I am studying at university and have almost completed my degree.

Some of my experience I feel has been beneficial but some of it have been pretty useless.

Do you think university is overrated?

depends on the field of study.

i don't regret doing my degree. i'm happy with my career right now and my technical uni background opened doors for me.

in fact i'm about to complete my post-grad qualifications.

totally overrated

as per Wysi.

Depends on what you are going to do. I know so many with their various diplomas but dont work in that field.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sneakos

totally overrated

can you elaborate?

surely if you want to become a truck driver in the mines you don't a degree.

but would you go to a 'doctor' who doesn't have a degree?

As Wysi said it entirely depends on what your career path is. I did secondary education and as much as it is essential to my career path, i need to admit that the vast majority of education subjects i did were entirely pointless, nevertheless i love uni hooray for post grad shiz.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheOldie

as per Wysi.

Depends on what you are going to do. I know so many with their various diplomas but dont work in that field.

I'm never convinced that's an argument against going to uni. I studied Social Work and work in PR and media relations (long story, but the transition happened over a couple of jobs). There is some, but not a huge amount of crossover with my studies and where my career has gone, but I couldn't possibly have the career I have without having a degree.

Unless you complete a trade i think you're doing yourself a disservice by skipping uni straight into the workforce. I know many of my peers who skipped their degrees and, with a couple of exceptions amongst some friends who operate their own businesses or work in their families' businesses, their careers languish at a certain point.

Education is increasingly the basis of a fulfilling career and conversely, a lack of education is seriously career limiting in most industries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wysi

can you elaborate?

uni doesnt teach ppl to be free or critical thinkers and be able to think for themselves

this is prolly left over from th school education system where there is so much pressure to achieve that all some learn how to do is regurgitate rote learned material

dont even get me started on after school tutoring that some parents send their kids to day in day out - from a child protection perspective i believe its abusive, however, given th social contruction of acceptability around it, its gonna stay

so we get these kids that know how to regurgitate some shit theyv learned but dont understand heading into a uni course that they often have no idea about what they want to do with it when there finished - i know there are some exceptions to th rule, but i have taught @ unsw, sydney, macquarie, acu and charles sturt, both full time and part time across th schools of social work, psychology and Aboriginal studies and i continue to see students who have no idea what they want to do and even less of an idea of how to think critrically

th unis are also to blame for their increased class sizes and reduced contact hours. lectures are fine in large halls, but having 20+ students in a tutorial or lab clas is unrealistic and unfair on them. and many sit back wanting the teacher to do th work rather than look for ways to enegage with th content themsleves - cos its been what there used to

i had no idea what i wanted to do @ 18 (apart from use drugs lol ) and i went bac as a mature aged student for both my undergrad and masters once i had some notion of th field i wanted to be in. having said that, i still dont know what i wanna be when i grow up

having a little sandstone cottage in th hills behind byron with an art studio where i can do some art and eek out a living doing that - growing my own vegies etc sounds really appealing

as does living back on a dairy farm - that (for me) was a great life

thats off th top of my head - i could seriously write an essay/thesis across this topic

but for those @ uni, just have fkn fun

th biggest thing i have learned in life is to wear life as a loose garment and have fun along th way and keep connected to th ppl who nurture and support me and vice versa along th journey - all th rest is just bells and whistles

The only think that took me many years to learn at University was....how to leave.
I started with a science degree, and then nursing, theology, social work and then a couple of post grad qualifications. As I have not done any since my last Master’s degree I think I know that once you finish to never start again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sneakos

uni doesnt teach ppl to be free or critical thinkers and be able to think for themselves

this is prolly left over from th school education system where there is so much pressure to achieve that all some learn how to do is regurgitate rote learned material

dont even get me started on after school tutoring that some parents send their kids to day in day out - from a child protection perspective i believe its abusive, however, given th social contruction of acceptability around it, its gonna stay

so we get these kids that know how to regurgitate some shit theyv learned but dont understand heading into a uni course that they often have no idea about what they want to do with it when there finished - i know there are some exceptions to th rule, but i have taught @ unsw, sydney, macquarie, acu and charles sturt, both full time and part time across th schools of social work, psychology and Aboriginal studies and i continue to see students who have no idea what they want to do and even less of an idea of how to think critrically

th unis are also to blame for their increased class sizes and reduced contact hours. lectures are fine in large halls, but having 20+ students in a tutorial or lab clas is unrealistic and unfair on them. and many sit back wanting the teacher to do th work rather than look for ways to enegage with th content themsleves - cos its been what there used to

i had no idea what i wanted to do @ 18 (apart from use drugs lol ) and i went bac as a mature aged student for both my undergrad and masters once i had some notion of th field i wanted to be in. having said that, i still dont know what i wanna be when i grow up

having a little sandstone cottage in th hills behind byron with an art studio where i can do some art and eek out a living doing that - growing my own vegies etc sounds really appealing

as does living back on a dairy farm - that (for me) was a great life

thats off th top of my head - i could seriously write an essay/thesis across this topic

