Mitchy260

I left school at 16 which were 6 years ago now having 8 standard grades and 3 highers (Scottish school) For those of you unfamiliar with the scottish exams.........

Standard grade= GCSE. A higher is a step down from an A-level, but higher than a GCSE. In Scotland it is possible to complete highers by the time your 16 as its only a 1 yr course and we sit standard grades at 15.

I left school, with a lot of other friends but a lot of others stayed on and applied for uni. Those who went straight out into the job world obviously started earning straight away and are now experienced in job/trade. I am now earning £30000+, another few of my mates who left school at 16 are earning a similar kind of money.

Ive just spoken to an old school friend who has just finished his physiotherapy degree and has just started work earning 17.5k. He says this will rise to £25000 within 3 years! He has debts of over £10000 all due to university, he has worked his *** off and lived like a chav for the last 5-6 years, struggling week in, week out finding money for food, clothes etc. He is now the most juniour in his department and has not got the respect from his peers yet!

I on the other hand, left school at 16, earning steady money to support myself and have enjoyed the last 5-6 years, holiday every year and pissed up all the time. I am now earning in excess of £30000, own a house, have a wife and an impreza sitting on my drive. Compare this to my pal who's just finished his uni degree and there's a big difference. I think i made the correct decision not to go to uni.

Obviously jobs such as lawyers/doctors etc can demand all kinds of money so uni in this sense is beneficial and needed.

This is not a ''I am better than you'' post, it is to find out what other peoples views and opinions are. It is a strange and unfair world, but this is an interesting subject for those school/college leavers!!

Thanks for listening!!

deanimus

To be honest I think a lot of people go to uni as they think they should, there friends go, there parent's expect them to go so they do.
IMO experience is worth a hell of a lot more than a certificate but it depends on the employer.
Many people are sucesful without ever going to uni or college (richard branson for example )

Jerome

Speaking as somone with an HND, I would say that generally a degree is worth it.

Many companies only employ graduates, especially financial institutions etc.

If you ever plan to move abroad, a degree is a lot more useful than some qualification a foreign country has never heard of.

My biggest regret is not going to university. Firstly because the qualification is very useful, and secondly because all the people I know that went to uni had a great laugh there.

All of the above only applies to "useful" degrees rather than humanities degrees or degrees in Elvis or Football Statistics etc.

Jap2Scrap

I've done both. Left school at 16 with a couple of GCEs and went straight into an apprenticeship. At 26 I took the plunge and went back into education, a 4 year degree course. I got a First class honours degree (no mean feat) and 4 years after graduating I'm earning the same as I was before I went, albeit in a different field.

So yes and no. I loved the experience but it's done me no practical good. My job status is better for sure but financially I'm no better off.

davegtt

IMO no its pointless but it depends on the type of job u want... some jobs u would have to study like a bugger and get a degree before a particular job would be available. such as law.... just my opinion

SJ_Skyline

It all depends on where you want to go and what you want to do and how far do you want to persue your career?

Without a degree there are some avenues which are closed to you, i.e. you don't apprentice as a doctor! I am glad I took my degree although even with this I will find that there are avenues still closed to me without an MBA. It all comes back to what do you want to do and how far do you want to persue your career?

I echo Jeromes comments on "useful" degrees! Who the hell needs to employ someone with a degree in Klingon?

All IMHO as ever

Dream Weaver

Aside from letting you have a bloody good time with new friends, new experiences, laydees etc a trip to Uni also gives you independance and confidence.

At 18 you have to look after yourself, cook, do your washing etc and I firmly believe it gives you a better grasp on life. I went to uni, my sister didnt, and we are totally different when it comes to living a grown up life - house, car, responsibilities etc.

It also prepares you for work related things such as report writing, meetings, assignments etc.

What it DOESNT prepare you for is the real world of working - you leave thinking "big bucks here I come", then end up on £10k a year for ages. You can generally progress quicker than those without degrees though.

I now earn more than old freinds that went straight into work.

TelBoy

A good degree from a good university - yes, definitely.

Next?

Brendan Hughes

This is so subjective it's almost impossible.

Everyone has "a mate who..."

Try to find out about the majority, not individual examples. And even then - do you fit with the majority?

Couldn't get my job without a degree, it was a required criterion "graduate level". But not everyone wants to do my job (sit at computer all day reading and writing reports).

<shrugs>

yoza

The definitive answer to the thread title.

Yes, if you really want to work for a fast food chain..

ajm

As people have already said, it depends on the individual and the type of career and industry they are interested in. It is definately not worth it for everyone, despite the government's aspirations to get everyone to go to uni!

darlodge

I left school at 16 and went straight into IT. I've can see the point of further education but its as others have said. it totally depends on your intended field.

My sister went to Uni and then further training as she is training to be a lawyer. She has loans over £25,000 and still lives at home with my parents

I however earn more than her and am 100% sure I made the correct decision in starting work straight away. I've got a house, car, etc and I enjoy working. I always hated schooling.

So IMO, UNI is pointless, UNLESS you field requires it (doctor, vet, lawyer etc.).

Darren

Butkus

I would say that people need to stop comparing themselves all the time. Making comparisons is fear, and where there's fear there can't be happiness. People are obsessed with status and comparison.

A little weird tangent there, I'm sorry.

Tiggs

interesting one....i left at 16 and started in financial services at 21 after 5 years in a gym!

within 3 years i was earning over 100k......i recently look at changing career (not to do it...just peeking over the fence as it where!)

turns out loads of places wanted degrees to earn even 1/3rd of what i make........so it seems there are ppl out there who get lucky/work hard and get decent money without a degree and so assume its not needed......when in fact it is still pretty usefull.

