Why is society obsessed with degrees?
Why are people so obsessed with universities and degrees when they are no guarantee of success in life?
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
People say you need a degree otherwise you're limited in what you can do, which is false. From what I've seen, people only go to university to party and drink.
Here are some common stereotypes about university that just aren't true -
1. Having a degree will set you up for life
(This is false, most employers want experience not a dodgy 2:1 in a useless subject like Philosophy)
2. Most employers would rather hire someone with a degree as it shows you can think
(So someone without a degree is incapable of thinking? Ridiculous, a degree only proves that you've spent 3 or so years learning academic material. I struggle to see how that makes someone employable)
3. It's difficult to get through life without a degree (Again, this just isn't true. New Labour wanted everyone to go to university and it's ruined our society ever since)
4. It doesn't matter what you study as long as you have a degree (Well I don't know anyone who would waste money on a degree like Classics which is of no relevance to today's society, only to get a job unrelated to what they studied)
Unless the degree prepares you for a job, like law or medicine, then it's a waste of time and you're far better off getting a job or apprenticeship as they won't get you into debt.
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
People say you need a degree otherwise you're limited in what you can do, which is false. From what I've seen, people only go to university to party and drink.
Here are some common stereotypes about university that just aren't true -
1. Having a degree will set you up for life
(This is false, most employers want experience not a dodgy 2:1 in a useless subject like Philosophy)
2. Most employers would rather hire someone with a degree as it shows you can think
(So someone without a degree is incapable of thinking? Ridiculous, a degree only proves that you've spent 3 or so years learning academic material. I struggle to see how that makes someone employable)
3. It's difficult to get through life without a degree (Again, this just isn't true. New Labour wanted everyone to go to university and it's ruined our society ever since)
4. It doesn't matter what you study as long as you have a degree (Well I don't know anyone who would waste money on a degree like Classics which is of no relevance to today's society, only to get a job unrelated to what they studied)
Unless the degree prepares you for a job, like law or medicine, then it's a waste of time and you're far better off getting a job or apprenticeship as they won't get you into debt.
Reply 1
Original post
by AnonymousWhy are people so obsessed with universities and degrees when they are no guarantee of success in life?
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
People say you need a degree otherwise you're limited in what you can do, which is false. From what I've seen, people only go to university to party and drink.
Here are some common stereotypes about university that just aren't true -
1. Having a degree will set you up for life
(This is false, most employers want experience not a dodgy 2:1 in a useless subject like Philosophy)
2. Most employers would rather hire someone with a degree as it shows you can think
(So someone without a degree is incapable of thinking? Ridiculous, a degree only proves that you've spent 3 or so years learning academic material. I struggle to see how that makes someone employable)
3. It's difficult to get through life without a degree (Again, this just isn't true. New Labour wanted everyone to go to university and it's ruined our society ever since)
4. It doesn't matter what you study as long as you have a degree (Well I don't know anyone who would waste money on a degree like Classics which is of no relevance to today's society, only to get a job unrelated to what they studied)
Unless the degree prepares you for a job, like law or medicine, then it's a waste of time and you're far better off getting a job or apprenticeship as they won't get you into debt.
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
People say you need a degree otherwise you're limited in what you can do, which is false. From what I've seen, people only go to university to party and drink.
Here are some common stereotypes about university that just aren't true -
1. Having a degree will set you up for life
(This is false, most employers want experience not a dodgy 2:1 in a useless subject like Philosophy)
2. Most employers would rather hire someone with a degree as it shows you can think
(So someone without a degree is incapable of thinking? Ridiculous, a degree only proves that you've spent 3 or so years learning academic material. I struggle to see how that makes someone employable)
3. It's difficult to get through life without a degree (Again, this just isn't true. New Labour wanted everyone to go to university and it's ruined our society ever since)
4. It doesn't matter what you study as long as you have a degree (Well I don't know anyone who would waste money on a degree like Classics which is of no relevance to today's society, only to get a job unrelated to what they studied)
Unless the degree prepares you for a job, like law or medicine, then it's a waste of time and you're far better off getting a job or apprenticeship as they won't get you into debt.
i agree with you. to get a job you need experience and networking, not a degree. sure you may need a degree like in law or medicine like you said but a lot of jobs nowadays dont need a degree. for example the job i want to go into doesnt require a degree (although i still want to get one because i love learning). i could go straight into work which is a possibility for me in the future but we'll have to see what a level grades i get. there are no entry requirements for the university i want to go to because its the open university but still.
