University

[sunflower68]

Isn't  it just a waste of time these days?

[Grimalkin]

No!  Liked it so much I went twice.

[dave_c]

I think Work Experience is just as important as Academia these days as everyone's going to uni.

But it's the experience of uni that's most appealing, it's a right of passage for a lot of young people, you're going to meet a whole lot of different people, and most probably a lot of the time you're gonna have a lot of fun, a 2-4years of no responisibility before go out to the 'real world'.

[dave_c]

Grimalkin, where and what courses did you study? And how old were you and you finished? Even though I'm in my mid 20s I'm considering going back to uni.

[undercovers]

i'm 26 and back at uni - though its really hard this time round, no daytime tv for me anymore

[CT]

Depends what subject you take. If you do science or engineering or law then probably not.

[WoWo]

Yeag I think it's a bit of both and depends on what you do. But the idea that everybody should go kind of makes it a bit pointless.

If the plan is to make people more educated then simply extend the school leaving age to 18 or something.

[loudickson71]

It's important. Why start work when you can drink beer and have a lot of sex on the cheap, while pretending to be reading the odd book about horticulture or (in my case) Patagonian Line Dancing at the University of Halifax.

[jaggers]

After leaving uni, the majority of students only remember 30% of their whole course. Bear in mind that that is still 30% more than non-uni goers. Just thought I'd point that out :P

[Andy008]

Yes, if you mean from an academic point of view.

Socially no.

[Scarlett]

Degrees have far less meaning now than they use to. Universities have become greedy, squashing more and more people onto campus, starting new and varied courses, no matter how obscure. Pretty soon, everyone will have a degree. However, I think it is SOOOO important to leave home, study independently, drink and s**g for 3 years, and generally just become an adult. THEN go and get a job. University years are usually the best years of your life. Make the most of them before "real life" sets in!

[january_bug]

jaggers- again, uni is not a pop quiz.  It's about academic discipline and the way your mind works.  So you're not MEANT to remember a load of facts - that's what GCSEs were about!

Scarlett - I agree with you to some extent, but what do you (or others) think about the fact that it's not so much more students, that's the problem, as more universities.  It's getting too easy to go to a former polytechnic to do a degree in something totally pointless, and then find yourself no more employable than you wee post A levels.  I don't mean to generalise, there are some excellent ex-polys out there, I just think too many young people are being encouraged to get into debt for no long term gain.  Darn the government on this one!

sunflower - what's your background? Are you making a point, or asking a question? I presume the former. 

[Scarlett]

January- yes, that is true. I am being forced by my work ( a college) to encourage ALL students to go to university, whether they can even read or write, so that it basically looks good on our figures. "X% of our students went to university this year." But it is also the universities getting greedy. The one I went to had 2000 students when I went. (It was affiliated to a bigger one down the road). There were 25 people in my class, so 75 students in my department. NOW there is 250 students in that department and 16 staff! (There were 4 staff in my day.) They have built on and built on the campus, so barely any grass remains- just more blocks to teach more students more courses.They can now house many times more students than they could 15 years ago. There are more places available, so entry grades are lower. Standards are dropping- more people are ending up with degrees, yet there are not more jobs at the end, available for these people.

[january_bug]

I agree totally, but I feel sad about your eomplyer's attitude Scarlett although I do understand their POV.  I wish colleges would recognise that the thing to be proud of, should be helping pupils to push their limits and reach their goals, but that pushing them too far can be disasterous.  If a pupil has ambition to become a store manager, then I can't see that they need a degree.  It would be better for them to get good A Levels and then lots of retail experience. 

And frankly, where would the "more lettered" of us be without plumbers, electricians, hairdressers, car mechanics etc etc!?!  In a right pickle... we need these professions and young people need to be shown that it's something to be proud of!!

Rant over! :-)

[sunflower68]

January_bug sorry for delay in reply; went away. I'm almost 37 and did an HND at an old polytechnic. I only really regret being advised poorly by the career guidance at 18. The kids today perhaps get better guidance than I did. I came out with a diploma which was pretty vague and I never made any bucks worth mentioning. I wish I had used the brains I had (still have even though I'm getting on now!) more productively.

My kids are under 10 - just thinking if they stayed home and got a good job under their belts, minimum rent and food it would get them on their way to saving their wages and getting a foot on the ladder. As it was, the NatWest was next to the Polytechnic bar for me , offering me an overdraft the day after I left home.