Your Degree

[TurkeyDinosaur]

If you went to university, what subject(s) did you study?
Is your degree relevant (essential, even) to your current career?
If you had your time over, would you choose the same again, or something entirely different?
Did you enjoy your uni days or were they a total waste of time and money in hindsight?

I had a great time at uni, really enjoyed it.
Moved away from home and felt really independent.
No real regrets, other than maybe going for a sensible (career enhancing) subject - economics, rather than history which is my first love!

Last question - would you consider being a 'mature student', if not one the first time round?

I did nursing, then did a literature degree about ten years into nursing. Now I do something completely unrelated to both.

My degree is in linguistics- the degree is essential to my profession, but the actual content less so.

However, it developed a particular interest which I am finally following in my job now- after 25 years!

Was it worth it? Yes, but I am old enough to have not paid tuition fees and I qualified for a full grant. I hope DS can say the same in 25 years.

Totally hated uni, but as a Dr the only way into my career. If I did it again I would live at home and go local, so I could avoid the shitty housing, terrible housemates and poverty/debts

Did Law as a mature student and then a Masters of Research.

Currently work in corporate restructuring.

I read Business & Economics. yes, I use it every day.

At the time it was the right choice but if I was going to study today, I'd probably try to read Nutrition.

I enjoyed most of it but because I went before the days of student loans, I had no money at all. I had a grant that covered about half of my halls room. No money at all for food, books, bus pass or clothes and no chance of borrowing any, so I worked flat out. In a bar, waitressing, in a factory during summer & Easter breaks. No socialising at all. Just flat-out work for three years keeping up with coursework & bills.

It was very different from now.

I studied History of Art and English.
Neither are relevant to my current career, but I did teach English for 20+ years.
I would probably choose to do science A levels and do an MSc if I had my time over.
I absolutely loved everything about my uni days. I don't feel they were a waste of money. Back in the 70s-80s you got a grant and learned to budget carefully so you didn't go overdrawn.

Physics, Medicine, Education (PGCE equivalent), Theology (correspondence course). Student fees involved but lived at home and tutoring income covered most of my costs after first year IIRC. (not in UK, and upfront payment of fees attracted a discount)

Then started a PhD when my children were small - encouraged to move sideways from medical job. Enjoyed some aspects but the timing was not right and I didn't have proper funding.

Currently - violin teacher, though also trying to resurrect a part-time medical career, sort of.

The main common feature is that I love explaining and teaching. And working with children. Some of my students may have minor additional needs and/or neurodiversity, my background probably helps me understand / think of ways to engage and support them learning where they are currently at.

Music and l have been a piano, violin and viola teacher and accompanist for nearly forty years. I had a whale of a time as music was all I had ever wanted to do. In those days, you had a first study instrument and a second study instrument and this has stood me in good stead all these years. I made some lifelong friends and am organising a reunion next summer.

I did Psychology. Really regret it. Have never managed to even get voluntary work in the career I wish I had and I've also never managed to find a job that needed my degree either. I now work in a generic graduate type office job. If I had another chance I wouldn't go to uni and will be discouraging my kids from going.

Did an English degree and am now a Secondary school English teacher so couldn’t be more relevant. Trained as an actress after Uni and didn’t do PGCE until late 20s but have been teaching for nearly 30 years and love it.
I went to Cambridge and it was pretty intense but overall a good experience.

If you went to university, what subject(s) did you study?
Physics and Geology, then Geotechnical Engineering

Is your degree relevant (essential, even) to your current career?
Very relevant, although not essential

If you had your time over, would you choose the same again, or something entirely different?
Similar, but not the same. I'd do the BEng Civil & Environmental Eng at Newcastle Uni. It would get me to a similar place, less circuitously.

Did you enjoy your uni days or were they a total waste of time and money in hindsight?
Yes. I'm old enough to have got a full undergraduate grant and fees paid, and clever enough (.or female enough) to have got a scholarship for my postgrad stuff.

Most enjoyable time of my life.

I started uni at 35 as a mother of 4 children. I did Social work, so it led directly into a job.

Economics, which I chose because I wanted to go into investment banking, which I’ve worked in for 25 years and wouldn’t have wanted any other career - so yes, it was essential.

