dropping out of uni and doing a degree apprenticeship instead

Hello, I am a first-year student at university who is currently doing a computer science degree. I decided that I wanted to do uni because of all the hype that was going on around it, how without a degree you can't get a decent job and how uni will literally set your life in terms of a decent paying job, and also in my family uni is very encouraged since everyone in my family went to uni.

As soon as I attended the first month of uni I quickly realised that uni is not what i expected. All uni is, is self-study. They ask you to do your own learning and the lectures themselves only explains the exercise that you had to do. I've done BTEC before going to uni, and everything was more practical. And i didn't like the idea of not applying my knowledge to a real life scenario and practising what I've learnt in a "workplace" environment. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and decided to keep going until the first term at least and see if it gets any better. But It didn't, and i cant imagine doing a whole 3 years of this. Now it just feels like the whole uni experience, (especially when covid is happening) is a massive scam! I'm paying 9k a year just to do a bit of self-study and later forgetting everything that I've learned because this isn't being applied into a workplace (I'm not really a book person when it comes to learning. I learn quicker when I'm actively using the knowledge).

I then found out about degree apprenticeships where you get paid to work there and you can do uni part-time. Plus I can get the same qualification as I am working towards right now and it is all funded by the company. And I fell in love with the idea, since I really like learning about CS but I also like applying the knowledge in a work environment. One of my friends went for a degree apprenticeship and they tell me how much they love it and how they learnt so much, they're really glad they didn't apply to uni.

I really regret going to Uni. And I'm genuinely considering dropping out and going for a degree apprenticeship instead.

What are your thoughts on it? Should I do it? And also is it too late to apply for a degree apprenticeship since I'm already in Uni? Also, do people offering a degree apprenticeship need a reference like how they needed one when I applied for uni? Can I apply for a degree apprenticeship before I actually drop out of uni and drop out as soon as I potentially get accepted in one of the firms?

And I would really appreciate it if you told me your experience if you went through what I'm going through right now.

Thank you for your time.

Reply 1

Chris2892

16

I did a degree apprenticeship in product design and development and studied mechanical engineering.

1. What are your thoughts on it? Should I do it?
Choosing a Degree Apprenticeship is equivalent to choosing a university for a full time uni student. The outcome is often tied to the quality of university/employer. If you find a degree apprenticeship with a top employer, it feels like you’re cheating the system into top post graduate employment. I’d recommend it, absolutely.

2. And also is it too late to apply for a degree apprenticeship since I'm already in Uni?
You can use your existing enrolment to communicate your preference of on-the-job learning in applications and interviews. As long as you’re not enrolled on your full time course when you formally start your apprenticeship (after accepting an offer) it will be fine.

3. Also, do people offering a degree apprenticeship need a reference like how they needed one when I applied for uni?
They may or may not ask for references during/after application or offer. It depends on their hiring procedure for apprentices.

4. Can I apply for a degree apprenticeship before I actually drop out of uni and drop out as soon as I potentially get accepted in one of the firms?
Covered this question in item 2.

Just to add, you can still join your universities student union as an apprentice. Some university unions have guest membership options, so you can still join societies as a degree apprenticeship, even if it’s not where you actually study part-time. That’s what I did since I worked/lived and studied in different cities.
I didn’t feel like I missed out on the “uni student experience” at all.

Reply 2

Vael

1

Original post by Maliaishere

Hello, I am a first-year student at university who is currently doing a computer science degree. I decided that I wanted to do uni because of all the hype that was going on around it, how without a degree you can't get a decent job and how uni will literally set your life in terms of a decent paying job, and also in my family uni is very encouraged since everyone in my family went to uni.

As soon as I attended the first month of uni I quickly realised that uni is not what i expected. All uni is, is self-study. They ask you to do your own learning and the lectures themselves only explains the exercise that you had to do. I've done BTEC before going to uni, and everything was more practical. And i didn't like the idea of not applying my knowledge to a real life scenario and practising what I've learnt in a

dropping out of uni and doing a degree apprenticeship instead

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