The Student Room Group

How come only 49% of us go to uni?

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Original post by GabbytheGreek_48
Some people go into thingd like raf,military navy.

Some people do apprentiships that are at a higher level.

So people drop out of university so don't get the degree
Some people also just go into work though or something.
Some people even travel etc

Kinda understandable you think that alot of people want to/apply to go to university but there are so many options out there people can do so many things other than university

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Exactly. And people go to college as well.
Original post by john2054
My university did monitor attendance With scan cards or a paper register. And i was under the impression that this was standard practice.

And granted, some students will choose to work from home.

But seriously from the five years i studied/read for my undergraduate degree, the number of people who changed course/deferred/quit or otherwise changed from the start to the end was a significant amount. That is all i am saying.

PS we used to be able to see from the registers, all of the people who's name was on the register, and lots of them never even attended one seminar, or maybe attended one, but then no more. Your university was obviously very different to mine!


Derby yes: 80% completion rate on average.That ranks 96th out of 127 UK universities: http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?o=Degree+Completion&v=wide

It's possible that your course was particularly bad for completion within a university that's among the worst in the UK for completion.
Original post by Duncan2012
It looks like you're confusing yourself now. Between 2006-2015, the total number of young graduates has increased (OECD link) while the proportion of young graduates working in high skilled jobs (graph in post 50) has not kept up.

Using your own figures (I'm not sure where the 21% or 27% numbers come from - the graph in post 50 show the numbers should be 60.8% and 55.8%):

35% --> 49% = a 40% increase in the number of young graduates
21% --> 27% = a 28.6% increase in number of young graduates in high skilled jobs.

Using the figures from post 50 make the case even worse:

60.8% --> 55.8% = an 8.2% decrease in number of young graduates in high skilled jobs.

The increase in number of young graduates in high skilled jobs has not keep pace with the increase in number of young graduates. Care to offer any other hypothesis other than a saturated graduate market?


The number and proportion of young people with degrees increased.

The proportions are
35% with degrees in 2005 > 49% in 2015
and
60.8% *of those with degrees* in grad jobs > 55.8%

When you break that down it looks like this

young people in the UK.PNG

Break it down further to split the non degree holders into grad/non grad employment and things look even more convincing for getting a degree as the proportion of non-grads able to find "highly skilled" employment shrinks to just 9% of all young people..
Original post by shanktheopps
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tertiary_education_attainment

I saw this table which says that only 49% of 25-34 years in the UK have a degree from a university. But I don't think I know anyone who isn't going to uni- everyone in my school last year and the last three years went to university and this year everyone I know I'm my year is planning to go to university. So how come it's only 49% when in reality it's so much higher? Do a lot of people drop out of uni and not get their degree?


It may has something to do with the fact that students are dropped a study out before to get a degree. Another reason could be that they are/were achieving an apprenticeship instead, so secondary education. *
Original post by john2054
My university did monitor attendance With scan cards or a paper register. And i was under the impression that this was standard practice.

And granted, some students will choose to work from home.

But seriously from the five years i studied/read for my undergraduate degree, the number of people who changed course/deferred/quit or otherwise changed from the start to the end was a significant amount. That is all i am saying.

PS we used to be able to see from the registers, all of the people who's name was on the register, and lots of them never even attended one seminar, or maybe attended one, but then no more. Your university was obviously very different to mine!


and what if any sanction was applied to those who did not attend ?

wit hthe exception of NMC and HCPC pre-registration courses where time requirements are built into law and/or regulations covering the pre -reg curriculum, there aren't sanctions applied just for poor attendance ...
Original post by shanktheopps
[

I don't happen to live in a place like that but I highly doubt that 51% of British people live like that. It's more like 5-10%. I wouldn't say people are born to fail, though. Everyone can succeed if they try their best and work hard. I understand that university isn't the best choice for everyone but no one in this country is born to fail at life.

I would say I'm just of average privilege. 5/10
My parents earn around £35000 in total



I care to differ. Thank you for your well spoken articulate response. But I disagree. Do you live in the south of England,? SE particularly? There's an expression, It's Grim Up North. Wonder why ( yes this will be a very silly wandering post! )

erm to be perfect;y honest, I'm bladdered on vodka right now. i'm in no fit state to be on the internet. but TSR is so hilarious after a drink. Maybe we can have a mature intelligent discussion when i sober up tomorrow!
Original post by shanktheopps
I know people from other schools and they're all going to uni- I've never hard of anyone not going


Born of the Information Age, ladies and gentlemen.
Original post by Profesh
Born of the Information Age, ladies and gentlemen.