but for those @ uni, just have fkn fun

th biggest thing i have learned in life is to wear life as a loose garment and have fun along th way and keep connected to th ppl who nurture and support me and vice versa along th journey - all th rest is just bells and whistles

i think 'social sciences', 'arts' and similar degrees in uni are useless

but for highly technical professional fields like medicine, dentistry, engineering, pure and applied natural sciences, accountancy/finance and law, a degree is a minimum requirement in order to advance in one's career. it is also usually these highly technical fields that pay very good money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wysi

i think 'social sciences', 'arts' and similar degrees in uni are useless

but for highly technical professional fields like medicine, dentistry, engineering, pure and applied natural sciences, accountancy/finance and law, a degree is a minimum requirement in order to advance in one's career. it is also usually these highly technical fields that pay very good money.

which is prolly why i get paid shit to work with marginalised and vulnerable children, young people and families and i agree to an extent that my degrees - social work and clinical (child and adolescent) masters - are all but useless and would really only be helpful should i wish to go into private practice cos i need AASW or APS registration in order for people who see me to claim bac on medicare - so th degree opens that door

and ......

where shazzboy when u need him to throw his insight into uni

Quote:

Originally Posted by sneakos

uni doesnt teach ppl to be free or critical thinkers and be able to think for themselves

this is prolly left over from th school education system where there is so much pressure to achieve that all some learn how to do is regurgitate rote learned material

dont even get me started on after school tutoring that some parents send their kids to day in day out - from a child protection perspective i believe its abusive, however, given th social contruction of acceptability around it, its gonna stay

so we get these kids that know how to regurgitate some shit theyv learned but dont understand heading into a uni course that they often have no idea about what they want to do with it when there finished - i know there are some exceptions to th rule, but i have taught @ unsw, sydney, macquarie, acu and charles sturt, both full time and part time across th schools of social work, psychology and Aboriginal studies and i continue to see students who have no idea what they want to do and even less of an idea of how to think critrically

th unis are also to blame for their increased class sizes and reduced contact hours. lectures are fine in large halls, but having 20+ students in a tutorial or lab clas is unrealistic and unfair on them. and many sit back wanting the teacher to do th work rather than look for ways to enegage with th content themsleves - cos its been what there used to

i had no idea what i wanted to do @ 18 (apart from use drugs lol ) and i went bac as a mature aged student for both my undergrad and masters once i had some notion of th field i wanted to be in. having said that, i still dont know what i wanna be when i grow up

having a little sandstone cottage in th hills behind byron with an art studio where i can do some art and eek out a living doing that - growing my own vegies etc sounds really appealing

as does living back on a dairy farm - that (for me) was a great life

thats off th top of my head - i could seriously write an essay/thesis across this topic

but for those @ uni, just have fkn fun

th biggest thing i have learned in life is to wear life as a loose garment and have fun along th way and keep connected to th ppl who nurture and support me and vice versa along th journey - all th rest is just bells and whistles

I think most of these problems are actually problems with the primary and secondary school systems which are all but useless and do nothing to prepare children for later life. My memories of high school are being sent to the vice principle's office because I 'asked too many questions in class' (seriously though, is any one surprised about this? ). Many students coming into uni are not receptive to independent learning and critical thought because up until that point they've been taught almost exclusively to do otherwise. How much can a tertiary institution actually do to change that?

I have to agree though that the increased class sizes and the moves to turn universities into degree factories rather than forums of open and free thought are counterproductive to the purpose of tertiary education, and it's becoming a real problem. This leads me neatly to Wysi's comment below:

Quote:

Originally Posted by wysi

i think 'social sciences', 'arts' and similar degrees in uni are useless ...

Knowledge is power. Perhaps the reason many of these degrees have become useless is that the universities no longer cater to this form of education but rather attempt to push as many people through the system as possible to buff up numbers of skilled workers.

I personally think it depends on the person and not at all on the field. Some people make the most out of their education because they realise that it is predominantly a tool for personal development, and partly a time to accrue knowledge about the world. In that light, some experiences will be useful for some but not others. For those that think they've gotten the hard part over by finishing the degree, or do it just to get through it and take home a piece of paper, I imagine later life looks much more daunting - really they just used uni to delay the inevitable growth that was required of them to survive in the real world.

i hate how ur always rite F

its not fair

Quote:

Originally Posted by sneakos

i hate how ur always rite F

its not fair

Sorry. I work hard at being right all the time. It is fair, because it's pretty much all I've got going for me

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fahed

Sorry. I work hard at being right all the time. It is fair, because it's pretty much all I've got going for me

do you also fuck hard?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wysi

i think 'social sciences', 'arts' and similar degrees in uni are useless

but for highly technical professional fields like medicine, dentistry, engineering, pure and applied natural sciences, accountancy/finance and law, a degree is a minimum requirement in order to advance in one's career. it is also usually these highly technical fields that pay very good money.

