Will not going to university make things harder for me?

Former Member

Hi all,

Will not going to University make life more difficult for me with regards to getting employment and career progression?

Former Member

It depends what you want to do.

Former Member

Yep, as big gay says it all depends... If you want to work in Maccy D's then I don't think it'll make a differnce.
But, I think that most people would employ someone with a Uni degree than someone without given a choice.
But it's up to you
Xx

Former Member

That's not true B-A, a degree can be a handicap - employers can feel that you are over qualified, or that you are only looking to take a role as a short term measure.

I think my new boy has a degree, but I'm sufficiently impressed by his employment history not to hold it against him. My other boy doesn't

Former Member

Broken-Angel wrote: »

Yep, as big gay says it all depends... If you want to work in Maccy D's then I don't think it'll make a differnce.
Xx

Come on now,

Why would someone who has excellent GCSE's and A Levels end up in McDonalds :S. I really don't know how you draw such a sharp contrast between people who dont go to uni and people who do.

I simply do not want to go to university, it seems a pointless endeavour especially when the job market is oversaturated with pointless degrees and so many people are either left over qualifed, too specialised or disillusioned. There are nowhere near enough degree level jobs to go around and it seems quite a few Young Adults of today are herded by the education system into beliving they HAVE to go to Uni to get by. I remember my sixthform didn't stop going on about uni, there was a lot of pressue to apply. In retrospect, I think it was more to do with improving their school ranking. Disgusting.

Former Member

I was only using it as an example.. I don't know your education level!! I have no plan to go to uni, but I don't want to work in MD's
And Big gay, I only said that cos tis what we get told in school.
Xx

Former Member

Why would someone who has excellent GCSE's and A Levels end up in McDonalds :S. I really don't know how you draw such a sharp contrast between people who dont go to uni and people who do.

*cough*

Can I just say, working in McDonald's is great. My job is secure for YEARS, McDonald's wasn't affected by the recession in the slightest. Heard of job losses from there lately? Yeah the pay is shit when you start, but you can work your way up through management whilst working there normally (Which is classed more over a generic A level you would get from sixth-form in Management because of the BIG corporation behind it.) Not many "dead end jobs" offer that. McDonald's isn't as bad as people are making it out to be. Work there sometime and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

And by the way, McDonald's has a requirement for your education just like most jobs do with good English and Maths at D+... soo...

Qualifications are only easy signs for employers to know you can X job. If you can prove to your employer you can do the job without qualifications, you're in.

Former Member

J/W Why do you need maths to work at MD's?
Xx

Former Member

You still handle cash and have to work with numbers.

Former Member

Umm...I think you will find that we are not made to believe we have to go to uni. I know loads of people that are not going. In fact a lot of uni's have cut back on how many people they are letting in.

Although I do agree that a lot of schools encourage People to go to uni to make them look better. But at the same time there are teachers that do generally care about what you do.

I wouldn't say it is pointless though, for me I need to go to get the job I want and if I want to do what I want to do then I need the best degree I can get. A lot of employers will like you if you have been able to stick out a degree, and will be more likely to pick people with higher education but saying that if someone comes along with better experiance and seems more suitable to the job but they don't have the best grades then they might get it. It all depends, I don't think uni is a must do thing. But for sone people it's something they want to do.

Former Member

I think probably too many people go to University.

I think in this regard it will not harm your future life at all if you don't go.

But if you want to go, either because:
a) you want to learn about something in depth and develop some character, living away from home for the first time, etc.
b) you want to learn about something specific for a specific career that requires it (medicine, law, engineering etc.)

then you should go.

I don't regret my time at Uni, and it will have helped me in my future I'm sure.. but that's probably more because of how I have changed as a person than what I've learnt in lectures and seminars.

I also agree with javakrypt nothing wrong with working in McDonalds. The cream rises to the top in any field or organisation, at the end of the day if you have what it takes the lack of a degree won't hold you back. Look at Alan Sugar!

Former Member

Haha you guys are funny.

So much indecision! I think kids underestimate the value of connections and relationships when you're young. This, I believe, can have much more influence than any uni degree depending on your industry. - I wish I had known. Here's a list of famous people who never went to uni if you're interested: http://nov0caine.posterous.com/famous-people-who-never-went-to-university