Is uni as good/important as it is made out to be?

Entertainment Forum Helper, Careers Forum Helper

Is uni as good/important as it is made out to be?

Back when i was at 6th form, it was all uni this and uni that. There were no other options but uni.
Sure, uni is required for certain career paths such as teaching, medicine, dentistry etc.
But is it amazing and is it the be all and end all that its made out to be?

Reply 1

Talkative Toad

No (in that it’s not the be all and end all like the question implies).

I found it to be good so far but there’s probably too many people going to university for the sake of it or in my case to please parent. Combined that with people wanting to do degrees in oversaturated areas.

Reply 2

dhqnyq

People can get judged sometimes if they say they didn't go to university as it's kind of portrayed as the most ideal path to go in for your future education (just my opinion.) It sounds like fun if you choose a degree you'd enjoy doing, but the fees are expensive.

(edited 12 months ago)

Reply 3

Universities Forum Helper, Clearing and Applications Advisor

It’s worth remembering that university participation rates at 18 are still only about 50%. So if everyone you know is going to university that probably means your social circle is fairly narrow (and statistically speaking that your social circle is likely to be wealthier than average)

Reply 4

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper, Careers Forum Helper

Original post

by Talkative Toad

No (in that it’s not the be all and end all like the question implies).
I found it to be good so far but there’s probably too many people going to university for the sake of it or in my case to please parent. Combined that with people wanting to do degrees in oversaturated areas.

I agree.
Some people do go for the sake of it. And some people do go and do stuff in oversaturated subjects/career areas.
Obviously with certain stuff you need to go to uni.
But there's plenty of other stuff that leads to good jobs which doesn't require uni. For example going into a trade (plumber, electrician, plasterer, bricklayer, joiner etc.
Or with quite a few stuff, you can start at the bottom and work your way up.
Or there's also apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships, where you still get the qualifications but have a job/experience etc.

Reply 5

hotpud

Original post

by Emma:-)

Is uni as good/important as it is made out to be?
Back when i was at 6th form, it was all uni this and uni that. There were no other options but uni.
Sure, uni is required for certain career paths such as teaching, medicine, dentistry etc.
But is it amazing and is it the be all and end all that its made out to be?

If you wish to move in circles of society for which a university degree is important then yes, it is important. Similarly, the experience some students have at university is superb although I imagine this is aligned with how wealthy they are. It can't be much fun if you have to work all the time. But there are lots of alternative routes and you don't have to study when you are 18. You can do so at any time in your life.