University. Home to all things outlandish, everything amoral and an overriding sense that if it feels good, do it. Sex, drugs, rock and roll, Funky Ass Disco Dancing, Custard Wrestling: You name it, it’s all here. Uni is a place of infinite opportunities to take advantage of and countless black holes for less wary students to disappear into, all hidden under a blanket title of “education”.
Yet no one seems to question the superficialities of 21st century British students, seeing university as a default stepping stone between school and er, honest employment, whatever that is. You know, that bit between being young and dying.
And now that we are being charged extortionate amounts to receive incredibly long reading lists and massive library fines and yet have fewer and fewer lectures, university is less focused on education than ever before. Instead it is an easy come easy go haze of booze, birds and bingeing, with Freshers’ Week and even Freshers’ Fortnight at some campuses threatening to devour livers at a rate not even George Best could match.
So, is university worth the expense, effort and time? Obviously all of you reading this must think so to a certain extent…otherwise you wouldn’t be here. But, is a university degree as valuable as it used to be, back in the olden days when our parents were young?
The government obviously thinks so, having set itself an ambitious target of getting 50% of young people into university by 2010, (regardless of whether 50% of 18 year olds actually want to go to uni). However, instead of providing incentives for eager students, the government has inflicted exorbitant top-up fees, presumably to fund its war-waging habit and to ensure that every MP can have at least four houses and 17 cars.
Deciding whether to go to uni or not is a much harder decision than before, with students starting in 2008 having to foot the bill of up to £3,145 (in England), or any seemingly random amount depending on which side of the borders they live and want to study. Because of this, cheaper, distance-learning options like The Open University noted a distinct increase in applications in 2006, when top-up fees were introduced.
Along with top-up fees, there is also the expense of accommodation and bills and everyday living costs. Thus, for a three-year degree with over £3,000 in tuition fees, approx. £3,000 for rent and bills and around £2,000 per annum for living costs would total £24,500. Even including working over the summers at minimum wage, debts would still reach £18,000. Someone who didn’t go to university and worked at minimum wage for three years would have earned at least £30,000 by this stage. Thus, there is a potential £50,000 disparity between students at graduation and those who went straight from school to paid employment.
The question is, would you pay £50,000, if not more to go to uni? The effective cost of Medicine, for instance as a six year degree, is nigh on £100,000…and at graduation, students would be at least 25 before entering the world of work. How many years would it take before graduates have earned £50,000 or even £100,000 more than a non-graduate? Decades? Interestingly, the average UK salary is approximately £22,000 per year, whilst mean graduate salary is only £23,000, which is food for thought.
Another issue with the whole university system is, especially in the humanities, lectures are few and far between, despite the increase in fees. In my course for instance (English Language and Communication), I have just six hours 40 minutes of lectures and seminars every week. Over the three years of the degree this equates to just 10 working weeks’ worth of contact time, with students more often being directed to the library rather than actually being taught or discussing anything.
Additionally, with fees having spiralled to £3,145, each hour of lectures for my course costs £23.59. So, I’d have to work over five hours at minimum wage to pay off just one hour of lectures. Therefore, on a financial scale, going to university seems like a fiscal liability, at least in the short term. Thus, it can seem that university merely serves as a platform to fund lecturers’ research, rather than actively teach students new skills and topics.
However, university does obviously have its own advantages. For a start, it provides a level of education above and beyond that of school and college, promoting independent study and research skills. University additionally offers the chance to live away from home, which is a significant learning experience for many students, as the first time that most people will have lived away from friends and family.
Also, it is an opportunity for socialising and enjoyment, with the chance to join numerous different clubs and societies helping people to meet like-minded individuals and to make friends from many different social circles. However, the key advantage of going to university is that it gives greater job prospects and opens many different doors that would not be available otherwise. The primary issue is that job seekers will be disadvantaged if they have not chosen to go to university, especially as more and more jobs specifically seek a degree education as a requirement.
University is definitely not what it used to be. It has become a consumer commodity in the 21st century, something that many people enrol in because they feel that is what they are expected to do, whether they want to or not, unlike a few decades ago, when only a tiny minority of people chose to enter higher education, because of a desire to learn.
And because university has become commodified, the government can get away with charging a ridiculous amount of money for it, as it is still an enticing prospect for potential students. Now a degree appears as a basic standard and it feels like students need at least a Masters degree, or even a PhD. to get ahead and that without a degree, career options are strictly limited.
I see university as a great learning experience, as valuable now as it ever has been, though its emphasis has definitely shifted over the years, from pure education, to an (increasingly expensive) experience to buy into. It is not only beneficial in terms of academia and social elements, but also as a short cut into many jobs which would otherwise be inaccessible to non-graduates.
However, I feel that the recent changes the government has made over fees are unforgivable, both divisive and money spinning, charging students for a service that once was free, whilst not working to improve the service that we do receive.
But, crucially, regardless of the cost, the experience and qualifications university can provide are vital in maximising students’ career potential. I had no qualms about coming to uni and I’d do it again given the chance. In fact I’m already planning a Masters and have been since before I started my current degree.