I enjoyed Uni, but worked 8-10 shifts a week in a Beefeater throughout, so didn’t get to experience the ‘traditional’ lifestyle. Which didn’t really bother me. I was quite focused on studying and earning enough to put a deposit down on a house when I graduated which I managed to do - it being possible to buy a small flat, in a not very nice part of London, for £45k in 1996!

I studied Nursing at uni. It was essential to do the job I had always wanted to do. I am still a nurse now. I would still choose the same.
Did I enjoy it is a more difficult question? I enjoyed much of the course, except the maths and statistics, though a lot of the academic stuff wasn’t very relevant to the actual job, and I enjoyed most of the placements and loved some of them. But, I didn’t make any friends on the course, my mental health was not great and deteriorated towards the end and the dissertation was hugely challenging. It was worth it though.

Just curious how you went on with entry requirements for your MA if it was in an unrelated discipline? I'm asking because I am doing a degree in Maths and Stats and want to branch out a bit for my post grad.

I studied sociology and I am, in fact, a sociologist (had to get a PhD to be that though).

I’m really happy with my career choices and I’d do the same again, though maybe would have liked to have less student debt.

I didn’t live at uni and worked full time through most of it. In retrospect, I probably wish I had more of a ‘uni experience’ than I did.

I think being a mature student is great. I teach at the university level now and I often feel like my ‘uni age’ students are poorly prepared for what we’re asking them to think about because they have so little life/professional experience. I think coming to a degree with more of either would be a real asset.

I did History as a mature student, graduating with a First at the age of 41. Is my degree relevant to my job, no, but the critical thinking skills and ability to write coherently and creatively do help. I'm a marketing co-ordinator. 10 years ago I would have loved to do a masters, but I'm not sure I've got it in me to write long essays now!

I did one degree at 18, did career in that

At 46 I decided to study law and did a degree in that, for interest and then al masters in tech law.

Really enjoyed studying as a mature student, and getting into the subject. I don't remember enjoying the subject for its own sake at 18.

I may do a politics degree in 10! years!

Undergrad in Sociology then went into public sector research (police them civil service) so the research element of my degree was very relevant as I ran wide scale research projects.

Then did a PGCE which I hated.

Then did a Masters in psychotherapy which I use every day in my job as a psychotherapist.

I have used the PGCE to teach counselling and mental health content, also.

Adult nursing - I work as a nurse

Business Studies. I was a 'mature' student at 23 and worked all the way through, but had a social life as well. Lived in ghastly shared houses as cheaper than campus accommodation. It was a lot of fun. Met XH1.

It did help with my career, but wasn't a requirement. Glad I did it. I'd started off a few other careers before deciding to go for higher education but, though I did well each time, I didn't feel committed and wandered off. Studying gave me focus. My subject also opened my eyes to new possibilities - and taught me statistics, for which I've been grateful all my life!

There are lots of unrelated things I'd now love to study intensively, but it's not going to happen. I'd encourage fellow oldies to go for it, though - you'll probably find admission easier, and may even be able to get a grant (there are several charities/trusts with funds for this).

I'm definitely a floating type of mature student and I've dipped into various HE courses over the years. My first degree was in Computer Science and I started a MSc in Cypersecurity afterwards. Then I was out of work for various reasons and ended up returning to education as a mature student to study Drama and Theatre Arts. I've also got various HE certificates/diplomas from starting degrees and not finishing them - Mathematics, History, Psychology. Currently studying English and Creative Writing.

I enjoyed my time as an undergraduate and I've always enjoyed studying. I love doing a new course and trying out different unis (I'm in London so loads to choose from). I've never used my qualifications in any job that specifically required them but I've chosen all my subjects because I am interested in them rather than needing to them to work.

I have four degrees — needed for my career. I loved university, and I work in academia. I’m always learning. I love it. I’m taking classes in two different languages at the moment, I sometimes sit in on lectures in other subjects, and I’m definitely going to do at least one degree after I retire, in art history.

Tech law sounds really interesting- have you managed to use your masters for a different career?

Nursing then a masters in Education- totally relevant as a nurse lecturer.