To university or not to university?

[Nicholls]

I'm 15 years old at the moment and in my first year of GCSEs at Britain. I will do well in my GCSEs so there are no problems there, but a question lies in the not too distant future about when I'm going to leave the British education system.

For those of you not familiar with it, my first opportunity to leave will be at the end of next year when my GCSEs finish. From then I can theoretically leave whenever I want but the only reason I would continue is to go to university and to be honest if I did not go to Cambridge or Oxford I doubt I would consider it a worthwhile endeavour. To go to one of those universities you need very high grades, which I am sure I am capable of getting. You also need a selection of extra curricular activities and other stuff which I can also get.

This is what is considered a "normal" path through life, of course from there you get a degree and then go and get a job. The trouble is a do not plan on getting a job (self-employment for me), so the degree to me is worth almost nothing. However I do think I would enjoy the experience of going to university which is why I am thinking of going.

Some of you might have gone "wooh - hold on a sec" when I said I was not going to get a job, but it makes perfect sense to me as I hate the idea of getting bossed around and not being in control of my time. As you can expect I find school fairly monotonous because of this. The only reason I am thinking of going to university is for the experience and then I will go out of university and jump straight into the career plan I'm already thinking about.

So the question is this: is it worth me going to university? My career will involve a lot of writing and I would read English at university so the education of it would certainly help; but do you think I could better spend the three years it will take for me to get my degree? I'm particularly interested in opinions from those who went to university, how they found it and if given the choice they would do it again if they turned back the time. I'd also like to know if anyone here dropped out of the school system early and how they found it. If anyone is self-employed here I'd also love to hear your opinions.

[Shamou]

Nicholls...

My son is a graduate from Harvard University and the time spent there was the happiest in his life... the meeting of great minds in places like Cambridge, Oxford or Harvard is invaluable...

You certainly don't come out of places like that the same that you were when you walked in...

If you have the chance to go... I would suggest that you grab it... you will never regret it...

Best of luck to you...

.

[Nico Kempe]

About the self employment thing: great idea, go with it. If you can, I'd definitely go for it. Go and be someone..)

As for the education, well I'm officially not very educated at all.
I'm what would be called a drop-out.
Yet I have learned a lot of things since then, I'm gradually working my way up at my job and I'm still learning.

But, if I were you, but with my experience , then I'd go for University.
It's not so much that piece of paper it gets you, but the experience, stimulance, challenge and development of yourself that it offers.
That alone would be enough reason for me to go for University.

Three years seems long, but it's three years well spend, and time doesn't exist anyway..)

[rene_stpierre]

Hi,

In my opinion, you should go to university. As already mentioned, you will meet great people plus, you will build a network of contacts that will greatly help you in the future.

University is a great time, an experience everyone who can should go through.

You can start your own business on a part-time basis while you are there.

René

[Jugga J]

to be honest...I'm going to do exactly the same as you, I'm 17 and will apply for unis here in England and in Canada, US and maybe the top 2 or 3 in Aussie land. I want to be self employed...But at the end of the day you need something to fall back on if things dont get your way in the self-employed world. Not that that is gonna happen with me ... muhahaha

also this myth that the majority of the young successful businessmen out there are school drop outs that didn't get any qualifications simply isn't true.

[homeboy]

Im fresh out of uni and although it was fun, i think i wouldve liked it more if i did something i liked. The degree definitely helps you in other aspects as well, when u need loans or when people decide if they wanna invest in your company, itll show that you have some knowledge under your belt or have been through a longterm commitment. Uni is definitely not a bad choice or a wrong decision for anybody. I came out only to find people who went to lesser known schools got offers from the same companies I applied to. Although their salary might be a little lower, they definitely had more fun in college than I did. So choose well and hopefully you'll be happy wherever u go.