I don't think you can claim nobody thought that in other ages.
Original post by shanktheopps
[




I don't happen to live in a place like that but I highly doubt that 51% of British people live like that. It's more like 5-10%. I wouldn't say people are born to fail, though. Everyone can succeed if they try their best and work hard. I understand that university isn't the best choice for everyone but no one in this country is born to fail at life.

I would say I'm just of average privilege. 5/10
My parents earn around £35000 in total


This is what i;m trying to say. It's upbringing, background, to be be crude, because, frankly it is genetics, genetics DNA. Upbringing is the only thing that cab possible fault for genetics.

Social background is Social mobility! Your upbringing, nurturing, breeding, training, tutor age. You have inherited poor DNA you are screwed academically.
Original post by shanktheopps
I wouldn't say people are born to fail, though. Everyone can succeed if they try their best and work hard.




come back to reality mate, the world is a harsh place.
Original post by PQ
The number and proportion of young people with degrees increased.

The proportions are
35% with degrees in 2005 > 49% in 2015
and
60.8% *of those with degrees* in grad jobs > 55.8%

When you break that down it looks like this

[snip]

Break it down further to split the non degree holders into grad/non grad employment and things look even more convincing for getting a degree as the proportion of non-grads able to find "highly skilled" employment shrinks to just 9% of all young people..


I've pointed out why your numbers are wrong a couple of times now but you still persist in ignoring them while making up your own numbers.

If you don't trust my numbers care to comment on other sources?
Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/oct/11/huge-increase-in-number-of-graduates-bad-for-uk-economy
Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/the-under-employment-crisis-nearly-half-of-recent-graduates-work-jobs-which-dont-require-a-degree-8949285.html
Skills Development Scotland https://www.researchonline.org.uk/sds/search/go.do?action=document&ref=B18330

Google 'graduate underemployment uk' and take your pick.
Original post by PQ
The number and proportion of young people with degrees increased.

The proportions are
35% with degrees in 2005 > 49% in 2015
and
60.8% *of those with degrees* in grad jobs > 55.8%

When you break that down it looks like this

young people in the UK.PNG

Break it down further to split the non degree holders into grad/non grad employment and things look even more convincing for getting a degree as the proportion of non-grads able to find "highly skilled" employment shrinks to just 9% of all young people..


Cheers for this, v interesting.

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Original post by shanktheopps
No one in my school did this and in some of the nearby schools only a very small amount of people actually dropped out of school at 16. I don't personally know anyone who has done this. It is very rare since teachers often warn about the dangers of leaving school at 16.


General/whole picture > Personal anecdotes/experiences.

You haven't been to every-single-school in the country, nor do you know every single kid, you can only speak for yourself, your colleagues and local area. An analogy for you...
Obnoxious politician: there are no poor people, I don't know anyone in poverty so where have all the poor people gone?

See?
Original post by MasterJack
General/whole picture > Personal anecdotes/experiences.

You haven't been to every-single-school in the country, nor do you know every single kid, you can only speak for yourself, your colleagues and local area. An analogy for you...
Obnoxious politician: there are no poor people, I don't know anyone in poverty so where have all the poor people gone?

See?


Come to Derby, there are lots of poor people here!
Original post by Duncan2012
That 49% is the reason we now have so much underemployment with graduate baristas, mechanics, technicians, drivers, restaurant workers, shop assistants.....

As a country we simply don't need this many graduates. It should be seen as perfectly acceptable to leave school or go to college, get an apprenticeship, get a trade and work with your hands. And you know who created the aim of half of all school leavers going to uni which resulted in the current mess? The Labour Party.


Completely agree.

The problem is no one could change the system, as there would be complete upheaval is someone decided to dare say to many people go to uni (of course not in all areas such as becoming a doctor).
Original post by Tw1x
Is what the norm...? Not every can afford to go to university, <Snip>


it is interesting that the majority of people pushing the ' poor people can't afford to' angle are champagne soclaists / trustafarians by telling lies aobut the reality of student funding fees etc - with their usual mixture of pity / arrogance / first world bubble...
Reply 76
Original post by zippyRN
it is interesting that the majority of people pushing the ' poor people can't afford to' angle are champagne soclaists / trustafarians by telling lies aobut the reality of student funding fees etc - with their usual mixture of pity / arrogance / first world bubble...


