Too much emphasis is put on University when you're in college

[HBK-aholic]

This will only apply to those using the British education system, so I'm not sure this will get many (If any) replies, but I'm posting here because I feel like it.

I started my last year of college today. Here, we go to High school until we're 16, which is when compulsary education ends. However, most then move to a Sixth Form College, where you usually stay until you're 18. Here you choose usually 3-5 classes to take at an A-level level. After you've been given these results, you can choose to go to University for 3-4 years to achieve a degree in a particular subject. However, not everyone chooses this option.

On my first day today, the first hour was my college talking about how important University is, and they often give the impression you can't do much without going. When I got my timetable, I see I've been given an hour weekly in a timetabled class, to learn how to apply to Uni and fill in a 'UCAS' form. They've also made applying incredibly confusing - UCAS is just a complicated way of getting an application. My teachers are obsessed with this and how 'easy' it is. It isn't.

University is not the only way to getting a good career, or starting a good life. I'm unsure as to whether I want to, or can, go but that's not the point. My best friend wants to be a tattoo artist. Once she's achieved her art A-level, her portfolio is more important, yet still she has to spend all the time looking into applying to Uni. Her teachers say she must do it in case she changes her mind. She's wanted this career path for all the years I've known her, and has no interest in continuing her education. It's a complete waste of time. The class should be optional for those who want to go to Uni and need help doing so.

 

[Lee]

I had how important University was from Year 7, come year 11 it was a serious thing and once I was in sixth form that's all that there was. I wish at the time they opened up the options to us and told us other things we could have done rather than being 23 with a failed degree and no job.

 

[The Todd]

By making it seem so important it will scare those off who see University as a big party and think they won't have to do any work. I saw people talking about the only reason they went to college was to go to Uni, but weren't interested in doing the leg work to get in.

Uni isn't the be all and end all though. You have to step back and look at what you want to do with your life and then decide if Uni is the way forward or not. I know people who dropped out of college, took up an apprenticeship in accounting and is currently making £12,000 a year whilst others are £7,000 in debt after their first year of uni.

I also have a friend who wanted to be a tatoo artist who was told art college would be beneficial for them, they said no, went out there and got a job in a shop and is now looking to make enough money to open their own shop.

College are encouraging you to go to uni so their statistics look good so they can attract new students. They don't actually care about you personally. At 18 you are responsible for your own life so you have to make the decision for yourself. There isn't a wrong way of doing anything.

 

[blood and thunder]

I'm from the UK - how can you say UCAS isn't easy, have you tried the previous method of applying or something? Of course not. There's millions of students applying to Uni each year of course there needs to be a rigorous process for applications - I'd rather that than some flimsy system that messes up or whatever. I know not everyone goes to college to go to Uni, btu the majority do - that's pretty much what A Levels are for (of course they're handy as a qualification themselves but their main purpose is to get into Uni) so why are you surprised/why didn't you expect them to place an emphasis on Uni? If they gave you minimal help and you messed up you'd blame them too so you can't have it both ways.

 

[Tastycles]

The emphasis on University is ridiculous, and I think it encourages people to go when perhaps they don't really have the academic ability, or more likely, the interest to see it through. Someone with one failed year of a degree has gained nothing except debt, whereas they could have perhaps been taught how to get an apprentiship or a job as an office junior or something.

In my school, of the 90 that made it to the end of the Upper Sixth, about 85 went into the military (military school, hence the relevance) or university. A huge amount of those who went into uni dropped out spectacularly, whereas of the other 5 one is an accountant, and the others are all doing something they want to do. The ones who dropped out have invariably ended up settling for something a bit too shit for someone with three A levels or the dole. 9 times out of 10, it isn't their fault, which makes the whole thing worse.

It worked in my favour. I got the best GCSE and AS level results in my school, so obviously the academic wankathon meant I got loads of attention, and the fact that I was good enough to go to Cambridge stopped me from getting expelled, but in all honesty the time they wasted on getting people to fill in their UCAS forms would have perhaps been better served explaining the options to those who were unsure. After all, if you want to go, your going to fill in the fucking form.

In my 7 years of high school, literally the only alternative to university we ever got was a tour of a factory during sixth form induction with the message "go to uni, or work here". My group went to the car paint factory, and if you ask a 16 year old "do you want to put lids on tins of hammerite, or do you want to go to uni?" its obvious which answer you'll get.

I'm glad I went to uni, but in my immediate group of 7 friends who went to Uni, 3 dropped out, one hated their course, one basically had a three year rave, one got expelled and took their time and the other is me, who didn't go to the uni I was told to. So basically the two that didn't follow advice ended up making a success of it.

Everyone is different,and it shouldn't be a case of "you're a ******, go and be a 1930's itinerant labourer" or "you're intelligent, go to uni", it should be, "you're about to finish school, here's what you can do now". A degree isn't the be all and end all of the world, and I wish my school appreciated that.

 

[The Rob]

I get the lecture most days from my parents. Basically they keep saying that I need to knuckle down and get the grades in order to go to University. They always speak of Uni like it's the only way I'm gunna become anything in life! I want to go to Uni, but only because I want to go to Uni. If I keep getting badgered about Uni, both by my parents and my teachers and College, I just lose all interest in the matter. And I think it's the same for most people in the same situation.

We want to go... but it becomes more of a chore than something you actually want to do.

 

[blood and thunder]

No offence guys but stats don't lie, Uni stands you in good stead to earn a more money when you graduate - if you're not sure what you want to do, you might as well go to Uni and get a degree (a worthwhile one) because it won't really do you any harm (I don't count an interest free loan that gets wiped off if you're really too inane to get a job as "harm")