Should you go to University?

IMG: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/02/20/study-suggests-university-presses-publish-fewer-humanities-books

During the past year and few months working with 16-19 year olds at a local further education college, I have thought a lot about the different steps that are available to them next. I try to offer them advice on the subject quite a lot, so I thought it might be useful to share it on here!

So should you go to University?
The main 3 things I would emphasise in making your decision are as follows:

1. Ask yourself questions.
2. Weigh up the pros and cons as they relate to YOU specifically.
3. Do your research and inform yourself on all your options.




ASK YOURSELF QUESTIONS.

By this I mean, ask yourself what you want and whether or not University needs to be a part of that.
- What sort of thing would you like to do?
- What are you interested in studying?
- What do you enjoy?
- Do you have a desired field of work you would like be involved with in the future? Is a degree necessary to access that?

Of course, there are also a lot of non-academic things that University can offer you. Think about whether that appeals to you or not.

You do not need to have all the answers mapped out right now, and sometimes it is just best to go with your gut feeling. If you are undecided about what career path you want to take, think about what you would likely most enjoy doing and/or studying.


WEIGH UP PROS AND CONS

There are many pros and cons to going to University, as there are with any path you choose to take.

I cannot stress enough though, you must think about what is right for YOU and YOU only. Try not to be swayed by others' opinions and choices - parents and friends can be a big push or influence in these matters, but at the end of the day, the person who is taking this journey is you and not them.
Remember that!

You might even want to write out a physical list:

Pros of University
- Degree qualification.
- Personal development.
- Freedom.
- Societies to join.

Cons of University
- Tuition fees!
- Living out costs.
- Lack of structure.
- Need for self-motivation.

(These are just a few examples. I encourage you to do the same for an apprenticeship, other qualifications and going out to work too).


DO YOUR RESEARCH ON YOUR OPTIONS

One of the best things for you to do is to clue yourself up on all the options you have available to you. Look up university degrees, apprenticeships, jobs etc.

- What do they require from you?
- What will they give you?
- Does this suit you?
- Is this what you want?

It is a lot to take in, but if you take your time over it, you will get a clearer idea of what is out there and things will seem a lot less overwhelming. You will also, hopefully, see an option that is right for you and be able to make your own decisions from that.

One more thing...

University IS NOT the only option. No matter what people say, you need to go for what is best for you.

I personally went to University for 5 years and got 2 degrees out of it. I really enjoyed all of it (though there were a lot of stressful periods) and have no regrets.

But it must be said, that I was pressured into taking this path by my school while I studied my A Levels, and that is not right.

There are many other viable options for you. Apprenticeships are big business nowadays and going straight into the workforce and beginning your career is also a perfectly fine way to go! There are also various other qualifications you can study for to boost your CV. Many are online and/or available to study from home too!

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This is one good website for sources of advice on education and careers: CareerPilot