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Original poster

Big dilemma for DD - what would you do?

686 replies

Blackenedsoul · 21/04/2021 20:49

DD has accepted an offer for her Uni of choice to study Media in September. She’s been looking forward to going, had planned to live at home and travel the 20 minutes in every day.

She had a part time job for a few months in a local office attached to a very small but very busy manufacturing company. She’s very well thought of and works in the office on a Saturday, doing admin, answering enquiries, emails, booking appointments etc.

Today they’ve offered her a full time, permanent post in the office and have offered to start training her up in the use of their accounts systems etc, give her more responsibility. The salary is 18k to start rising to around a max of 25k once fully trained.

This has come as a bolt from the blue, DD really enjoys the job and thinks she’d be happy doing it full time but at the same time was also happy to go off and have the Uni experience, make new friends and study and have fun.

She’s aware that lots of students leave Uni and end up falling into admin roles vey much like this and is now wondering whether bothering with Uni is worth it.

We’ve told her the decision is entirely hers but she’s really finding it hard to decide.

So, the great of mumsnet - what would you do?

OP posts:
MrsKoala · 22/04/2021 18:37

I worked in admin and went to uni when I was 21. It was pretty miserable because everyone was 18 and I felt a real gap of knowledge and experience between me and my peers. But because of my work experience I got a good part time admin job which paid way better than others who had to work in retail, cafes or pubs, and the hours were better.

Also there are good and bad media degrees, my exH did a generic media degree but when selecting modules chose really practical ones which meant he became a camera man and film editor for surgeries at teaching hospitals - very niche but he had the skills and the stomach. Everyone else I know who did media chose modules on the works of Kubrick or similar. They were all very generic and not practical so they either became teachers or got general low paid admin work which they’ve pretty much stayed in.

I worked in unis trying to find internship placements for graduates and I’d say Media ones were pretty low on the sought after list.

I’d also say staying at home and in this climate the uni experience is going to be very different. If your dd is literally just going for the uni life - and actually I think that’s fine - then staying at home and now is not the way/time to do it. I’d defer for a year and apply elsewhere.

partyatthepalace · 22/04/2021 18:38

partyatthepalace
I think it depends on the degree course she wants to do - PR/advertising/Comtent creation quite tough to get into. As a general rule for content/copyright creation type paths you would be better doing something like English somewhere with a solid rep. However for more technical paths there are some great tech focused media degrees. I work in media and employ a fair few grads - not all media degrees are worth doing - so make sure it’s a good one if she does choose to go.
@partyatthepalace, can you give examples of the tech-focused media degrees that are worth doing and the universities that are well known for them. Mn tends to be Oxbridge, RG-focused.

@blueshoes
Hi - Ravensbourne is fantastic, Uni of Westminster is great, Goldsmiths I don’t know well but innovative courses - there will be others if you dig around those three other good places will come up.

thatsgotit · 22/04/2021 18:38

Uni definitely or else she could find herself stuck in 25k jobs for the rest of her life.

Well, that's those of us who are on less than £25k told, I guess! Hmm

caringcarer · 22/04/2021 18:39

My sister did a media degree and found she graduated with debt and nobody wanted to employ her. After 3 years all she could ever find was temping admin or bar work. In the end she went into teaching for a few years but then after children she became a sahm. Take the job and once trained up do accountancy qualifications. She could do that at same time as working on an online course.

Alpal1 · 22/04/2021 18:40

It depends on the Uni . A really good course at a good uni would be a shame to give up, but there are mediocre degrees out there in media that don't lead to good jobs and just create debts.

It would not hurt her to work for a year and then decide. She will have a bit saved up and a good CV.

starsparkle08 · 22/04/2021 18:42

I would also recommend deferring for a year and giving this job a chance . She won’t loose out as plenty of students go travelling .

CallmeBadJanet · 22/04/2021 18:43

@Blackenedsoul Uni. She’ll probs never have to pay back all the student loan. The job is attractive now, because work is a novelty after school. But 2 years in she might feel bored and want to spread her wings. Might as well do that now. You are only young once.

sherbetmelon · 22/04/2021 18:43

If I were her I'd go to uni. I had an awful time at uni thinking I'd be better off working my way up in the industry and ended up changing my career path completely a year after finishing my degree and starting something that would've been impossible without my qualifications. Education is invaluable and I would strongly advise she goes to university.

dopeyduck · 22/04/2021 18:47

@TheFlis12345

Can she defer her uni place for a year and give the job a try? If she doesn’t like it she can go to uni the following year.
This would be the ideal
Havehope21 · 22/04/2021 18:47

I would defer university for a year - I definitely wouldn't encourage her to take the job without deferring... it is a very different working on Saturday and doing well, to having it as your full-time career when you have always had the possibility of the media degree. By deferring university, she will still have that option open if she starts to feel unhappy in the full time position. If she really enjoys it, then she doesn't have to go next year anyway. Win Win - you should be super proud of your daughter for making such a good impression.

