Will Chapman – 20th May 2011
Save me from the University Production Line!
In November 2010 over 50,000 students marched the streets of London protesting the rise in University fees, questioning the implications that the new prices would have on those less fortunate.
Press nationwide documented the protests, prompting the public to question the effects on the economy and the future implications on the educational institutions themselves.
At around the same time, Mintel conducted an online survey based on attitudes towards higher education, which they documented in their ‘Trendsetters’ report in Jan 2011.
They found that half of all respondents questioned the value of university, either strongly agreeing that lifelong learning is more important than a degree, and/or disagreeing that having a degree means you will earn more money, which begs the question: Is University really worth the bother?
I am technically a current student at University. My BA (Hons) degree in Events Management is a sandwich course, during which I had to complete a 40-week placement in applicable industry. I took a slightly unconventional route / gamble and instead applied for SCA2, enrolling on the course as part of the first intake but am due to return to University next year. I am deliberating the decision.
During my first two years at University, I co-managed one event and wrote lots of irrelevant essays. 9 months into my placement, I have learnt more than ever, founded two companies and secured seed funding for both.
Dave Trott recently wrote an article on his blog titled ‘I want to be different like everyone else’, which can relate to a problem overlooked by so many others. Despite the fact that essentially, the long term aim for us students is to compete with each other to get ‘The Job’ (and if not that then at least ‘a Job’), we all apply for the same Universities, get taught the same modules, work on the same assignments with the same learning outcomes.
In my opinion, young people (myself included) have become institutionalised into thinking that University has all their answers when it is quite the opposite. University teaches you how to write essays, tick boxes and how to reference properly. It is by being pro-active outside of the lecture theatre that will get us places.
Being labelled a University drop out has always seemed a derogatory term associated with students who are too stupid, too disorganised or too lazy to keep pace with the demands of their degree but in this day and age one could beg to differ. Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg and Steve Jobs all dropped out of educational institutions and from what I have heard, they haven’t done too badly for themselves. Mark Twain said he tried to ‘never let school get in the way of his education’ and maybe people should start thinking along the same lines. Maybe the importance of the certification gained is being slowly diminished as initiative and experience triumph over academic theory.
Maybe the protesters shouldn’t be questioning whether or not they are able to afford University. Maybe it’s a case of questioning the worth of University in general.
