Why do people go to uni if you won't even get a job that pays £100k?

Like it's very very rare

Lots of reasons, and it's not just about money. Anyway, you might make that sort of money in later life because you are in a job that needed a degree.

I went to uni because I needed a degree to apply for the job I wanted.

Reply 2

bl0bf1sh

15

Are people who don't go to uni any more likely to earn £100k?

Reply 3

Thisismyunitsr

20

Original post by bl0bf1sh

Are people who don't go to uni any more likely to earn £100k?

No. The chances of you ever earning 100k in your lifetime even accounting for inflation is essentially 0% unless you go into finance, or high end healthcare.

Reply 4

black tea

19

earning £100,000 isn't something everyone aspired to

Reply 5

Shivaji69

In middle class culture in the UK it's considered the normal path to go to university after school and before a job. You go there because that's what you're supposed to do, and many people also enjoy the social atmosphere that comes with university. It's also a way of enlightening yourself and contributing back to society/humanity.

Reply 6

Bean_cat

15

I chose to go to uni for many reasons, one of the main reasons was that the jobs i was interested required that I have a degree in the field, but since I was young I always wanted to go to uni because I wanted to learn more and I was passionate about the subject. I am also appreciating the uni experience :smile:

Reply 7

hotpud

18

Original post by Anony345533

Like it's very very rare

Why would you want a job that pays £100k? Think about it. You get paid something like that so end up buying a house and a wife to match and before you know it, you hate your job but are stuck with the simple fact that you must maintain that kind of income because there is an expectation that your lifestyle will match it. By and large, that is unsustainable and you will just get more and more miserable as the pressure to continue to provide gets bigger and bigger. I can't imagine anything worse than being trapped in a high paid, high pressure, high stakes lifestyle.

Reply 8

black tea

19

Original post by hotpud

Why would you want a job that pays £100k? Think about it. You get paid something like that so end up buying a house and a wife to match and before you know it, you hate your job but are stuck with the simple fact that you must maintain that kind of income because there is an expectation that your lifestyle will match it. By and large, that is unsustainable and you will just get more and more miserable as the pressure to continue to provide gets bigger and bigger. I can't imagine anything worse than being trapped in a high paid, high pressure, high stakes lifestyle.

You don't have to hate your job, you know...

Reply 9

username6103258

1

I think the main reason is because it keeps your options open in terms of careers and jobs that you can apply for. There are lots of jobs that require skills and experience, but I have also seen a lot of jobs that explicitly state in their requirements that an MSc or PhD degree is required. These are mainly for more advanced technology roles. Generally, you can get onto any graduate scheme as long as you have a 2:1 bachelors from decent uni. So a degree opens up options. It's true that you may not be able to get a £100k job because only less than 10% of the population earn this amount, but it will help you build a strong foundation for the future. There are lots of companies that are looking for bright young people in multiple industries providing excellent opportunities for progression. After 3 or even 2 years of graduation, you could be earning anything between £50k to £60k, which is also not bad and way above average salary.

Reply 10

VoxPoxNumber

3

I went to uni. It was tough socially for me. But having a degree helped my self confidence in the long term. Also it made me understand what I could and could not do. What my skills and strengths are.
I think everyone should go to university up to the level they can reach academically. It is an investment in people.

Reply 11

hotpud

18

Original post by black tea

You don't have to hate your job, you know...

I agree. But I know few people who earn so much who lead a happy life. The constant pressure to perform etc. And once you have dependencies like kids and mortgage, the pressure is even greater. Why do you think that as a nation we have become steadily more unhappy? When success is measured by wealth it becomes very difficult to achieve to the expectations of others.

Reply 12

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Because I have normal and realistic expectations about employment and salary outcomes and recognise that you don't need to earn anywhere near 6 figures to be able to live comfortably in most places in the UK?

100k

Original post by hotpud

I can't imagine anything worse than being trapped in a high paid, high pressure, high stakes lifestyle.

