Many will read this and laugh to themself, however, I believe many people are in the same situation as me right now, and I feel the need to get it off my chest.
I have ended my last term of a Biological Sciences degree at a mid tier ranked university and have achieved either a STRONG 2:i, or a 1st (got an exam left, and some courseworks to be marked, however a 1st is looking fairly "in the bag").
Now, I have been applying for jobs as honestly, I am fed up of education and having to sign page after page of forms for funding, so didn't want to go down the Masters or phD route despite many trying to push me due to my academic capabilities.
I have learned one VERY important thing that people seriously need to consider if youre thinking about university or have just started, and that is, you are NOT going to be handed a job just because you have a degree.
It has come to my attention, through hints from "sorry, we cannot accept you at this time" replies, that I am not qualified for any job requiring a degree until I get at least 2 years experience in that field.
Go check any job site for your area-most, if not all fairly entry level jobs that require a degree, also require 2 years experience.
How may one get these 2 years experience?
Why, "volunteering" of course.
Now, I don't know about peoples personal lives here, but my life isnt "Oh father, may I borrow the Bentley today, I must meet tom and lucas at the cricket, haw haw haw"
In fact I have only 1 parent helping me, and theyre also quickly running out of money.
I am nearly £30,000 in debt through tuition fees and student loans, increasing ever more through interest or "inflation added interest" (haha, its interest, the govt loves pontificating its way round things to get your money)
I am living off my partner who pays for 80% of the outgoings, and my student loans pay the other 20%, as a 3rd year just ended with only an exam left to do, my loans end, in fact its april so my last payment will be in a week or twos time, after that-we are hand on heart ruined.
I am already getting sorted to be put on jobseekers and to sign onto the dole, with a 1st class science degree.
We are going to have to move out of our already very small 1 bedroom flat to be GIVEN a council flat because she is on minimum wage.
The plan was for me to get my degree, she works, I get a job, and support her, while she then gets her degree.
I have now come to the realisation that is not going to be the case whatsoever.
I am going to have to work for FREE, for 2 years, while my £30,000 debt adds interest, just so I can be on a LEVEL FOOTING with other people against me in a job interview, these 2 years working for free doesnt even guarantee you the job, it just puts you at the same level as SOME of the competition.
I know what youre all thinking
"Oh I got a job without volunteering"
Okay, answer these questions
1.Is it in the subject you studied?
2.Does it need a full blown degree (many say HND, meaning your degree places you above many of the interviewees)
3.Are you affiliated with ANYONE no matter how small (including your references) to the place you are applying for?
If you answered
1.N
2.N
3.Y
That's why you got it without 2 years experience
If you got a job with a degree fresh from university, no experience at all in the field, didnt know anybody there, and its in your subject area, wow, may I shake your extremely rare hand, and May I ask the subject you studied?
Also, I hate the word "volunteering"
Volunteering means you personally choose to do something.
Nobody volunteers for that selfless reasoning, everybody volunteers to get the selfish outcome of "Now I have the experience to go further"
Thats not volunteering, thats girtting your teeth to get to a place lecturers said youd be at after your degree.
True volunteering is
"congratulations, you got the job for 20k a year, how would you like to work for free on it though?"
"Yes, I think I will work for free"
Thats volunteering, turning down a guaranteed paid job. Otherwise its gritting your teeth.
I wouldnt mind the 2 years volunteer work, if I was simply told I would have to work for free for 2 years just to be considered hirable BEFORE I took out giant loans and got myself into debt.
I have friends who can count there GCSEs (C and above) on one hand, and they have their own houses, sometimes even mortgage, with loads of money in the bank, a car, and a nice lifestyle. Sure, theyre working at tescos, but through the years their pay has increased, and theyre now on 20k+ working their way up the promotion ladder.
And where am I being the same age?
-£30,000
No Job
Filing for jobseekers and signing on soon
Having to move into a council flat
Forced to work 2 years for free if I wish to pursue a career in the subject I have a 1st class degree in
Be VERY careful when deciding to go to university.
If you have parents or friends who can afford to accomodate you while you work for free for 2 years-go ahead, go to uni.
However if you're like me, living by the skin of your teeth month after month, and now been told you have to work for nothing, and cannot afford that, I highly suggest you dont go to university, and get a job elsewhere, because the 3 years will be great fun, but at the end youre guaranteed to be jobless and in some serious financial crapola.
The best part of this is realising this I decided to apply to McDonalds and Tescos etc, some didnt even reply, and the ones who did, said they couldnt hire me because I was "too qualified, and for equality purposes, we cannot hire you for the selected job you asked"
So now I cant even get a basic job for equality laws
I cant get a job in my academic area because I havent been a slave for 2 years.
Again I must stress, university is the right choice for many people, but if youre struggling to make ends meet already, its going to be a whole lot worse when you leave, because youre unhirable in your subject, and anything else due to being too qualified.
You'll be in a "limbo" stage.