V-techland

Was out with my hosuemate last night in his scoob, and we were horsing around and generally loving the ability of the car
(MY00 UK spec classic with HKS downpipe + Bllitz Nur spec system + HKS dome filter).

It suddenly occured to me that while I went to University (which incidently is a con.........you don't necessarily feel the benefits of having a degree slip in sourcing 'good' employment, you just have sh*t loads of debt to pay back!) He was the one buying + owning nice cars

Point is, I Hanker for one, but can't afford to buy one and certainly cant afford to run one (400miles minimun weekly mileage just to go to work!).

Bit of a winge I know, but the next time you guys question why you bought one..........remember us less fortunate who would love one

PS: In no way shape or form am I knocking the social side to University life because..................its the BOMB

Thanks for listening...........well reading.....oh you know what I mean!!!

V-techland

Wow....just realised what a crap thread I have just written!!!! ;0

Oh well never mind.............still hankering though!!

Sorry for wasting your time guys.

V-techland

Booo bettyy boo boo da boo betty booo..........anyone else bored at work this morning??

To add insult to injury most of my mates are off to Ibiza on Sunday.............leaving me to get my head gasket fixed on the Saxophone VTS

Old_Fart

I went to university for 3 months, then left for a security guard job in London. Now have 2 STI's, 2 properties, 2 kids(!) and all the toys I can fit in the house/garage. Hope this makes you feel better
Chucky
(Ok, I'll admit I'm no longer a security guard )

IN THE STICKS

Just yhink though in 10 years time when you've paid off your debt the worlds your oyster !...petrol will be £35 a gallon and 10 year old scoobies will be given away with happy meals ...enjoy
Dave

Leslie

Interesting point you made about university V-Tech. I could have gone but decided to enter the wide world instead. Never have been as well off as Old Fart, but spent all my career in the RAF and never regretted it. As they say,you dont make money in the Services but you tend to enjoy life. I used to see university entrants who did their degree paid for by the RAF who then joined the Service with accelerated promotion. It was illuminating to see that these guys did not have the first idea how to handle men. They had no worldly experience and it took a very long time to knock the corners off them. By that time they had lost out on the real life experience that non university entrants had and many of them never learned at all. The day I left the Service I was interviewed by the Station Commander who said he thought that the university entrant scheme was a total waste of time and money!

Les

BlueSimon

Your not 'Ginger' are you?

Only kidding

I was too poor to go to uni when i was young (pass me my slippers dear) but am currently enjoying my MY03 PPP 'Company Car' hense no running costs

Simon

V-techland

Why would being ginger just finish off my trail of disappointment?? (I'm not by the way!)

Leslie, what do you mean by 'handle men', I do hope you are female!!!!!!! ;o only joking

Stueyb

I have to agree here. I went to Uni, and ok, without it I woulnt be exactly where I am today (sliding doors? anyone ) However, I feel Uni was a 'kin waste of time, effort and money to end up in this s*ithole dealing with *****rs all day who want a new PC or this or that or some other related sh*te (YES IM HAVING A BAD DAY - In fact bad year)

I now have decided i must start paying back the money. However I don't think the money was worth it. The real p*ss take is that I recently went on an extreme cost cutting measure (houses aint cheap to keep) and i managed to shave off around £200 per month. Well done me thought, only to have the *ankers at Student Loans company want me to pay them £120 a month now, so savings gone.

The real problem though is that a make of mine is in IT (as a contractor) started later than me and earns more money without a degree and he doesn't have to worry about paying back some money to the government (who already tax me to nearly £600 pm)

Basically the degree has only got me one job interview where the others couldn't (peachy job, flying round the world consulting (read San Jose, Dresden and Tel aviv @ 70K p.a.)

Old_Fart

On the other hand in my business now we only consider people from the 'top' universities with first class degrees these days. So a degree can certainly open doors which otherwise wouldn't even be visible. It's all about deferred gratification, 4 years out of Uni it should really begin to pay dividends. Stick with it, it can only get better, and will.
Rgds
Chuck

ADP

I have a couple of mates who may disagree with you, both graduated with good degrees and did 3 years in the Universities air squadrons while at Uni. 1 now flies tornadoes and the other is an instructor having graduated from the squadron(probably wrong phrase) as no.1 in his year.

I dont think they are a "waste of time" at all, they are 2 of the most well rounded individuals I know.

