Do you have a degree?

[stumigoo]

2 hours ago, BuddieInDundee said:

 

My sister is an educational psychologist, from what she says there appears to be a national shortage of people with that expertise. Surely with that in mind, the joint honours would be enough to get into a PG doing just that?

Just musing really, as I've got a grand total of two years experience of fucking university up, and have no real idea what I'm talking about.

 

I've never really looked in to it. I've been teaching for about 8 years now and I am very settled. The cost and upheaval to retrain wouldn't be worth it for where I am in my life at the moment. 

[forfarton]

Two - first from University of Aberdeen straight from school and more recently from OU.

[Monkey Tennis]

BA Hons.  PGCE.

Both relevant and necessary to what I do each day.  I do sometimes wish I'd lifted my head and given more thought to the subjects I might have studied though.  I did what was there, with little thought or imagination and wound up in a sort of locked direction.

I want my own kids to make more considered choices.

[craigkillie]

I have a BSc (Hons) in Statistics from Glasgow Uni, and then went on to do a PhD in the same topic there.  I work in academia now, so it was obviously essential for my job.  I can echo what has been said by others in the thread about a PhD - at some point along the line it will become a slog.  For me, that came near the end when I had to write everything up for my thesis, and realised that half of what I had been writing could have been done in the first couple of years when I was taking it a little bit easier at times.  You should definitely only do it if you have a genuine interest in your discipline.

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, Monkey Tennis said:

BA Hons.  PGCE.

Both relevant and necessary to what I do each day.  I do sometimes wish I'd lifted my head and given more thought to the subjects I might have studied though.  I did what was there, with little thought or imagination and wound up in a sort of locked direction.

I want my own kids to make more considered choices.

Unless your kids find themselves especially talented in or drawn towards a certain path, it's likely they'll fall into a random future like most of us.

[mizfit]

I never got a degree, went to University but spent the whole time in the pub. I regret it and should go back, but I reckon I'd just do the same as I'm an irresponsible buffoon.

At the start of last year I really toyed with college the progressing to university, work wouldn't let me cut my hours to do a full time course so I put that thought to the side. I reckon I'd have ended up spending days off in a pub instead of revising as well.

[The_Kincardine]

45 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Unless your kids find themselves especially talented in or drawn towards a certain path, it's likely they'll fall into a random future like most of us.

This is sane but underappreciated.  Also pertinent as my big girl is scoping out Yoonis as I mentioned before.  My "Well, study what pleases you as you've lots of years ahead" is sensible but doesn't fit well with her maw.

[lionel hutz]

19 hours ago, pandarilla said:

 

I'm OK with the student loan system actually. I left uni with 18 grand of debt and for 4 or 5 years I paid back 1 or 2 pounds per week. Absolute minimum stuff.

The last 10 years it's came off at a much bigger lick but it's before tax so I don't really think about it. I got a letter last year saying it would be paid off next year. Happy days, a nice wee increase in my monthly income.

Tuition fees are a different ball game but I have to say the student loan element has worked very well in my situation.

 

To be honest I've got a Part Time job in first year so that later in my degree I don't have to work and I can use my student loan from First Year a year or two longer than originally planned

[Red_Dwarf_Posse]

Have worked full time since leaving school 20 years ago. Got bored and needed a hobby so I applied to do a History degree via Open University. In my 4th year of 6. Really enjoy it. Not doing it for career but always been interested in History.

[Monkey Tennis]

7 hours ago, welshbairn said:

Unless your kids find themselves especially talented in or drawn towards a certain path, it's likely they'll fall into a random future like most of us.

Oh, I totally get that.  Believe me - it frustrates the Hell out of me when youngsters are told to follow their dreams or to make sure that they do something they love.

I do think though that there's more scope than I appreciated.  You don't need merely to continue to study the subjects you were best at, at school to see where it takes you.

[Red_Dwarf_Posse]

I feel that degrees do not have the weight they once had.  It my work, when entry level basic administration posts are advertised they are swamped with graduates looking for a job or trying to get a foot in the door.  Everything seems to be experience instead of academic achievement.

I worry for my sons.  I would love them to go to University and study something they love but will they be able to get a job at the end of it or even get the required entry qualifications or are they better leaving school with the best qualifications they can get and try and get a post to gain experience.

I definitely wish I had studied my History degree when I left school as I could have used it to build my career path instead of doing it as a hobby now.

[I'm Brian]

Random sort of related to this thread question. but I see loads of mentions of Student Loans.

At what threshold do you start to repay, and how much do you pay back and over what period

[Frankie S]

LLB (Hons) from Edinburgh. Never considered a legal career so not entirely sure why I ended up on that course. Wish I'd studied something interesting instead.

[SweeperDee]

Random sort of related to this thread question. but I see loads of mentions of Student Loans.
At what threshold do you start to repay, and how much do you pay back and over what period

I "think" it's when you're earning over £17,000 per year, roughly 5% of your payslip will go towards it. Even then, the interest is rate is 1% so you won't really notice it. I think the figures I've mentioned might be a wee bit out of date but shouldn't be too different.

[I'm Brian]

1 minute ago, SweeperDee said:

 

I "think" it's when you're earning over £17,000 per year, roughly 5% of your payslip will go towards it. Even then, the interest is rate is 1% so you won't really notice it. I think the figures I've mentioned might be a wee bit out of date but shouldn't be too different.

 

Cheers

[ICTChris]

1 hour ago, I'm Brian said:

Random sort of related to this thread question. but I see loads of mentions of Student Loans.

At what threshold do you start to repay, and how much do you pay back and over what period

I didn't start paying anything off until I had a job with a starting salary of £24,000 a year, not sure what the lowest limit is. 

One thing about student loans is that the company just carry on taking the money, I think they only get statements at the end of the year.  I ended up overpaying quite a bit and having to claim it back.

[Granny Danger]

2 hours ago, Red_Dwarf_Posse said:

I feel that degrees do not have the weight they once had.  It my work, when entry level basic administration posts are advertised they are swamped with graduates looking for a job or trying to get a foot in the door.  Everything seems to be experience instead of academic achievement.

I worry for my sons.  I would love them to go to University and study something they love but will they be able to get a job at the end of it or even get the required entry qualifications or are they better leaving school with the best qualifications they can get and try and get a post to gain experience.

I definitely wish I had studied my History degree when I left school as I could have used it to build my career path instead of doing it as a hobby now.

Sadly higher education is too often seen only in terms of employment opportunities.  Don't get me wrong, I realise that this is an important aspect but it means we do not necessarily appreciate education for education's sake.  As well as specific employment related skills higher education should be about critical thinking and widening a person's general knowledge not just about providing the skills to do a range of jobs.

The better educated the populous the better the society IMO.

 

[Bully Wee Villa]

Random sort of related to this thread question. but I see loads of mentions of Student Loans.
At what threshold do you start to repay, and how much do you pay back and over what period

I left at 23 or so, after doing two years.

Still nowhere near finished paying it off since and I'm 36. I seem to pay a measly amount each month but if I have a bonus or something like that, they take loads.

[I'm Brian]

24 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

 

One thing about student loans is that the company just carry on taking the money, I think they only get statements at the end of the year.  I ended up overpaying quite a bit and having to claim it back.

That actually sounds a bit devious of SLC. You would like to think their software would recognise when someone hits £0 owed and if something did go wrong the onus would be on them to get it back to you

[ICTChris]

16 minutes ago, I'm Brian said:

That actually sounds a bit devious of SLC. You would like to think their software would recognise when someone hits £0 owed and if something did go wrong the onus would be on them to get it back to you

I think it's more uselessness than deviousness.