Tertiary and Continuing Is University Worth It?

Remove this Banner Ad

Vital for myself unfortunately. For a good portion, it probably isn't worthwhile.

Money shouldn't be the only factor considered though.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Madness,

Us youth are told to skill up for an advanced high tech economy of the future. Whatever that crap means? They tell us the days of unskilled work are redundant. So we are forced under circumstances to go University. Only to find that after we graduate that we need experience and we are too costly for employers. When Patel and Zheng can do the exact job on slave wages.

Don’t start on trades, when apprenticeships are paid lower than fast food workers or hospitality workers. There is a myth that trades are making bank. Yes, some are but vast majority arent.

They don’t want to train us, they expect ridiculous amount of knowledge and skill for a first year employees, they want us cheap as possible, and they want excess competition. They are the baby boomers,
 
university's value is more than just what can be measured by a financial return. However, university is wasted on youth.

I would prefer a minimum age of 25 be introduced before "most" people can enrol
 
Unstable said:
Madness,

Us youth are told to skill up for an advanced high tech economy of the future. Whatever that crap means? They tell us the days of unskilled work are redundant. So we are forced under circumstances to go University. Only to find that after we graduate that we need experience and we are too costly for employers. When Patel and Zheng can do the exact job on slave wages.

Don’t start on trades, when apprenticeships are paid lower than fast food workers or hospitality workers. There is a myth that trades are making bank. Yes, some are but vast majority arent.

They don’t want to train us, they expect ridiculous amount of knowledge and skill for a first year employees, they want us cheap as possible, and they want excess competition. They are the baby boomers,
Click to expand...

That's mostly rubbish

1. Australia's economy is changing. There's a shift. Just as manufacturing cars is a dead end for us, so are a lot of preofessioanl careers that Patel and Zheng can do cheaper. Wee have to adapt.

2. In saying that, trades are safe. You can't outsource a plumbing job to India, or get your car fixed in Karachi. If you have a trade you're probably going to be able to get work for the rest of time (barring a massive unemployment rate hike)

3. Go to uni, get HECS (peanuts). Do a trade, get apprentice wages. They may be peanuts but it's better than what uni students get and you don't have to pay it back. Have you considered its often uneconomical for someone to take on an apprentice? The amount of time you have to spend training them reduces your profit. Young kids just don't have the maturity in the workforce and if they were paid the wages you are suggesting then no one would bother taking on an apprentice.

The current apprentice system and HECS system work. There isn't a better way how to do it. It's quite humorous that you're doing the "I don't know f-all, am getting certified, but want to be paid more than employers can afford".

Are you just not grasping why everyone else is claiming Gen Y are a bunch entitlement expecting useless c-nuts? You can't see it, can you? You're obviously lost in the Gen Y "I deserve everything now" haze.

4. The same goes for uni. I came out of uni and it was extremely frustrating trying to get a job. The truth is, straight out of uni you know f-all about your field and have no experience. In any industry, experience is everything. Work rate, how to deal with people, how to get shit done, and of course your knowledge of your field. It's hard to make money out of a grad. Just like it is with an apprentice.

5. Uni degrees are needed if you want a professional job. It's almost a club that says "we need to confirm you have the brains to do a uni degree, otherwise we don't want you". No degree and your career is limited in the corporate world. Gone are the days when people got a job in a bank out of school without a degree and worked they way into corporate and up the ladder. No degree - have fun being a bank telling. If you work hard, in ten year you can be in charge of loans.

Gen Y. You kents are farked. Fair dinkum.
 
^^^
Great post.

I work in Project Management - originally an electrician.
When hiring new apprentices we have been forced to go the 'mature age' route - people with a bit of life experience, who have acknowledged that they need to work for their opportunities.

The new generation want the trimmings of success without paying their dues.
 
BigJoeD said:
^^^
Great post.

I work in Project Management - originally an electrician.
When hiring new apprentices we have been forced to go the 'mature age' route - people with a bit of life experience, who have acknowledged that they need to work for their opportunities.

The new generation want the trimmings of success without paying their dues.
Click to expand...

That's why I suggest that university should be limited to over 25s.