Reply 2
Being a 40 something year old female I would say degrees are not the answer to everything and you can have a good and progressive career without one. I worked for 18 years in finance as a credit controller and purchasing clerk without a degree I studied AAT. I’m now an undergraduate in biomedical science as I now want to work as a biomedical scientist. Unless you are going into medicine, law, teaching or engineering etc there is absolutely no point to doing a degree.
Reply 3
Original post
by KazStudiesBeing a 40 something year old female I would say degrees are not the answer to everything and you can have a good and progressive career without one. I worked for 18 years in finance as a credit controller and purchasing clerk without a degree I studied AAT. I’m now an undergraduate in biomedical science as I now want to work as a biomedical scientist. Unless you are going into medicine, law, teaching or engineering etc there is absolutely no point to doing a degree.
ooh thats so cool. thats a good point actually, degrees are not the answer to everything. another point to add is that your career aspirations could change throughout your working life so theres no point in doing a specific degree. if you were to do a degree its best to pick something more generalised and useful like stem.
Reply 4
21
Original post
by AnonymousWhy are people so obsessed with universities and degrees when they are no guarantee of success in life?
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
People say you need a degree otherwise you're limited in what you can do, which is false. From what I've seen, people only go to university to party and drink.
Here are some common stereotypes about university that just aren't true -
1. Having a degree will set you up for life
(This is false, most employers want experience not a dodgy 2:1 in a useless subject like Philosophy)
2. Most employers would rather hire someone with a degree as it shows you can think
(So someone without a degree is incapable of thinking? Ridiculous, a degree only proves that you've spent 3 or so years learning academic material. I struggle to see how that makes someone employable)
3. It's difficult to get through life without a degree (Again, this just isn't true. New Labour wanted everyone to go to university and it's ruined our society ever since)
4. It doesn't matter what you study as long as you have a degree (Well I don't know anyone who would waste money on a degree like Classics which is of no relevance to today's society, only to get a job unrelated to what they studied)
Unless the degree prepares you for a job, like law or medicine, then it's a waste of time and you're far better off getting a job or apprenticeship as they won't get you into debt.
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
People say you need a degree otherwise you're limited in what you can do, which is false. From what I've seen, people only go to university to party and drink.
Here are some common stereotypes about university that just aren't true -
1. Having a degree will set you up for life
(This is false, most employers want experience not a dodgy 2:1 in a useless subject like Philosophy)
2. Most employers would rather hire someone with a degree as it shows you can think
(So someone without a degree is incapable of thinking? Ridiculous, a degree only proves that you've spent 3 or so years learning academic material. I struggle to see how that makes someone employable)
3. It's difficult to get through life without a degree (Again, this just isn't true. New Labour wanted everyone to go to university and it's ruined our society ever since)
4. It doesn't matter what you study as long as you have a degree (Well I don't know anyone who would waste money on a degree like Classics which is of no relevance to today's society, only to get a job unrelated to what they studied)
Unless the degree prepares you for a job, like law or medicine, then it's a waste of time and you're far better off getting a job or apprenticeship as they won't get you into debt.
Who is this "society" that you speak of?
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
You've picked two careers there that haven't always required degrees. Neither barristers nor surgeons required degrees for a long time. Solicitors can qualify without them.
What you're doing is making up a premise that you don't really understand, reflects a point of view held by a section of people, and then stating that this is societal.
