To ask if you went to uni did you regret it ?

[Lardlizard]

Yabu if you don’t regret
Yanbu if you do

Yes and no.
I did a bullshit degree that was badly run and not worth the paper it was written on.
I did dead end jobs for ten years until I did my teacher training.
So I did use it in the end but it was such a bullshit made up course that I didn’t write a single dissertation, essay or bit of coursework.

But it was the early 90s and free.

Don't regret it at all - growing up my world was very small, my opinions weren't my own, I had little exposure to strong empowered women. The most anyone expected of me was to find a husband, and maybe work for a few years until I had children. I needed university to jolt me into reality, and it gave me so much confidence. I'm going back to do my PGCE, and I don't plan to stop there, education is transformational for me.

I loved my time at uni - no fees, full grant, still a polytechnic when I started. I temped during the holidays and was able to clear any debt I had.

I landed the first job I applied for and was working within a month of my finals so, I'm that score, it was brilliant.

However, I do look back and wish I had worked harder at my A levels and had perhaps been a bit more ambitious with the unis I applied to. And then I feel guilty for even think that, because I probably would have ended up where I am now anyway!

Loved it. Would do it again in a heartbeat - even though it was a second tier uni and I only got a desmond. Have never felt so carefree. It let me escape the parental home and my shit life. Allowed me to take up a professional career , own my own home and travel. I made friends for life and made contacts around the worls. My DC also loved their uni life too.

Tricky question.

I don’t regret studying a degree

I do regret going to a shit university (actually a university course at a small college)

I do regret not choosing a more academic course that can be used for pathways into decent graduate careers.

I deeply regret not using my degree to start my career.

I do regret moving back home where jobs in my degree sector are rare. (Tech)

Finally, while I adore him. I regret putting my boyfriend (now husband) before my degree at all costs. Being distracted and not putting my all into getting a good grade. In hindsight he would have come with me to a better university and he would have supported my need to concentrate.

I enjoyed it and only clocked up £5k worth of debt which wasn't bad for London. However it's not been useful mostly because I had no idea how to use it. I mean, I had nobody else in my family who had ever gone, no awareness of how networking worked, no idea of what a professional job looked like or was even called and even less of an idea how to get one. I remember when I started my first full time job (£120 a week, in London, admittedly 25 years ago but still ...) my mum getting really frustrated at how skint I was and saying "but you've got a degree! Why can't you just get a decent job?" and the truth was that I didn't know how to. For me and actually my parents as well, with no one in our family having stayed at school past 16 before, the focus was always on being clever, doing well at school and getting to university. And then, I dunno, something would magically happen after that whereby I wouldn't be poor any more because I had a degree.

Um. Not the case.

Loved my time at University. But I went to 2 ancient Universities that were two of the top four research universities for my subject back in the late 80s when very few people went to University. It was a very privileged experience and I loved it. I still work in a field that is directly relevant to my degree.

I would encourage my DC to go to University but that is with the assumption that they will go to a proper good University and study an academically rigorous subject. I will encourage and facilitate professional work experience during their degree. Women to go to University massively outearn those who don't, why would I not encourage such a worthwhile choice.

I regret getting a degree in a field I never had any interest in (still don’t).

I regret NOT going to university

Same as others, I might have done a different subject but to be honest just being a graduate with a good degree from a good university opens so many doors. I definitely don’t regret going and the discipline you learn around writing and study.

I don't regret it at all - I did a tech subject, did really well and it helped me get an excellent job. I also met DP at uni (25+ years ago) and still together

Adored it - Cambridge, NatSci. Then did a PhD which I’m glad I did because i would have regretted not doing it. Accountant now which leads to confused questions about my apparent volte face from PhD to ACA but no regrets.

Not sure how to answer. I didn't enjoy the actual degree course and wish I could have somehow got the benefits without the studying but I had a lot of fun with societies and social life, and the degree opened the door to a fantastic career (totally unrelated to the degree).

I don't regret it. Did a vocational degree and am now in my dream job.

I started a nursing diploma at 29..I dont regret it for a second, it changed my life

“I would encourage my DC to go to University but that is with the assumption that they will go to a proper good University and study an academically rigorous subject. I will encourage and facilitate professional work experience during their degree. Women to go to University massively outearn those who don't, why would I not encourage such a worthwhile choice.”

Absolutely agree with you 100%

I was an A-Level Graduate of the 2008 recession.

I never wanted to go to uni initially, but as there were literally no jobs I decided to apply to uni because my college tutors pressured me so much... I dropped out after a year because it really wasn't for me!

I don't regret not going!! My sister and lots of friends went - all still got student debt and although they all have professional jobs and l don't, l am,much more financially secure and well off than them. I know it isn't all about money but for me, getting a job and earning straight after leaving college was a much better option. Hoping dd doesn't want to go as l don't think a degree guarantees a successful career.

I did an academic degree at a good uni. It got me on to a grad scheme but since then I’ve never used it. I have no regrets whatsoever, I had a great time and enjoyed it. My eldest is looking at a pure academic degree at a RG uni. I fully support this, I think it will help him in his career, give him independence and a few more years before he needs to settle down to work. The debt doesn’t bother me a bit, it’s relatively irrelevant, either he will pay nothing or more likely he’ll be able to clear it fairly quickly. Either is fine.

Yes and no. I did a good degree at a top university. However being very shy it shattered my confidence even more as I felt inferior to my fellow students. I have never used my degree (confidence issues) so it has felt abit of a waste. I am hoping in the next few years to do some further training/move into a different career which my degree background may help me so maybe then I will change my mind.
The fees now would completely put me off now. I would tell my children to only go to uni if they know what they want to do and how the degree will help them.

Ok didn't but do did. He wasted 5 years doing a degree and now works 2 jobs that has absolutely nothing to do with his degree. He had to pay to do training for both of them.

“I would encourage my DC to go to University but that is with the assumption that they will go to a proper good University and study an academically rigorous subject. I will encourage and facilitate professional work experience during their degree. Women to go to University massively outearn those who don't, why would I not encourage such a worthwhile choice.”

Totally agree and my DS also knows this. His aspirations are either accountancy law finance or politics. An academic degree at a good uni along with good work experience will open those does. We’re aspirational for him and he is for himself, a RG or equivalent degree for an academic teen is pretty much a given in terms of his aspirations. That’s not to say that o think it’s the only option but it’s the sensible one to keep all options open

I Absolutely loved it, met lots of people - several still friends with 20 years later! Worked hard, and played hard too.

I did a very vocation focused degree that encouraged networking And job hunting in the last year. Most got relevant work experience and had a job offer before leaving uni - This was so critical in the transition to working life.

I would do it again. In fact I went on to work at the university for several years post graduation.

Honestly, it was the experience for me. My degree isn’t really needed in my line of work, but the social experience and the place I was in in my life, it was brilliant.

I’d actually quite like to do a masters now.

Yes and no.

Yes- hated it but that was due to MH & personal circumstances (moved away from boyfriend and family to a horrible, shitty city). Went to a crap uni and did a generic degree which didn't qualify me for anything. Partially due to lack of parental direction (go to uni go to uni go to uni, but no guidance on good v bad uni etc), mum told me not to pigeon hole myself with a degree for a profession (totally the wrong advice).

No - wouldn't have met DH, gone back to school and then back to a better uni on the original course I wanted to do leading to a job I love.

On balance, going to uni is better than not doing but pic uni and course wisely.