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??

Thanks @GreyishDays - checking it now!

@formerbabe

Delayed adolescence and a reluctance to grow up usually

I did an undergrad and associated Masters, had a good career, kids then chose to do an OU Masters in a different but fascinating subject. Now doing a progression of that at a brick uni for the love of learning.

Obviously a refusal to grow up. . Idiot.

I left school with no qualifications, ive a degree, PhD and just finished a diploma im vet nursing. Its definately B

@SueEllenMishke

Seems to be a loy of weird attitudes on this thread to people people pursuing post graduate education. For example "they are just avoiding the real world /work" or "I'd think they were book smart but probably not business smart" or " they are just being self indulgent at others expense".

I agree that it seems like the great british suspicion of intellectuals is a thing and that they can't bear to see people do well without tearing them down in someway to make themselves feel better about their achievements or lack of them.

@Toddlerteaplease

I think they don't want to settle down to an actual career.

Unless I suppose unless their undergraduate degrees were in medicine, an intercalated BSc in Biochemistry, a master’s in medical ethics and specialist training in palliative medicine, say?

Or perhaps an undergraduate maths degree, a PGCE, a Master’s in special education and a MBA running a group of schools?

Most careers require several undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications these days. Most people at the top of their careers have several degree or postgraduate qualifications.

Maybe a coroner is s bit of a permanent adolescent?
Or a Director of Nursing who previously worked in oncology?

It does feel a bit as though those without such credentials feel a need to belittle those who have worked hard to achieve and progress.

I clearly haven't articulated myself very well.

I am absolutely NOT saying that my interest in learning is the same as getting a degree. I think good on you if you are motivated to carry on studying for further qualifications, because it is something I just do not enjoy.

So many professional careers require multiple degrees/qualifications- law, medicine etc. Then once in those careers there is a requirement for continued professional development through fairly constant study. I don’t see how this can be seen as ‘delayed adolescence’.

Ginfordinner
The thing is that the poster you were agreeing with/sympathising with took a very disparaging view of someone who was seeking a higher qualification in an area and considered it to be like collecting brownie badges because they may as well go and read about the subject. That's what some of us have challenged. Higher study isn't the same as spending some time on Google and wanting a qualification in an area of interest isn't collecting pieces of paper.

Your personal learning is great and all power to you, but as you have said in your update, a qualification in an area is different to personal reading and interest.

Depends what in/why/when/where. Generally none of my business though.

My cousin has three degrees. She gets bored easily and struggles to fond work she's truly happy in. I'd just think the person, like my cousin, hadn't found what they enjoyed doing yet.

The only person l know with more than one degree comes across to me a work shy job dodger - literally never known her to have a job. But am not saying everyone is like that.

Delayed adolescence and a reluctance to grow up usually

But they might be doing them in the evenings or OU alongside working etc? There are probably some people that statement applies to, but how do you know?

I have a BSc, MA, PhD then did a CPE law conversion and then the BVC (Bar Vocational Course). I paid for the MA myself, a scholarship of 5k per year for the PhD but had to work on top to make ends meet. I also worked full-time whilst writing it up. I paid for the CPE myself (which I did in the evenings part-time whilst working full-time). My BVC was paid for by the organisation I'd already secured pupillage with.

So, in short, I'd probably think bloody hell they must have worked their arse off.

because I am interested, but I don't want to necessarily get a piece of paper at the end of it.

I work for an IT/Media corporate, where there are really no formal qualifications required but lots and lots of us do have higher degrees.

The difference I notice between those who have and have not formal qualifications is their willingness to try something new and confidence that it will work out.

Having had the experience of within a year going from knowing nothing about an MBA to passing modules, I have confidence that faced with anything new, I can probably do an OK job. Not brilliant, as I expect to get better as I do things for the second and third time. And I can make the leap that a completely new subject will probably work out for me.

I find the same amongst others who have formal qualifications. I find that those who have learned only on the job lack models of learning that give them confidence to pick up something new. They tend to assume that they need years and years to grasp new things.

To be fair, the MBA totally changed my approach to anything commercial. Before that, I though the key to success was getting requirements specified correctly. The MBA gave me a view of commercial success, markets, demand and efficiency in delivery. Finance too.

I did three years of biomedical science, currently in my final year of medicine and I honestly do want to study more later on but not necessarily in the same direction and I have been looking at a part time evening courses.

I've always loved studying despite being overwhelmed by it at times.

3 here. I'm reading these answers with interest as I'd never even thought anything would care enough to think about it until reading this thread.

Given he's my DS and he fucked up all of his A-levels, I think "Shit I'm proud of you!" HTH.

Some of them are incredibly intelligent and high flying types, a couple it feels as though they're trying to prove something

Love that Percy.

@PercyKirke , brilliant. I hope that he does well. I think a levels aren't the best idea. I didn't do those as I had no idea what I wanted to do, I wanted money and to travel. So I did that. I was ready for studying aged 25.