Uni graduates, straight from school, are useless as they have no work experience and by the time they do they have forgotten most of what they learnt at uni.

I also find younger uni graduates rope learn which means they absorb very little long term knowledge where older students actually study.

By working for 7-8 years before joining uni will provide an opportunity for kids to get work experience, have the hunger to learn again and probably make better choices in terms of their degree.

Experience is 99% of value to not only an employer but to the individual themselves.
 
University is definitely worthwhile, but having experienced it myself, the main issues I have with it are that it's a lot to force upon 17-18 year old kids (thinking back, I would have taken a year or two off just to work before going), and the whole "I've got a degree, but no experience", when potential employers expect industry experience is a dilemma too.

I would like to do further study myself, as I feel more "ready" and appropriately mature for it now than I was when I was studying, but it's too much of an imposition financially and lifestyle wise (mid-20s, living out of home for a couple of years) to go back into student life now.
 
Would definitely like to do further study, have a couple dip/adv dip level quals, these plus my work experience make me eligible for direct entry to Masters in <my industry> Management, but am not sure if it's better to go this route or just do a BBus, either way will have to be via distance.

Ah well, still have a couple years to decide :confused:
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

quickstraw said:
That's mostly rubbish

1. Australia's economy is changing. There's a shift. Just as manufacturing cars is a dead end for us, so are a lot of preofessioanl careers that Patel and Zheng can do cheaper. Wee have to adapt.

2. In saying that, trades are safe. You can't outsource a plumbing job to India, or get your car fixed in Karachi. If you have a trade you're probably going to be able to get work for the rest of time (barring a massive unemployment rate hike)

3. Go to uni, get HECS (peanuts). Do a trade, get apprentice wages. They may be peanuts but it's better than what uni students get and you don't have to pay it back. Have you considered its often uneconomical for someone to take on an apprentice? The amount of time you have to spend training them reduces your profit. Young kids just don't have the maturity in the workforce and if they were paid the wages you are suggesting then no one would bother taking on an apprentice.

The current apprentice system and HECS system work. There isn't a better way how to do it. It's quite humorous that you're doing the "I don't know f-all, am getting certified, but want to be paid more than employers can afford".

Are you just not grasping why everyone else is claiming Gen Y are a bunch entitlement expecting useless c-nuts? You can't see it, can you? You're obviously lost in the Gen Y "I deserve everything now" haze.

4. The same goes for uni. I came out of uni and it was extremely frustrating trying to get a job. The truth is, straight out of uni you know f-all about your field and have no experience. In any industry, experience is everything. Work rate, how to deal with people, how to get shit done, and of course your knowledge of your field. It's hard to make money out of a grad. Just like it is with an apprentice.

5. Uni degrees are needed if you want a professional job. It's almost a club that says "we need to confirm you have the brains to do a uni degree, otherwise we don't want you". No degree and your career is limited in the corporate world. Gone are the days when people got a job in a bank out of school without a degree and worked they way into corporate and up the ladder. No degree - have fun being a bank telling. If you work hard, in ten year you can be in charge of loans.

Gen Y. You kents are farked. Fair dinkum.
Click to expand...

I'm a Gen Y guy but that bold bit is spot on - whether or not you think a uni degree is ultimately worth it or not, 99.9% of companies, when hiring, will set out that only applicants with an appropriate degree or qualification will be hired.

Having a degree is just getting your foot in the door - after that, you need to either show you have the passion and skills to succeed in the job or the experience to prove you can do the job well (or more likely both).
 
Damon_3388 said:
University is definitely worthwhile, but having experienced it myself, the main issues I have with it are that it's a lot to force upon 17-18 year old kids (thinking back, I would have taken a year or two off just to work before going), and the whole "I've got a degree, but no experience", when potential employers expect industry experience is a dilemma too.