Degrees by and large are a measure of education. In the mass jobs marketplace there isn't really the time nor sophistication to try and recruit people based on their individual talents, so education level is used as a surrogate. You mention apprenticeships, which are a largely measure of training. Some apprenticehips are excellent, others less so - but they usually train you to do one thing and are workplace based -and entirely in the interest of the employer. So at the end of one, you might be trained to be a central heating fitter. You'll probably be able to make a good living - but if you decided you wanted to become a teacher, that's likely to require starting again from the beginning. If you have a degree in Classics, sure - you can't really directly do much of anything - but you are showing that you're really clever and hoping that someone will recognise that. You might start out in some kind of graduate job and if you decide to become a teacher (only as an example) some measure of training would be required, but you wouldn't be starting from scratch.
Reply 5
Original post
by TrinculoWho is this "society" that you speak of?
You've picked to careers there that haven't always required degrees. Neither barristers nor surgeons required degrees for a long time. Solicitors can qualify without them.
What you're doing is making up a premise that you don't really understand, reflects a point of view held by a section of people, and then stating that this is societal.
Degrees by and large are a measure of education. In the mass jobs marketplace there isn't really the time nor sophistication to try and recruit people based on their individual talents, so education level is used as a surrogate. You mention apprenticeships, which are a largely measure of training. Some apprenticehips are excellent, others less so - but they usually train you to do one thing and are workplace based -and entirely in the interest of the employer. So at the end of one, you might be trained to be a central heating fitter. You'll probably be able to make a good living - but if you decided you wanted to become a teacher, that's likely to require starting again from the beginning. If you have a degree in Classics, sure - you can't really directly do much of anything - but you are showing that you're really clever and hoping that someone will recognise that. You might start out in some kind of graduate job and if you decide to become a teacher (only as an example) some measure of training would be required, but you wouldn't be starting from scratch.
You've picked to careers there that haven't always required degrees. Neither barristers nor surgeons required degrees for a long time. Solicitors can qualify without them.
What you're doing is making up a premise that you don't really understand, reflects a point of view held by a section of people, and then stating that this is societal.
Degrees by and large are a measure of education. In the mass jobs marketplace there isn't really the time nor sophistication to try and recruit people based on their individual talents, so education level is used as a surrogate. You mention apprenticeships, which are a largely measure of training. Some apprenticehips are excellent, others less so - but they usually train you to do one thing and are workplace based -and entirely in the interest of the employer. So at the end of one, you might be trained to be a central heating fitter. You'll probably be able to make a good living - but if you decided you wanted to become a teacher, that's likely to require starting again from the beginning. If you have a degree in Classics, sure - you can't really directly do much of anything - but you are showing that you're really clever and hoping that someone will recognise that. You might start out in some kind of graduate job and if you decide to become a teacher (only as an example) some measure of training would be required, but you wouldn't be starting from scratch.
cant you do a degree apprenticeship to become a solicitor these days?
Original post
by AnonymousWhy are people so obsessed with universities and degrees when they are no guarantee of success in life?
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
People say you need a degree otherwise you're limited in what you can do, which is false. From what I've seen, people only go to university to party and drink.
Here are some common stereotypes about university that just aren't true -
1. Having a degree will set you up for life
(This is false, most employers want experience not a dodgy 2:1 in a useless subject like Philosophy)
2. Most employers would rather hire someone with a degree as it shows you can think
(So someone without a degree is incapable of thinking? Ridiculous, a degree only proves that you've spent 3 or so years learning academic material. I struggle to see how that makes someone employable)
3. It's difficult to get through life without a degree (Again, this just isn't true. New Labour wanted everyone to go to university and it's ruined our society ever since)
4. It doesn't matter what you study as long as you have a degree (Well I don't know anyone who would waste money on a degree like Classics which is of no relevance to today's society, only to get a job unrelated to what they studied)
Unless the degree prepares you for a job, like law or medicine, then it's a waste of time and you're far better off getting a job or apprenticeship as they won't get you into debt.
I get that certain jobs will always require degrees, like law and medicine, but this is not the case for most other jobs.
People say you need a degree otherwise you're limited in what you can do, which is false. From what I've seen, people only go to university to party and drink.
