Is university worth the money now?
I guess this can be a very debatable topic, but is receiving a degree really worth the hype? The way i see it now, this generation you don't need it. Not to how it was a decade ago. A 50k average debt by the time you're finished, sure you won't need to pay it back but it'll creep in some time of your life in the future. The way the governments making cuts, getting rid of maintenance grants in exchange for loans. It fair that you should get a degree for all medical sciences and information tech, but to get a degree in business. is that a little too generic? everyone's going to receive a degree at the end, but doesn't guarantee a job either. What are your views on it TSR?
Scroll to see replies
No, it absolutely isn't worth it. Young people are being shafted by the current government.
It depends, nowadays a degree is part of a package which you need to get a job, or rather a relevant or 'good' job, if you can't complete that package especially if you're doing a degree where there isn't as much of a demand for graduates then attending university at 18/19 is probably not going to be worth it and you'd be better off doing an apprenticeship or some other form of training then maybe going to university a few years down the line. If you're someone who can complete the package, e.g. you can get internships and do projects relating to your field, then it's still worth it.
Most employers look for for students who have a degree at 2:1 or better, so I think university is worth the money if you take it seriously and achieve a good grade. Otherwise if you graduate with a 2:2 or 2:3, there will be too much competition out there against first degree students, and you will be no better off. I personally am on track for a first degree, so I think the debt is worth it to me - unless my father wants to pay my debt off for me 
Original post by tsukurutazaki
No, it absolutely isn't worth it. Young people are being shafted by the current government.
Yeah for sure, it's definitely pressure from parents and everything around it. I was studying economics, but mid way through the exams i had a quick thought about all these graphs i drew and all the names that i remembered. It's not something i can apply to a real life job
Original post by CharlieK94
Most employers look for for students who have a degree at 2:1 or better, so I think university is worth the money if you take it seriously and achieve a good grade. Otherwise if you graduate with a 2:2 or 2:3, there will be too much competition out there against first degree students, and you will be no better off. I personally am on track for a first degree, so I think the debt is worth it to me - unless my father wants to pay my debt off for me
It's good that you're on track with your course achieving 1st, but to get a 2nd by the end or third it's a waste in my opinion. Can't expect 100 students from a course to achieve a 1st, a majority would fall into 2:1 and that just makes it ever much more harder to get into a job for the future career. I'd assume it's more reasonable to fall into work or apprenticeship and work your way up, by the time someone graduates you an apprentice could be earning more than what a graduate would and yet have his/her career established (in promotion over the years)
Graduates, on average, tend to earn around 30% more than non-graduates: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229498/bis-13-899-the-impact-of-university-degrees-on-the-lifecycle-of-earnings-further-analysis.pdf
Now that university fees have increased, the IRR or returns on investing in further years of education have diminished, yet it is still worth going. The top graduate earners tend to be on graduate schemes or in posts which require a 2:1 or better. So to access the top jobs, of course you still must go!
The debate is more relevant for students with lower intelligence or who are from poorer backgrounds, who are likely to invest in fewer years of education anyway. Will you receive much greater returns on an investment of 3 or 4 years of further education and sacrificing £15k per year earnings during this time than if you were to enter the workforce straight after A levels?
It appears that it is not the case for those students who graduate with classificiations lower than a 2:1 or degrees from universities who lack clout. So if you intend to attend a university in the lower echelons of the league tables, and you're unlikely to attain the top grades then don't bother! Your friends who enter the workforce straight after A levels will have more work experience and skills after 3 years, so are more likely to have a greater earnings profile.
We have too many universities in the UK offering too many courses, many who provide marginal benefit to students. If you don't have the intelligence to do well at unversity and transfer the investment in human capital to employable skills then you might as well just learn on the job!
Now that university fees have increased, the IRR or returns on investing in further years of education have diminished, yet it is still worth going. The top graduate earners tend to be on graduate schemes or in posts which require a 2:1 or better. So to access the top jobs, of course you still must go!
The debate is more relevant for students with lower intelligence or who are from poorer backgrounds, who are likely to invest in fewer years of education anyway. Will you receive much greater returns on an investment of 3 or 4 years of further education and sacrificing £15k per year earnings during this time than if you were to enter the workforce straight after A levels?
