I'm biassed, as I chose an apprenternship as a surveyor and am loving it - I still go uni part time, fully paid for, and have a great time when there, I'm moving out soon with some friends, and have a very good wage for my age.. there are pros and cons either way.. Uni full time just wasnt for me, I couldnt see an advantage in me going full time at all really.. Just my view, but:
Pros
Debt! 3 years of debt!
not too much an issue, with the amount you'll be paying off a month
Not guaranteed to make friends.
When are you ever though? could be as bad at work!
It's not a guarantee that you'll get a great job after uni.
It's not a guarantee that you will if you don't either!
I'm sick of study, and have wanted to drop out of college twice.
Precisely why I didnt go, but you'll find uni has a slightly different approach
I prefer earning money and working to sitting in a classroom.
exactly why I didnt go
Essays...I abhor them.
depending on what you do, you might not have to worry about them so much?
I hate the whole student image...drunken layabouts who spend 3 years getting wasted.
It's not for everyone! It's a bit of an exageration though in a sense..
My boyfriend is a year older, and goes to Leeds Uni...both of us in debt isn't appealing. It would be so much easier for us to get the typical house, mortgage, cat, etc, if I wasn't weighed down by debt and was earning for 3 years instead.
think realistically. what wage are you going to be on after uni. Is having a bit of savings, and a job paying 18-20k in 3 years time going to be worth it? what will you buy with that?
Peer pressure; if I go, I'll be the first in the family to go...and don't they know it. They've been trying to hammer it into me since high school that uni = power, and if I don't go, my life will be ****
Its not a decision you should be bullied into in any way. That's the most important thing, it has to b eyour decision
For Uni
Degrees seem to be held in such high regard.
degrees arent everything, experience and training speaks for a lot nowadays, more so in some roles than others.
Might be more fun than college.
It probably will in many ways..
Could get bored of working full time.
this is why I chose an apprenternship also. a break in work with new people does me the world of good...
Uni seems to open more doorways.
only if you dont make the most of working. I know most will agree, but I find that anything my mates do at uni, I can do, but rather than have it arranged for me, I have to put in that little bit more effort if that makes sense.. eg snowboarding trips, classes, societies etc.. it seems to ease you in to everything which isnt something that appeals to me.. a bit of a control freak..
ultimatley, its not something you can ask others really, as people like different things.. try staying with some mates who go to uni for a week or so to help you decide, and if all else fails, gap year!