Well I'm neither and I know many of my friends whose student accommodation didn't even get covered by their loans/grants, not even close. How are they meant to save up the sort of money to cover the cost before university starts? They could work throughout summer true, but would struggle throughout the year.
Yes it could be argued you could commute and not bother, which is true, but some courses aren't available at all universities. The course I want to study is only offered at limited unis which means over 2.5 hours travelling one way. Yes I suppose anybody could go to a university and do a course, but not necessarily what they want to do. With mine and my partners income, I would get no help in regards to maintenance, even though we only just earn over the threshold, and losing one wage of around £12k a year in order for me to go to university 5 days a week simply isn't an opinion. I could try work part time but, if I'm saving money by commuting, I'm also losing a lot of hours travelling meaning the only way would be to work weekends. When would I get time to study? Maybe it's not impossible for poor people to go, but it's damn difficult.
Original post by Tw1x
Well I'm neither and I know many of my friends whose student accommodation didn't even get covered by their loans/grants, not even close.


really? but then again what were their expectations ?

I wonder if they have the same kind of entitlement culture beliefs that saqw 'outrage' when state supported social housing for younger adults was 'cut' to the shared house rate -

Original post by Tw1x

How are they meant to save up the sort of money to cover the cost before university starts? They could work throughout summer true, but would struggle throughout the year.


same pity based ******** and presumption that 'rich people' get unlimited support from parents


Original post by Tw1x

Yes it could be argued you could commute and not bother, which is true, but some courses aren't available at all universities. The course I want to study is only offered at limited unis which means over 2.5 hours travelling one way. Yes I suppose anybody could go to a university and do a course, but not necessarily what they want to do. With mine and my partners income, I would get no help in regards to maintenance, even though we only just earn over the threshold, and losing one wage of around £12k a year in order for me to go to university 5 days a week simply isn't an opinion. I could try work part time but, if I'm saving money by commuting, I'm also losing a lot of hours travelling meaning the only way would be to work weekends. When would I get time to study? Maybe it's not impossible for poor people to go, but it's damn difficult.


funny how people want to make excuses and get others to subsidise them isn;t it ...
'Going to Uni' isn't the only goal in life. And it isnt a guarantee of an interesting job or lifelong happiness either. Plenty of graduates get to the end of their degree course and wonder why they bothered.

Ask yourself - why are all your friends applying to Uni. Is it because they lack the imagination to do anything else, or they are too lazy to do anything else and think they are 'entitled' to 3 years of not working, or because their parents told them to do it, or their school has implied that that is the only option available by not telling them about the alternatives, or its a way of putting off making any decision about what to do with the rest of your life for 3 years, or they just assume 'that's what people from my background do'.

Think carefully before you just follow the crowd. Are you mature enough to step back and think/decide for yourself?
Reply 79
Original post by zippyRN
really? but then again what were their expectations ?

Maybe enough to pay their accommodation?

same pity based ******** and presumption that 'rich people' get unlimited support from parents

funny how people want to make excuses and get others to subsidise them isn;t it ...


How do you know my opinions on things? Simple. You don't.
I think the same amount of maintenance should be given to every student, regardless of background. When university is meant to promote independence from parents, why is the system based on an individuals parents income? There should be a set amount given to everybody. But yes, some people are lucky enough that their parents are happy/able to help them out, some people aren't. I don't agree with it, but the fact of the matter is some people do have that support network. Come from a deprived area, and your accommodation loan leaves you £1,000 short, that's more than a lot of parents can afford to give, no matter how much they want their child to succeed.
As I pointed out in my previous post, it's a screwed up system. 'The system' presumes that me and my partner can live happily ever after (even though it is based on my income before having to devote myself to a full time course) just on his wage. Same with rich families, they may have a substantial income but this is not just spending money, they may have a big mortgage, they may have 20 kids to feed, medical expenses, cars to run. It's not as black and white as 'oh they earn 50,000 a year, they must be loaded and can afford to subsidise their childs education for a further 3-5 years'

'Make excuses?' It's not an excuse, it is a genuine reality. Going to university is not cheap, whether you are wealthy or poor.
(edited 7 years ago)

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