Education & Reference Is University overrated

[yeah_nah]

Why's that?
Sorry for the stupid question, but i'm planning on leaving the work force for uni and was considering something along those lines.

I'm in my 3rd year of Commerce and I wouldn't say it would be hard to do this degree in 12 or 18 months

smash it up to 30 hours a week contact time (up from 12 hours) and it would be easy as piss to finish in under 2 years.

Of course the Unis will never do this for teh moniez reasons

EDIT: Not to say its a waste of time, you still need it if you want to be an Accountant or work in Finance etc.

 

[centrelink1]

I'm about to do Commerce, and this pleases me.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

One thing that probably isn't mentioned too much is the fact that so many people have degrees and get jobs that are completely unrealted to their degree. Just having a degree is all some places want you to have sometimes because it shows you can committ to something. Its bullshit at school how they tell you "you have to get X score for VCE, so you can do x course at uni", so they practically imply if you do that degree that's what you're gonna do for the rest of your life. Its bullshit.

 

[NAUGHT5]

I'm about to do Commerce, and this pleases me.

Me also

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

absolutely. went back to college at the start of last year. doing web and software design which is stuff i've always done on the side (more web than software) but to be able to do proper stuff and make decent money for myself i need to have a certificate.... it also conveniently keeps me from working for a couple of years.

one thing me and a few mates have agreed on though is that uni shouldn't start till a couple of years after year 12.

I went straight from year 12 into uni and have been at uni now for going on 8 yrs straight. I will finally be finished at the end of this year. My HECS is pretty epic now, but meh.

 

[smitchell]

Why doesn't everyone just go work in the mines, earning ****loads of money until it dies in the arse, THEN study and go to uni?

The CUB's need bosses too.

Think about lifestyle too. Do you work to live or live to work?

 

[HarryTiger]

The CUB's need bosses too.

Think about lifestyle too. Do you work to live or live to work?

CBD's?

Actually it's said those mining jobs aren't so easy to get unless you have prior experience or know the right people. If miners were so desperate for staff they'd be actively recruiting new talent.

 

[shibz_1989]

Cash Up Bogans = CUBs.

Well it depends what career you want. I'm doing my nursing degree, and think it's necessary for someone to study at uni but I do think they need to help more students out. You get more help pushing out a kid then you do actually trying to get somewhere (not saying people who push out kids don't get anywhere, but mmm)

 

[cmndstab]

Forgive the stereotype, but in my experience most people who say University is overrated never really put in a lot of effort while they were there.

It's like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it.

 

[J_Moore]

Except a shitload of debt. Sure, it might be fun, it might be interesting, but in this context, it is severely overrated.

Pfft, it's hardly real debt.

 

[Bomber Bears]

Commerce students are ****ed, have little work to do, get reading works and have a relatively easy course (economics would be slightly harder). Still whinge when somehting happens out of the ordinary in their 12 hour week (about 4 of which they have to show up to). Only met one realist commerce student who pretty much agreed the course was easy.

Still, get some pretty good jobs out of it (depending on major) so who am i to complain.

The difficulty of University is pretty under rated, Considering the hype the HSC gets every year, whilst Uni is doing the HSC every 6 months, with more content and alot more thinking involved.

And as for stating 40 000 behind as someone put it, meh, it's essentially interest free and doesnt have to be payed until you're earning a certain amount anyway.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

I have a Commerce degree, $100k+ job, and routine access to the 1927 Brownlow medal.

No regrets here

 

[V23]

Benefits of having a university degree

• Most professions require some further education. Aim high because a university degree will not only increase your chances of finding a job, it will also lead you towards the career of your choice.
• 80 percent of Australian university graduates are employed within four months of completing their degrees. This was revealed in a recent Graduate Careers Australia survey
• University graduates generally earn 15 percent more then non-university graduates. The average salary of a student who has just completed their degree is about $35,000. And that is just in the first year! And they also generally progress faster in their careers than people without a tertiary qualification.
  To get an idea of how much graduates make, check out GradsOnline. It is a great site where you can select any profession, for example architecture, click the button and find out the salary levels for architects.
• A degree is a testimony of your commitment and self-motivation. In today's competitive job market, employers want to know how dedicated and self-motivated their future employees are. A university degree is the perfect way to demonstrate your capabilities

I've got the added bonus of my parents paying all of my HECS up front without requiring me to pay them back ever.

 

[centrelink1]

My parents are paying for my uni in full.

Come at me, phegs.

 

[gimp!]

Not overrated. Even though I don't really like the degree I got, I have the option there to pursue other things, like working overseas etc...not that I have yet, I'm a lazy ****er.

 

[Swans120]

Commerce students are ****ed, have little work to do, get reading works and have a relatively easy course (economics would be slightly harder). Still whinge when somehting happens out of the ordinary in their 12 hour week (about 4 of which they have to show up to). Only met one realist commerce student who pretty much agreed the course was easy.

Still, get some pretty good jobs out of it (depending on major) so who am i to complain.

The difficulty of University is pretty under rated, Considering the hype the HSC gets every year, whilst Uni is doing the HSC every 6 months, with more content and alot more thinking involved.

And as for stating 40 000 behind as someone put it, meh, it's essentially interest free and doesnt have to be payed until you're earning a certain amount anyway.