I would like to do further study myself, as I feel more "ready" and appropriately mature for it now than I was when I was studying, but it's too much of an imposition financially and lifestyle wise (mid-20s, living out of home for a couple of years) to go back into student life now.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if it's widely offered/available to other universities but my uni strongly encouraged students to complete 6-12 month work placements as part of their learning. My degree required us to do a 12 month work placement where we had to basically apply for internships or co op positions, be accepted and then work in the organisation for 12 months gaining practical skills and knowledge. A few of my mates opted not to and graduated before me but are struggling to get professional jobs in their field whilst I was kept on by my manager and have subsequently moved roles within the company - I was also able to go back to uni and finish my last few subjects while working full time (usually had 1 day off work every week to attend classes etc).

I'm also in my mid 20s, have been living away from home for a few years now and currently working full time. I'd like to do some further study however I'm not too keen to study part time (with night classes following a working day) and the cost involved would be a barrier.
 
Sanders said:
An undergrad degree is pretty low currency in some fields, where higher degrees are needed at a minimum
Click to expand...
But is a higher degree without an undergrad an issue or does it not matter, just the highest qualification?
 
DrKrieger said:
But is a higher degree without an undergrad an issue or does it not matter, just the highest qualification?
Click to expand...

Its the higher that matters, but most higher degrees of quality require an undergrad for admission.

If you can blag your way in without a bachelors then all power to you. No one would hold the absence of the lower degree against you.
 
Power Raid said:
That's why I suggest that university should be limited to over 25s.

Uni graduates, straight from school, are useless as they have no work experience and by the time they do they have forgotten most of what they learnt at uni.

I also find younger uni graduates rope learn which means they absorb very little long term knowledge where older students actually study.

By working for 7-8 years before joining uni will provide an opportunity for kids to get work experience, have the hunger to learn again and probably make better choices in terms of their degree.

Experience is 99% of value to not only an employer but to the individual themselves.
Click to expand...

There's no way that I woulda been able to complete a degree upon leaving school. Too immature, impulsive and drunk. Had to get some shit outta my system & learn a few hard life lessons, before coming to the conclusion that if I didn't study further, I Was starin' down the barrel of a life of low skilled work.

At age 27 I was ready to commit and apply myself, achieving good marks and the commencement of a career in which I've done well in and am still employed in to this day.

Was lucky enough to have studied OS, paid no fees and received a bursary. No HECS (postgrad masters wasn't cheap though).

In answer to the OP, personally worth every minute
 
CLUBMEDhurst said:
There's no way that I woulda been able to complete a degree upon leaving school. Too immature, impulsive and drunk. Had to get some shit outta my system & learn a few hard life lessons, before coming to the conclusion that if I didn't study further, I Was starin' down the barrel of a life of low skilled work.

At age 27 I was ready to commit and apply myself, achieving good marks and the commencement of a career in which I've done well in and am still employed in to this day.

Was lucky enough to have studied OS, paid no fees and received a bursary. No HECS (postgrad masters wasn't cheap though).

In answer to the OP, personally worth every minute
Click to expand...

well done!
 
Coming into my final year of a concurrent degree, hoping that it is worth it.

As said previously experience is going to be key and as such just hoping to get a low level job in my area eg bank teller, then apply for other positions after gaining some related work experience. In the end just a foot in the door, after that up to you
 
Membling said:
Coming into my final year of a concurrent degree, hoping that it is worth it.

As said previously experience is going to be key and as such just hoping to get a low level job in my area eg bank teller, then apply for other positions after gaining some related work experience. In the end just a foot in the door, after that up to you
Click to expand...

If you want to go into "banking" then a branch teller is to banking what McDonalds is to cooking
 
Sanders said:
If you want to go into "banking" then a branch teller is to banking what McDonalds is to cooking
Click to expand...

Gathered that it was something akin to that. That's if I don't get grad position and decide I need to get some experience in a financial environment. If I don't get into grad programmes gotta get in somewhere
 
Into my second year of my law degree, I'm bloody hopeful it's worth it. However, just looking at few jobs on seek, they don't say tertiary qualification needed. In my view, work experience should be offered in third year degrees to get hands on experience. This only happens in a few degrees e.g. Nursing, Teaching.
 
Not a good time to graduate as an engineer. Was sensational in 2006 and 2007 where any graduate in my field would get something within a few weeks after finishing. This year everyone has been made redundant or put on notice and graduates and people already out of work have struggled.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Tertiary and Continuing Is University Worth It?

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top