Why did you go to uni?

[theblackwatch]

Following on from the thread at http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=27368 and the fact that so many people are now going to university (that it has almost become the norm). So for those who have recently gone to uni (or are there or just finished), is the reason you went because...

(a) you see it as an investment, despite getting a debt, in the long run you will be better off as you will get a better qualified/paid job

(b) everyone else goes to uni so you feel compelled to

(c) you couldnt think of anything else to do

(d) you thought it would be a good experience before getting a job

or some other reason.

 

[Pumbaa]

Already got a degree, have gone back this year for a Masters. Primarily because (a), my chosen career path is getting extremely cut-throat, and being more qualified is a good way of improving employability.

The money situation isn't favourable though I'll be honest.

 

[Spaceflower]

To get laid. (It didn't work).

 

[me123]

Because the only way to be a doctor (legally) is to go to a medical school at a University.

 

[Yank 119]

My parents always expected me to go to uni. My father has always tried to instill the importance of a higher education and how it improves one's chances in getting a higher than average paying job. So, I've felt compelled to be where I am. For me, it's been more about discovering who I am as a person and getting used to adulthood than it's been about the academic experience.

It has been quite a ride. When I first arrived, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do. After learning a bit more about myself, I found something that better fits me. The journey continues, I'll hopefully be done within the next two years.

 

[Phoenix]

For me I went to uni for the following

1.As an Investment in my future
2.To prove that I could do it and pass and get a degree
3.A change in my life
4. Meet new people
5. See new places and live a little more!

 

[Swift-Deere]

Am at University becasue my parents and teachers expect me to
because all my friends have
and because its somthing to do!!!

 

[gordonthemoron]

sex and drugs and rock'n'roll

 

[37401]

sex and drugs and rock'n'roll

for me sex and drugs a sasuage rolls , seriously speaking (and as i see no college one) I went because the course im on is only avalible there, I also went because I knew it would be a better experence then staying on at school and id get treated more like an adult not a school child.

 

[Mintona]

I didn't go so I am not going to reply.

Oh.

 

[37401]

I didn't go so I am not going to reply.

Oh.

 

[43021HST]

I,m to young to go at the moment but I want to go because if any of you have seen the "young ones" They inspered me!

 

[Mintona]

Just to put forward an alternative viewpoint:
I didn't go because I had no interest in education beyond the age of about 17. I wanted to start work as soon as I could, and now I love my job and work in a fantastic industry. And I have no student fee debts! I will probably be earning more than my old school friends for a while yet too.

 

[mrcheek]

I have no idea why I went. I got a degree in Law. and now I count money for a living.

 

[AlexS]

Whatever the reason I went I evidently didn't achieve it as I quit after a year and am now a civil servant.

 

[25322]

I should have gone to uni many years ago but decided not to. Started as part time student and I am now in my third year of a part time degree. Why did I do it?

It is paid for by my employer, I get a whole day away from work to study, often spending this doing lots of reading/researching/assignment writing alongside various railway lines. So I only actually have to work 4 days a week (30 hours) with a bunch of numpties that I don't like that much anyway.

And I have a point to prove to Keele University who turned me down for a place, as 23 years works experience and a professional qualification count for jack poo.

That's why I go to Uni.

Oh and did I mention the course I'm on is mainly females and when you're the only man amongst 20 or so females its amazing how popular you become.

 

[Drsatan]

I decided to go to uni (I'm in my 1st year at Exeter doing BA History) because
a) I enjoy the subject
b) I wanted to make a few friends & get laid (I wish)
c) I'd (hopefully) get a better job at the end of it. History's a tough degree but unlike, say law or economics, it doesn't lead you to a job at the end. Hopefully when I leave I'll try the DfT or NR for any graduate vacancies

 

[25322]

I,m to young to go at the moment but I want to go because if any of you have seen the "young ones" They inspered me!

Call me old fashioned but you need to learn to spell and punctuate properly. Learn now whilst you can and then Uni will be easier

It's 'Inspired'

 

[Tomnick]

At the time, I saw it as an investment for the future - largely because I was looking towards a career in engineering, but also (and sadly, I think, when I consider the subject of some of the degree courses available!) because so many others are going to uni, putting those without a degree at a definite disadvantage. Although I didn't feel compelled to go to uni purely because everyone around me was, I think the general expectation was that I - and the others - should go.

I never thought that it would be a good experience before, and possibly leading to, getting a job - and I still don't think that the uni part of it has been a useful 'general' experience at all. The sponsorship and year out working as part of the 'sandwich course' was very valuable; I don't think that I'd have managed such a useful experience otherwise, but it did prove that most of the engineering theory was going to be irrelevant in a site-based job (not the case for a consultancy though, I'm sure), as I barely applied any of what I'd learnt, other than surveying!

As well as the sponsorship, it does seem to be opening various doors in the industry (as does my voluntary work on the GCR that resulted from moving to Loughborough), which can't be a bad thing - but I can't see that being a benefit on the great number of courses that don't seem to lead anywhere in particular.

 

[Aussie_Rail]

Well, I wasn't really interested in going to uni when I finished high school back in 2002, but towards the end of last year, I was made redundant from a job I started in July, which was because of the global financial crisis or the boss was really just an idiot, probably the later is more believable. Because I had a little interest in Archaeology I thought I'd enroll and do that, and go through the crisis while at uni.

