“Worth” going to university at age 28?

[Choppedcoriander]

My DD is 27 and considering university. She has been working as a professional ballet dancer since she was 19 or so. She has top GCSEs - all A* - and A levels. Ideally she would want to do English, but thinks that would be an indulgence and won’t necessarily help with a non-dance career. She definitely does not want to do anything body related, like physiotherapy or medicine. Her A levels are now too long ago to “count” for university admission. At the moment she has an admin job paying 30k. Is going to university at this age worth it?

I think if it’s something with a direct career path or something vocational that she has a burning passion to do then yes, of course it’s worth it but just going for the sake of it with no plan is not worth the debt as she won’t have the same experience as an 18 or 19 year old.

Of course it’s worth it if that’s what she wants to do and her career as a professional ballet dancer isn’t going to last much longer.
why would her a levels not count?

Universities will take into consideration the different experiences mature students bring. She won't be the only athletes or pro dancer entering uni later on in life.

Lots of retired sports people go to uni later than this. Employers look at their experiences in terms of maturity, team work, dedication etc

Because they have a time limit on them -I think it’s six years - after which they don’t count as “recent study”. You would need to do another course.

@ChoppedcorianderThey do show where interests lie though.

Unfortunately the IFS research shows poor returns fiscally for English degree holders. What else did she study? What are current interests?

Completely worth it. I didn’t start until I was about her age. The ability to earn a bachelor’s degree is a level up for lots of employers. I would steer her in the direction of a science degree though, I feel like it’s more valuable- completely my own opinion!

A levels were English, history and philosophy, I think. All arty. For her to pick up a science degree, she’d have to re-do different A levels or maybe do an access course, and I don’t think she’s that interested. She only expresses interest in English or history and doesn’t think they are “worth” it. DH and I have those degrees and would tend to agree with her. But she wants more than low-level admin work.

I went to uni at 29. Didn’t need my alleles just relevant experience, entrance essay and interview. It changed the course of my career and life for the better… I went to birkbeck, studied part time (degree in 4 years rather than 3) and worked full time alongside.

If her goal is employability that’s different. Of course education is always a good thing and learning what you live is great. But for employability she could look at specific finance or hr qualifications for example

I would say to identify a job she wants to do then work towards it. Too many graduates are left unemployed with non vocational degrees. Access courses can get you back into studying.

Until she knows what career pathway she wants, there’s little point in her going to university at an astronomical cost if she’s already earning £30k. She needs to work backwards - pick her field then figure out what she needs to study.

So I am all in favour of uni and studying and learning for the love of it.

I would say that a degree, even in English (!) will open doors to careers that require a degree (which there are many of) - for example entering the civil service at a higher level, NHS or internal comms, HR, senior admin roles – all of these will require a degree (in anything).

But I also agree with those who say it might be worth looking at what she would like to do and working back. Is there something more targeted? It doesn't need to be science-based – could be something like social policy or international relations which might, while not strictly vocational, be a good way into a more specific career. I would look into leavers’ destinations as well.

Of all the lawyers that have non law degrees the majority have history degrees.

I went back to University aged 22 and finished aged 27, part time whilst working full time. Maybe an Access course first is the way ahead for entry, if there's no recent study.

Absolutely do it! I went in my 20s and had the best time ever. I’d go and do it again in a heartbeat.

@Choppedcoriander Some of the careers mentioned by posters are very very competitive. Law for starters. Definitely civil service for the higher roles. I would look at job outcomes and starting salaries. Then likely career progression. Is it worth it?

History gives better financial outcomes than English. English is seen as a bit self centred. History can open up career opportunities but the university she goes to really will matter because there is an over supply of graduates. However her career objectives are important.m and sometimes management degrees are very good.

I went at the age of 28 and subsequently had a highly successful career as a consequence. I am retired now, so admittedly it was a different time.

The trend now is for employers to not require a degree. It's started to be seen as needlessly discriminatory, unless the job actually needs it.

There's also been research recently that digs into the supposed "graduate premium" and concludes that (as common sense could have told us) it's ability (as measured by A-Levels) and experience that boost earnings, not the degree itself. It's just that people with good A-Levels usually get a degree, so the picture has been blurred. Obviously I'm not talking about degrees like medicine, where the degree is necessary for the job.

If she simply wants to study English and is happy to spend a lot of time and money doing just that, a degree is an option, but remember that nowadays so much of university is online, so it might boil down to a load of online lectures with teenagers and then writing essays in isolation at home. Not an experience I'd pay that sort of money for.

If she wants to earn more, I'd advise she looks at her current £30k admin job, and look around her at the company she's at and other businesses she comes into contact with at work, and think about where she could develop her skills. There's so much she could do, from an admin foundation. She can look at what's in demand, pays well and might be a good fit, and explore what kind of training or experience might get her moving upwards.

I have never considered anyone's degree when hiring, fwiw. Job descriptions used to say "degree expected" or "desirable" but that's starting to be a thing of the past for many business roles.

She's very bright indeed with those results. It'd be a shame to 'waste' it.. but 30k in admin is pretty damn good if you ask me !

It depends where she is In her life? Is she a homeowner? Is there a long term relationship she's in ? It's just, personally, I know Mumsnet has a collective difference with my opinion on this, but if children is something that she's stable and ready for....rather do it at 28/29/30 , then study at uni for 3+ years and then start thinking about kids/settling down. You can study part time with children. I mean she may not be at that stage of her life, but if she is, I'd opt for family first then pick up the career. She's earning decent money.

Very good post, and I agree with all of it. My experience has taught me so much more (along with the practical skills ) I've had to do a couple of masters modules just because it was the "done" thing for the job I'm in. But all as it teaches you is how to analyse research, nothing else (same with all degrees when boiled down ) but in a practical, real world sense, those modules haven't taught me ; a) anything I didn't already really know b) nothing worthy and transferable.

Has she considered the Open University? I’m a lot older than your daughter, but I did a Health Sciences degree with them part time and found them fantastic. They offer a variety of subjects.

There’s still a huge number of careers that a degree opens the door to. They are also a short cut to a professional qualification. No employer looks down on a management degree from Bath or a History degree from Oxford. Employers might want to see more than a degree but graduate jobs are still very much a thing but dc with just A levels might get an apprenticeship of course. With 37.% of school leavers going to university, they are not all wasting time and money. Around 20% might be.

The Telegraph thinks everyone else’s graduate premium (increased lifetime salary) research is flawed but nearly everyone (except entrepreneurs) who are in professional roles have degrees.

The problem is getting a good graduate career. A degree gives you a chance but isn’t the only piece of the jigsaw. Lots of grads who struggle to get jobs are unrealistic or have next to nothing on the cv - or aren’t actually that bright and cannot get through entrance tests or interviews. However being a teacher starts at more than £30,000 and has a good career structure. There are loads of careers like this.

It’s 100% worth it. Education is a gift and is appreciated far more when you are a bit older. I did a diploma, a degree and a post grad in my 30s and I absolutely loved it.

As an English graduate, no it's not worth it. A vocational degree, yes.