#45

Honestly don’t know if I’d go - £3k fees probably wouldn’t have put me off, I suspect £9k fees would have done, despite (in retrospect) my degree (Software Engineering MEng) having led me into a well paid career that I largely enjoy.

I may well have gone straight into web development at 18 and had a middling career in that/maybe dabbling with apps rather than writing enterprise level stuff for contact centres. Hard to say really. If I had gone, I’d have probably stuck with the same degree though.

#46

As an aside, I’m really amazed at how many jobs ask for a degree relevant to the work as the first essential criteria. As if experience doesn’t count for anything

#47

Dunno… we’d all still be filled with the boundless optimism of youth so probably - no matter how much we’re saying no with hindsight.

6 Likes
#48

Having a great time finding a job thanks

#49

Yeah. I still think it was the subject I would enjoy the most. If I had to change, I’d probably do philosophy, maybe history. Theology or classics would also be cool but I suck at languages. Maybe PPE as well.

The only alternative path would be to do this:

https://www.hw.ac.uk/study/uk/undergraduate/brewing-and-distilling.htm

#50

Nah, now they’ve done away with maintenance grants I simply wouldn’t be able to afford it. Fortunately the maintenance grant was much more than I really needed so I lived like a feudal baron for 3 years (only with more FIFA).

1 Like
#51

Nah, too expensive. Even if all the economic forecasts told me I would earn more with a degree than I would without, and it would eventually yield a return in tens of years, it still wouldn’t matter to me.

I would study something like civil engineering if I had my time again.

#52

Actually yeah even after the Welsh gov paid all my tuition fees and Aber gave me a scholarship I struggled quite often, if neither of those things were available I do think I’d have second thoughts. But I doubt I’d think of anything else to do.

#53

Without a shadow of a doubt, yes.

My degree’s made little difference to my career so far and I was relatively lucky in that I went to uni while the fees were just £3k and got a maintenance grant and bursaries which gave me more than what I really needed. So maybe I’d have to reassess what degree to pick and how I’d get through it financially.

But irrespective of all that, my three years at uni were the best years of my life tbh, and knowing everything I know now I’d still go to uni under the new fees in a heartbeat.

#54

I’m find it’s the other way round. Lack of experience is massively hindering me from getting a job.

2 Likes
#55

while it’s true that the fees are an extra layer of income tax and the thresholds mean that the repayments are unlikely to cause massive financial hardship… the system is still totally unfair

i know some people who had their fees paid by their parents, so they’re not having to pay them back through taxes

a graduate tax that applied to everyone that went to uni and not just everyone who couldn’t afford the money upfront would be reasonable, i think (dunno what level it should be at tho!)

rich people can avoid the extra layer of tax by paying up front, and those that earn massive salaries pay it off their student debt very quickly, if someone goes to uni and ends up earning 6 figures within ten years, should they pay an extra layer of tax to help fund students up till say 20 years after they graduate? no way the tories would do that of course

the debt gets written off anyway - eventually this will cause the government a huge headache… which is why they’re trying to sell it off (if they succeed, god konws what will happen)

similarly, why should parental income determine how much cost of living loan someone gets? a 19 year old who no longer lives with their parents and is at uni, is independent. why does the system assume that parents will give their children money?

without going into people finances at an inappropriate level, surely the system can’t really know how easy or difficult it is for parents to help their children.

my parents helped me out a bit but i still had a job for 2 of 3 years i was at uni. that job was with a company i stayed at for a further 6 years after graduating, leading me eventually to my current, good, well paid job… ultimately that student job was more valuable in the long term than the degree so no regrets!

#56

Parents who do this are idiots though.

What if their child(ren) never ends up earning above the threshold? Or if most tuition fees are written off altogether in the future (unlikely but not impossible, once it becomes more and more apparent it’s not sustainable because 70% of graduates will never pay back the full amount)?

Might as well use that unfair advantage for a mortgage deposit. Unless of course they’re very rich and can afford both luxuries.

#58

I’d probably still go as I’m not sure what else I would have done BUT…

I’d probably do a different subject and I’d complain like fuck about the quality of education/contact hours I’d be receiving for 9K a year.

#59

whatever

#60

Honestly if you don’t care about finding yourself and the student lifestyle, or.are genuinely interested in learning a topic, there is little point. I would think about what industry you want to be in and look for related apprenticeships. The amount of apprenticeships I would love to do but can not do due to my degree are enormous.

But then again Uni gave me the confidence to be me. I also will never be able to replace those wonderful long drug binges. (Mind i don’t want to go back there!) I just would not found so many like-minded individuals and you know the working world is kinda alienating and sucks. So I still think for many people university is a great place to go. But if you know where you want to be it’s not required and can be damaging.

2 Likes
#61

think I happily would.

#62

My son is 17 and I’m trying to encourage him to get on board with the idea of us all moving to France where he could do an amazing degree in animation for €380 a year.

As a parent it’s really hard to just sit back and let your child get into upwards of £40k debt before their career has even started. More so when he suggests he might want to do a photography degree!

2 Likes
#63

That would be my plan if I was to be faced with going to uni under the current UK system.
I’d just look to go somewhere in Europe that did the subject I want, taught in English for a fraction of the cost.
Would need to take a year out beforehand to earn some money though for living expenses during studying.

1 Like
#64

Would probs just do a B ed rather than a history degree and pgce tbh

#65

i would go but only cos it was an easy transition into living in london away from my parents

whether that was worth nearly £30k total debt is a different question…