Although I also enrolled to get out of doing similar work that I was doing, so there were two wins there.

Buy January I had pretty much forgotten about enrolling and previous attempts to enroll for other courses proved unsuccessful, so I just accepted that I would not get in.

So in early January I had nothing better to do, I was cashed up because my last job paid extremely well and I had heaps saved up, so I thought I might take the opportunity and get away from things and go to the UK. One of my close friends was going to come with me and we would live together etc and I would do what ever it was I was going to do and she would work as a nurse etc.

So I had been to the travel agent, I had thrown a lot of my stuff away, sold a vast amount of things or given it away and then what do I get in the mail? A letter from 'Vtac' the Government organisation that deal with uni enrollments etc saying that I got in.

Well I was so ****ed off after seeing that, I had made a lot of plans etc and then then everything was sorta ruined because of it, but then I had to think about whether I would accept or decline, so in the end I accepted as I thought I would never get the opportunity again.

So when I started this year in March I thought, that if I at least complete first year I could transfer over to a UK uni and do second year, so that is still part of 'the plan' and something I am still inquiring about as we speak.

So if all goes to plan, I'll be able to join you on one of these meets sometime after July next year.

 

[poshbakerloo]

Its fun, and feels like one long holiday/party even tho you end up with a degree

 

[yorksrob]

Its fun, and feels like one long holiday/party even tho you end up with a degree

ha ha - never a truer word spoken

 

[TrainBrain185]

Its fun, and feels like one long holiday/party even tho you end up with a degree

Yeah, that sums up the youth of today. Only a few Universities and subjects that are taken are worthy of proper recognition, the other 90% are just trumped up Colleges of Further Education to keep the work-shy youth off the Labour Government's Dole statistics.

 

[yorksrob]

Ah don't be so miserable. University's a chance to discover a bit of independence. Work is I'm afraid, a pain in the a**e so a few years of fun WHILST gaining a bit more of an education would seem to be an excellent idea.

Oh, and by the way - I'm not the youth of today lol.

 

[Swift-Deere]

Yeah, that sums up the youth of today. Only a few Universities and subjects that are taken are worthy of proper recognition, the other 90% are just trumped up Colleges of Further Education to keep the work-shy youth off the Labour Government's Dole statistics.

Maybe thats a little harsh

 

[poshbakerloo]

Yeah, that sums up the youth of today. Only a few Universities and subjects that are taken are worthy of proper recognition, the other 90% are just trumped up Colleges of Further Education to keep the work-shy youth off the Labour Government's Dole statistics.

a bit ott
i'm studying hospitality business management at sheffield hallam...a new university and a 'new type subject'...studying maths at Oxford aint gonna get me into hotel management...

 

[theblackwatch]

a bit ott
i'm studying hospitality business management at sheffield hallam...a new university and a 'new type subject'...studying maths at Oxford aint gonna get me into hotel management...

This poses another interesting question - why is it now necessary for people to study a subject like this at uni in order to get into hotel management? Did people not manage to get into 20-30 years ago without a degree or did nobody successfully manage a hotel back then! (This is not a dig at you - I realise that, if you want to get into hotel management, and everyone else who wants to is studying this at uni, you need to as well, it is more a question of why such courses are necessary nowadays when they didn't used to be.)

 

[Drsatan]

This poses another interesting question - why is it now necessary for people to study a subject like this at uni in order to get into hotel management? Did people not manage to get into 20-30 years ago without a degree or did nobody successfully manage a hotel back then! (This is not a dig at you - I realise that, if you want to get into hotel management, and everyone else who wants to is studying this at uni, you need to as well, it is more a question of why such courses are necessary nowadays when they didn't used to be.)

I believe that far too many jobs now require you to do a degree. If you wanted to become a nurse 20 years ago you'd have been given training on the job: now you have to waste three years doing a degree in nursing that's pretty much useless if you're applying for another job.

 

[me123]

I believe that far too many jobs now require you to do a degree. If you wanted to become a nurse 20 years ago you'd have been given training on the job: now you have to waste three years doing a degree in nursing that's pretty much useless if you're applying for another job.

I beg to disagree. A nursing degree, I would say, should be essential. The roles taken on by nurses are becoming increasingly more important. As a key member of a medical multidisciplinary team who can prescribe drugs, I think they should have a degree (not necessarily from university; college degrees work well) and experience on the ward as a student.

Your argument also applies to medicine, a degree which is pretty much useless to anything other than a doctor. It's a professional and vocational degree, designed to lead into a single career path.

I find it a bit sickening that people devalue degrees. The degree in The Beatles (it did exist, and may still do) is, of course, a waste of time for vocational purposes, and degrees in Human Resources (they exist!) seem to set you off down a rather dull career pathway. But degrees in Chemistry often lead to careers in a wide variety of settings (due to there being transferable skills), degrees in management can launch you into just about any managerial role... People who want to do these degrees should, IMO, be actively encouraged to pursue them. Just because you didn't need it several decades ago doesn't mean that it's not a valuable thing to have under your belt.

 

[yorksrob]

Much as I think the experience of university is a good thing, I suppose the downside is that the more jobs there are that come to require a vocational degree, the fewer options people have in general if they decide on a career change.