To say taking Uni slow is a privilege

[GioRioMam]

Today I met up with a friend, her DD and my DD. Her DD is 24 and did the course at uni my DD has just been given a conditional offer for.
Friends daughter did the 4 year option with the year in Industry, her placement year has resulted in the job she is currently in. She then took a gap year to travel, then a masters to further specialise.
She is from a much better off family. DD will be the first in our family to do a degree, we won’t be able to fund more than the 3 years.
DD is pretty upset she won’t get to take the slower option, especially the masters, but really she needs to be working ASAP.

AIBU to say being able to take 6 years after finishing school to enter the workforce properly (friends child had part time jobs) is a massive privilege?

It’s her life, her choice, her loan and her debt.

She can listen to your opinion but ultimately it doesn’t matter what you think.

It’s possible to save up for a masters by working full time in the summer, my DS earned 5k last summer working full time. There is funding for a masters but it’s not enough, pays fee’s only generally so she’s either need to live at home and have a part time job or have saved up enough in the previous 3 summers. A year in industry is worth it as can get a job from that. My DS is doing an internship this summer and so won’t earn as much as only 8wks but if it goes well they will offer him a graduate job.

Yes the other girl is privileged - that’s life isn’t it. Your DD has options

Bullshit. How many graduates do you hire every year?
It's very field dependent, a 'master's in isolation is meaningless. Unlike the difference between having a bachelor's degree or not.

@IthinkIamAnAlien I'm in a field that recruits a lot of people with various degrees. I see a lot of 'panic Master's . Such a waste of time and money.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jul/03/desperate-graduates-rush-to-study-panic-masters-after-job-rejections
https://thecritic.co.uk/the-rise-of-the-panic-masters/

You only get one postgraduate loan, it's better to save it for something that brings value. Too many young people fail to get a graduate job so go back to university, thinking it will give them an edge. Sadly, it doesn't unless they have done a specialised Master's for a niche field.

Unlike undergrads, unis can charge whatever they like for Master's and get away with much less teaching/pastoral support etc so it's a big money spinner.

She's not even asked you and you're already getting het up about it? At least find out the facts about it, as pointed out by pp. you sound a bit bitter about it tbh.

I did my masters over three years while working full time - my employer paid for the first year as it was relevant to that role but then I left the job so got a postgrad loan for the rest

I worked throughout my uni degree, as did most people I know who were from lower middle income families. I worked in retail 1-2 days a weekend, sometimes another shift in the week, plus full time during all university holidays.... DH worked at the students' union. And many people do a year or two of work after their undergrad degree to save up enough to pay for a masters. Depending on the field it may or may not be worth it.

Year in industry is usually paid, she can't know she wants to do a Masters before she's even started her degree, and a year travelling can be done after working (and saving) for a few years - I know several people who did this. I wouldn't be discouraging of any of those plans.

You're limiting your daughter's options. There's no reason why she can't do a year in industry, a gap year, a masters. Plenty of people do those things without their parents paying for them, they work part time while studying, and full time over the summer to save up. She'll never get this chance again. The year in industry is a fantastic opportunity.

After I finished school I had two gap years. Worked mostly during one of them, and then a working holiday during the second one. Didn't cost my parents anything. Then an undergraduate degree, during which my parents did support me. Then 9 months of full time work followed by two months of traveling, paid for by the money I saved up. Then back to university for a master's degree, fully funded through 2 scholarships.

There are different ways of doing these things and they don't all involve high levels of parental support.

Your DD will not be confirmed onto the Masters until at least the end of year 2 so that discussion can be set aside with the caveat that you may not be able to support much so the onus is on her to work out funding.
For the year in industry, it will be paid and they are not allowed to pay less than minimum wage. The big engineering company near me takes on 90 ‘year in industry’ placements and pays them just over £19,000. Plenty to manage on then for some of them, a fast track to employment post university.

Please do not close the door to either.

We have several young people at work who are taking a year out to save for their masters degree.
DD will work to find hers over the summer and during the year.

We are currently finding this. We also have one more to support through Uni - it’s tough but do able.

As above.

The placement year gives them money and something relevant to put on their CV.

I don't know the exact figures, but had presumed that almost every undergraduate course offers, and more or less expects, students to do a year out.

DD is second year and will be working next year. As will every single person, on a variety of courses, that she knows.

When I'm shortlisting for interview, I'd certainly ask why, if it had been offered, a candidate had chosen not to get some practical work experience in a relevant field under their belt.

Lots of good advice here about the costs and the potential for warning during studies.

Except for: She should not be thinking about the Masters until she's passed the bachelors.

Bad advice. Integrated Masters is cheaper than a separate Masters as it is one more year on the standard student loan, rather than a second, more expensive loan.

A 4y course plus a year out is only a luxury for privileged youngsters if it is fully funded by their parents and there is no expectation that the student should finance themselves in any way. It is accessible to most, if they put the effort in.

DDs friend is taking a year out to work in a science lab - she’s paid £2.400 a month - not too bad for someone with so little experince.

More than enough to see her through her final years - and she can work on her days off from Uni.

DDS course is 3 days a week - leaving 4 days for work or mixture of work and study.

Yes of course it’s her daughter’s choice. I meant ‘say no’ in the sense of OP feeling like she was required to fund it. Whereas the year in industry is nearly always paid.

My friend is a single parent (with no help financial or otherwise) to 3 children and is doing a PHD whilst working to pay for it. Your DD can manage a job and a masters if you can let her stay at yours surely.

YABU on a year in industry as that will likely be low cost, at worse.

YANBU on parents ‘fully funding’ lengthy travel or follow-on masters degree.

"Job and masters if you let her stay at yours". That only works if you live in london/near a relevant uni surely!? Or are most masters distance these days.

I feel heading off to university at all is a bit of a privilege. Its quite hard to think that someone will only earn part time for 3 or 4 years on the hope their full time wage at the end of it will be higher and carry on getting higher than if they hadnt done the degree. Its very subject and university dependent on whether that happens.

Actually I agree with you OP. There's still a world of privilege out there with opportunities that the likes of most working people just can't get near to.
An acquaintance's DD is on a 4 year course with a year abroad, parents paying all expenses so will come out with no debt and she doesn't have to work so can focus all her time on her studies (and partying, of course). This after being privately educated at a prestigious school since age 4.
She mixes in circles where contacts are being made leading to summer internships in top law firms which will quite likely lead to a good and highly paid job.
I do wonder though how she'll manage when one day she actually has to go to work or maybe daddy will continue to bank roll her.

Any uni is privilege these days isn't it?

I did my masters part time once I was in my role and working full time. My employers paid for me to do it!

I’d stop banging on about how privileged the friends dd is while ignoring the fact your dd is also massively privileged to be able to go to uni in the first place.

Will you also be refusing the youngest if they want to study something with a placement year on the grounds that 'it's not fair on the eldest'?

DD2 is starting her PhD in September. She's funded herself through her Master's.

I would be pretty insulted someone calling my year working in industry in 3rd year the "slow" route.

I ended up doing that pathway not because it was slower and I wanted to live as a student for longer, i fact I worked a nearly 50 hours a week on minimal pay, but learned a hell of a lot to help me with 4th year.

This was an accredited degree which sounds like your daughters also is.

Conversely, I had friends go straight through the 3 year course and start a graduate job sooner, ultimately we all passed/ qualified at the same time. And it's pretty irrelevant now.