Its horses for courses though, there are plenty of people who have made it good after graduating, where as others did better without degrees etc etc.........some luck, some chance, some skill, some hard work??????????? could be either or any.

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

Dude, a proper education is never a waste of time!

I dropped out of uni after 6 months and got a job in IT (always been a computer nerd), and I've worked for about four and a half years now.

I like my job, but I really, really want a degree... So bad in fact that I'm doing an Open University computing degree at the moment (first year, plan to do it in max five).

There's no question about it, IMHO. If you want to even get past the agents, you need a degree or a lot of luck.

So, why do I want a degree? Because companies go belly up, or I get bored etc, and then it's nice to have a degree too find another job.

Nexuas

OUt of the same degree course you will get many different results. It has as much to do with the person as it does the degree. I gearduated 2 years ago and think I am doing OK out of it.

From my course there are now people earning 30K+ and there are some who don't even get 12K. It all about your own choices.

I have a nice(ish) House, a MY98 Scooby and no savings at all. It is all about personal choice?

Nexuas.

V-techland

Henrik, I'm not disagreeing with you at all mate, infact I feel that my education has been a good one!

I never really achieved much at school (except sporting accolades), you see I was always the class clown!!

College went better, but I really managed to hone my efforts at University..........ended up with:

1) Upper second class (2.1) in Business and Marketing.
2) Third highest disertation grade in the whole of the Business school.
3) Currently writting a piece with my disertation tutor based around 'branding' which will hopefully be published in numerous Marketing journals and books, to help peeps of the future!

The point is that some of my friends have landed jobs with £40k, £50k £60k packages and I'm stuck in a job which pays well below £20k infact considerably less than £18k!

The difference is enormous, and i'm just a little dejected at the divide which a mere 4 years seems to have created :0

I appreciate that the real value of my degree will probably come when i'm a 30/40something with the same experience on paper as other candidates, and my degree should help 'seal the deal' , its just that sometimes its nice to live for the day, and the day should involve an Impreza

Dan B

I've been a full time student for the past 6 years, and am now on my 2nd scoob Unlike most of my mates at uni I didn't go around poking my head up my own **** for three years and got a job! WOW! Indeed I do have a bit of debt to pay back, when, if, I ever finish, but I considered how much tax I saved paying over the years, it all evens out really. Nice. Mind you the Inland Revenue still haven't given me
the 02/03 tax back yet.. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

I think I'm going for a lunch time blat in the STI now

worley

IMHO Degrees are not a waste of time. As stated earlier, the benefits are deferred. In my industry (industrial gases sector), it normaly takes about four years to differentiate yourself from new graduates entering the company.

I have quite few a graduates coming to me looking for advice on moving companies, mainly because of relatively low salaries. Remember, the first few years' payscale is quite flat, mainly because they are still only contributing according to their limited experience.

Another prime factor, is that the salary to entice good graduates into the company grows at a higher rate when compared to graduates already on the 'scheme'.

The best advice I can give to you is to plan your career. Pay someone if necessary, write down what you want to achieve. Are you driven by:

Salary
Gaining knowledge
Working with intellectuals
Forming relationships
Achieving targets
Being a leader

Remember, you've done the hard part (3-4 years concerted effort) and you need to capitalise upon it.

Nik

V-techland

I worked every weekend (for four years) whilst at Uni!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In a soddin superstore.

Sometimes its not always easy to make ends meet!!! I still do a 6 day week now

Dan B

Did you get in before having to pay the fees? I escaped that by a year or two... So I suppose I had a bit extra to play with.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

V-techland got the same problem here

My degree is'nt worth wipeing my 4rse with. 3 years of full-time income wasted in my opinion.

Ok, I'm working, but for a pittance of what I know I'm capeable of. And the work I do has nothing to do with my degree. I could have done it from college or even school!

Do have scoob though worked hard to get it (even at uni) and I was one of the lucky ones who still had grant cheques (the year before they were abolished). Barely covered for the travel and living costs. Lived at home throughout and worked throughout uni too.

Scoob was bought with Bank Loan, Inheritance, and Loan from the 'rents. Insurance is trade through my work

But I can't afford to drive it everyday (glug glug) so I have to endure using a banger instead

-reposted as the 1st one disappeared

Nexuas

Just wait for the time you can corner like a goodun.

V-techland

Bloody hell, for a crap thread, this really has sparked some interest!!