It appears that it is not the case for those students who graduate with classificiations lower than a 2:1 or degrees from universities who lack clout. So if you intend to attend a university in the lower echelons of the league tables, and you're unlikely to attain the top grades then don't bother! Your friends who enter the workforce straight after A levels will have more work experience and skills after 3 years, so are more likely to have a greater earnings profile.
We have too many universities in the UK offering too many courses, many who provide marginal benefit to students. If you don't have the intelligence to do well at unversity and transfer the investment in human capital to employable skills then you might as well just learn on the job!
Original post by 3kicksatthedoor
Graduates, on average, tend to earn around 30% more than non-graduates: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229498/bis-13-899-the-impact-of-university-degrees-on-the-lifecycle-of-earnings-further-analysis.pdf
Now that university fees have increased, the IRR or returns on investing in further years of education have diminished, yet it is still worth going. The top graduate earners tend to be on graduate schemes or in posts which require a 2:1 or better. So to access the top jobs, of course you still must go!
The debate is more relevant for students with lower intelligence or who are from poorer backgrounds, who are likely to invest in fewer years of education anyway. Will you receive much greater returns on an investment of 3 or 4 years of further education and sacrificing £15k per year earnings during this time than if you were to enter the workforce straight after A levels?
It appears that it is not the case for those students who graduate with classificiations lower than a 2:1 or degrees from universities who lack clout. So if you intend to attend a university in the lower echelons of the league tables, and you're unlikely to attain the top grades then don't bother! Your friends who enter the workforce straight after A levels will have more work experience and skills after 3 years, so are more likely to have a greater earnings profile.
We have too many universities in the UK offering too many courses, many who provide marginal benefit to students. If you don't have the intelligence to do well at unversity and transfer the investment in human capital to employable skills then you might as well just learn on the job!
Now that university fees have increased, the IRR or returns on investing in further years of education have diminished, yet it is still worth going. The top graduate earners tend to be on graduate schemes or in posts which require a 2:1 or better. So to access the top jobs, of course you still must go!
The debate is more relevant for students with lower intelligence or who are from poorer backgrounds, who are likely to invest in fewer years of education anyway. Will you receive much greater returns on an investment of 3 or 4 years of further education and sacrificing £15k per year earnings during this time than if you were to enter the workforce straight after A levels?
It appears that it is not the case for those students who graduate with classificiations lower than a 2:1 or degrees from universities who lack clout. So if you intend to attend a university in the lower echelons of the league tables, and you're unlikely to attain the top grades then don't bother! Your friends who enter the workforce straight after A levels will have more work experience and skills after 3 years, so are more likely to have a greater earnings profile.
We have too many universities in the UK offering too many courses, many who provide marginal benefit to students. If you don't have the intelligence to do well at unversity and transfer the investment in human capital to employable skills then you might as well just learn on the job!
I definitely agree to your statement to a certain extent, but most professions are in for experience rather than knowledge of a course at this day and age. Anyone could do business, everyone has their own way in achieving a higher income. But investing in university should only be courses in medical sciences and IT in my opinion, those doing art related courses you don't need other than experience right? receiving a degree in media, that's a certificate but does that mean you know how to operate the machines and know everything inside out? it's more to do with experience. I think the bottom line is before going to university you need to make the right choices.
Me, i was studying economics and hoping to specialise in international trade in imports and exports but there are alternatives to achieving where i want to go in my future career. Never the less, my opportunities are still open and i'm not too sure whether to carry on with university studying economics or find alternative ways. I don't think anyone wants to be a sheep to the system and i definitely don't want to be there nor working for someone else for the rest of my life
You can pay off the student loans in lump sums so after you graduate you can pay more every once in awhile and clear your debt.
Original post by hihihihihi
You can pay off the student loans in lump sums so after you graduate you can pay more every once in awhile and clear your debt.
Clear the debt or invest in the money with disposable income?
Original post by TanMan
Clear the debt or invest in the money with disposable income?
Well the loan is 3% + inflation in interests and is income tax deductible. Investing can be risky.
(edited 8 years ago)
You don't need to go university, but WHAT WILL YOU DO?? If you can't answer that question with 100% certainty, then its best you just go university.
Don't go uni with the attitude of trying to get a job, but just go to learn and experience.
Don't go uni with the attitude of trying to get a job, but just go to learn and experience.
