[Jabberwox]

I live for the moment and don't give a toss if my degree is considered a 'doss' subject.

Or should I say, I don't give a 'doss'

[Fallen]

(Original post by WelshBluebird)
1 - I said education aswell did I not.
2 - Again as I said, all graduates are finding it hard to get a job. So to suggest as the OP did, that only those who do certain degrees find it hard to get a job is plain wrong.

In any case, as I have said in many threads around this topic. Who decides what is "doss" or not? Some courses that people consider "doss" actually have very good graduate employment figures. And then you have the problem of people not understanding what a degree actually is about (the common one I get when I tell people I did Computer Science is something related to being able to fix their slow computer).

We probably don't help ourselves because most of us also do know how to fix their computers.

But it is undoubtedly true that some graduates will find it a lot harder to get jobs than others. Most 1:1/2:1 graduates in traditional STEM subjects don't have too much trouble getting jobs. Most people I know in these subjects also manage to land well-paying internships in the summer.

I fundamentally refute the logic behind the last government's aim to get 50% of people in higher education. From what I can tell, most people shouldn't be in higher education. Why do 50% of people need to be strong in academic courses?
Not everyone, or even 50% of people, are academic. If this weren't the case then we wouldn't have such a strong notion of "good" and "bad" universities and courses. We'd be much better off encouraging people to go into skilled trades than taking expensive courses which offer neither the student not the taxpayer value for money.

Additionally, if people want to study economically worthless degrees then I think there should be no government subsidy. Why the taxpayer should fund adults to do courses "because it interests them" I have no idea.

[...mo...]

(Original post by jaybutler)
And then complain when they can't find work?

You're spending thousands a year (9000 from here on out), dont choose something just because you "think its fun". If you like underwater basket weaving, then do underwater basket weaving in your spare time, don't get a degree in it and then wonder why no employer needs an underwater basket weaver.

Gonna get negged to hell for this, but its completely true - most people who do a non specific degree will eventually end up working in something completely different to that degree anyway, so why not study something with a lot more direction/focus which will set you up financially and then follow your other passions in your own time?

People no longer seem to go to uni to set up a future for themselves, they just do it because everyone's doing it and its expected

so what and where do you study then?

[...mo...]

(Original post by jaybutler)
Well would forums ever be interesting if it werent for arguments

And read my post again, people who study degrees like that will most likely NOT end up in the job they were hoping to. For example, you'd be much more likely to get a good job in Journalism if you had a Law degree from a top uni, as opposed to a Journalism degree. Low tier degrees just dont offer many job opportunities even in their supposed fields, so might aswell study something better and then take up their passions, film, art, drama, in their personal life

Uni is there to highly increase your job prospects. If youre gonna end up working in a bar, or a retail store, skip the uni and go straight into it.

2 choices:

1) dont go to uni. Start working in retail after college
+ don't build up debt
- Reduced career prospects

2) Go to uni
+ Improved career prospects
- Build up debt

Now the real problem is the uncertainty. If you go to uni and end up with a low paid job, it may have been better not to go to uni in the first place and start that job, but if you start the job and don't go uni then you may have found a better skilled/paid job with your degree from uni, so you decide to go to uni. If you go to uni and end up with a low paid job.....

It is cyclical.

The fact as most people don't know whether going the X uni, doing X course will be better than not going and starting Y job. It is a risk that will pay off or be a mistake. A risk that we, including me and you, take.

[Rarrgh]

I'd rather do something I enjoy than something I have no actual interest in.
In the end I'll always be able to fall back on my McDonald's job and the skills gain make you a suitable employee in many mid range jobs.

I think one of the problems is that people go out of uni expecting to get the job of their dreams and many people leaving uni take the stance that a job at McDonald's or something similar is below them. When it isn't, it isn't below anyone.

[...mo...]

i'm probably gonna get a lot of replies for this, but are there any degrees here that you WOULDN'T include and why

http://www.holytaco.com/the-10-most-...ollege-majors/

[RowingGoose]

A well-paid job isn't everything. I could live on 14k as long as i'm enjoying my job, but others will want a job for the status (mostly the men who want this). But going to uni means you can enter the job ladder mid way or even at the top e.g. you can go in at the managerial level rather than not going to uni, starting as a dogsbody then working your way up over 5 years.