Clusterfckintolerant · 22/04/2021 18:48

Is she going to want to stay in that job at that firm forever? I doubt it.

Many jobs, even admin roles ask for "degree educated" as prerequisite. It's nuts but it's the nature of the market.
She's 18. If she can go to univ, she should right now and get this in the bag. Not getting one could seriously hobble her later.

Why not keep the Saturday job going and see if she can open it up for more during holidays and maybe something on graduation?

101spacehoppers · 22/04/2021 18:50

Defer. And do the job for a year. Having basic office experience, including accounts and budgets, dealing with clients etc is essential for most jobs and will give her the edge against others finishing a degree with no relevant work experience. Even if she lands a first job 'in media' it will essentially be admin.

I've interviewed for loads of graduate positions; the ones with proper work experience always have the edge.

Mumofthreeteenagers · 22/04/2021 18:53

So, you offer your daughter no advice but seek advice from unknown people off the net? Really?!

Member968405 · 22/04/2021 18:57

I know a few people who went straight into work and really regretted not going to Uni. It does seem to be where most people make most of their lifelong friends

C0mm0nsense · 22/04/2021 18:57

Not sure if this has already been suggested but could she defer her uni place for a year then take the job and see how she gets on? That way if she decides the job isn’t right then she can take her uni place next year.

Diverseopinions · 22/04/2021 19:00

Uni would be very impressed that she took the job and thought about not turning down a solid chance. The decision would show maturity. So if she wants to do a degree later, she wouldn't be penalised for having worked in manufacturing for a year.

It's money. It will help to live at home and save towards a house deposit. One in the bush is better than two hypothetical careers in a Covid-shrunk world.

sabbii · 22/04/2021 19:03

Take the job, earn and gain life and work experience. No guarantee that as a media graduate she can get the same pay now and also will get a massive head start in a career. If the job works out that's great and a huge stepping stone in life. If it doesn't or a media degree is what she wants she can reapply as a mature student or Open Uni. There are no barriers to what she can do and always choices, even change careers to whatever suits her.
Go feeerrrr ittttt!!

CaptainCaveMum · 22/04/2021 19:04

@lemonsyellow

While she is there she will meet a diverse range of people, get opportunities that might change her outlook on life

She won’t, not now. It’s grim for students right now. They aren’t meeting any people, nor are there any opportunities.

I cannot stress this point enough.

I am currently studying at university. I haven’t seen any of my fellow students in real life since November. We are not allowed on campus. There is no ‘university experience’ right now. It’s fine if (like me) it’s only about getting the qualification but for most students it’s not enough.

Defer.

MobyDicksTinyCanoe · 22/04/2021 19:07

Uni isn't going anywhere. She can go any time....... I'd take the job and build life experience. So many kids leave uni with no life oxr work experience and find themselves very stuck. Uni isn't the be all and end all....... If they're impressed with her now there's no reason she can't work her way up the company or secure in work qualifications elsewhere.

Goodfood1 · 22/04/2021 19:10

Will learn more WORKING, also if found a job happy with thats perfect

Can always go back to uni when older

Scotland32 · 22/04/2021 19:11

Uni Uni Uni

Lis4liz · 22/04/2021 19:15

I work at a University, a good one, but I’d take the job, at least for a year and get the valuable training she would get for the job, it’s worth far more than the ‘experience’ she would get from going to Uni now - sorry to say but especially in Media - there are no jobs for graduates, employers want actual work experience, whatever that is. A degree absolutely does not give a free pass to a great job and can actually make you less employable. Obvs. this is up to her but I wouldn’t advise giving up the employment experience as a future planning decision for this particular degree choice.

newnortherner111 · 22/04/2021 19:16

Uni can be later, I'd take the job in her shoes.

Gwenhwyfar · 22/04/2021 19:21

Ask her to imagine herself as an old lady saying "I was supposed to go to uni, but..."

University's not just about the job afterwards is it. If she can afford to go now, she should. Going back to the OU or evening classes when you're older is much more difficult.

Yerroblemom1923 · 22/04/2021 19:22

Uni will still be there further down the line. I'd take the job and consider doing degree PT via OU if it really interests her/is important to her. There's plenty of us out there with good good degrees earning under 30 K. A degree guarantees nothing.

I'm proud of mine but it in no way affects my current career path! I'd imagine this is the case for many unless your degree is v career focused eg teaching or medicine