[openeyes]

Originally Posted by Nicholls

For those of you not familiar with it, my first opportunity to leave will be at the end of next year when my GCSEs finish. From then I can theoretically leave whenever I want but the only reason I would continue is to go to university and to be honest if I did not go to Cambridge or Oxford I doubt I would consider it a worthwhile endeavour. To go to one of those universities you need very high grades, which I am sure I am capable of getting. You also need a selection of extra curricular activities and other stuff which I can also get.

This is what is considered a "normal" path through life, of course from there you get a degree and then go and get a job. The trouble is a do not plan on getting a job (self-employment for me), so the degree to me is worth almost nothing. However I do think I would enjoy the experience of going to university which is why I am thinking of going.

I was in the same position as you going in. I had no intention of being someone's employee long term, but I ended up with a full scholarship to a great university, so I went for the social experience, and am set to graduate in about 6 months. Looking back on it, I'm greatful for the social opportunities I've had, but it might have been worth taking a year off beforehand, going in with a more set plan of what I wanted to do academically. If attending uni won't leave you with immense debt, I'd say go for it, and if you've been set on working in one of the professions all your life, do it.

You might find this book to be of use:
Skip College: Go Into Business for Yourself
CanaryIslandsPress - Books by JJ Luna

[Cassie]

It is indeed a personal decision. However, if you become involved with activities you feel passionate about and take classes which challenge you intellectually, I don't feel you'll regret university (and may actually reap many benefits).

I loved my philosophy classes - they were so stimulating. All my classes, in fact, added value into my life. I'm a huge self-learner, but university can give you a unique opportunity to meet with other brilliant, like-minded individuals.

[ChaosKiwi]

To be honest I was in a similar position to you. I graduated high school and decided to take a gap year with some vague notions of starting a business (I'm not saying your ideas for business are vague, just explaining my position) and gaining some new experiences. The year went in NO way as I imagined it, and due to my youth and inexperience a business never materialised. I did however gain massive insights into the world & myself etc.

For the year & a half after I entered a software development diploma at a shady "training institute" I gained excellent marks but was totally burned out, the majority of this chain of institutes went under just after I graduated there as well. Burning out & the nature of the institute really made it hard to invision myself happily working in the software development field. I did meet some good people however, and lost my fear of public speaking while at this course (randomly).

I floundered arond for the next half year, and became really interested in personal development. I figured out more fully what I wanted to do (and maybe more importantly how I'd live my life while doing it) and researched ways to get there. I'm now currently at a well recognised uni and enjoying it immensly. Some of the time I've just recalled seemed like a total waste at the time but seems to have residual value as time goes on.

Here is my advice: Do what feels right to you in a manner or way that feels right for you, if it turns into something you are not enjoying then modify your path (for example if starting a business just isn't working then sell it/close down and go to uni), these ideas you are following all have value and that value can be partly transferrable (eg cause I had done the previous diploma - I was a shoe-in for my current course of study). Also be ready to go with the flow, plans don't always match with reality and resiting the differences multiplies the negative effects.

Good luck to you sir.

[Addict]

Consider this. Even if you are self employed, you still need to produce something of value. You have to be very knowledgeable in whatever field you choose because you are competing with a lot of people.

Basically, what I'm saying is you are going to have to educate yourself one way or another. I'm three years into university in the states. Most people will tell you that being at university are the best years of your life and I agree. You are around so many intelligent people. It is a lot of fun too. So i would recommend it unless you really want to educate yourself. Unfortunately, people are still going to respect you more if you have a degree. And remember above all, going to university does not mean you have to get a job like everyone else. I think Steve Pavlina is a great example.

[Minishark]

Stay in school. You're 15 years old. There's no way you could ever really know what you want to do for the rest of your life at that age. Having a college education gives you options for the future. Since you want to have your own business, go to a good business school, and major in entrepreneurship. Since you don't have years of first-hand experience seeing how a business runs, you'll need some sort of education on the subject. It could make the difference between being a millionaire by the time you're 30, or having your business fail within the first 6 months.

