Degrees

[pixie_woo]

In the news this morning I heard that less and less students are applying for Uni. Demonstrators have cited the main reason as rising tuition fees; I can't agree with this. I hold an honours degree in a non-vocational subject from a well-established (but not elite) Uni and think it is as worthless as the paper it is written on. I have also noticed that the average earnings of a graduate has dropped from �21K to �18K. I think that students are realising that a degree doesn't guarantee a high-flying career and sometimes those 3 - 4 years are better spent gaining experience in the workplace.
Does anyone here actually use their non-vocational degree in their everyday work?

[Le Chat]

Interesting pixie_woo!
From the other side of the coin, my husband is a 'Key account manager' for a global firm, selling access control and security. We are now at the point, where, although he is on a 'good' wage, we need to up the income of our family. However, for him to get onto the next rung of the ladder, we have noticed that the jobs he has been applying for all state something like ..."the ideal candidate will hold a degree ..." Now, Mr Le chat has been in the business for many years and is very wise to his craft. He has not, as yet had any replies, let alone interviews. So there is still something to be said for having a degree. (It does seem ridiculous though as I have friends who have degrees, who have not an ounce of common sense or everyday intelligence,)
On the fee front, as parents, we earn over the amount used to assess whether fees etc are paid. The simple truth is, we cannot afford to send our sons to uni as things stand. So that is also a factor.... The 'comfortable poor' who are always just over the threshold, are in a bad position.
As for your final question, I have a friend who holds a degree in chemical engineering and has always worked in I.T.!

[kwicky]

It is interesting to note that the UKs highest earners never had higher education. ie Branson and Alan Sugar, both self made. Those that do have to enter a world of smarming, back stabbing, always looking over your shoulder, sycophancy and luck which only happens for a few of the gifted. In fact education stuns most original thinkers and probably explains why this country is in such hock to the more go getting Americans.

[Pajama Girl]

"History" here -- and my thesis was on aspects of the Industrial Revolution. Also, a well-established by not elite university.

I have worked in mid to upper management of an earth sciences firm, an environmental engineering firm, a financial services firm and as a facilities manager of a sky scraper. My degree got me considered for every position I held but my degree did not "get me my job."

I love my degree. I enjoyed working for it at University and I am still interested in history now.

But I have hired people just out of university and I think I agree with kwicky that "education stuns most original thinkers."

Stuns them. That is a great turn of phrase.

[Haggisdj]

Hi. I have a First Class Honours Degree in Information Systems, from the University of Luton. It has been the best thing I have ever done as far as setting my self up goes.

I now have a mortgage on a decent three bedroom semi and own my own car outright, on my own. Far better than the bedsits I used to frequent when I was a fork truck driver.

[saxy_jag]

I have a history degree that I've never 'used' since the day I graduated. It's just a title to me.

I suppose I could say the university experience (as a mature student) was beneficial. I know I learnt a lot about myself during those three years, and it's nice to have the choice of whether to apply for 'degree jobs' or not. I also think that what I learnt, whilst not directly related to what I do (I'm in libraries, but NOT a librarian) informs my work much of the time.

I'm not a high earner, though. I only work on an admin scale 3. The scale 4/5 job belongs to my husband, who left school at 15 without a qualification to his name, worked variously as an electrician, truck driver, forklift instructor and theatrical technician before falling into his current job managing a concert venue. It's still not fantastic money, but he has a great deal of respect from a lot of people.

[Llamatron]

I took BSc Computing at university. Would that be a vocational qualification?
Anyhoo, it was a complete waste of time.

For my year out I got a job in an actual IT department. It was here I realised how completely irrelevant everything I was being taught at uni was. So when I went back for my final year I had lost all interest. I ended up leaving when I discovered I had accrued enough points to leave with a pass.

I still get to say I've got a degree though. Luckily no one ever asks what kind of pass I got.

[chazza]

I dont use it as such, I 've had lots of more relevant on the job training since starting my job, but it was a graduate job which i wouldn't have got without a degree.

Saying that, my boyfriend who is the same age as me, left school at 16 and is still earning a lot more than me!

[China Doll]

English degree over here and don't regret it for a minute. I enjoyed every minute of my degree and my subject enhanced my communications skills, my ability to read between the lines, my love of a good debate and helped me realise that people can say so much with words without actually saying what they mean.

However, that said, it is fairly useless in some ways in my day to day work. I work in admin so other than the fact that my letters are usually very literate and my emails can be amusing it's not all that usefuly.

But I'd say the social skills that I learnt at university are still very much with me everyday... (especially the drinking).

And I like having my degree to fall back on as well. I think there will be a time in the future when it will come in very useful.