What do you think of ppl with multiple degrees/qualifications etc?

[lapitup]

What do you think of a person when you hear they have a more than average amount of degrees/postgrads/masters etc and qualifications?

Do you think...good for them,they must be smart,have ambition, drive etc!

Or.

Do you think...god could they not make their mind up and/or stick to something??

Every person i meet is either a young uni student, or mature aged studying while working or when their kids are older, some are single and doing it full time but not as many

It is normal these days so I think it stands out more when people arent studying

Who are all these employers funding uni qualifications, out of interest?

I have 5 degrees: one undergrad, 3 masters and a PhD. Slightly unusually, I did undergrad, then PhD and then did the masters degrees but I'm just awkward like that My degrees are in two separate subjects but I use all of them everyday.

I also have a number of postgraduate certificates and diplomas and professional qualifications. But I'm an academic so some of that is expected and most paid for by work who also gave me some time to complete them in my workload allocation. I had funding for my PhD and also did some of it part-time whilst working full-time. My employer part-funded one of my masters degrees but I paid for the rest. All my masters degrees were done part-time whilst having my children.

But like some PPs, for me studying and learning is one of my hobbies. So where someone else might be spending some time doing crafts or woodworking or whatever then I'm reading papers or watching online resources. So for me no different than if I was on the sofa reading a book - just mine is fact-based rather than e.g. a novel. I will do more degrees because I enjoy it and love stretching my brain that way.

And I'm talking about in the last 3 years or so, as I do think things have changed a LOT recently in terms of funding being available.

@PaulinePetrovaPosey

Depends.

Scattergun of different subjects or no obvious path - either flaky or independently wealthy and just interested.

Clear progress that clearly leads to a good career - sensible and hard working.

Definitely this.

I don't know any with more than one. Most people I know have either one or didn't go to university but went on to gain a professional qualification whilst holding down a job in the related field. I probably admire them more than those who go to uni because, unless at a top university, I think degrees are ten a penny these days.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Who are all these employers funding uni qualifications, out of interest?

I worked in the City and this was in the 90s when there was a lot more money around.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Who are all these employers funding uni qualifications, out of interest?

The NHS funded a few people I know MBAs, Masters and undergraduate degrees. These people were working for the NHS in a variety of roles and yes some of them had young children while studying.

Other government departments e.g. Department of Education, funded other people's qualifications including work related Masters. Some of these people where working while others were unemployed. Schemes randomly run for these depending on the government of the day.

Some people got postgraduate degree funding from various European research organisations when we were part of the EU.

Private companies of various sizes will fund or part fund work related qualifications including Masters or undergraduate degree modules. I got one of my degrees part funded that way.

Masters are actually cheaper to pay the fees for than an undergraduate degree. So lots of people I know have funded them themselves while working or with loans/savings if they are doing it full-time.

I live in a university city and work with the people you describe.

I tend to find that those with PhDs or multiple Masters tend to be more interested in solving interesting problems but less interested in real world applications.

The niche stream of academia that I work with has some exceptionally clever people but they do sometimes seem to often lack common sense and drive. They do a PhD as it is the safe thing to do. Those who are more goal focused will step out of academia earlier.

That's just my entirely subjective viewpoint, and as with all things there are those on different ends of the scale as we are all different.

I'm envious.

What do you think of a person when you hear they have a more than average amount of degrees/postgrads/masters etc and qualifications?

No different to anyone else. It doesn't make them any different.

I'm a graduate (bloody years ago) and am chartered (two professional bodies) and could put more letters after my name than a paragraph contains. It doesn't mean anything to anyone else.

Chances are, the person with a bucket tonne of qualifications has done it because they enjoy learning.

Chances are, the person with a bucket tonne of qualifications has done it because they enjoy learning.

This....

Or just fancied a career change.
Why would anybody be judging people negatively for investing in their own educational development?

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Who are all these employers funding uni qualifications, out of interest?

