[PASSED] University: was it worth it? The £9,000 question [PASSED]

I was really thinking about this before started going and now that i am going im still wondering is it actually worth it?

Is university worth it?

My opinion:

I believe it actually isent worth putting your self in dept for a 3 year course that can only take you so far, whereas you have a 3 year advantage to work your way up in a workplace. the degree does give you some acceleration but i don't believe it is enough to be able not to worry about the dept you are in.


So whats your view on this?


There was also a paper article on this if you want to check it out. : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/10036720/University-was-it-worth-it-The-9000-question.html

In my country most Universities are free. Getting the degree is practically free (excluding the necessary costs of books and similar stuff). You do have to pay if you're slacking though (multiple exam approaches, not achieving enough points in one school year etc.). The costs are minimal though. That's why a lot of people are studying in our country. However those with a degree are harder to get jobs as employers are looking for people with more experience on the workplace. So even with a degree people are less likely to get jobs on their choosen field. If they'd have to pay for University I belive most of them/us wouldn't do it. As a high school graduate I had to go to University as there are slim chance for me to get the job as one. But in all honesty if I'd have to pay college I would choose another route as jobs are harder to get and differences between payments are minimal. Not to mention some employers dislike hiring someone with a degree as they have to pay the more. However I don't know how your system works.

This depends on a lot of factors: location, kind of work, what kind of person you are, etc etc etc etc

In general, University is the safest option. Although it has been losing its 'value' over the past years with the slow way education has been dealing with the new availability and quantity of information, its a package deal. Just like buying a computer is better for the majority of the population, but building it yourself will be more efficient cost/performance wise.

I for one wouldnt know what to do with my time if I wasnt following university courses. I have no clear plan for my future, no real idea about what kind of job I want and also not a strong enough wish to come up with my own life so for now University suits me.
But if you are the kind of person that has know for a decade that he wants to work in the "insert field of work"-sector and have the passion to make that happen then no, for the most part, you wont need higher education (exceptions excluded).
But be sure to expect a world that might not be compatible with you, just like pc parts that might not be compatible either.


Then again, dont be quick to underestimate solid education in any shape or form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_N7MAr98CI

Green does the math and comes up with that if you make $1.75 (£1.05) per hour more than you previously could, then college was probably economically worth it to you, considering interest, inflation, opportunity costs, etc. I haven't done the math myself, but I figure it's probably close. College will also give you opportunities to take more jobs which will tend to be more comfortable and potentially enjoyable.

I don't think University is the only option. Here in Canada people go to college and still end up successful. For example my cousin went for a 3 year degree program at college and ended up doing better than his sister when she went to University. University should be a place where someone wants to do more academics as opposed to hands on stuff. Also here in Canada you can get a government loan as well as plenty of scholarships.

It may not be worth the money at first but generally employers are looking for these credentials.

Personally i dont find it worth it, being a registered nurse i managed to get my course via the local college i was living near at the time for fairly cheep due to my work paying for it n my reserve. Also due to being First Nations i was able to get some funding as well from my band, which i took advantage of more then most who could have who are from the reserve..meh they are losers for not taking advantage n sitting at home and drinkin 24/7. University = academics imo least where i am

Debt is just a part of life we pretty much all have to face at one point or another and that isn't necessarily a bad thing as it can be one of the better learning experiences. Like Broeder I really don't have a clue what I want to do with my life when it comes to employment. What I'm majoring in college right now I selected for no real reason; I had to pick something so I did.

With college you can still work through actual employment or perhaps internships paid or otherwise which can effectively give you the best of both worlds, money in your pocket and work experience in the field. This also allows you to save up so you can have a stable financial base for when the time comes for you to begin paying off your debts and may help with placing you further up the corporate chain from the start or be viewed in high regards for promotion soon after.

A lot of factors are in play with this question including each individual personally.

Some university professor once did the math at an introductionary class.

He calculated that, on average, going to university in the netherlands as opposed to getting a job after you finish "vwo" (highest tier of high schools, requirement for universities) will end up giving you a $ or €200kish over the course of your working career. This is however a lot lower for those in america who pay $40k tuition a year (as we pay $2k), unless they are going ivy.

Those calculations were probably purely for the netherlands and shouldnt be used for any other country when thinking about this subject

You know, I'm very happy tht I don't even have to take this into consideration. Here in Denmark your degree is paid by the government, all you have to worry about is the cost of books (in which case, you can rent most of them if that is what you wish) And because you're 18+ when you go to a university, you actually have the option of getting roughly 1k usd a month for studying + option of 500 dollars loan + option to work on the side. It's not much, but it gets us by.

Considering pretty much anything you want to do here requires some kind of education, wether it be a bachelor degree or higher. (Although some jobs like working in a store requires you to go to a high school that teaches you trading and communications kinda thing)
So in my opinion, at least in Denmark I'd say it's well worth it, but I do think it's worth it in other places as well, and even if you change your mind, it never hurts to lern something new.

in todays world, you really do require a university degree. Its always worth it in the long run. Even for universities in large cities which are costly or the top universities in the world that can cost upto 20k pounds a year... its still worth it, especially if you're able to take a student loan or gain some sort of scholarship. I mean, with a top class degree, you should be looking to pay off the debts within the first few years of your working life really..