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Do you think uni is value for money?

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Reply 60
Avatar for Peddeh
Peddeh
7
Graduating this year, and my opinion at the moment is absolutely not. Maybe it's just my subject and/or my university (Computer Science), but I feel a large part of the content could have been self-studied and I'd have probably been better off going the apprenticeship route. That said, I suppose my degree is a good step on the ladder for my first job.
(edited 7 years ago)
Obviously it depends on what course you're doing, what the university offers and the career prospects at the end. For instance, I believe my course offers great value because I get the trips / external speeches covered, opportunity to learn extra subjects (MS Excel Specialist Qualification) and membership with the Tourism Society.

And for those worrying about debt.... Depending on how much you earn, you only pay a tipense every month, like £30, or so I've heard. See, nothing to be worried about what so ever. :u:
I think it really depends on your perspective.

As an American expat and EU resident, my daughter had the option to go to Cambridge or an Ivy in the US, at respective costs of £55K or £180K. THat is a no-brainer, particularly in light of the fact that an oxbridge education is perhaps the best undergrad experience available in the world by all measures.
Unless you're utterly devoted to what you're studying and you truly enjoy every part. I went and I thought I was doing an accounting focused degree only to find out that one year in i was actually doing a business focused degree.
The prospectus and other booklets said that we would get to major in business or accounting in our second years and we didnt, teachers even said that at the open day.
We were ended up completing one or two accounting modules per year with hardly any exemptions from the acca because we weren't doing something like finance and accounting or just accounting. I wanted some business incorporated but it was the other way around. the first year the degree was called accounting and business and it quickly became business and accounting.
A majority of the students, if not all, only remember the work for the exam or for a short time after the essay and then its forgotten and has no future use to us after our degrees. There isn't much preparation and learning for working in that type of role in the real world, you then have to go and complete training courses and learn on the job. I wish someone had told me what university was really like because i could have saved my money and earned even more instead of wasting 3 years at university. The students that really benefit from university are the ones who have had up to date relevant experience and a fantastic grade as well as completed other activities that have helped them become a well rounded person.
Original post by Incongruous
Oxbridge, Imperial, (some subjects at) UCL/LSE, Warwick and a few others: yes it is value for money.


Media Studies from Southampton Solent, or Gender studies from the unversity of CuckoLand... No.


I study a STEM subject at one of the universities you've listed, and I don't think its value for money. That being said, the alternative is to not get a university education and miss out on that aspect of life.
Original post by Computer Geek
I study a STEM subject at one of the universities you've listed, and I don't think its value for money. That being said, the alternative is to not get a university education and miss out on that aspect of life.

A degree with good grades in a STEM subject from one of those universities, backed with good work experience opens a lot of doors.
Reply 66
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
1200+ votes and the poll is evenly split 50:50.
Interesting!
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 67
Avatar for Armpits
Armpits
2
When you consider whether or not university has value, it's a good idea to consider what is offered in university and how that is generally prices on the market, rather than a notion of a "good experience". Whether you're in Oxbridge or London Met, whether you're studying comp sci or gender studies, same approach.

The only thing I can see that is exclusive with universities, is the prestige which degrees generally confer. Unfortunately, that isn't something you can just buy anywhere, which gives universities license to overcharge. But then you have to ask yourself if you even need a recognized degree in the first place.
I think going to university is a very good choice to make, but with costs so high I don't see it as being that great value for money. It's very valuable but also very expensive.
How many people can say its good value for money until you have something to compare it to?
You arent really going to have much of a clue before you have been.
Obviously its important for some professions where the knowledge is directly applicable or where you get a unique education at Oxbridge.

When you have been there a few years then you can start to form an opinion on what you are getting for your money, but you arent really going to know its true value until you have left and find out how useful it is.
Any uni outside the top 15 in my opinion is not worth the money. There are tons of other ways to aquire neccessary skills to be marketable to potential employers, such as joining a school leaver programme at the big4, etc.

Furthermore, any degree such as film studies, tourism management & other mickey mouse degrees are a WASTE of money and most importantly TIME.