[SeriousKidding.com]

I always told my son and all my many students that knowledge is power. And, the best way to get tons of knowledge about how to live in the world and academics comes from school. I believe you drastically cut your chances of being able to do what you want as a career if you don't get the ol' college degree. It's valuable experience at the very least. It's a no-brainer. Just my humble opinion.

[Akashic_Librarian]

Whoo Uni!

I am hoping to go to Leeds University in a couple of years to do a joint honours in Psychology and Philosophy. So I would say go for it!

[JoeBlogs]

Originally Posted by Nicholls

to be honest if I did not go to Cambridge or Oxford I doubt I would consider it a worthwhile endeavour.

I think you should do more research into University. The above quote irritated me slightly, as I went to another top British university that wasn't Oxford or Cambridge. Although I am slightly biased, I would like to point out that believing Oxford and Cambridge to be the only worthwhile universities is foolish.

1) Oxford and Cambridge are not necessarily the best for a given subject. For example, engineering at Oxford, whilst it is a good course, is certainly not widely regarded as the best engineering degree course available. Don't sacrfice what is best for you, your education and your qualifications in order to say "I went to Oxbridge". (Oxbridge = a collective term for oxford and cambridge).

2) One of the main reasons why I intended to recommend university to you is for the non-academic aspects. You will learn a lot about life, develop a lot as a person, have a chance to live away from home in a new town with new friends...you mentioned this enjoyment of the experience of university as the reason why you are going...well, how well do Oxford and Cambridge fit in with this plan?
They are not large cities, they demand an extremely high level of work from their students (of course uni always involves work, but I've heard that Oxbridge is particularly demanding), they are arranged as colleges where you live and study throughout your course (I think) which I'm neither pointing out as a good thing or a bad thing, just an unusual aspect of those universities compared to most where you stay in halls for the first year then get to live in a student house with friends.

My point is that University is a great experience and I do recommend it to you. My university years were the best of my life (though they're only just finishing so I'm not that old!) even though I *hated* my course. Everything else made it worthwhile. However, if you do decide to go to univeristy make sure you consider all of your options carefully and find the place that is right for you, not the place that makes people say "oooh" when you tell them where you studied!

[JiriNovotny]

Personally I think that having a degree won't help you achieve financial freedom without a job. I would say that the best thing one can do is to take a 1 year break after high school and ideally start a business even before finishing the high school. You can decide then if the university is still worth it for you.

[Chris Norris]

Hi,

I'd like to add some support for what Joe is saying about the choice of universities, but first a little on me.

I'm 24 and another Brit. I certainly never considered leaving school at 16 and I would strongly advise you to stay and do A levels whether you are going to university or not, if only because of the stigma attached with not having a post-16 education should you ever need to get a 'job'.

I started off doing four A levels with a mix of the more vocational (business, computing) and academic (maths and physics). At the same time I was involved with a group of friends in establishing what would become a very successful website which is now quite well known. Originally, I wanted to go to Cambridge to study Computer Science, but about half way through decided I actually wanted to go down a social sciences route and dropped Physics. This gave me more time to concentrate on the website, another part time job, but did mean I realistically was not going to get into Oxbridge with 2 out of 3 A Levels being non-traditional.

In the end I went to Nottingham (still a top university) and studied business/economics, later taking a sabbatical year to do an elected students' union role and then going on to do a masters in a subject which I am very passionate about (corporate social responsibility). When I went to university, I ended my involvement with the website.

Now, on the face of it I could have a number of regrets. I gave up on a business which I could probably now be earning a living from full time, and I didn't go to Oxbridge. What I did have were the best five years of my life, growing as a person at a fantastic university in a great city, meeting new people, and involves in issues and activities which I was passionate about. If I had gone down the route of focusing on the business I would never have become politically engaged or had the opportunity to find and study a topic I am genuinely interested in. I don't think Oxbridge would have provided what I got at Nottingham either.