So you opted for a career in teaching with low pay, high pressure and a high stakes lifestyle! :biggrin:

I hope you will forgive the touch of sarcasm but I it felt appropriate against the background of public sector workers' fight for a reasonable pay rise and the recent revelation that former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock and former Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng - both breathtakingly incompetent failures - expect to work for no less than £10,000 per day: roughly a third of what the majority of classroom teachers earn in a year.

However, what saddens me about the question in the title of this thread is that there are way too many young people going to university in the expectation of earning "even" (i.e. at least) £100,000. According to a recent IFS analysis, that would put a single earner household with a Council Tax bill of £3,000 in the top 1% of household incomes. More importantly, most of those with incomes over £100,000 derive that income from business, investments and the appreciation of capital assets, not from earnings.

To put it another way, going to university is not, of itself, going to lead to a £100,000 income other than in a very limited number of occupations - and even then you will require a range of social advantages, personal attributes and a substantial slice of luck. So anyone thinking of going to university this autumn should have in mind more realistic reasons for doing so.

Reply 15

hotpud

18

Original post by Supermature

So you opted for a career in teaching with low pay, high pressure and a high stakes lifestyle! :biggrin:

I hope you will forgive the touch of sarcasm but I it felt appropriate against the background of public sector workers' fight for a reasonable pay rise and the recent revelation that former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock and former Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng - both breathtakingly incompetent failures - expect to work for no less than £10,000 per day: roughly a third of what the majority of classroom teachers earn in a year.

However, what saddens me about the question in the title of this thread is that there are way too many young people going to university in the expectation of earning "even" (i.e. at least) £100,000. According to a recent IFS analysis, that would put a single earner household with a Council Tax bill of £3,000 in the top 1% of household incomes. More importantly, most of those with incomes over £100,000 derive that income from business, investments and the appreciation of capital assets, not from earnings.

To put it another way, going to university is not, of itself, going to lead to a £100,000 income other than in a very limited number of occupations - and even then you will require a range of social advantages, personal attributes and a substantial slice of luck. So anyone thinking of going to university this autumn should have in mind more realistic reasons for doing so.

I have got myself into a position where my teaching is neither high stress, high workload or low pay.

But equally I am not so highly paid such that if it all goes tits up I am not lumbered with a £5k a month mortgage bill plus pony lessons for the kids. That is my point.

Your expenditure expands to meet your income and with it the expectations of others on you to maintain that level of lifestyle. That is an extremely stressful place to be if your job is difficult or not particularly enjoyable. Hence the term, mid life crisis. Usually occurs when you realise what you are doing is unsustainable.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 16

Supermature

11

Original post by hotpud

I have got myself into a position where my teaching is neither high stress, high workload or low pay.

Really? This would appear at odds with your earlier comments in this forum when you advocated in favour of strikes for higher pay and described teacher workload as "utterly crazy".

Nevertheless, I can see the point that you are making about unrealistic expectations. Of course, not everyone who enjoys a high income spends up to the last penny trying to maintain an extravagant lifestyle. It is equally possible to live modestly and be free from the hand to mouth existence that many public sector workers - including teachers - justifiably complain about.

Reply 17

hotpud

18

Original post by Supermature

Really? This would appear at odds with your earlier comments in this forum when you advocated in favour of strikes for higher pay and described teacher workload as "utterly crazy".

Oh no. I have put in an addition week and a half of of work this 5 week term (50+ hours) All unpaid. I'm fuming about it. But have done so in a manner that means I am not broken.

Reply 18

Supermature

11

Original post by hotpud

Oh no. I have put in an addition week and a half of of work this 5 week term (50+ hours) All unpaid. I'm fuming about it. But have done so in a manner that means I am not broken.

And does this not illustrate the core problem in teaching? Low pay and high pressure.

It is obvious from your posts that you have a very high commitment to public service and have developed coping strategies for dealing with the excessive workload. That is commendable. However, recruitment and retention in public service occupations is not likely to improve unless both the pay and the workload sides of the equation are addressed.

The fact remains - as the title question of this thread shows - that what many would-be university students expect is that they will earn very significantly higher salaries by becoming graduates. If that is their motivation then most of them will be disappointed. Those who do earn six figure sums may, like teachers and nurses, have to work very long hours - but at least they will be adequately rewarded for doing so.