People go to uni to gain a greater understanding about their favourite topic or to have the experience, and you pick up many skills along the way. I didn't feel like I learnt much at A level because it's just focussed on how much you can remember and not on a greater understanding of a subject. I did Psychology, and during a level I gained a rough understanding of autism, schizophrenia and depression but now I know SO much more about the disorders.

Everyone will be complaining about lack of work because we're in a recession. It's hopefully a once in a lifetime occurence so things will be rough for the next few years.

[...mo...]

(Original post by Londonpie72)
From my A-levels studied Maths, Business, Sociology and IT.

Really enjoyed Sociology, my original plan was to study Accounting and Finance at uni but at A-levels enjoyed Sociology but from research and speaking to family etc I was advised to stick with Accounting & Finance.

But now applying to graduate schemes other than the exemptions from professional qualification exams such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA etc, most of the graduate schemes require degree from any discipline.

In summary I have a feeling that if you chose a subject you enjoy, have a passion for maybe it will be slightly easier to get top marks.

Do you think you have an advantage over other candidates from non accounting backgrounds. Also did you apply to the big 4 or else where?

[Skip_Snip]

The way I see it, there are other ways to pursue a passion than three years full time out of your life. Why not do an evening course in Photography or Creative Writing? In the real world they're about as much use as a degree ...

[organizedchaos]

Eurgh. Seriously, can't people just find something they enjoy and do a degree in it without being judged? It's their own choice.
Why do you bother posting these questions when you don't even have to worry since you're doing Medicine? Let the people who are doing so called 'doss' subjects worry about it. Infact, there probably not even worrying because they are enjoying what they are studying and generally happy with the fact that they've found something they have a passion for, like you do for medicine. And that is alot, if your not happy in life then what's the point? Sure money is important but I'd rather have little and be happy than have loads and be as miserable with stuck up opinion on others who less academic qualifications than me.

[Londonpie72]

(Original post by ...mo...)
Do you think you have an advantage over other candidates from non accounting backgrounds. Also did you apply to the big 4 or else where?

There is some advantage because I will get exemptions from professional qualification and also I have an idea of what it will be like having studied modules such as Auditing, Tax and banking at uni. I have applied and got to various stages currently working now but currently in the application process of one of the Big4. It is a really uncompetitive industry I must admit.

[...mo...]

(Original post by Londonpie72)
There is some advantage because I will get exemptions from professional qualification and also I have an idea of what it will be like having studied modules such as Auditing, Tax and banking at uni. I have applied and got to various stages currently working now but currently in the application process of one of the Big4. It is a really uncompetitive industry I must admit.

sorry did you really mean UN competitive. I am not 2nd year yet but i hear that it is hard to get on the big 4

can i ask what uni you went to and which service line your applying to.

thanks

[Theafricanlegend]

(Original post by Jabberwox)
I live for the moment and don't give a toss if my degree is considered a 'doss' subject.

Or should I say, I don't give a 'doss'

You should live for the moment when you can't pay your bills in 6 years time

[WelshBluebird]

(Original post by Theafricanlegend)
And again as i said, graduates with rubbish degrees find jobs even harder, you managed to ignore my point.
Oh really? Care to name a degree?

But if graduates with good degrees find it hard too, then its kind of pointless isn't it?
Plus as I said (and you ignored), who decided what is "rubbish"?
And golf management.

(Original post by Fallen)
We probably don't help ourselves because most of us also do know how to fix their computers.

lol true. But my point was that many people simply don't know what subjects entail. So they are in no place to label certain courses as "doss" or rubbish or whatever. Yet they do anyway. And because of that certain courses get "reputation" that really is not fair at all. Those in charge of employment statistics often don't help either as often Computer Science courses are lumped in with other IT based courses (which have lower employment figures), thus giving an unfair view of what employment chances are like for graduates.

(Original post by Fallen)
But it is undoubtedly true that some graduates will find it a lot harder to get jobs than others. Most 1:1/2:1 graduates in traditional STEM subjects don't have too much trouble getting jobs. Most people I know in these subjects also manage to land well-paying internships in the summer.

So you are insinuating that university should only be for STEM subjects?
Despite the fact that some STEM courses have worse employment chances than some non-STEM courses?

(Original post by Fallen)
I fundamentally refute the logic behind the last government's aim to get 50% of people in higher education. From what I can tell, most people shouldn't be in higher education. Why do 50% of people need to be strong in academic courses?
Not everyone, or even 50% of people, are academic. If this weren't the case then we wouldn't have such a strong notion of "good" and "bad" universities and courses. We'd be much better off encouraging people to go into skilled trades than taking expensive courses which offer neither the student not the taxpayer value for money.