Incidently, I don't recall ever suggesting that Degrees were in anyway shape or form a 'waste of time', I was merely pointing out that the benefits which the government sells degrees around, do not come to fruition when you really need them too!

If four years seems to be the honeymoon period for a degree to distinguish me from others then thats fine

Your feedback has been useful guys

I'll leave you all with a quote: 'The harder I work, the luckier I become' (Bernard Langer on the ATP tour). If this is true then I need to get some luck to get my scoob!

Nexuas

That last post should have been a corner?

Any way.

Do a search for "Just having a moan"

I felt the same thing as you about two years ago, but now I have what I wanted. Wait and you will appreciate it more.

I know that is easy for me to say now, but it is true, just hang in there.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I think it had something to do with my post disappearing when I edited it Nexuas!

Nexuas

I think we have all felt down

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

University is not a waste of time, without it I would be able:

* To decide I didn't want a career in Engineering!!!
* Get into IT so quickly
* Move away from home and get some life skills (paying bills, cooking, etc)
* Enjoy student life and Manchester nightlife!
* See Nirvana before they were famous!!! (and numerous other bands)
* See Jack Dee and Lee Evans for £3!!!
* Drink 100 units of alcohol a week and not be consider an alcoholic!!!
* Play rugby (as I wasn't good enough at school!)
* Meet loads of new people, many of which are still good friends (people I met 9-12 years ago!)
* Have my first live in girlfriend!!!
* Have a silly haircut and have no one judge you!!! (Shoulder length bob, with a grade 1 undershave!!! )
* Have better interpersonal skills!

I believe that being a student away from home has made me a much more rounded person! (Excuse the pun, but I have lost a lot weight recently!!) With the added ability to be able to cope with the big wide work world much better, than if I just went straight from school or college!

Nexuas

Me too. Althought got told it was silly and had to grow it out.

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

It's silly now, but as an early 90's student it was fine (even cool )!!

Obviously the sensible haircut had to happen when I graduated!

LG John

Most of my mates that did an apprenticeship (sp?) (one with an engineering firm, one as a painter and decorator and one with Royal Mail) do significantly better than me with my planning degree and two years working experience. If you factor in that they were earning a wage for the four years I was accumulating debt and they've got me whipped hands down Its a situation that might change one day but I'd be very suprised if it happens within the next 15 years

Re: your flatmate with the scooby don't be bothered by it mate! His car might be faster, bigger, more comfortable and have a slightly better image but I promise yours is more fun Just yesterday I took an old friend out in mines for a semi-spirited drive and I recall pulling out of a junction and flooring it through the gears. Waaaaa tsh, waaaaa tsh, waaaaaaaaa, tsh...and 13s later we're doing 100mph. I could hardly feel it and I could hardly even notice it. The scooby does exactly what it says on the tin.......goes fast. Its the same in the twisties as well. To be honest, it can be quite boring and you never get a friendly 'play' with other cars because they are all scared of it. Frankly I find the propect of driving a scrabbly, torque steering, ***** out, noisy, uncomfortable, squeeky but fast hot-hatch quite exciting. I want good 0-60mph times to be a challenge as opposed to a foregone conclusion!

Just last night I was talking on MSN to Neil (a cup owner) and Craggy (from SSC with the unreasonably fast Saxo (considering the lack of mods)) and I found that it was me that was wanting to talk about their cars as opposed to mine! Maybe if you stuck 500bhp in a scooby it would be scrabbly enough to be exciting but with 275bhp its just a little inducing Enjoy these times my friend

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I had a great time at UNI. Learnt something too. Like Engineers are **** poorly paid

V-techland

Hey you lot, i'm hard at work..........trying to change my luck!!

SB = wow you could start a whole new thread from that, probably being answered with such comments as '13 sec 0-100, how do you know that, were you timing?' etc etc you know the thing!!

I love the Saxo to pieces, it handling is sublime, and it goes pretty well too If I was a rich lunie I would very much like to make it a two engined car like the old Dubsport Mk3 (now that would be cool).

This whole thread seems to have fixated about the Uni thing!

Uni is excellent because:

1) Most of andy tangs comments are very true (except it was about £7 to see Lee live!)

2) The birds........ahh.......all willing and loving ;P

I did have a string of modified cars through Uni . It was just that I hanker afetr some Boxer powered fun (lets face it the Saxo doesn't sound 1/2 as good!)