Here are some common stereotypes about university that just aren't true -
1. Having a degree will set you up for life
(This is false, most employers want experience not a dodgy 2:1 in a useless subject like Philosophy)
2. Most employers would rather hire someone with a degree as it shows you can think
(So someone without a degree is incapable of thinking? Ridiculous, a degree only proves that you've spent 3 or so years learning academic material. I struggle to see how that makes someone employable)
3. It's difficult to get through life without a degree (Again, this just isn't true. New Labour wanted everyone to go to university and it's ruined our society ever since)
4. It doesn't matter what you study as long as you have a degree (Well I don't know anyone who would waste money on a degree like Classics which is of no relevance to today's society, only to get a job unrelated to what they studied)
Unless the degree prepares you for a job, like law or medicine, then it's a waste of time and you're far better off getting a job or apprenticeship as they won't get you into debt.
You can become a lawyer with any degree and 50% of solicitors of barristers hold a non-law degree (either first degree or at all).
Most jobs are unrelated to any degree, so by your logic all degrees are of no value for those jobs - investment banks don't care what subject their grad analysts did, and since they happily accept philosophy and classics grads as well as medicine and law grads then either you think all these degrees are pointless or you accept that any degree can be useful for the purpose of having a degree and developing transferable skills.
In any event I'd take this more seriously if you hadn't hid behind anon and originally posted in the wrong forum to misuse anonymous because you can't stand by your own "hot takes" that are clearly devised merely to cause controversy and provoke responses...
(edited 1 year ago)
Reply 7
21
Original post
by BigFriendlyKidcant you do a degree apprenticeship to become a solicitor these days?
Maybe. Personally I see the degree apprenticeships in general as being a very tough sell for the employer. If degrees are mostly about education as a signalling mechanism, then what is the point of funding a non-graduate to give them a signalling mechanism when you've already made your investment in them? In a lot of cases, all you are really doing is qualifying someone to leave you.
If you have a skills-based apprenticeship, this is vital to the job role. If you are a company that puts the electronics on the top of mobile phone masts, your apprentices are going to come to you with either no training at all or a small amount of classroom based training. You then train them to do the job, and then you just hope they stay with you. But if you were to upgrade this to a degree apprenticeship, the employer is paying a lot in time and money for training that is utterly irrelevant to the job. Your apprentice knows how to climb the mast and install the electronics and program the software and all that. Why would you now release them for more time off work so that they can learn about imaginary numbers and the chemical composition of solid-state devices?
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- What UK Universities would make someone think, 'They must be intellegent'
- No friend at uni almost near the end of first year
- Career help - Accounting
- Double standard?
- Has Cambridge University lowered it's standards
- Why it's important to be a part of a society at University :)
- Why is LSE so worshipped?
- biomed at RG uni or non RG
- Am I sound?
- Offered an alternative course
- Ask Me Anything - BSc Econ LSE graduate, current investment banking analyst
- how to incorporate context into an english literature essay gcse??
- How to make friends at uni & freshers
- Unseen poetry
- What makes Russel Group Universities Better Than The Rest?
- What's some stuff you regret not doing/doing in your University life?
- Is there a filmmaking society at Uni of Surrey?
- soas or uni of law
- Subjects combination for Computer Science application
- Durham or Bristol to study law
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 month ago
If a teacher uses ChatGPT to write an assignment, can students use ChatGPT to answer?Last reply 3 months ago
Urban planning graduates - what went right and wrong?Last reply 3 months ago
Would you be in favour of university admissions being purely based on exams?Last reply 3 months ago
A.I,chatgpt and people using it for their education and tests.Last reply 3 months ago
Are humanities / arts / social sciences degrees worthless apart from being a hobbyLast reply 4 months ago
How can I report an institution for poor academic practiceLast reply 5 months ago
'Not all state schools are made equal': do grammars dominate top uni admissions?Articles for you
How The Student Room is moderated
To keep The Student Room safe for everyone, we moderate posts that are added to the site.