Almost every employer I’ve worked for in the last decade has offered learning as a benefit. Current employer is quite small (under 50 employees) and offers it; any larger company I’ve worked for offers it as well.

I’d honestly find it strange that any mature, non startup employer didn’t offer it.

@NurseButtercup

Chances are, the person with a bucket tonne of qualifications has done it because they enjoy learning.

This....

Or just fancied a career change.
Why would anybody be judging people negatively for investing in their own educational development?

People are opften svcathing about the life choices of others. I thyink it is because it somehow internally validates whatever choices they make. If you don't hurt anyone, do not cost anyone anything, not exploiting anyone then rock on I say.

(Although to be fair I am currently super judgmental about a family at school who are travelling abroad every school holiday (not now obviously) because I am bloody fucking envious. )

I think they've clearly got a decent level of intelligence.

I don't automatically think that they're cleverer than someone with just one degree though. I've known some serial academics who are people who simply fit nicely into the niche of academia but are inexperienced in real world application, and people who've advanced massively in industry off the back of a single degree.

The absolute worst idiot I know has a PhD, but he hasn't kept his academic learning up to date. He leans on an Oxford degree and later PhD earned years ago, but having seen him with colleagues still in academia, it's obvious even to a layperson that his memory of what he learned is poor, as well as out of date. Doesn't stop him assuming he knows better than everyone else about things that aren't even his specialism

I may be initially wary of them just because my ex collects degrees and he's a flaky twat who still has a minimum wage job.

I enjoy learning, but I don't enjoy studying. After A levels I was so done with studying and got a job instead. At 21 I did a foundation course in accounting at a polytechnic (now a university) and hated it.

I have worked ever since, then at 40 I decided that as I was in marketing I might as well get some professional qualifiations. I didn't enjoy studying for them either. I also had a very stressful job with long hours. Doing CIM nearly broke me.

I take my hat off to anyone who can get a degree, while rasing a family and working full time, but it isn't for me.

Not having a degree has never held me back, but I started work in 1977. It is different now.

I think they must have a lot of time!

@Ginfordinner I could have written your post (you wrote it better!) I tried studying a few times though open university and college, I love the learning and assignments but I can't do exams and deadlines so withdraw a few times

I am now mid 40's and have worked full time most of my life (pt when ds,was small), i may go back to studying when ds is,an adult

But then i think i can get a piece of paper at the end, or letters after my name but then what? and why do I want it? to actual benefit from it or just so I can say people I have done it?

I would think they were academically smart and enjoy learning/studying. End of.

Anything else others have quoted such as very interesting, driven etc would not come to mind based solely on their education choices.

@Readandwalk

Most people I know with PhDscame from wealthy families and were supported financially throughout. I have couple of friends who are working full time and completing PhD s part time. I have far more respect for the latter. I myself have a degree and 3 MAs all related to my career and completed MAs while working.

It's so tied up with financial privilege.

I don't assume educated people are more intelligent and this is backed up with my experiences.

That doesn't reflect my experience at all. I did a MSt and DPhil at Oxford, and virtually everyone I knew in my two subjects and at my college had scholarships or research funding.

@MissPoldark

Lots of time on their hands. Completing a masters is more about time and money than it is about intelligence.

This thread has reminded me of someone I interviewed for a job. She had had two BSc's and a Masters.

One degree was related to the job, the others were in Archeology of all things. We had quite a long chat about it in the interview. She did these as archeology was her passion outside of work and its what she spent her spare time doing.

I prefer to learn by doing rather than studying, so I suppose there are others that are the complete opposite.

But I must admit that I don't know why anyone needs so many degrees? Are they studying alongside working? If they're doing it an addition to work, fine. If they doing it to avoid work, not fine.

@Smallsteps88

I’m pretty certain they don’t exist. I’ve tried education as an adult a couple of times and I find it really hard. I don’t know how anyone can fit it in as well as normal life (jobs, kids, pets, housework,sleep) I’d love to know their secret.

Delegation!