To ask If your DC think going to university is worth it anymore?

[WhatwouldLyndaSnelldo]

DD is a few years off making this decision so I'm curious to hear if your DC has recently graduated (last few years), are currently at university or planning to go: is it essential for the career they want. Is the "life experience" they have there worth it?

sorry can't bring myself to call it uni

Oh and the debt is written off after thirty years.

DS was adamant that it wasn't worth it, but after nearly two years in the working world he is sighing and saying sagely that if he'd known then what he does now, he would have taken his studies more seriously at A-level...

When I've finished smirking privately at his 19-year-old middle-aged wisdom, I shall help him find some evening courses to resit an A-level or two now that he actually DOES know what he'd like to study.

My eldest went to university but hated it. He dropped out but it hasn't held him back, he's ended up with a great job that he loves & good prospects. Middle one wants to go as a mature student when he's figured out what he wants to do & is working in the meantime. Youngest will go this year having taken a year out so they all have very different plans.

DH & I both went to university back in the early 80s. He used his degree, I could probably have had the same career path without mine.

After I did my A levels I decided more education just wasn't for me, and I did an apprenticeship instead.

15 years and 2 kids down the line I'm on an average sort of wage and I still managed to get a mortgage and a house etc... I'm doing ok. Not convinced I'd be significantly better off if I'd been to Uni and saddled myself with a fuckton of debt.

Bellamuerte that doesn’t sound at all like the university experiences of DD and her friends. The expense is pretty much irrelevant as it’s loans with repayments based on salary - most don’t come close to repaying before they are written off. People may end up 8n jobs which don’t use their degrees, but as PPs have said, sometimes you can’t get the job without a degree.
It’s defin worth going if you are capable. And as a parent I didn’t mind contribut8ng to DD having a great time while she studied - I had one when it was my turn.

YetAnother student aren’t ‘saddled’ with debt though. They only pay any of it back if they earn a reasonable amount (£25000 or over), it isn’t counted for mortgage purposes (although the repayment is taken off their salary) and it’s written off after so many years (30? Something like that) most don’t pay it all off.

oh I do wish we'd stop seeing education as a means to an end rather than something valuable in itself

I hope mine go to uni to study things they find interesting - and enjoy it

Education can be enjoyable!

Out of the 2 I have left to finish school 1 thinks university is essential the other doesnt like the idea.

However, the one who wants to go isnt considering a career that needs a university degree and the one who doesn't like the ides of university actually wants to do a career where its essential

There are plenty of adults who find the lack of a degree is getting in the way of them progressing in their jobs or finding meaningful work. I do some work for the OU, and that's why most of the students are there these days.

Goes to a decent RG university may be worth it, going to an ex-poly to do some mickey mouse subject really isn't.

How else do you get them to leave at 18? 🤔

The jobs my friends and I all do won’t even look at you if you don’t have a degree. Not that it’s the same with all careers obviously but there are many which will require them.
I had the time of my life at Uni. I needed my degree to get into my field of work anyway, but it also taught me independence, work ethic and time management, made my long term closest friendships there (and met my eventual husband) and generally had a bloody ball.
I would encourage anybody to go.

Creambun, when I read your post I got the image of Major Misunderstanding from Viz in my mind.

DS17 is set on an apprenticeship. We haven't tried to push him in either direction but have discussed the pros and cons of both uni and apprenticeships - he says he would prefer to earn while he learns, and can always go to uni later in life. He has seen my sister graduate and not be able to find a graduate job despite getting a first, and his older brother choose a completely different career path to that of his degree, one that came with full funding for a vocational diploma.

I don't know if it is because neither DH nor I have a degree but have never found it hindered us being employed, but he isn't convinced that a degree is essential as a foundation to the type of career he wants in the arts. He also has a back up plan and will be applying for a fast track apprenticeship with the civil service in case he can't get into the music production apprenticeship he wants.

What dh found when he set out in his commercial job was that for the first 10-15 years he didn't do any better than those of his workmates who had very little education. But after that, he progressed and they didn't. He is now at middle management level and doing ok, they are still doing heavy work on low wages. The difference was ability to write reports and quickly read through and summarise material- in other words, things you learn at university.