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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18322554-39555,00.html
DOUBLE masters graduate Meagan Phillipson claims university was the worst investment she has made. After eight years of study and accumulating a $20,000 HECS debt, Meagan says she can't find a job. Universities should be clearer in their statistics on graduate employment, she says.
We asked NEWS.com.au readers if they thought university was a waste of time and money. We were flooded with responses, many from irate graduates or tradespeople who are raking it in. Many of you slammed Meagan for choosing an arts degree, saying she should have had more realistic expectations of her job prospects.Others said they valued their time at uni but wouldn't have had a hope in the real world if they hadn't kept a foot in the job market. Ed wrote: "My university degree would have been useless had I not complimented it with years of work experience".
Some questioned the value of going to university to raise job prospects - instead of for the learning experience. "I feel as if all of Generation Y has been brainwashed by the idea that if you don't go to uni you're a loser; quite the opposite actually," Leila wrote. "It's the tradesmen who left in Year 10 who are making six figures thanks to a critical shortage of skilled people."
Reader Nelly said unis had to give students more information about the job prospects in their chosen field, "so that they can make an informed decision whether to complete the course or not".
But other readers, such as Yuan, said it was up to the individual to find job opportunities. "University is definitely worth it ... You need to stop expecting to be spoon fed and relying too much on info from the advisers."
While Louise raised a tough catch-22: "As a recent graduate with 2 degrees and a diploma and just into my 2nd year in an entry-level position, I will say that I have learnt more from being in the workforce for 12 months than I did my years of education, but without my education I would never have gotten this position."
Finally, readers such as LTJ brought a harsh dose of reality to the debate, : "Swallow your pride, get a job that you are overqualified for, do the leg work for a year or two - if you're cute, your ascension will be ever faster."
Below is a selection of some of the best responses we received.
Here are people's responses:
From: James
Comment: No, my degrees were not a waste of time, I couldn't have got any of my last three jobs without them. However, people need to do something that is relevant, and should really work for a while after finishing their first degree before considering more study. Real world experience is still essential. Study something useful: we need more engineers, geologists, scientists. We have enough unemployed arts students.
From: PL
Comment: Uni is not a total waste of time, it was the best decade of my life, but if the world outside does not value or understand what you've done then, yes, all that work will not translate into the kind of basic career path we all ultimately need. And I know, a PhD in medieval women's lit wasn't impressing too many employers when I left the cloister...even though it screamed "He can successfully research and write on almost anything!!". Really, we need a coherent higher education system that provides a mix of relevant training and work skills but also provides the traditional academic pathways for those who truly WANT that. People are being herded into universities like any degree is an end in itself and a job voucher - IT IS NOT! From: Angie
Comment: I've just started an arts degree, studying drama, literature and communications. I know very well that I might end up "unemployable, but happy". The catch cry of my fellow students is, "well, you can always teach". I don't think it's insane to assume that a career in international relations would have better prospects in Canberra than in your home town. Personally I'd be ready to move to the other side of the world for a good opportunity, and I wouldn't be bitching that there was a lack of work in a 50km radius of my house. From: Ed
Comment: My university degree would have been useless had I not complimented it with years of work experience. My advice to new graduates is do not be afraid to venture outside your chosen field of study when you graduate and hit the job market. From: Leila
Comment: I totally agree with Meagan. Uni is a waste of time and does not prepare you for an actual job. I know so many people who had to go to TAFE after uni to actually get the skills needed in the workplace. I've got a Communications degree and would've been better off leaving school at 16, starting as a receptionist and working my way up into a PR role. I feel as if all of Generation Y has been brainwashed by the idea that if you don't go to uni you're a loser; quite the opposite actually - it's the tradesmen who left in Year 10 who are making six figures thanks to a critical shortage of skilled people. This nation is producing workers with a head full of ideas and no practical capabilities. From: Locky
Comment: I never went to Uni after finishing high school. I did a year of mechanical engineering at RMIT TAFE - hated it, did a diploma of tourism - waste of time. Ended up scoring an IT helpdesk job with a company and managed to work my way up in that. Did two years of part time study at uni whilst working but found it to be too hard to try and do both so just stopped. Was promoted to a Project Manager's role and am now earning better dough than many of my uni grad friends. Would still be nice to have a degree though and employers do notice. From: Yuan