I'm split on this personally. Sadly, due to the devaluing of A levels, it has now become necessary for a lot of jobs(particularly graduate jobs) to require a degree, even if its unrelated and useless. The whole system to me is pathetic and laughable. It's abundantly clear that the less serious degrees only still exist as a means of the universities taking advantage of students to fund their other programs and make money. I view universities as pestilent middle men, only existing to suck up money from students for their research programs. It is quite sickening that the system is turning out people who are no more skilled than they were after leaving college(not my opinion, it's the view of employers). The country's skill-set is dwindling and university honestly doesn't provide you special unique skills at all. It needs to be ripped out of the employment market to restore some form of sanity. University's to me only justify themselves with courses in Engineering, the sciences, medicine and veterinary medicine, otherwise the rest is treated nowhere near as prestigiously. University students are being treat like customers now because the system has become a bankroller for universities. It's sickening it has ended up this way.
Original post by hihihihihi
Well the loan is 3% + inflation in interests and is income tax deductible. Investing can be risky.
It's understandable, degree in the long run does allow higher pay than working in retail etc. However nothing is guaranteed and everything in life is risky, but it's taking the right steps before making the mistakes
Original post by CharlieK94
Most employers look for for students who have a degree at 2:1 or better, so I think university is worth the money if you take it seriously and achieve a good grade. Otherwise if you graduate with a 2:2 or 2:3, there will be too much competition out there against first degree students, and you will be no better off. I personally am on track for a first degree, so I think the debt is worth it to me - unless my father wants to pay my debt off for me
A 2:3? What about if you graduate with a 2:4?
Depends what degree you're doing. If you're doing a worthwhile degree with good career prospects, at a reasonable Uni, such as Chemistry, Law, Medicine, Dentisry, Vet Med, Optomery, Pharmacy and Engineering, then it is worthwhile. If you're doing a useless degree with little career prospects just for the enjoyment of it, then imo it isn't worth the money.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by young akhi
You don't need to go university, but WHAT WILL YOU DO?? If you can't answer that question with 100% certainty, then its best you just go university.
Don't go uni with the attitude of trying to get a job, but just go to learn and experience.
Don't go uni with the attitude of trying to get a job, but just go to learn and experience.
What will one do? find the best opportunity for them to be happy and succeed in life, University is definitely a system of 'milking' students of their money. They don't care what you do, the lecturers are getting paid. The higher the reputation they have the more income they receive that's it. They don't care if you fail, if you fail they'll drop you out and there's not much you can do about that. The last thing they want is their reputation to drop
It's not going in having the attitude of trying to get a job, everyone does and will get a job. I've been there and experienced it. I drove through the streets of london and in comparison the experience is just a hype, the only thing being missed out is being with people in the same peer group
Original post by callum_law
A 2:3? What about if you graduate with a 2:4?
Then its game over, you might as well just retire
Original post by LawStudent661
Depends what degree you're doing. If you're doing a worthwhile degree with good career prospects, at a reasonable Uni, such as Chemistry, Law, Medicine, Dentisry,, Vet Med, Optomery, Pharmacy and Engineering, then it is worthwhile. If you're doing a useless degree with little career prospects just for the enjoyment of it, then imo it isn't worth the money.
Yeah as mentioned before, the only degree worth achieving are engineer, it and medical sciences. I was studying economics and they made it out into a big hype and it's not worth it, i mean i did enjoy it, but logically speaking it's not worth my money
Original post by young akhi
Then its game over, you might as well just retire
No, I think they deserve a reward for achieving such classifications. They're part of a very special breed; a very special breed indeed.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- regretting getting a house
- The Budgeting Spreadsheet and Tips thread
- Is it worth it to get grammarly for UNI?
- Commute or Stay in Accomodation?
- Boring first year
- Commuting to Uni or accom, help!
- Help - considering dropping out of uni
- Studying Abroad funding advice
- Uni or apprenticeship
- Foundation year
- University isn’t as good as it used to be?
- Studying in london
- Personal trainer for students
- Taking a gap year ?
- I’m thinking of going to European university in Georgia to study medicine?
- Living at home during University
- How much to charge for private tutoring? 17yo
- Placement year
- Studying at London Metropolitan University
- Remarking A level history paper
Latest
Trending
Last reply 3 weeks ago
Got a third in my second year and the highest I’ve achieved in third year was 55%Trending
Last reply 3 weeks ago
Got a third in my second year and the highest I’ve achieved in third year was 55%
