If you did a degree, how much can you remember??

[Timetheworldsaysicantafford]

I studied English Literature nearly twenty years ago and can hardly remember a thing (and have barely read a book cover to cover since!). Someone asked me my favourite author and I couldn't even think who it is really so just mumbled something about Jane Austen and Shakespeare. If you did a degree a while ago, can you actually remember much of what you learnt??

OH on the other hand made a good living from his university education went from bsc to msc to PHD level

A lot of it, as I now teach my degree subject, however I wouldn’t definitively be able to tell you exactly what I learnt at uni and what I’ve learnt since as part of my career and then teaching my subject.

I’m a doctor so I still use quite a bit of the info learned in my day to day job so remembers most of it other than the very dry academic only stuff that you don’t use on the job.

@24YearsAtTheTapEnd

Criminology degree, not much.

Nursing degree, quite a bit.

Are you me? 😆

@BobVance

Fuck all. History degree. Work in finance now.

Same!

Are you me??

I use the knowledge learned as part of my degree (molecular biology) every day, although obviously the field has advanced incredibly since the early 90s!

I also still have a personal interest in other parts of it (reproductive technologies) so follow that field.

Lots from my undergrad degree (30 years ago) and all of my masters (20 years ago) - I went into the field, though, so it’s all genuinely formed the foundation of my career. Two arts subjects, too (joint honours), so don’t let anyone tell you that only STEM subjects are directly applicable after you graduate!

I have definitely forgotten practically all dates and a lot of authors of research, although I can remember theories and some content of research. 25 years ago that I graduated!

Virtually zero. It’s a law degree but instead I went on to be a primary teacher. I realised half way through that I didn’t want to be a solicitor but i figured I should continue as I’d done half the work. I’m glad I did. I got a 2:1 and a first for my dissertation which I’m proud of.

I don’t really remember much of what I was taught at uni during my postgrad, i really learned through the teaching placements.

I have a theology degree - I remember nothing

I also have a nursing degree which I have put into practice with my job so am very familiar.

Ha! It’ll be all those “transferable skills” we gained instead @beela

25 years ago.

I loved the subject but it was quite tricky.

I can remember names, principles, outlines, ideas, theories.

No way could I get to grips with the maths/ proofs now!

Helping the kids with maths and science I seem to remember more than I thought. They are only early secondary so not so tricky yet!

I always think that to see if you really understand something the best thing to test that is by trying to explain it to someone else!

The lab work is my fondest memory. Also the astronomy module and I liked particle physics as well.

Maths. If an exam paper on Hilbert Spaces were put in front of me know I wouldn’t even know how to read the questions.

Philosophy 25 years ago. I remember almost nothing, but I wasn’t the world’s most diligent student.

If you did a degree a while ago, can you actually remember much of what you learnt??

Sort of, as I now teach the same subject to undergraduates. However, much of what I was taught is no longer regarded as correct (bioscience subject), so I've had to learn it all again to teach it. About 2/3 of what I teach hadn't yet been discovered when I was a student (early nineteen-eighties).

Lots - I studied comparative social and education policy and I LOVED it - I really did so I still read stuff around it.

My post grad was in the field of education and my job requires me to be up to date with policy and possible changes/ideas so it's useful.

oh it was 28 years ago btw

Little bits. History degree.

My A Levek history (which was medieval history) is still in my brain though. I bloody loved the course and the teacher and worked so hard on it, memorising pages and pages of quotes and arguments, some of which I can still recite.

I do actually remember quite a bit of practical and relevant things. But that said, I then went on to do a master's and get a PhD in a related field. So it's probably pretty fresh and something I apply in my daily professional life. Really though I think the advantages of university are in life skills and socialisation, rather than in the content learned. (And you could get the same experience in other ways, but it's a bit harder to do).

Not much at all. Had to look up stuff to help my 9 year old on that subject during homeschool....

Yes, a lot, even though I've never worked in that area (it's a liberal arts area anyway so arguably only academics work in it directly.)

But it changed the way I thought about things pretty deeply so I guess it would be difficult to forget it.

I remember loads of my A Level courses and undergrad degree. I don't remember much of the social side though, probably 'cos I was a lonely little loser who paid more attention to content than other students!

So much. I can still recite sections of key texts by heart but I went onto get a PhD in the field and now work as a university professor in the subject, so it is probably a good job.
I think a lot of it was down to brilliant lecturers and supervisors. I went to university to study something else and had to take one course in this subject. I started the course not even knowing what the subject really was, but by the end of the first lecture I was hooked. I changed my degree subject that day. There was an absolute recognition that this was it, that I had found my life's work. This subject has been the greatest love of my life (well, along with my husband and son).

A lot, and when I have to think about bits I haven't used in 20+ years I'm always amazed how fast it comes back

It was medicine, so thankfully I remember some