To think that degrees mean less now than they did 20/30 years ago?

[SL11]

I got my degree 15 years ago from a former poly and got a high 1st. It was modular based and at the time I dont believe any credits were doubled or the lowest mark credits dropped or something like seems to happen a bit now. I know a bit as DD is soon to start Uni.
AiBU to think my degree is unofficially better than those gained in similar ranked Uni's in recent years? And on the flipside those gained by people in the 70s when 3 years worth of work was assessed in 12 exams and your final result was a average of those marks are unofficially better than mine?

Think employers think of this?

Honestly I think a top result from a top university has and always will be regarded as excellent. I think the question is how lower ranked establishments fare.

(You don’t need an apostrophe for a plural like ‘unis’, for future ref)

LOL I hope you have one of those ‘new’ degrees OP Talks of @User3627290

@NameChange564738

(You don’t need an apostrophe for a plural like ‘unis’, for future ref)

LOL I hope you have one of those ‘new’ degrees OP Talks of @User3627290

Looks like MN is full of trolls today.

Yes. Degrees have never cost so much but been worth so little.

Fuck off, for future reference.

I sort of agree with you OP. I don’t know if degrees 20 years ago were better but I certainly agree they mean less more now but I also think that’s down to the state of the job market rather than the quality has declined.

Thanks for the proper responses PPs.

YABU you need a degree more than ever, but not every universities or degrees are equal.

I also agree with you.

In the dim and distant past when I did my degree just 2% of students went on to university, it is now around 50%. So there are many, may more degrees around than previously. It doesn't devalue the degree but it has increased the need for one in the workplace simply to sift out the number of applicants for jobs etc

Hmm. I think degree classification has changed and it is now easier to get a first than it was in ye good old days. But also education has changed so today’s graduates come out with different skills and abilities to those who graduated a long time ago. Unless you’re continually upskilling then YABU

@Flamingolingo

Hmm. I think degree classification has changed and it is now easier to get a first than it was in ye good old days. But also education has changed so today’s graduates come out with different skills and abilities to those who graduated a long time ago. Unless you’re continually upskilling then YABU

I'm not no, I was only in a role of my degree discipline for a year simply because I hated it.

I graduated 34 years ago. In those days 5-7% of the population had degrees and four of my cohort of around 350 got firsts. A degree meant a lot in those days because they were much rarer. They certainly mean less now that half the population has them and so many firsts are awarded.

It also depends what your degree is in. Law versus travel and tourism for instance. Some degrees are there simply so people can have the experience of uni, pay huge fees and feel like they have got something for it.

As a hiring manager I will look at your degree and where it came from because it gives me a ballpark idea of your academic ability (not foolproof but someone with an Oxbridge degree is likely to be bright). But I will pay most attention to the last 3-5 years of employment and what transferable skills are there.

Yabu

I don’t think there’s a difference between now and a mere 15 years ago. That’s nothing in terms of educational changes, and well after those who argue there’s been “dumbing down” would say the rot set in.

If you said “it’s worth less than 40 years ago”, say, I wouldn’t argue.

@User3627290
(You don’t need an apostrophe for a plural like ‘unis’, for future ref).

Where a whole sentence, or several whole sentences are contained within brackets, the full stop should also remain within the brackets. For future ref.

I agree with user

Apart from not giving a shiny shit about the online placement of an apostrophe

I also agree that it depends what your degree is in

Well yes, even universities say that there has been grade inflation, so effectively most people get a first or 2:1 now and only a handful get a 2:2 or a third. Pretty much no one is allowed to fail.

Basically it's now a market place where people are buying degrees and no one wants to go somewhere where it's likely you won't get a first or 2:1 as that's the entry for alot of graduate schemes. But a lot of schemes now want a 2:1 of at least 65% now so it's not like companies haven't cottoned on.

I got a first 20 years ago. In my subject there were over a hundred of us, 5 of us got a first. So I do think that is worth more than now where a first is not rare any more.

YABU. As someone who sat two degrees 25 years apart the more recent one was MUCH harder!

Did polys exist 15 years ago? I started uni (under grad) around 15 years ago and although it feels like a long time ago I thought they were all just universities?

Well I went to uni 13 years ago, so not much more recently than you. I went to what was one of the top 5 ranked unis in the UK and we got all of the bells and whistles of lowest marks dropped etc. My dad went to Oxford 20 years before I did and tells me he basically did no work for the entirety of his second year. You seem to assume that older methods of assessment were 'better' rather than just being old-fashioned and now outdated as we gain a better understanding of how people actually learn effectively. Just because something was harder to do at the time doesn't mean it stood you in any better stead for the future - if anything, assessment that takes place in a completely irrelevant and artificial situation that in no way mimics reality is worth far less than learning in an environment and process you could actually apply to everyday life.

Also I agree that

A. Subject of degree and
B. Where it is from

Ought to be taken into account by employers, as a degree in, say, law / modern languages / sciences from Oxbridge is going to be very hard. Tourism or American studies or whatever from a newer uni is likely to be easier. But we aren’t allowed to even know where a degree is from where I work. Seems a bit unfair to those who worked really hard for top a levels, got into a great uni and worked really hard while there, but never mind

I do think degrees are in some cases are worth less but at the same time with the percentage of graduates rising they have become more important in job screening. Working in recruitment I have seen the 5 GSCEs or the 3 A level qualification requirements being replaced with a degree requirement with no other change to the job description.