so i can't really compare

what you want to do. In some areas it's a pre-requisite that you can't do without. In others, it's optional, but can be a bonus.

no degree and 3 years worth of uni debts. in retrospect this is not the best way to do things. id say no degree, anyone can get into uni these days, experience is better and you get paid for it. easy win.

will basically do fuck all in most cases.

because pretty much everyone has one anyways. You'd need to carry on and do a masters or phd.

mind you. i know plenty of people who never bothered with degrees and they're raking in the cash. They probably have soul destroying careers though.

1) Whether you have a clear idea of what you want to do with your degree.

2) Whether or not the degree you have chosen gives you the capability to get into well paid jobs.

Even then it depends on the demand for the given type of "degree owners".

And I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am without it. But it all depends on the degree you do doesn't it.

My friend's chosen career as a barman has no further credence through his Film Studies degree.

Mine, being a lawist, is impossible without one. That aaid, its probably as interesting as bar work at my level.

As regards PhDs, Masters and all that, again it depends on career. If you're coming over all science on me then that's probably true but if you want to be a corporate shit smasher I understand you can do that at varying levels given differing levels of training. Top level = smashing the system for some commodities trader, Bottom level = Tesco night shift.

in something like potions or transfiguration or something vocational like defence against dark arts. Stuff like divination or muggle studies will not help you get a great job.

(unless you do it in a field you want a career in) but going to University's a good experience and worth doing. The social side of being forced to live away from home and interact with new people is good for most people plus personally I think education in a field that interests is an end in itself regardless of career benefits.

I know people with 'firsts' who have much worse jobs than I do (I have no degree). In fact, of everyone I know who went to uni, only 2 of them are in a job that has something to do with what they studied. One in graphic design and the other in nerdy studies.

this helps you get a decent job.

Some degrees are more help than others when looking for a career.

You can't work your way up to being a doctor.

im not convinced though

my HND in vehicle immobilisation.

people with degrees earn more than people with out them.

make sure it's something you've got an interest in and won't get bored of quickly.
If you're not sure just take a year out working to save some money and work out what it is you want to do.

I got a job.

1-0 to the Degree for me.

unless you are supremely self-motivated and you have some great talent that you want to show to the world. You might have that and will probably still need a degree.

Yes, lots and lots of people have degrees. That means you might not enter a 'graduate-level' job straight away, but the bar is higher for jobs all around. Maybe not for a Tesco's shelf-stacker job, but even they are offering their own degrees now.

do something you like, but also something that *challenges* you.

take two years off before uni. get some real work experience if you can otherwise try some volunteer stuff, and then use whatever money you've made to travel for a little while.

when you get to uni then you'll have a much clearer idea of what you want from yout time there, and also what you need to do to get a life setup for afterwards.

uni is a great time to slow down the ominous drudge of reality and work, is a fantastic time to meet lots of interesting and good looking people, and is a good bridge between home and real life.
university FTW!

who has doesn't have a degree is doing better than everyone I know that has a degree except for maybe 1 or 2 working in Banks or Office jobs. I'd say it's only better if you have a clear idea of what you want to do and need a degree to do that. And how clever you are i.e. where you're going to get a degree from and in what. However, if you're clever enough you shouldn't have a problem either way.

You do have a good time at Uni and have lots of time to do things you like.

I, also, agree that doing a Master or PHd is obviously more useful and you may also have the oppurtunity to stay in with the University in some capacity if you do this.

If you're umming and ahhing I would say No don't go. You can always go later if you find something you really want to do.

are all degree free.

One has his own tiling business and makes about 50K a year, one has the gift of the gab and works as a salesman for a massive Audi dealership in Bournemouth and the other is an estate agent.

So, don't think that it's the be all and end all. Obviously, it's necessary if you want to be a teacher, solicitor, nurse/doctor or go into something like engineering (although, I know engineers who don't have degrees), but there are ways and means.

My degree in politics and international relations is in no way relevant to my banking job. Still glad I did it, but more for the experiences it afforded me and the nice people I met.

When I get around to doing a masters it will be directly vocational.

I want to be a social worker so I need the degree. But I could find something I liked as much without a degree, I reckon.

But I like my degree because it enabled me to meet my best friends, boyfriend and go to Finland (and some other countries as a result of that).

Lord only knows when I would have gained the confidence and/or motivation to relocate to another city otherwise. The amount of activities available to participate in is pretty incredible, too. Not to mention long summers of being able to partake in voluntary projects abroad and other generally Cool Things. It's nice to not be immediately flung into a hellish seeming (I'm still adjusting to the "real world" after two years) world where having to restrict your adventures to two week periods is the norm.

Saying that, only choose uni if you're actually set on a course you feel you're genuinely passionate about. If you're not sure, give yourself a bit more time to think. People seem to be pushed into starting university at 18/19 simply because they're not really sure of what else to do, and it's so silly. I had one gap year before uni, and with hindsight it wasn't nearly enough.

and spent my other time getting work experience.
(in PR/press and then event management)

if you want to work in a 'creative' environment, i'd suggest this is the best way.
also, it will always be who you know not what you know. so network like a mother trucker.

however i now have a pretty awesome job in the """MUSIC INDUSTRY"""

x

and left before I finished. This was due to the fact that at 17 when I chose to do the whole uni thing, I thought I knew what I wanted.

As I was forced to mature, I realised that it wasn't what I wanted to do. It took a lot of time to figure out whether dropping out was the right decision, but where I am now, I stick by it.

I have a good career ahead, doing what I want to. I will still complete a degree along the way though... purely because I love learning and challenging myself.