Skip to main content

Are university degrees worth it?



It's exam time and I have decided to write a little piece on a university degree from a current student's point of view.
A survey taken place in the UK in 2015 says half of all students agree their university degree was not worth the thirty something thousand pound debt it left them with. However, records show that over ten thousand more students applied to university last year. 
A similar study was done in Spain, in 2015 there was a record of 1.361.340 students inscribed in university, public and private. Again, the number of college applications has increased while over half or the recent graduates regret their decisions on course or university. 
Sixty percent of graduates in Peru said they regret getting their university degree.

Many of the surveyed pupils say they regret their past decisions due to either they didn't get enough orientation or the course wasn't structured properly.
Students today are demanding more than what they expected when university fees were lower, the professors however have become more inattentive to the work done by students, some admitting they do not correct essays or exams the way they should, but rather mark the paper on the amount written or the first page.

A few days ago, I decided to do a little study myself and asked a number of students if they were happy with their degree and if it met their expectations (we are now solemnly talking of UMA), the majority said they were not. They all said they are studying just because there isn't really many other options and most agreed they didn't think a lot of subjects were relevant to their course. I also asked them what their plan was after graduating or in the next few years, most of them said they were waiting to hear about their Erasmus application, a European exchange scheme, as if it wasn't done, their curriculum wouldn't be all that great. Something a friend of mine studying in England said was not as common as in Spain, and wasn’t that popular academically speaking, although a number of students do participate.

The majority in Spain also assumed they wouldn’t be doing any work experience in their study period and that they would be lucky if they get work after graduating, as most companies ask for experienced young graduates... How do we get experience without being given a chance?

A multitude of Spanish students have already accepted that they are most likely to have to leave Spain to get a start in their career, the majority however want to return as soon as possible to job opening in higher positions. 

With all these cons to getting a degree, I ask myself is it actually worth it? Does it make you wiser? More knowledgeable, sensible or rational? To be honest, I think not. Obviously degrees like medicine, engineering, science and law need a study base and a lot of learning, but many degrees in humanities are talent based, I study advertising and Public Relations, and obviously in the two years I have been studying I have learned things that are relative to my future career but honestly, they could have all been learned without studying the things I studied, and in a lot less time. This is a common thought between students and teachers alike. 

What do you think of the copious amounts of university students and the price they pay for their education? Worth it or not? Feel free to comment. 

Comments

  1. Unknown26 January 2016 at 13:35

    Today's ‘modern’ education system was for the most part created over one hundred years ago. Does that still make it modern?
    As technology follows Moore’s Law in perpetuity, the educational system aimed at this modern and to a degree future arena, has little chance of keeping up. Given that it takes at least 1-2 years to design a course targeted at any new information technologies and the course itself takes 3-5 years to study, the subject matter is essentially 5 years out of date before it begins.
    Which begs the question of ‘Is a university education really worth it?’.
    You will require work experience to get a job which, for the most part you cannot get whilst studying. Like Schrödinger’s Cat, it is a bit of a conundrum!
    University teaches you how to think, how to be part of a team and conversely how to work alone. You learn how to question the so called facts from all sides and then take measure of your findings.
    Can you get by without a degree? Of course you can but it requires more perseverance to get your foot in the door. {from Paul}

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is technology doing to us socially?

This isn't an infrequent topic to read about in recent years, but it is definitely something I consider relevant to most and necessary to point out. 'What would happen if the titanic happened now?' This is also a question that many have posted on their networks, think about it. This image is probably the best reflexion or answer to the question. I am 90% sure most would be trying to take a snap of what was happening and make it trending topic! We are living in a time where people find it easier to socialise virtually than in real life, I must admit I for one have an account on many social networks, and use them frequently, I do not however consider myself to be addicted to them. I do not feel I need to check them every 10 seconds, but use them mainly when I am bored. A few days ago, I went out with some friends for a night out and there was a moment, or a few, where everyone was on their mobile, whether it was checking Instagram, Snapchat or their messages I d...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who's the strange one?

I'm a very curious person, the sort of person who, if interested in something, will research every last details of this. Next week is the deadline for 'erasmus' applications to study a term (or more) abroad and I have found myself surrounded by people asking me all about it. I seem to be the only person with a basic knowledge on the subject in my circle of friends. As me and some friends have been preparing a presentation for one of my university subjects, we have been talking about 'known' bloggers here in Spain, I am supposed to give examples in my presentation and my friends have given me loads of names of people with 'funny' blogs or 'funny you-tubers', when I told them I had no idea who any of these people are they were shocked. They may know everything about insignificant matters such as funny videos but at the end of the day none of them have a clue about what they are actually interested in, for example, studying abroad. Some say I take...
1 comment
Read more

It's not what you know, it's WHO you know.

I realise I only just posted yesterday, and never post this frequently but writing is the only way I seem to get anything off my mind lately. I have also realised how much I admire someone who knows what they are doing with their lives... I'm twenty one and have no clue what I actually want to do. How do you know? How can you choose one thing to dedicate yourself to for the rest of your life? When does it become clear what your 'calling' is? I have been told I don't know how many times that it's never too late for anything, but maybe it is. The thought of actually getting to where you want at the age of thirty terrifies me. As you know, it's finals time and everyone is at the library cramming as much in as possible. I was there the other day thinking how many of you are studying what you really want to study? How many of you are doing because your parents or someone else has made you? How many of you are actually going to give 100% to that future jo...
Post a Comment
Read more