Yeh, it's a good life. Stats and accounting, if you don't put in the work, were difficult but yeh it ain't as demanding as most of the other courses my mates are doing.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Commerce students are ****ed, have little work to do, get reading works and have a relatively easy course (economics would be slightly harder). Still whinge when somehting happens out of the ordinary in their 12 hour week (about 4 of which they have to show up to). Only met one realist commerce student who pretty much agreed the course was easy.

Still, get some pretty good jobs out of it (depending on major) so who am i to complain.

The difficulty of University is pretty under rated, Considering the hype the HSC gets every year, whilst Uni is doing the HSC every 6 months, with more content and alot more thinking involved.

And as for stating 40 000 behind as someone put it, meh, it's essentially interest free and doesnt have to be payed until you're earning a certain amount anyway.

Agree with these points. I did honours and it is like doing HSC every 6 weeks and I am just finishing off Master of Teaching, which is like HSC every 3 weeks.

 

[cammania]

I get what the OP says.
Did year 12 with the intent of leaving after that and getting a trade. I did that. I was never the greatest of students in terms of grades, but still did my work and showed up on time and even as i was younger, i knew me being a Phys ed Teacher, an Architect or a sports journo was a distant dream.
Been in my job six years now. Paying off my house, have my own car, pay my own way in life, travel interstate for footy when i want and do what i want when i want.
Looking back, as it was a subject for discussion a few weeks back, I should have skipped year 12 and after year 11 just got my trade then as it seems to be a waste of a year.

Put the shoes on someone else feet. Was friends with a few smart cookies at school and they busted there nuts and got great grades and all to go to uni. Many have travelled many trains and busses and trams day in and day out. I know one bloke who did this and whilst not saying his a failure at his uni studies, He failed after 5 years of uni, had nothing to show for it except a massive pile of debt, still living at home (lower middle class) and the same job at safeway he had when he was 16, he is now 23. Admitedly gained a heap of knowledge. But you Cant put knowledge onto a resume with nothing to show for it.

So he probably had fun at uni and probably made a few friends and had some fun times. But im guessing it was not worth in excess of 60000+ dollars to do so that he will be paying back with his job from safeway.

I do see a need for uni, but it is selective for who it is for and going back to my opening statement, while not just being a downer or being negative, i knew if i were or werent capable of doing uni. I believe i chose right.
Brother is the same, left school at 14, had a stable job since, is now 22.5 and is a qualified baker.
Mate, 24, Left school, made pizza for 4 months, got a baking apprenticeship, is now a qualified baker and loves it.
Mate, 24, was great at computers, Went to the army, spent four years in the army, now working as a prison guard. Pays well, and what he wants to do.

Uni isnt the be all and end all, but it is certainly required for Doctors, nurses, Engineers etc etc.

So in the end, its sometimes worth it, but depending on who you are and what you are wanting to achieve. Think long and hard about it (thats what she said)

 

[V23]

My parents are paying for my uni in full.

Come at me, phegs.

 

[awesome wells]

I kinda agree. I'm doing fine without uni. Didn't get a great ENTER, went to TAFE, studied International Business for 2 years, now working for a freight forwarder. Nothing spectacular, but hey, I'm doing something right.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Uni is responsible for the best years of my life.
Sleep in
Home early
Surrounded by hot chicks
With mates

WHat is bad about that?

 

[ClarkeM]

My parents are paying for my uni in full.

Come at me, phegs.

All fegs, go!

 

[Rod Stroker]

Not to freak out the kids on here, but if you want to be really successful in the corporate world, climb the ladder and earn the mega bucks these days, a degree alone is not usually enough. They'll want a Masters, or a Doctorate, or an MBA, or an E-MBA, or a combination of those.
A colleague of mine has just completed his E-MBA at Chicago Booth School of Business (one of the most reputable for E-MBAs) and it cost him USD170K out of his own pocket!
Me, I can't justify that sort of money just to keep climbing someones ladder. I'd rather use that money to invest in building my own ladder.

 

[ClarkeM]

Not to freak out the kids on here, but if you want to be really successful in the corporate world, climb the ladder and earn the mega bucks these days, a degree alone is not usually enough. They'll want a Masters, or a Doctorate, or an MBA, or an E-MBA, or a combination of those.
A colleague of mine has just completed his E-MBA at Chicago Booth School of Business (one of the most reputable for E-MBAs) and it cost him USD170K out of his own pocket!
Me, I can't justify that sort of money just to keep climbing someones ladder. I'd rather use that money to invest in building my own ladder.

Sadly, the saying "It's not what you know, but who you know" cannot be emphasised enough as well.

 

[IBleedBrownNGold]

Not overrated. Although, I'm biased because I teach at one.


EDIT: University's not for everyone, but there are different types of qualifications you can get from a university. Depending on what you want to do, if you are truly driven towards a particular career path, then you'll do whatever it takes to get there. If you're just farting around, not really knowing what you want to study, then you are doing yourself, the university and your colleagues a disfavour by enrolling.

Having said that, plenty of people enrol into courses without knowing what they're getting into and shine. I completed one of the most gruelling degrees at university, in terms of time and energy, so I've seen a fair amount of people being burnt by the system.