To wonder if you can earn a good living without a degree?

[Monsterellacheese]

I'm thinking of dropping out of a part time degree that I've been trying to do on/off for 5 years whilst raising a family. Ive lost interest and I can't keep relying on DP to provide, as has feeling the pinch now.

I never had a career or a proper job beforehand just admin, retail and cleaning.

A few people I've been speaking to have told me to get the degree, I won't regret, it will open doors and lead to a high paying career etc.

Thing is, my DP doesn't have GCSE'S. He got on to an apprenticeship in business and is on a decent salary. I'm thinking of going down the same route. I'll have a level 4 qualification if I drop out now and I dont see what a psychological studies degree would even lead me to when I more interested in a career in finance.

I want to drop out, but I also dont want to either in case I regret it in the long run

There was an interesting thread on here a few weeks ago about two old friends in their mid-20s who got jobs at the same company.

One had a first class degree but was in a low paid customer service role; the other had done an apprenticeship in a niche industry (data protection) and had gained qualifications on the job and came into the same company on about ten times the other girl's salary.

On the other hand, my sister hasn't got a degree and has quite a senior role now working in TV, but she has found you can't really progress beyond a certain level if you don't have a degree.

I've done a BSc and a masters and had the fed up and don't want to go on feeling both times, it's normal.

It is interesting because there was also another one a few weeks back, Up, from a woman who could no longer progress at her company due to not having a degree as it was required for promotion.

If you've posted in both threads, could you link them?

I work in IT and do not have a degree. I am on the ops side of things. I earn pretty well and am in £50k

I had to start from the bottom, help desk, and slowly work my way up to be a Cloud Engineer.

I have been lucky the previous roles gave me an opportunity to work in the cloud, these skills are in high demand.

I did start an ou degree and have complete 2 years out of the 6 but was finding it difficult with working full time, having a toddler and a husband who was working away. I may go back to it, not sure.

Now, I am focusing on aws and azure certs to prove my worth to potential new employers, always helps that I have the experience to go with it.

I also work with three developer, two of which never went to university. I would shine that they are on a similar package as me.

The degree may make it easier to get that first job but after experience takes over.

I've an IT background - it was the case 20, 15, 10 years ago (I've been doing it 20) that a lot didn't have degrees and got into it when it was new, but everyone I can think of who has been in career 5 years or less has a degree these days. It's still going to be easier than if you have a degree. As industries mature, companies demand more qualifications and that's what's happened in IT.

My husband is a signaller and earns £70k. He doesn’t have a degree or anything. L

I am self employed- I make and sell craft items from home. I make a good living. No degree required.

Ive worked up without a degree and have done well, however ive missed out on many opportunities and jobs as i dont have a degree. As a pp said, if i get made redundant im back at the bottom disadvantaged due to lack of degee. Particularly in the age of automated CV sifting, mine wouldnt get through the first stage despite 30 years of experience. I dont even work in a proffesion thats regulated.

I don't think you need a degree but it'd be such a waste of a lot of hard work and money you've most probably put in. If you could finish in 5 months, please do it.

You can still work in finance. I worked with an investment manager whose original degree was in psychology.

You can then start studying towards a qualification in finance and that doesn't have to be a university there are loads of courses available online.

I'm just tired and unmotivated.

Maybe a degree apprenticeship?

One of the reasons given for expecting degree level qualifications is that it provides evidence by of the ability to keep going when things get a bit tough. Being able to do that, even when you are not particularly interested in the subject is obviously a very transferable skill for the workplace.

I would encourage you to discuss as a family and get support then set yourself the task of completing in the next five months. Give it your best shot then reevaluate your situation

Dropping out means you will definitely fail.

Grit your teeth and get it done will stand you in good stead anytime you have a deadline at work.

For anyone starting now. a degree apprenticeship is probably better than a straight degree but, of course, there is a lot of demand for the places and a tad more pressure to perform.

All the very best.

Do not let 5 years of work go down the drain. Just give it that final push.

An acquaintance of mine took an actuarial apprenticeship after (very good) A levels. Aged 23 he’s passed many of the professional exams, is on the same (low thirties) salary as graduates of the same age and doing very well. Because the actuarial exams he’s taken are more difficult than any degree he’ll never have his lack of degree held against him as long as he continues to pass his exams.

I suspect that accountancy apprenticeships are similar - if you’re professionally qualified then that’s all the proof you need.

I didn't go to university. By the age of 24 I was the youngest assistant manager of a financial services company with staff in the UK of over 10,000. I was earning far more than my friends who had degrees. I bought property before they did. I was still out-earning them at 30. They out-earn me now because I changed career totally to something that pays less but I enjoy more and gives me more creative freedom.

Perhaps it depends where you are. In London there's no chance in hell.

In London there's no chance in hell

Wasn't a problem for me.

My husband works in IT and didn't even sit his GCSES. He's climbed from his basic salary £26,000 which we were appreciative of anyway to 80k and with recent news of another promotion. He was refused for the job twice before he eventually landed it though due to his lack of degree. He is the only employee within the company without a degree.

Please don't give it up. Your'll regret it.

My dh is a director in an American company without a official degree . He is super clever and amazing at what he does but he started at an apprenticeship with the same company at 17. He hated academic education so took a different route . It is possible, I'd say more so now as our dd is 16 and there are loads of options post 16 for this route .

Well obviously you can do really well without a degree but you have to be very smart and willing to take risks. If you just want a job with a good salary you are really going to struggle without a degree. But of course in your situation it really depends on where you are getting your degree from and what you expect to end up with. Not all degrees are equal and a first from Cambridge is much more likely to lead to a well paid job than a 2:2 from a minor regional ‘university’.

I'd say give it your best shot and finish the degree, you are more than 2/3 the way through, and you may find you need it.
I went via sales into management and had a very good job, but took too long out, when I finally started trying to get back into the workplace I could see that aside from a long gap some companies were definitely biased against those without a degree - I interview well and have the experience but found I didn't get an interview even at a lower level than previous. I have a friend in recruitment and she said there was a definite degree snobbery in some companies, if they've lots of applicants they just reject any without degrees regardless of experience.
Doesn't always matter to have a degree, I stumbled upon current job by accident, management not bothered about degrees.

You can do well but sadly it's getting harder to be given a chance. Even with a degree you're barred from things without a 2:1.

My degree has not helped me at all with work thus far although it might help me progress in future as long as they're simply looking to see that I have one. I was an undiagnosed dyspraxic at uni- it was incredibly hard.

You’re asking the wrong question as things were different even just ten years ago.
You should ask whether anyone with a large CV gap and no degree has gone into a professional type job with a career path paying above minimum wage this year.
I suspect a degree would make things a lot easier for you.

Just another point. You have shown great tenacity to get this far doing a degree part time. It's much harder when you have other commitments , too

Everyone, well almost everyone, has some kind of existential crises in the run up to the final assessments/exams. I remember a whole group of us from my first degree cohort went together to sign up as bus drivers in the week before exams, so convinced were we that we would all fail

I was rejected (height restriction min 5'4" then) but we all passed the exams after all, much to our surprise. All the best.

Degrees are worth while if they relate to your chosen pathway. For finance I would expect an economics degree to have been useful. Other than that your dh’s pathway seems to be the best option.