Archaeology because I want to be a female Indiana Jones
Law because I recently helped someone with sone legal issues and I found it both fascinating and challenging and I could imagine it as a career

But I am 45 and not looking to retrain (again) anytime soon.

Assuming I don't have to work. An history of art degree with travel included to travel the world to see the pieces in real life. I would love to learn more about art through the ages.

Linguistics rock! I'd do my masters in either sociolinguistics or a more general linguistics one. I is a geek

Actually I’d love to have ‘an education’ like a royal kid in ye olden days - language, history, politics, science... like going back to school!

Comparative religion.