T

ps...that said my kids are only going if they do law/medicine...otherwise they can get a job!

Brendan Hughes

BTW, think of who you're asking.

Try asking the same question on Corsasport, then a Porsche BBS, and see if the replies differ.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I had a fantastic time at Uni. I even managed to get a degree too.

The diversity of the people around you certainly help dispell the blinkered stereotypical POV - that most half intellegent yet immature 18 year olds possess.

True we lived as paupers, but then again you still had enough for booze, **** and drugs

4 years of **** a fresher on fresher's fortnight, mmm memories

SJ_Skyline

We only had 1 week in Newcastle

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Is that why you stayed on to get a masters?

Abdabz

Only for specific jobs - eg in law, medicine and sports science (well 2 of 'em anyway)... A degree in business studies or sociology or art is just a good excuse to get hammered for 3 or so years...
I took an informed decision that despite 3 A-levels (one in sociology hee hee) I was going to get out and earn dosh...Worked for me (might not for everyone). I was the only person in my college (good college) who chose that route much to the horror of the head!!

dtriggs

It also depends on where you go. With the renaming of all Polytechnics as Unis it has devalued the general term 'Degree'.

If you know what you want to do at 18 and wont need a degree to do it then great dont go. If you dont (as per most people) then go and dont close avenues off - then when you know what you want to do, u can choose.

I got a first class degree from a top University in Engineering and then got a job with no need for a degree. I now earn far more than any of my mates from Uni.

There are no rules to this.

ScoobyDoo555

I left home at 16 to go to college in a different part of the country - same deal as above. By the age of 19, I had my first mortgage. I'm qualified to HND level BTW, but also have experience on my side. So yes, I'm very qualified in what I do (audio)

After working in Industry, I now lecture (easy money ), I would deffo say that a degree is worth having - IF it's in a worthwhile field, and you use it to further onto a PHD or something similar.

Unfortunately, A Levels and degrees - everybody's got one now

We're becoming a nation of over-qualified pen-pushers. There are no skilled craftsmen coming up through the generations - plumbers, sparkeys etc. They're the ones who earn more than anybody else, and will continue to do so until the problem rectifies itself - unlikely due to the snobbery surrounding education. [GETS OFF SOAPBOX!!]

Just my 2p

Dan

StickyMicky

i couldnt handle uni so never botherd, i only did 6th form as my dad said i didnt have to pay board until i had a full time job but i hated it

never knew what i wanted to be, so i figured i haadd another 2 years to think about it and did a few A levels

for what its worth i still dopnt have a clue what i want to do but im earnining about 25k so its never really harmed me

m GF is still in uni, she knows exactly what she wants so shes going for it, i can see first hand what uni life is like regards bills and such, it looks like hard work IMO she will probably make loads more money then me when she finnish`s, which is better in the long run, thhe problem is i just couldnt be arsed with the long run

when i was 17 i set myself a target of 20k/year
my have scince moved my target to 40k/year and i will achieve it, but it calls for a change of jobs and going to self employed

im currently waiting for the right moment to make the change, and im next on the list for my choosen place of work (self employed manager of a franchise) but you can only get in when sumbody leaves and only then if another manager or simmiler recomends you (all sorted on that front)

go that way for a few years, build up the contacts, then go compleatly solo for even more cash

UNI just wasnt for me

WRXPete

It totally depends on your motives and what you want from it.
I got an Hons degree from Birmingham, and now i'm in a job where i need no qualifications at all....but the confidence i gained from being at uni and the experiences it gave me, and then the chance it offered me to get a job abroad for a year were what i was lacking to get the job i now have!!!
So it all depends......
And before you wonder, just cos i don't need qualifications in my job, doesn't mean it's some dead end minimum wage thing....just need life skills instead!!

Dream Weaver

The only reason I went to uni was to have 4 years of fun and games before growing up - best thing I ever did.

Old_Fart

"I left school at 16 which were 6 years ago now having 8 standard grades and 3 highers (Scottish school)"
You can't learn grammer like that from a book! That's the university of life speaking
Cman

Rags

For me uni was a great time.. 2 years of eye opening experiences with some studying thrown in.

I'm also of the opinion that if you go to a top uni and study law/medicine etc then its worth it. Like people have said to many crap uni's now with degrees in things like David Beckham WTF???

I left after HND level because basically I had lost my motivation for the course got a job and have been working for nearly 4 years for the same company and have seen a nice chunk of the world.

Been offered a job in the states, nice one , however because I don't have a degree getting a long term visa is VERY VERY difficult. For a US visa immigration dont give a **** what your degree is in aslong as you have that piece of paper that says " woo hoo i got a degree" could be basket weaving for all they care. So once I move I have to go back to uni in the states to finish my degree.

So if anyones thinking of leaving England later in life I recommend getting a degree, just not a mickey mouse one from a tin pot uni.

2 cents worth

Rags

Brendan Hughes

Rags, I understand that it doesn't cost much (in time or money) to get a degree from an American university? I get emails about them all the time

Rags

Cheap as chips mate... if your gonna go you might aswell do two degrees!!

Brendan Hughes

What p!sses me off is I get five emails a week saying "Need a degree to get that job? Come to us!". And I'm thinking "I already have two bloody good degrees thanks, and if they don't help me get that job, one of your bubblejet printed ones certainly won't..."