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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

nephew is doing a degree where he spends a lot of time watching rugby matches

100 replies

pettywitchinlondon · 29/05/2015 15:34

Some kind of sports degree. Apparently he has to watch them to analyse the strategy. Fair enough if he didn't have to pay fees, but he pays full fees and has just finished the first year.

I know I'm being unreasonable as its his choice, but I can't help but think its a waste of money and its a good example of something that should be learnt practically rather than as a degree.

I can't really say anything as I did a history degree but at least that was highly regarded from a red brick and will still useful for my job prospects.

Am I right to worry he's wasting his money and time?

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 30/05/2015 11:25

She's right to worry about her DN's future

She has no idea what degree he is doing or what he plans to do.

noddyholder · 30/05/2015 11:27

But no degree is a guarantee anymore as this country is in so much trouble with little industry etc My ds is in yr 2 and is already making inroads in his chose 'art' you can't really tell nowadays. The only young people I know waitressing etc did more trad subjects but then a lot of them are not pursuing a full on career s soon as they leave uni and are travelling and working in casual jobs initially which seems to be quite common much more than years ago. I am always quite surprised too that they seem unbothered by the huge debt I spoke to ds and about 5 of his mates who were here at xmas and they just don't think about it! Different generation

MrsDeVere · 30/05/2015 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SirChenjin · 30/05/2015 11:40

Unless the University can show exactly how the degree applies to the future workplace and what numbers of students then go on to work in that particular field at graduate level then you're right to be sceptical OP. Degrees have now become 2 a penny and HE a massive industry, with far too many worthless pieces of paper at the end of 4 years that leave students in huge levels of debt.

cece · 30/05/2015 11:41

my dh did a sports science degree. he currently earns what I consider a lot of money.

Stitchintime1 · 30/05/2015 11:41

Degrees aren't restricted at all. There are loads of them. Once people started self financing degrees, the number and types of degree exploded.

Personally, I think it's worth running degrees through a checklist. I would include:

do I really enjoy the subject?
is the thinking required suitably rigorous?
do the professors in this subject seem intelligent?
will it look good to the majority of people on my cv?
will it help me build contacts for the future?
do most graduates with this subject end up with appropriate work in a reasonable time frame?
is the university in a nice place?

I'd want to tick more than one of those boxes. All might be too much to hope for.

noddyholder · 30/05/2015 11:43

I also think far too many people just follow the herd into university but I think the debt seems irrelevant to them and a lot of them are there for the 'experience' and social thing even if we as parents think they aren't I listen to ds and his mates conversations and they don't take it as seriously as I did.

Mrsjayy · 30/05/2015 11:46

I thinkthe op just means that only English academic degrees are worthwhile wish she had just said that saved allthe faffing my dd has a Bsc (blatant boasting ) but hey its a mickey mouse degree

Mrsjayy · 30/05/2015 11:50

noddy I agree with you i wouldnt support going to university for the experience but many kids and parents see it as life experience I think the op thinks her nephew is just arsing about watching the rugby where that probably isnt true

noddyholder · 30/05/2015 11:53

Life is short I think all education is worthy and I have no problem with those who are just seeking the experience there are so many years ahead of work and for some drudge! My ds and his friends seem to be having a great time and I think thats ok too. My ds doesn't seem over concerned about 'prospects' atm I think that comes once uni finishes and real life kicks in. His friend is doing sports science in Wales somewhere and has had a lot of job and work experience in the holidays Its not all dooma nd gloom

Capricorn76 · 30/05/2015 11:59

Well I guess as long as he's not doing some call centre job in 10 years time where he can't afford a mortgage deposit because he's in massive student debt and complaining about not being able to afford to buy a home then it's up to him, his life, his future.

If my DD were planning on doing a course like this I'd advise her to not bother with uni at all. Instead of the 4 years she would've spent watching matches on her laptop wishing to be one of tiny amount of people that make a success in that area whilst racking up debts, she could've climbed her way up in a decent career debt free.

fattymcfatfat · 30/05/2015 12:02

if it's league he has to watch then he needs to watch magic weekend from half 2 today and cheer on the warriors at 7 tonight

noddyholder · 30/05/2015 12:04

Some of ds mates didn't bother with uni I still see them from time to time in the holidays and they have had varying successes with jobs etc None of them has climbed any career ladder though One has done very well the rest are working in bars etc and generally still not really what i would call 'working'

Capricorn76 · 30/05/2015 12:04

I remember when my hairdresser told me proudly that her DD was going to be the first in the family to go to uni. I asked what she was studying and she said 'acting'. I congratulated her whilst hiding my true feelings in that I thought it was a waste of time and unecessary debt. A tiny amount of non connected people will make it.