I suppose the point I am trying to make is that the choices you make now are important, but you never know what could come along and your priorities now might not be your priorities in 5 or 10 years. Also, education is not just about career progression - it is about personal development, both socially and through enjoying learning.

Chris

[geekchic9]

Originally Posted by Nicholls

So the question is this: is it worth me going to university? My career will involve a lot of writing and I would read English at university so the education of it would certainly help; but do you think I could better spend the three years it will take for me to get my degree? I'm particularly interested in opinions from those who went to university, how they found it and if given the choice they would do it again if they turned back the time. I'd also like to know if anyone here dropped out of the school system early and how they found it. If anyone is self-employed here I'd also love to hear your opinions.

I'd say you're a perfect candidate for a "gap year." I don't know how it works in the UK, but in America you can get accepted to at least some universities, and then request a semester or two off right at the beginning to figure out what you are going to do. That way, you're still guaranteed acceptance if you decide to go back to school. This is what I've wished I did. It would have saved me a lot of money, and I would have graduated with a different degree, which is computer science, than what I actually did graduate with, which is English.

Also, where I live, there's an organization that offers classes on how to start a business and actually succeed. The best program is an 11-week course that costs $450 USD -- a great bargain compared to a business degree, and the information you receive in the program is quite practical. I attended a free course that the organization offered and realized I wasn't ready to start a business yet. However, if I ever get ready, that is the place I would go -- not a business school.

The best things I got out of the university experience was not in the classroom. It was the contacts I made and, sadly IMO, the status the university's name brought on my resume. I've had jobs and higher pay simply because I chose to go there instead of somewhere else. I think that's unfortunate, since I really didn't learn much education-wise.

[Robert Avila]

You always have options.

If you decide to attend university don't feel as though your only outcome is that you will be an employee that is bossed around the rest of your life.

You can make changes along the way. You may even meet other entrepreneurial minds such as yourself while attending university. It's amazing how much you can grow and help others grow while working together. Perhaps the relationships at university grow into future business partners.

One thing to keep in mind....even someone with an education and experience in the business world can have challenges succeeding at being self employed.

So having no education, and no business experience although it can be done...will be even more challenging.

As Addict mentioned, either way you have to produce value and have a lot of knowledge to surpass your competition.

Just remember....you can make a decision and always make adjustments along the way.

[RealEstateMegaBook]

It depends. What are your objectives?

If your only objective is to make more money, don't go. Study after study has shown that wealth does NOT correlate with success in school. Spend those four years starting (and probably failing) companies, and you'll have infinitely more experience and value than any college graduate, regardless of their school.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a relatively stable, well paying job with advancement options, then maybe school is a great idea. You'll never make as much money as the dedicated, risk-taking entrepreneur, but you'll have a much more comfortable life, especially in the beginning.

And yes, go into a great school will also surround you with some brilliant minds. I don't regret getting my degree one bit because it exposed me to more brilliant people than I could possibly have met anywhere else. It transformed me into an entirely different person.

Financially, it was a stupid decision, but intellectually, it paid off in spades. Then again, I'm a bookworm, and my intellectual growth is hugely important to me. If it's not important to you, then being around brilliant people is irrelevant.

Best of luck,

Jon

[Addict]

If your only objective is to make more money, don't go. Study after study has shown that wealth does NOT correlate with success in school.

I really would like to see those studies you are referring to. Everything I have heard says differently. For example, this article says that on average a person with a bachelor's degree will make about an extra million dollars over the course of his lifetime than a person with just a high school diploma:
Census: More degrees equal bigger bucks

Yea, of course you have a greater chance of being insanely rich if you start your own business. But who the hell says you can't do that if you go to college? You could even start your own business while in college like Steve Pavlina did. I'm sorry, but I think the people saying that avoiding university is the only path to financial success are just flat out wrong.