meany-poo im a prostitute of the arts :*( heres to masters!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zepol23

meany-poo im a prostitute of the arts :*( heres to masters!

i meant no offense. why get a fine arts degree if you're already a good artist and can make use of talent to immediately make a living.

i was thinking pragmatically. but as F said, it all depends on the person to use knowledge to his/her advantage. because knowledge is power. it's up to everyone to use his/her powers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fahed

I think most of these problems are actually problems with the primary and secondary school systems which are all but useless and do nothing to prepare children for later life. My memories of high school are being sent to the vice principle's office because I 'asked too many questions in class' (seriously though, is any one surprised about this? ). Many students coming into uni are not receptive to independent learning and critical thought because up until that point they've been taught almost exclusively to do otherwise. How much can a tertiary institution actually do to change that?

I have to agree though that the increased class sizes and the moves to turn universities into degree factories rather than forums of open and free thought are counterproductive to the purpose of tertiary education, and it's becoming a real problem. This leads me neatly to Wysi's comment below:

principal's

very common mistake - principle v. principal

anyway...
i'm happy to have come from a university system where 'lectures' are not monotone lectures but rather a forum for debate and discussion. no one was told anything - we're expected to learn things on our own (that's why textbooks exist) and we shouldn't come to class without the expected understanding of the topics beforehand. it's in the class where textbook knowledge was discussed/debated in the context of real-life cases and current developments. and fluffy answers were not acceptable, we needed to back them up with calculations, references and other evidence.

i'm not sure how other unis do it but i've seen in movies the professor is doing mostly of the talking with powerpoint slides and flipcharts. that method, i believe, is ineffective and a major failure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wysi

do you also fuck hard?

Depends on the bottom and the mood at the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wysi

principal's

very common mistake - principle v. principal

anyway...
i'm happy to have come from a university system where 'lectures' are not monotone lectures but rather a forum for debate and discussion. no one was told anything - we're expected to learn things on our own (that's why textbooks exist) and we shouldn't come to class without the expected understanding of the topics beforehand. it's in the class where textbook knowledge was discussed/debated in the context of real-life cases and current developments. and fluffy answers were not acceptable, we needed to back them up with calculations, references and other evidence.

i'm not sure how other unis do it but i've seen in movies the professor is doing mostly of the talking with powerpoint slides and flipcharts. that method, i believe, is ineffective and a major failure.

Ah thanks, typing on the fly, plus murphry's law. You know, I arrogantly claimed to be right all the time just a few posts above - it was bound to happen.

I agree. At USYD when I was doing my undergrad, it depended on what subject you were doing. Interestingly, given your earlier statements, I found it was more the arts subjects which followed this style. A few departments had a sort of - lectures give you an outline, tutorials are for open discussion - structure which I suppose is somewhere in between.

i obviously do not know how Australian undergrad courses do it. in my post-grad sessions, it's amazing how many people do not speak up during discussions, and I usually end up filling the void by contributing from real-life experience. most of my classmates are almost fresh grads - with barely a year of experience. i think post-grad courses should have strict work experience entry requirements as well.

No. If your looking to advance to the upper echelons of your desired field, it's a def must have. Without it you get to a stage in your career where you "hit the ceiling" and you can not advance without the appropriate qualifications.

So if your really serious about your career and want to reach the top, then I would say that Uni is not overrated. It's a requirement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wysi

accountancy/finance, a degree is a minimum requirement in order to advance in one's career. it is also usually these highly technical fields that pay very good money.

Not enough in my opinion, but I'm not an executive either.....

Finance jobs are incredibly stressful too, also a contributing factor to the higher pay rate.

it's only stressful if you're not thoroughly organized and focused in what you're doing

i hate multitasking. i concentrate on what i'm doing so i can finish it quickly and with minimal error then i move on with the next task.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wysi

it's only stressful if you're not thoroughly organized and focused in what you're doing.

Ha! Come work in my office for a day. No matter how organized you are, there's always someone who will throw a spanner in the works.

It's hard in my industry to not have other people try to dictate your day.

I agree with AM here, especially in my industry where we must work around our clients. Never knowing what their plans are and when they can change.

With anything, you only get out what you put in! And university isn't just about your degree, particularly undergrad. I only just got through my UG, coz I spent the majority of time involved in an association. Of my peers though I got one of the more sought after Grad jobs, because I had more than just a degree, I had experience running an organisation which taught me how to handle myself interpersonally and not just write an essay on culture shock for expatriates.

Learning is never over rated, whatever form it may take.

Great topic. I completed my degree before I had any life experience or any inkling what I wanted to do in life. I'd say uni can be beneficial, but get out there and travel/work/experience a little before heading into a few years of study. :-)

i assume you have a journalistic degree?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Mahera

No. If your looking to advance to the upper echelons of your desired field, it's a def must have. Without it you get to a stage in your career where you "hit the ceiling" and you can not advance without the appropriate qualifications.

So if your really serious about your career and want to reach the top, then I would say that Uni is not overrated. It's a requirement.

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