A few years post graduation and she's still working at Topshop.

smellylittleorange · 30/05/2015 12:05

There is a lot of scientific content in a BSc degree and you need to be really happy to use statistics and SPSS. Performance Analysis (which I suspect is part of you DN degree OP) is a very up and coming field with a lot of IT and Technological content..it is fascinating when you read into it. What Noddy says is true though ..lots of young are just following the herd to Uni ..some of them to do a subject they love, some to do what their mates do, some to get a decent job. I do wonder what and where all these young people would go and work / do if they did not go to Uni. Perhaps they are making a decision about earning power vs trying to climb up a ladder in the work place starting at 10k a year.?

If my Dd decides to not go to Uni I would feel she would be disadvantaged. I would be happy for her to do the majority of courses but would prefer she choose something that she is passionate about or that would give her good employment prospects. If for example she wanted to do Drama I would encourage to learn a trade on the side e.g accounting. I would similarly hate for her to do a degree and end up in a soul destroying city job just because it pays well and looks good on her CV.

Perhaps talk to DN ..lol at his programme handbook...are there any ways you can support him? Do you know or have any contacts in the industry that he can get some work experience with. A lot of Sports Scientists work with the MOD could you look at those studies with him. Good at essays perhaps you can help him write a paper for the industry student conference or get him a subscription to the industry as a student member.

smellylittleorange · 30/05/2015 12:11

For those talking about working your way up the career ladder ...I believe there are very few opportunities for this for school leavers apart from apprenticeship s which although are much better paid then they were in my day are few and far between and perhaps more competitive than getting into Uni (which I suspect is part of the issue) .

SurlyCue · 30/05/2015 12:23

if it has grabbed his attention let it be, ask questions about the assignments, possibly enjoy reading some of them.

Seriously? Its not up to OP to "let it be" it is SFA to do with her. Ask questions about the assignments? what on earth for? To prove it is a valid degree? To satisfy OP's criteria? She gets zero say in it. End of. She doesn't get to decide whether someone else's degree choice is a valid one. She needs to extract her neb and redirect it to her own business, perhaps an english class or two.

cardibach · 30/05/2015 12:25

Capricorn you write A few years ago people would raise eyebrows at a degree involving a lot of TV watching - he isn't 'TV watching', he's watching (and analysing) sports matches. They may be recordings supplied by university, they may be actually on TV, but that's irrelevant.

lljkk · 30/05/2015 14:37

Problem with apprenticeships is the post16 ones are still lousy paid, DS might have £70/week left after travel expenses.

I know a few people under 25yo who are climbing a career ladder without Uni degree or apprenticeship (or fantastic Olympic athlete equivalent talent).

One is working way up in a logistics company, so management.

Other is working way up in an import-export company (so more business).

My cousin is a fashion buyer and at the age of 44 finally got a degree (from a mail order type Uni, but her next promotion/payrise depended on it).

Isn't it great there are so many ways to be a success in life?

noddyholder · 30/05/2015 14:50

Exactly room for everything and not everyone wants to be conventional traditional and some don't need to and others are really driven by career

mr405 · 30/05/2015 15:22

I know someone who did a degree in Water Sport Sciences. At the time a few of us thought it was a bit of a waste of time but he graduated with a 2:1, got onto a teacher training course and is now a PE teacher.
So his "mickey mouse" degree lead to a pretty respectable career.

Students can no longer simply rely on a degree as a means of getting a job and I think there is so many more factors that play a role- internships, work experience, part-time jobs, volunteering etc- just because you have a "traditional" degree doesn't mean you will do any better than someone with a more niche or "mickey mouse" one

jorahmormont · 30/05/2015 19:14

Where are all these -

a) Kids who stroll out of their BSC and straight into a graduate job?

b) Kids who don't go to uni and are climbing the career ladder?

All the ones I know who did a non-Mickey Mouse subject are struggling to even find part time work, and the ones who didn't go to uni are still working part time in Spar.

lljkk · 30/05/2015 19:50

On b), the ones I know are in Norfolk, Leicestershire, Slough (all UK) & Riverside California.

SirChenjin · 30/05/2015 20:02

I know of a few up here in the Scottish Central Belt - but then again, I also know far more who aren't walking straight into graduate level jobs or rising through the ranks without a degree.

jorahmormont · 30/05/2015 20:05

very specific, thank you

It only struck me reading this thread how I don't know anyone who didn't go to uni of my age group, who isn't still working part time or unemployed. Then again, I'm one of only three graduates this year I know of who are working full time (all three of us from Mickey Mouse courses ) so maybe it's just the people I know.

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