in being a bit shocked that one of my dn friends[aged 11, said you have to go to uni if you want a proper job

[carriedababi]

i think it was the term "proper" that shocked me.

on one hand i know alot of people think university is the only way to get anywhere, and maybe for some people it is.

but i was pretty shocked at her attitude.
but i could also kid of understand it too

i think because shes still so young it shocked me more

what would you think if an 11 year old said that?

i spent 9 years in the navy without a degree. is being in the forces not a proper job?

A lot of people with degrees know only about what they studied ime, and as the decades roll on, they remember less and less about that! Reading the paper well at least twice a week is more than enough to give people the impression that you are intelligent and educated. I've been fooling people for years. If I'd channelled that much energy into getting some qualifications I'd be as smart as I pretend to be.

degree doesnt = smart either, some of the dimmest people i know are degree educated

i find academics boring, especially the ones who think their quals make them more intelligent than you

Actually, this child may well be being shafted. I know many people with degrees in crappy dead-end jobs, barely scraping above nmw. I've got two degrees and I work as an admin temp.

For many, many people a degree represents nothing more than a millstone of debt around their necks. I'll be encouraging my children to think very hard before applying to university.

"degree doesnt = smart either, some of the dimmest people i know are degree educated". Well I agree, but then I would say that! I think it can be like a secret handshake code of acceptance in some circles though. The bare minimum. Anybody without a degree is pond life.

I tell my children this too I'm afraid. I want them to think that it is natural progression - school then uni, which they do as most of the adults they know have gone to university.

My dd1 is thinking of fashion design or somesuch atm, and I won't discourage that. If they wanted to be electricians or florists after university, that is fine in my book, but I want them to experience university if they are academically able, which I have no reason to think they are not.

I am qualified accountant and I haven't been to university.I did A levels then ACCA at home from study manuals.I am group accountant and I would consider it to be a proper job.
Most enterpreneurs don't have degrees.Talent and business acumen are much more important

I have 3 degrees and earn 50% less than my friend who is a postman in London :)

Which of us has the 'proper job'?

I would not encourage a child to go to university at the moment unless they had a specific job in mind. Those on apprenticeships or just in normal entry-level jobs will be earning a decent salary in a few years then have the option of study later on if they have a career path in mind.

IMO one of the most ridiculous things about our education system is the way a 14 year old choosing GCSE options is supposed to know what career they want and then single-mindedly follow that path without gaining any real understanding of the world.

I don't think you are being unreasonable, no.