I graduated almost seven years ago, and there has not been one moment in the last seven years where I have not looked fondly upon the time I spent there. No regrets, whatsoever. The three years flew by in a haze of making friends, finding myself, doing a great degree with generally speaking committed and knowledgable lecturers and doing all the extra stuff which made the time memorable.
There was never a question of whether I would attend university or not. I don’t remember consciously making the decision or having the discussion, it was always assumed by both myself and my family that I would go. Not because everyone in my family had been before (in fact, at the time it wasn’t hugely the norm), but because my parents and teachers were ambitious for me, as was I. I was always academic, always the class geek and going to university just seemed the obvious extension of this.
I chose the University of Kent, based in Canterbury and playfully known as UKC amongst anyone who attended in 2001 and earlier, until the branding changed to the above. I spent three years doing an LLB in Law in a strange, but beautiful campus set against the majesty and grandeur of the Cathedral and the hustle bustle of students and tourists in Canterbury itself. I remember very clearly visiting Kent whilst in Sixth Form and knowing straight away that this is where I wanted to study. I had visited other places, and at the time Kent didn’t have the best reputation for Law, but I loved the way they taught the course and something about the setting really appealed to me.
Fast forward a year or so, and I found myself in a strange room (which my family hated, I think it was the green painted brickwork and the prison-esque) ready to get stuck in. I was nervous, of course, but I was ready for what Kent had to throw at me. I think at that stage, aged 18 I still wasn’t sure who I wanted to be, or what sort of person I was. At school I was the geek, or the music/drama person, or the “get involved with everything” girl, but I saw university as the opportunity to really shape myself and my future, not just to learn.
And by and large it did. It gave me the space and confidence to join and then lead societies, get involved with student politics and internal organising frameworks, play different sports, drink different drinks and I ended up running for sabbatical (in Welfare) with hustings, door knocking, sandwich boards and 3 glorious days of poster flying and no sleep. (I didn’t win in the end, by the experience was simply incredible).
I also made my best friends there.
I’m painting a very rosy picture of University here. There were moments that were really hard. At one point I was clocking up 30 hours a week in the local Asda whilst also studying and getting involved with volunteering stuff, and I had a second job at the Law School Helpdesk too. Money was tight, the loan didn’t go that far and I promise it wasn’t because we spent it all on booze. I managed to clock up two large overdrafts and a credit card by the end of my three years which was small fry in comparison to others. I was also very fortunate to just miss out on top up fees, so my fees were around £1k per year as opposed to the almost £9k discussed now.
Back in 2001, the graduate job market was tough, but not insurmountable. I was very lucky to secure a voluntary sector job in London the day before my final exam, and because my exams finished in May and I didn’t start my job until early July I had the chance to get a well paying admin job on a local fruit farm for six weeks which paid off almost both of my overdrafts. It wasn’t long before all my discretionary debt was paid (within about a year of graduating) and although I am still paying off my student loan, I am about two years away from finishing that.
So what is my point? The first thing to say, is that the decision facing students today is awful. I recognise how lucky I was and I was out on the original top up fees marches. I’m not sure I would have made the same choice today as I did seven years ago. The second thing to say, is that I saw many, many people for whom university was just not the right fit for them. If you are retaking your foundation year for the third time, there is something not quite right.
And there is no shame in that. This rhetoric that you have to go to university to make something of yourself is utter tosh. My Mum, one of the most intelligent and talented people I know, didn’t go to university and worked hard to get to where she is now. My husband is literally flying in his career, and made a very conscious decision not to go to university and to get out and work, at the same time as I was packing up my things to go. It is even more important to recognise this fact now the stakes are much higher – huge huge fees and debt, teaching which may diminish because the cuts to higher education may not be met by the increased fees, a lack of graduate jobs – the picture is a bit bleak.
I wish we had not sold this dream of university to everyone – because by selling the dream you are normalising something which just isn’t suitable for every young person, we are all different. Easy for me to say as I went, but I don’t think university has to be the pinnacle that we all have to get to, t be worth something. If university is right for you, then nothing should stop you going. But if not, why is vocational training or an apprenticeship, or even a blimmin’ job seen as second rate? Some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs did not attend university, and it doesn’t appear to have held them back.
