Useless degrees

i never went to university* so have no idea what you mean :-)

*art college isn't university different term lengths, different ethos, different work practice, different drugs and very little class distinction. (IME)

That was the complete opposite of my Fine Art (sculpture) BA. As stated above I dropped out (jumped before pushed) it was completely geared towards a more classical education, and for those of a more priveleged background. That said I was my own worsed enemy.

This was not the case for many of the people I did my foundation year with.

I originally applied (and was accepted) to do my BA in Contemporary Arts Practice, the course was cancelled and they offered fine art (Sculpture) or photography ( my portfolio was mainly made up of photographs due to logistics of transporting large sculptures from the IoM). I ticked a box (easy option) as I was desperate to get away from the rock and see the big wide world.

Long story short, at 19 I was not mature enough to go to University.

i never went to university* so have no idea what you mean :-)

*art college isn't university different term lengths, different ethos, different work practice, different drugs and very little class distinction. (IME)

Different drugs? What on earth were they?

Different drugs? What on earth were they?

i can't remember, i took too many.

One year studying Landscape Architecture, 2 years studying Performance and Visual Art.

Result - no qualifications, about 5k of debt and a fairly hefty criminal record.

Education is overrated.

Be a teacher - saftey net for wasters everywhere.

Don't get your hopes up; they still require literacy...

Don't get your hopes up; they stll require literacy...

:(

Don't get your hopes up; they still require literacy...

But not touch typing skills thank god.

I went to uni 2 years early, thought I was going to be the next young American novelist*. The problem is that I attract exciting travel oppertunities so I would do a year, then I would go somewhere for a year or so...
In the end I just kept on making the choices to do what I love, and I never finished my degree. I'm happy doing what I'm doing now (working with bikes), and if at some point I want to try again I'm sure that I will be able to.

[quote= and if at some point I want to try again I'm sure that I will be able to.[/quote]

Of course you will, they'll take anyone these days ;p
Even L'il ol' me is gonna graduate with a truly useless degree in a week or so...
At my uni nearly everyone got diagnosed as dyslexic & promptly given a free Mac(not Big Mac Nhatt, that would be wrong) & I believe the university got extra funding for every person wrongly or rightly diagnosed. The resources for support were amazing if you needed it(counselling,dyslexia,housing,etc...) yet the resources for the actual course were pretty much so non existent that it was completely frustrating.
On a diff note, Nhatt honey, its about 2 yrs & 15 mins since the last time we shared a whiskey or 2 & i'm all about celebrating sticking out my useless course this week.

I think HE has gone the way of FE. I'm not sure if this is necessarily a good thing.

Both institutions were always prejudiced towards the upper and middle classes. A rich kid would have better parental support and a more positive learning environment and therefore be more likely to pass the 11-plus, deservedly or otherwise. If that didn't happen, they'd go private and get into Uni anyway.

However, a poorer kid with natural ability could get into a grammar school at 11, on the basis of smarts, do well, get a grant, go to a good Uni. (That's more-or-less what happened to my dad and a couple of his friends).

Now the hypothetical poor kid, above, won't have that early chance to go to a good school. Rich parents all move to the same expensive catchment areas, or they still send their kids private. The all-important "11-plus" stage is no longer there, nor is the grant system. The poor kid will go to a local secondary school / college. Unless they leave with good A-levels (more dependant on social factors and therefore harder for a bright kid than passing the 11-plus would have been), they will only be able to go to a less interesting university, and take on a load of debt to boot.

Under the new system, the advantage for society is that the kid's peers - just as intelligent as the average richer kid - wouldn't have had the chance to go to uni, and they're going now. But if they're also getting expensive-but-unhelpful degrees then I don't see this as a big plus.

In summary, I suppose I think that rich kids will always have an advantage, and removing what little element of meritocracy existed before has only served to entrench social divides.

(Then again, I might be talking out of my arse).

However, a poorer kid with natural ability could get into a grammar school at 11, on the basis of smarts, do well, get a grant, go to a good Uni. (That's more-or-less what happened to my dad and a couple of his friends).

Great. That's what happened to me.
I'm one of four brothers; two failed the 11+ and now have good jobs, are happily married and pretty content. Two passed and one has now not been seen or heard from for 15 years and the other is permanently skint and drifting.

Great. That's what happened to me.
I'm one of four brothers; two failed the 11+ and now have good jobs, are happily married and pretty content. Two passed and one has now not been seen or heard from for 15 years and the other is permanently skint and drifting.

Which one of the four are you?

I'm the sister

Great. That's what happened to me.
I'm one of four brothers; two failed the 11+ and now have good jobs, are happily married and pretty content. Two passed and one has now not been seen or heard from for 15 years and the other is permanently skint and drifting.

Exception proves the rule? :)

I don't know, that sounds like an argument for not going to University, which is fine by me. I'm lucky enough to have a good degree in a good subject, but I've never used it and feel like I wasted 4 years of my life. If Uni -> career isn't your thing, your degree will always be "useless" in that sense.

I'm the sister

Ha

Well, it's a bit sad, but I applyed for a course to start this year, I didn't even get an interview (and this was an art school!). So I can only hope a can change my mind about things and have them work some day.

PS, we owe it to ourselves to get drunk, miss x, lets do it.

Well, it's a bit sad, but I applyed for a course to start this year, I didn't even get an interview (and this was an art school!). So I can only hope a can change my mind about things and have them work some day.

My sister couldn't get into Art College.... Forensic Science no problem.

I've just finished all of the exams for my MSc in Computer Science. Only the project to go now.

Fucking get in!!!

Yeah, I'm feeling good about this. It's swallowed so much of my free time recently and it feels like being liberated.

Well done David. Doing a Masters part time whilst holding down a full time job is a considerable achievement.

Well done!

Yep, well done David. That feeling of the toad of revision and exams being lifted is a great one.

(Almost as good as knowing you've marked your last exam script!)

Finished my Diploma in Architecture a week ago. 5 years at Uni only to graduate in one of the worst recessions ever, particularly for the building trade. And seeing as my tutor seems to have developed a personal malaise towards me I'll probably miss out on a Distinction too which might have helped me get one of the few jobs there are out there. So I'll probably end up stacking shelves in Tesco or something. In fact it's a worrying time for the profession as a whole, many people, out of a job simply leave Architecture never to return. Many talented students, unable to afford to work for free at big practices to get their foot in the door end up leaving or not getting the experience they need to either go back to University to get their Diploma or get a job. I've worked for two years at two well renowned practices, yet I know I'll struggle to find a find a job without potentially having to work for free, yet I can't afford to and my parents definitely can't afford to support me to do so like some can. It's also sad that both architects and graduates are willing to employ free labour or work for free at a time when many architects are complaining about poor fees from projects as it does nothing but devalue the profession as a whole, but some people can afford to I guess, so they aren't complaining. I agree with Seeds, we do live in a meritocracy and it continues to work after you graduate.

i know what you mean about 'worst time to graduate'...im coming to the end of a 3 year degree in illustration and advertising...fuck knows what im gonna do when i leave..hopefully get rich and move to Barbados

After a few years in the wilderness i'm studying Zoology, will bump in three years.