I think it depends what we think university should be for.

Traditionally university was about learning, education and academia. Something that most traditional subjects fall under, and a few newer subjects fall under (including some that are seen as "doss" as they don't have a clear job opportunity afterwards).

In recent times university has been more about getting a job afterwards, so we have seen the introduction of some very specific courses (like the Gold management one I mentioned earlier) that some people also see as doss (as they are not academic).

So basically we have to ask what do you want university to be. Academic? In which case get rid of the newer more vocational courses, and accept that some course will not have a clear job opportunity at the end of it. Or as a path to get a good job? In which cases we shouldn't criticise courses for being non-acacemic.

(Original post by Fallen)
Additionally, if people want to study economically worthless degrees then I think there should be no government subsidy. Why the taxpayer should fund adults to do courses "because it interests them" I have no idea.

Who decides what is "economically worthless"?
And why should money be the only thing that matters? Some things are important regardless of if they make money of not.

[Fallen]

(Original post by WelshBluebird)
So you are insinuating that university should only be for STEM subjects?
Despite the fact that some STEM courses have worse employment chances than some non-STEM courses?

Not at all, just that some graduates undoubtedly find it easier to get graduate jobs than others.

(Original post by WelshBluebird)
I think it depends what we think university should be for.

Traditionally university was about learning, education and academia. Something that most traditional subjects fall under, and a few newer subjects fall under (including some that are seen as "doss" as they don't have a clear job opportunity afterwards).

I think university should only be for subjects where one can do original, meaningful research, not necessarily related job opportunities.

(Original post by WelshBluebird)
In recent times university has been more about getting a job afterwards, so we have seen the introduction of some very specific courses (like the Gold management one I mentioned earlier) that some people also see as doss (as they are not academic).

So basically we have to ask what do you want university to be. Academic? In which case get rid of the newer more vocational courses, and accept that some course will not have a clear job opportunity at the end of it. Or as a path to get a good job? In which cases we shouldn't criticise courses for being non-acacemic.

I think vocational courses should not be inside universities. This country needs professional tradesmen, not people with some 'academic' qualification which doesn't qualify them to do anything. Trying to make a vocational course academic results in a graduate who has neither academic skills not tradesman skills.

Courses which offer no benefit to the taxpayer (which as a first approximation is no economic benefit to the graduate) should not be funded with public money.

(Original post by WelshBluebird)
Who decides what is "economically worthless"?
And why should money be the only thing that matters? Some things are important regardless of if they make money of not.

It is economically worthless if the cost of the degree is more than the expected return in economic productivity. Can you give an example of an important academic degree which doesn't give any economic benefits to the graduate?

To be clear, I think if an institution is offering a course and students are willing to study it then it is none of the government's business. But I don't think all courses should necessarily be funded, or funded equally. By 'funding' I do not mean loans, I mean the subsidy.

There are already economic inscentives to fill gaps in the job market (golden handshake for Maths/Physics/Chemistry teachers, for instance). I think these inscentives should extend to degrees themselves.

[TheLightBulb]

Many people do degrees because they enjoy them and they have a passion for that subject - for many this is more inspiring and important than whether or not there are good job prospects for that degree.

Even if it is a good degree, the person may not necessarily like it/enjoy it- they will probably then not perform to their full potential and end up with a lower degree or even failing the degree which is even worse.

Sorry if this is irrelevant ...


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[SteveDawson]

Thank you TSR for practically damaging my motivation and ambitions for the future because from what Im reading without an academic degree I might as well contemplate suicide

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9100

[hannah60000]

(Original post by Smack)
Some people do it because they enjoy it. Nothing wrong with that.

Others do it because they are fooled into believing that degree subject does not matter when it comes to graduating and that a 2:1 or above is a 2:1 or above.

So are you saying that only degrees with a direct job prospects is worth doing?

Also what degrees subjects are you referring to they provide best/worst grad prospects?

Are you a sciences/economics/law supporter??

[SteveDawson]

Well Im doing a Business management degree and I've read that a Business degree can be worthwhile

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9100

[Smack]

(Original post by hannah60000)
So are you saying that only degrees with a direct job prospects is worth doing?

Also what degrees subjects are you referring to they provide best/worst grad prospects?

Are you a sciences/economics/law supporter??

What I am saying is perfectly clear from my post.