I’ve made this post quite long, but I make no apology for that – it is something I feel really passionate about. I want young people to have the opportunity to carve out a life for themselves and to shine in their chosen field, no matter which way they decide to do it. Peter Jones’ National Enterprise Academies are a fantastic start, but more needs to be done to think creatively about how people learn and earn – and then how we support that.
Did you go to university, and did it work for you?
Hi Sam, I could’ve written this post myself. With the exception of subjects we studied, my experience of University and post Uni has been exactly the same. I am where I am today absolutely because I went to University and gave it everything I’d got. So I was shocked to hear that a recent survey conducted by Cosmopolitan demonstrated that almost half of young women regret going to University. But I suppose this further demonstrates your point above; University is not for everyone and shouldn’t be sold as a stepping stone to adulthood/ a fabulous career/ the only option. Nor should it be expected that at 18 you know what you want to do with your life and therefore decide what is the most appropriate subject to read.
I work at a University and we are proud to say that our student population does not represent the “typical” 18-21 demographic; we have a high proportion of mature students studying for new or improved careers (me being one of them). University might not be right for you at 18, but that doesn’t mean it will never be right for you. Although I absolutely disagree with the Government’s commercialisation of Higher Education and their apparent disregard for the impact of £40,000 worth of student debt on a graduate’s future, perhaps the introduction of full financial support for part-time students and the continuation of the repay-as-you-earn scheme will enable people to benefit from University if and when it is right for them, rather than when societal expectations dictate. Let’s hope that this is the silver lining to this terrible policy decision.
Katie.
Great post, however, are you sure you joined the voluntary sector in 2001? I didn’t join until 2002.
Kx
Hi Sam,
I really enjoyed reading this. I remember our days at school together and always thought of you as someone destined to go to University and gain the most you possibly could out of your experiences there.
I decided not to go to University, for the wrong reasons at the time, and I may have done things differently given a second chance but I absolutely agree with you that going to work in a “normal job” should never be considered second rate.
I failed my A-levels, picked myself up, dusted myself down and started studying towards an Accounting qualification almost straight away. I never thought i would study Accountancy whilst I was at school but gradually through working in a “normal job” during the week and studying in my own time I am on my way to qualifying as an ACCA Accountant. It’s worth noting that many graduates have to sit the same exams that I do in order to qualify (unless they have quite specific Finance degrees) and those on graduate schemes are subjected to tighter scrutiny by their employers than I if their study fees are funded by the employer.
I don’t feel second rate to everyone who has been to University – clearly many people are highly intelligent and it is the right choice for them, but many also end up doing something totally different to what they chose aged just 18 years old.
Worst decision ever
Hey Sam
Great post and very much echoes my own experience with Kent. University (and Kent – love that lush green campus!) absolutely was the right choice for me with my leaning towards the academic at school and the practical skills my degree taught me were useful. However, the actual subject matter bears no relation to my current job and the only reason I have been successful in my chosen career is that I got involved with all sorts of extra curricula at University which gave me both the focus to choose what career direction I wanted to go in and the skills I required to succeed. I also met my husband at Uni which was a definite bonus!
Uni isn’t for everyone though – it is challenging and you have to be absolutely sure that it is the right move for you. I had the financial luxuory (just missing grants but before top up fees came in) to be able to select a subject I enjoyed but that I knew may not be a career path. Nowadays I don’t think students have that option – with fees so high I think every person going to University for the first time (either post school or returning to improve their career prospects) needs to be absolutely sure that the subject they are doing will aid their career path in some way. And at 16-17 when a lot of people are selecting University, that’s a huge ask!
There is also a huge hole in the skilled workers provision in the country as for some reason not going to University is seen as a social criticism. This is a really unfair attitude towards thousands of people who will fly high in their careers but won’t need a degree certificate to prove that.
There does need to be a shift in educational attitdues. I would love my (currently non-existent) children to go to University as I know what a good experience it was for me. If they choose another path, then that is fine as well.
[...] of us are too old now to benefit from making a different choice anyway, whether you agree with me or [...]