Big Daz

The company I work for now has 5 Design Engineers of which I am one, 4 have degrees and I do not, I got the job through having experience, ambition and being able to be convincing at interviews
Oh and I am the highest paid of the 5 of us

Big Daz

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I did a HND and a degree in electrical/electronic engineering. The degree needed a bit more brain power but the HND was much harder to pass. Feckin full days of lectures all week, you HAD to turn up and sign the register to each lecture - tons of coursework, really not in the Uni spirit at all However I really enjoyed the degree, never saw a morning for months on end

LOL Uni definately is what you want to make it, all avenues are there.

weapon69

Well I thought i might learn something if i go to college, not uni

I get too distracted, plus this way i can keep an eye on the bf LOL

KungFuMonkey

Being at uni till your 24 isnt getting that old. Im 24 and im about to start uni in 2 months. Will take me 5 years to complete my masters.

Ive been trying to get into the career i want for 3 years now. Everytime i apply i get knocked back due to not having a degree (And it not just 1 type of position, its about 8-9).

I think degrees are well worth it (Especially if the industries of technical nature), i know a lot of people who cant progress in their jobs as they dont have the required tick.

Education is becoming more and more important when applying for jobs. Experience is often not enough anymore, and they expect you to have the right tick in the box.

I dont know if many companies are like this, but the company i work for have strict critera for each job and if you dont get all the ticks in the right box, you dont get an interview.

I dont think you can ever be too educated.

my £2.63's worth.

Jono

weapon69

Well unlike my mates, Im in no hurry to do everything by the age of 21

Some might call that lazy I call it philosophical

weapon69

Its good to have an open mind

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

If you went to Uni, you wouldn't worry about keeping an eye on B20 for long

more the other way round, sorry geez!

weapon69

Thats quite unlikely I think

RS2 JIM

iTrader: (5)

Weapon69,

I was in a very similar situation when i left school. I had an offer of a uni place but was reluctant to take it as i wasn;t really interested in further education and was looking for something that i really wanted to do. Eventually i found my current job as a shipbroker and i haven't looked back since. Just got my charter degree (paid for by company) today so as of this morning i earn twice that of my accountant friends who were all at Uni and have massive debts and my wages can only go up from here as i gain experience. I'm 22 btw.

I hope this is of use.

james

weapon69

Thanks James

I've changed my mind a fair bit on this subject (just ask B2Z )!!

I think a year of work would be best for me just to pay off what i already owe. My circumstances have changed and my eagerness for university has diminished rapidly. However I realise that without some sort of trade/skill I am not going to progress in the business world the same way as graduates are. The college course I have looked at would be in the evening and at the moment I think its the best solution.
(Although the family think i'm mad )

weapon69

2days to go.........

Chris L

The situation at the moment is very confused. I wouldn't want to be 18 again and having to make the decision of whether to goto University or not. When I finished my A Levels in 1990 (I think) - it was a no-brainer, economy was on the up, plenty of jobs about - I've not looked back. Financially speaking, I still earn more than just about any of my mates who went to University. So from that point-of-view, I made the right decision.

That is not the whole picture though - it is a different way of life - the social side is great (I've spent more weekends than I care to remember with my mates when they were at Uni ) and in several cases, friends of mine made life changing discoveries at Uni. A good friend has a degree in Chemical Engineering from Birmingham, but realised that his real vocation was acting (and he is pretty good too!) - whether he would have done this without University I don't know, but it certainly stimulated him to make the choice.

It seems to me that in the not too distant future, just about everyone will go to University - just like the States. Equally, there will be a hierarchy of Colleges and University (already exists in parts today) - an 'Ivy League' to quote the Americans. Degrees gained at Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Imperial College etc will be considered 'better' than other institutions. Whether that is right or not - who knows? But I think it is inevitable that employers will look at degrees in different ways to distinguish between them.

Gone are the days when having a degree guaranteed you a certain kind of job!

Chris

NACRO

quote "Durham"

you are joking surely? that's where I went and I didn't think the academic standards were anything like as good as Oxbridge or even places like York. Mind you I left with a 2.1 so I'm not Grade 'A' material.

Getting back on topic- go to University- you only get one chance to go when you are young and by not going you are missing out on one of lifes great experiences. Screw the debt- you can always dodge it-LOL.

weapon69

LOL Nacro.

Well I've got myself a 'proper job' now but the only thing about university that i would miss out on is the social side-spent a few nights with mates at uni and it was fantastic. Im not sure its worth 12-15K worth of debt though!

chaos.

What are you studying? 'tis results on thurseday, god knows where I'll be then.. :roleyes:

NACRO

It's not so much the social side, although that is great. It's more the "mind expansion" it inevitably causes. I went there with some ideas of maybe getting on the corporate gravy train (I did eventually- worse luck) and ended up becoming a globe trotting ex-pat who has retired in his very early 30's.

If I hadnt gone to University I'd probably have ended up working for some god awful companies for the rest of my life without ever seeing the bigger picture. University makes you realise there are possibilities you had never even imagined.

That said good luck to you in your new job- the best advice I can give is don't take it too seriously. That way lies madness.

weapon69

Im studying Business. Not sure i want to know results anyway

Oh well, i don't think 21 is too old for uni......

KungFuMonkey

Definatley not too old for uni.

As before im 24 and start in about 7 weeks time.

Jono

weapon69

Tomorrow-Judgement Day

Absolutely brickin it now

KungFuMonkey

good luck.

weapon69

Annnnnnd the result is....










I've done much better than expected

Don't even need to go through clearing

However, I am turning down the offer from the university and doing some actual WORK for a year. Start new job on Monday

Hope everyone getting exam results today got what they wanted/needed

B2Z I am in such a good mood i might even buy you a pint tonight!

Thanks everyone for all the responses They really helped me to think things through.

Woohooooooo!!