AIBU to think DD is a bit silly to go to uni "for the experience"?

[Jinxis]

DD is going to uni in October. She has picked a degree that offers a lot of trips, etc.

She has no clue what career she wants.

She admits it's for the experience... Going on these trips, learning a new language, meeting new people, living away, etc.

She could have done all this without getting into 60k worth of dept though, couldn't she?

Madness IMO.

AIBU?

YANBU to be a bit concerned, but your daughter is also not being unreasonable.

Having a degree will do her the world of good, and will expand her horizons and career opportunities, and potentially give her double the salary she would get without a degree. (Probably even more!)

In this country, education is VERY highly valued VERY. And people will always be streets ahead of people without a degree, if they have a degree.

I do hope however, as she is 'only doing it for the experience,' that she won't bail part way in because she didn't actually really want to do the degree, but only get the uni experience, and to meet new people and go on trips! She is not being unreasonable, if she fully intends to work hard at the degree.

Do you think she does?

You may need to have a conversation with her about exactly WHY she wants to go to uni, and make sure the making friends, and partying, and 'trips away' are not the only reason. She could work on a cruise ship if that's all she wants!

(Don't worry too much about the 'student debt' by the way, she won't pay most of it back anyway. And it's more than likely that even with the monthly amounts towards her student debt being taken out of her salary, it will still be double the take home pay that she would have without a degree! IYSWIM.)

I agree with PPs saying that a degree is not meant to be training for a specific job/career. It is a mix of learning to learn/study/think independently, expanding horizons and yes, getting life experiences. Your DD sounds like she has the right idea.

My eldest DC studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics. They haven't followed a career in any of those fields (philosopher not being a lucrative career!). But the degree showed they had the ability to organise a work load, write a well constructed argument and understand complicated concepts. The life experience made them confident, out going and comfortable in unfamiliar environments. The combination of the two lead to a graduate trainee position in a leading professional firm which pays well (and more importantly, they love and find challenging).

I am sad governments make it harder for people to have that

I really don't understand that view at all. Why should other people fund some choices and not others? If the tuition fees are scraped they're paid through our taxes. Travel isn't funded, working a low paid job isn't boosted, starting their own business isn't funded etc. I don't see why one 18 year old should be subsidised but not another. There is nothing wrong with the student loan system, other than many don't ever pay it back. You think that's wrong. The ones who work hard & get good jobs pay, those that don't, don't pay. It's daft. Going to uni for 'the experience' is all good and well, if you pay for it yourself, not so if you're expecting others to fund it. I'd rather my taxes went to the NHS than an 18 yo going for the experience of living away from home & drinking themselves silly. Like many things in life, it's great, but someone has to pay for it.

There is nothing wrong with the student loan system, other than many don't ever pay it back

It kinda is a bit hypocritical that the people who really benefit the country (e.g. doctors) pay back their loans and people who's degree really wasn't of much benefit to society (e.g. photography from a low tier uni, never used it, now working in Starbucks) never pay it back!

Better than not going at all

She'd be much better off doing a year or twos gap year.

I think it's a waste. Much better she studies once she's motivated career wise.

Gap year is for travel, experience, working out what she wants to do

I agree 5rivers.

But I disagree with Ttbb that any degree is better than no degree. University is not for everyone and some may be better starting an apprenticeship in a more practical trade.

One of the most successful, highly paid people I know started as an apprentice auto electrician at 16 and is now high up for a major manufacturer. If he had gone to university instead, he would probably have gained a mediocre degree that he had never used and didn't benefit financially from.

21 YOs who didn't go to university are often well established in a trade at that age with a few years experience and may take home as much, if not more than new graduates, who also have extra tax to pay to repay their student loans.

YANBU. University is a one shot thing for most people now the fees are so high. All well and good saying some jobs only require a degree but there are plenty of jobs that require a specific degree and if she uses her one shot on getting a degree for 'the experience', those doors are closed to her. Different if she'd got a few vague career ideas related to her chosen degree and just hadn't pinned one down or she really, really loved the subject but with no idea at all why she's doing it beyond 'the experiece', she's better off taking some time out.

i do think a university education is more than just studying the subject or training for a particular career. And I say that as someone who did a specialised first degree leading to a specific career path. Indeed having the specific degree has made it harder at times in post doctoral life ( I side stepped into another field) a broader base would perhaps have been easier for me.) There are many skills that develop at higher education, that are in addition to the specific subject being studied, and it is often those other skills (independent thought, flexibility, expression, statistics, social skills to name a few) that may be needed by employers. There are usually opportunities to study other subjects - and even side step into them if if needed.
There are many paths to finding a place in society, and university ( with all its choices) is one possibility.