One should think twice before getting burried with student debt and further consider the likelyhood of paying back the loan as fast as possible, to actually have a disposable income and have some sort of enjoyment, whilst being corporate wage slave.
(edited 7 years ago)
Not sure why so many people have voted yes. The government will be thrilled that their spin doctors have convinced so many people that 60k+ is good value for money. It's kind of worrying how quickly young people get used to an idea; after all, the student protests weren't that long ago but already I see students defending high tuition fees. :afraid:

Students pay 3 x what a degree would have cost a few years ago, what do you think you're getting for that extra 6k? I can tell you, nothing.

Original post by jneill
1200+ votes and the poll is evenly split 50:50.
Interesting!


I know, it is scary!
Perfectly good value for money, don't pay it after 30 years, ONLY pay when you earn above £21,000 and even then it's a negligible amount to start with, see link below. If you had to pay 9k up front, it wouldn't be, but it's spread over the years and you probably won't even pay it off... Plus the qualifcation allows you to jump start into a good job which will act as a spring board for a probably higher income in the future, so the money you spent would be worth it anyway, if you ever manage to pay it off.

The independence it brings for 3 years is a great reality check too imo, which I myself will probably find quite useful. Of course, I haven't been to uni yet so I may be wrong, but it seems like a great place to go, to edecuate yourself in life and the subject you're taking. The amount of hours lectured obviously could be a bit higher, but uni is supposed to be about independent projects and work without being literally carried through the subject by your teacher which happens a lot in A-Level/GCSE, or at least seems to for me.

Further to this, I really want to study a subject ar uni, and the opportunity to study at a different country for a year is absoutely thrilling too, and will probably take up the offer. The debt/price put in the front of university is a massive figure, but I believe more understanding needs to be brought about how it doesn't affect credit rating, you pay small amonts back and many unis give bursaries, which is essentially extra living income for free. I find it odd how so many don't believe uni will be a good choice, but of course I haven't been so the uni may not be as exciting and educational as I percieve, but I would definitely not want to go straight to work after A-Levels.

Your income per year Monthly repayments: (yearly amount in brackets)

£21,000 and under £0
£25,000 £30 (£360)
£30,000 £67 (£804)
£50,000 £217 (£2604)

To me, this is a perfectly reasonable amount, at a small proportion of your income until you pay it back, I really don't see the big deal about it, especially when you're earning a high amount.

https://www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan/what-you-pay
(edited 7 years ago)
Semester one I was in three days a week and semester two I was in two days a week. I'm a full time student. This means I paid £9000 a year to do seven hours each week. (And bear in mind semester one was October-January, semester two was February-May, so over 6 months I've lost £9k)

So no, not worth the money. I don't know why people move out for uni knowing how much they'll already be in debt, considering everyone I know is doing courses where they're in 2-4 days a week.
Original post by Runescapian
Semester one I was in three days a week and semester two I was in two days a week. I'm a full time student. This means I paid £9000 a year to do seven hours each week. (And bear in mind semester one was October-January, semester two was February-May, so over 6 months I've lost £9k)

So no, not worth the money. I don't know why people move out for uni knowing how much they'll already be in debt, considering everyone I know is doing courses where they're in 2-4 days a week.


I don't really see how you've physically lost 9k, unless you paid upfront? And surely it gave you life experience, cooking, managing money, time, social life ?
No way

If i had £30,000+ and i spent it on my own books and online courses and training programmes, i'd learn way more and most probably still have a ton of money left over

It's only useful to go to uni if you need the certificate to get into a field but even then the money spent does not justify
I'm sure uni will be a good experience and worth going, but I don't think it's value for money. The prices have gone too high and I'm not sure if the benefits of going is worth the cost.
If you don't think it's good value, then don't go to university. You're not forced to buy it.
Original post by Trapz99
If you don't think it's good value, then don't go to university. You're not forced to buy it.


But people are in effect forced to do a degree because they have become the standard qualification, many jobs that didn't require a degree 20 years ago now do. Yes, there are still some decent jobs and apprenticeships which you can do without a degree but their number is relatively small, and will only get smaller in the coming decades.
Original post by Snufkin
But people are in effect forced to do a degree because they have become the standard qualification, many jobs that didn't require a degree 20 years ago now do. Yes, there are still some decent jobs and apprenticeships which you can do without a degree but their number is relatively small, and will only get smaller in the coming decades.


That shows that a degree is useful then since it helps you get jobs. So they're willing to pay for it and aren't being forced.

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