People older than 25, if you could choose would you...

[SomewhatMental]

Do a degree or just go for any job you can find to stay afloat

@PenelopeVonDelius

Also agree that a number of law graduates I know have not gone on to be solicitors - they cannot get the traineeships. I also know someone who became a legal executive without a degree. She manages to find work really easily and has a decent income.

Loads of people drop out of law at every single stage. It's hard and not for everyone.

Good on your mate, but she will be doing the same work as a solicitor for a lot less pay. I know she won't have the debt from uni but over her lifetime she will make less. Shouldn't be that way but it is.

I chose a degree cos I could afford to. Otherwise of course I would do any job I could to stay afloat.

I am sure that's true! But she makes a better living than someone with a law degree from a not so good uni who may never find a traineeship!

Anyway, this may not be relevant unless the op wants to become a solicitor...in which case I'd say go for the LLB from a really good uni and work your arse off.

@PenelopeVonDelius

I am sure that's true! But she makes a better living than someone with a law degree from a not so good uni who may never find a traineeship!

Anyway, this may not be relevant unless the op wants to become a solicitor...in which case I'd say go for the LLB from a really good uni and work your arse off.

Sorry, that was to @Animood.

A job before any degree. Education is fantastic but books don’t put a roof over your head and food in your belly.

Is there any reason you can’t do both? I’m a mature student and also work. My contact time is quite low and I work in retail so can do evenings/nights and weekends. Worth a thought.

Just to clarify, obviously if the degree leads to well paid work then it will put a roof over your head etc. But in the short term I would want to be financially secure so I could live before then thinking about going back to education. There are also student loans and bursaries that can help if you are a first time student and from low income.

A degree but only in a subject I was sure I wanted a career in.

Degree! I had children young so I missed out on Uni and due to their disabilities I still can’t commit to going back to uni, I’d love to be a nurse but it’s not viable for me, I’m not hoping to get into a more manageable career but it still involves doing a degree via online learning, I just wouldn’t be happy in a retail position or anything similar to that.

Degree. I don’t have one and it has severely limited my career options. I got head hunted for a job at an international organisation and when they found out that I didn’t have a degree they couldn’t give me the job. Experience didn’t count. To quote them, I could have had a degree in mime or sewing (both utterly irrelevant to the job) and I’d have been in. I’ve had a good career and earned at least as much as most of my friends who went to university but it’s limited my choices. Not least because most places use a degree as part of the sift process.

Degree including masters - if it is very likely to lead to you earning a lot more with 2 years experience in a particular field.

Job - if it's not a dead end one and you can get training.

Regardless of what you choose your attitude and interpersonal skills come into play.

Well I went and did a vocational degree at 29…. Was a big struggle but worth it in the long run.

I’m 33 and doing both - I’m doing a degree apprenticeship in the civil service. I get a good wage (£19k pa) and my degree funded plus flexible WFH hours. It’s meant I can completely change my career and I have really good prospects.

I chose my degree that had a guaranteed job at the end of it. I'm earning double what I could without it. It was worth it. All of my cohort went into well paid jobs.

do whatever would get you to your end goal Job

I should have said, I was in my 40s when I started my undergraduate degree.

I'm 38 working and doing a degree. I really hope it's worth all the stress in the end.

@Northernsoullover, can I ask what your degree was in? Asking for a friend

Do the degree. In 3+/5+/6+ Years you will still be X Age. But with a degree. Bloody do it.

Why not go for a degree apprenticeship? Lots have decent salaries of £20,000+

Sponsored degree. Which is what I did at 22. Too many people do not do enough research into getting paid to work whilst having their degree paid for.

I can't think of anything I would want to study, so I would rather have a job. I'm not interested in earning a fortune, there is far more to life.

Degree but only if I had grade 7 or above GCSEs and a set of A or A* Alevels.
A science degree or non Micky mouse subject is preferable. They are usually harder and reflect the true ability of the student.
Don’t expect to walk into a highly paid job straight out of Uni, you may still have to start at the bottom but you will rise u the ranks rapidly.
If your interested in any type of scientific research expect to do masters and phd, you will need it for entry level job. Degree alone gets you no where.
Do your research now, find out where you chosen degree can take otherwise it will be an expensive mistake.
An apprenticeship in plumbing or electric is probably going to be a winner. We have gone through nearly a whole generation where theses trades have been ignored in favour of a degree so there will be a massive shortage.
If you have a good business brain there is money to be made in the future from theses trades.

My phone Kees adding and to these. No idea why🤪

What makes you happiest? I always valued education above all else. Dd1 has an excellent law degree and highest marks for an MSc from top RG universities. Working in an entirely unrelated field. DS (v dyslexic) has not been to university. Huge social skills and at just 25 looking to buy first 3 bed house in SE with gf because they work hard with no help from (empty) bank of mum and dad.

I'd have always said education education education but I really don't know any more.

@Angrymum22 what qualifies a ‘Mickey mouse’ degree? My brother has a media studies degree from a less than average uni but works for the BFI. I have a degree in land management from a uni you’ve likely never even heard of but was earning £60,000 by 25. When I started it was only a university college and people used to laugh that it ‘wasn’t a proper uni’.