Uni vs Apprenticeship

Going to uni was one of the best things in my life. It gave me independence to be with people around my own age. I was able to form friendships and network without any real responsibilities. I was also given the chance to grow as a person before entering the world of work.

Is it worth sacrificing a apprenticeship offer, to go to uni and experience the uni life and have that free time to do things. Rather than go into the world of work early on full time, and work for the rest of your like until 60 (retiring age).
What do you think?

For me, I would go to uni. You only have one real chance at going to uni as a young lad or girl and being yourself with people around your age. You don't have real responsibilities and you can grow as a person in a relatively safe space. You have the rest of your life to work.

some people try to go to uni later on, but some of them complain that it’s not the same. They feel too old or out of place with younger people or they are in a different stage in their life then with possibly a family/mortgage etc.

For your specific case, if you have an apprenticeship offer and a uni place, I would try to defer the apprenticeship by one year then go to uni. If uni is not for you, you can drop out and take the apprenticeship. If you enjoy uni, then you politely decline the apprenticeship. Good luck.

Thank you, I would like both. So that's why I can't choose one. doing uni for 1 year, then dropping out would be kind of a waste of 9k don't you think?
Do I do an apprenticeship, and miss out on uni life and having free time as uni will be a couple hours a day
Whereas the apprenticeship I have an offer for is 8-5, and I would need to get up at 5am to get the train and come back at around 6:30 home. More than 12 hours a day spent.

Or do an apprenticeship, where I can have a full time position (almost guaranteed if it goes well after the level 4 or 6), and get paid.
(money/debt is not a issue for me, so I am not considering the point that I would pay for uni etc.) apart from the money perspective what do you think?

My major point was that it is difficult to go back into the past to have the uni experience as a

Sorry so do you mean,
You can go to uni whenever you want, but going there older is not having the best experience as 18. Is that what you mean?

Also what I could do is, the apprenticeship has a probation period of a couple months. I could do it for the couple months, and if I feel that I would rather study and have more time in those years to have 'fun' and do things rather than full time job which I will do for the rest of my life anyway.
(I would get a degree either way, yes. But the experience is my concern)

Do you think that could work?

Yes, there is no limit on when you can go to uni. However, there is a limit on going to uni as a young person.

It depends on when the apprenticeship will start. If it starts in September, I am not sure you will have the time to do the 2 months probation and drop out to start uni.

What limit do you mean going as a young person?
I don't really know if you can start a uni a little late
I would have to wait till next september if not

Is it worth sacrificing a apprenticeship offer, to go to uni and experience the uni life and have that free time to do things. Rather than go into the world of work early on full time, and work for the rest of your like until 60 (retiring age).
What do you think?

You can have the student experience regardless of how you study.

If you’re attending a university, part time or full time, you can join the student union and make friends outside your course group etc. Most universities offer guest membership if you’re not studying there too.

There’s also nothing stopping you from moving out - on your own or part of shared accommodation.

I spent 5 years on a degree apprenticeship and didn’t feel I missed out at all.

Regardless 3-5 years is petty time in the grand scheme of things, but has a huge impact on where you go from there. Pick the route that will help you achieve the most. You’ll go through every emotion possible by just studying a degree regardless - that’s the experience.

Not being skint, learning on the job, and not accumulating debt is what mattered to me when picking options.

Let's say the spending on uni wasn't a factor

Just the main concerns doing a apprenticeship is 5am-6pm days (commuting time included). No time in weekdays. No uni life
Whereas going to uni means you can experience uni life, have more time as uni can be a couple hours a day, so more social life. As it's education, you're not starting a full time job and working for the rest of your life. When you could have done it a couple years later, enjoy young life then do it.

What would be your opinion then?

Hi, I'm confused about how the degree digital and technology solutions is a con. Isn't that a 'general' degree? As it covers a lot of jobs in the IT sector.
The other option would be a computer science degree in uni right?
How would computer science degree be better?

Degrees on apprenticeship schemes are made specifically to fit the job role rather than as a general degree. For example, if you did a software engineering apprenticeship, your degree would be "Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineering Specialism)" vs a plain computer science degree. It is much easier to move onto masters degrees in other subjects because CS isn't very specialised. I guess if you wanted to do say a GDL to get a law degree, it wouldn't me much easier or harder for either so I will remove the (non-tech or engineering)" part.

Just wanted to clarify. So are you saying the digital and technology degree I'm software engineering limits career paths. Because its just about software engineering

So would it be better to get a bsc in computer science if I don't mind going into different fields in computer science?
Thanks

It does limit career paths but what I'm trying to say is that I personally don't believe it contains sufficient technical content to be a software engineer at a top company. To get to FAANG would likely require additional self learning.

I do however believe that apprenticeships are the better option in almost all circumstances. The experience is much more valuable than most think. Just be aware that you will have to supplement the degree with self learning to become a good software engineer.

Thanks for replying. my situation is, I finished A level and have uni offers for Bsc computer science 3 years

I have a offer of a level 4 network engineer (where its not just that, they will rotate me on 4 it jobs), where I can do a level 6 after in the one i want to do and get a degree in digital and tech solutions on that job path. They will both take me around 4 years total.

But I will be working for the rest of my life, why should I not enjoy social life/young life at 18 and have time to do things as uni is a couple hours a day. Rather than getting into 8-5 and working for the rest of my life (60 is average retiring age).The apprenticeship is a 8-5, but I will need to wake up at 5am and will get home at around 7. So more than a 12 hour day 5 days a week from september. I won't have time except weekends, but I don't know if I will still be working on projects etc.
The Level 4 training is online, I will get 15 days off across the 2 years to do the online stuff. And the level 6 is online too by QA, not uni, for 56 days across the 2 years.

I am worried I will regret in the future not enjoying my young life, by going to uni getting a placement year/internship, having that free time with friends/social life, .and getting the same job I could get in the apprenticeship.
Also, i will be their first apprentice. So there will be noone thats 18, youngest are grads (21/22). So noone like me

(Paying for uni is not a big factor for me, so debt is not a factor for me as a con to going uni. Imagine that the uni is being paid for in cash, no loan)

You should worry about not having time to enjoy yourself all your life, not just when you’re young.

It’s why I refuse to work for any employer who doesn’t offer flexible working hours, options for 4 day weeks, or doesn’t allow flexibility in working from home/on site.