Comment: University is definitely worth it. It's up to the individual to scope out what opportunities are available in the workplace and pick a course accordingly. You need to stop expecting to be spoon fed and relying too much on info from the advisers. Your biggest mistake was choosing an arts degree in the first place. Maybe you would have given more thought to what course you chose if you were forced to pay your fees up front. From: Elizabeth
Comment: I did a degree and got a casual contract afterwards. Getting full time work was difficult - but I have been working full time for 4 years now and been out of uni for just over 5 yrs. It's hard - but if you stick with it you will eventually find something. From: Ben
Comment: I spent 9 years at uni doing a degree in Mechanical and Space engineering and a PhD in aerospace engineering just to 'figure out' that there is NO space industry in Australia. I think people (just out of school especially) need realistic expectations of what to expect when they graduate - higher education is not a "right" to get a job, just an advantage. From: Troll
Comment: Get a real degree, not a Bachelor of Basket Weaving and you will be fine. From: Adrian
Comment: I did a 12 month IT course and worked my arse off. I'm 22 and now earning $45/h with no HECS debt. From: Bernard
Comment: My university degree changed my life for the better. My HECS debt was paid of so quickly that it wasn't an issue. I hate people who scare kids about HECS. $20,000 sounds a lot money at 17 but if it doubles your earning capacity it is cheap. From: Em
Comment: I studied teaching, so I landed a job immediately, and haven't looked back. My sister however studied Anthropology, did her masters and because of her lack of job opportunities has started her PhD. I think it depends very much on what you study. From: Louise
Comment: Are you serious? Has it ever occurred to you that this obvious bitterness you have for the world is shining through to prospective employers who are subsequently too scared to employ you? Look at this logically; you have 8 years of 'theory' under your belt and no real world experience which is essentially what employers are looking for. As a recent graduate with 2 degrees and a diploma and just into my 2nd year in an entry-level position, I will say that I have learnt more from being in the workforce for 12 months than I did my years of education, but without my education I would never have gotten this position. From: Lynn
Comment: I couldn't agree more. My fiance has a Master's of Business Administration which would guarantee him a $50k+ job in the USA, here he's working as a bank teller in a job he could have gotten out of high school and not accrued the $30k debt. I had scholarship offers to do my PhD at Cambridge, but turned them down as job prospects in Australia are so bleak for science. I'm now studying to be a pharmacist in hopes of at least earning enough to pay my debt back. We're years behind our non-uni educated friends who have spent the last 6 years making just over minimum wage but who have bought houses, cars, holidays, etc. From: Peter
Comment: Looks like you had a great holiday thinking society would provide with some cruisy job, in the real world it is dog eat dog and you need a practical skill the employer can use now. There is a desperate need for hard working people, you can get anywhere on hard work alone. Don't try to blame people for not telling you that the course was useless, in life you are responsible for yourself. From: David
Comment: I was reading Meagan's article and starting to feel sympathetic. As someone who holds a BA(Social Sciences) with Majors in History and Politics, but who now works in the IT Industry, I can understand the frustrations at her inability to obtain employment in her chosen field. Then I got to the part where this Master of International Relations refuses to move to Canberra. Any vestiges of sympathy quickly departed. I'm sorry Meagan, but how do you expect to get a job in International Relations in Australia without moving to Canberra? From: Anne
Comment: I am in my final year of studying engineering and already have a job offer without even applying for one Graduate job. I have been told engineering graduates by the end of the year will have 4-5 job offers each. Uni is only a waste of time and money if you choose to study something with little to no job prospects! And unis are partially to blame for having the spaces available when there are few jobs in the field. From: Liz R
Comment: Universities should definitely give a better breakdown of where their graduates are working. I spent thousands of dollars on a law degree, but due to the glut of law graduates have not been able to gain articles in my home city despite over 50 applications. This was also true for many of my uni friends. From: Steve
Comment: University is well worth the time and money. The trick is to have a good idea of what you want to do in your career while at school and then get into a degree which will give you the skills to get you there. I knew what I wanted to do, did the course, found the job I was after and paid off my $24,000 HECS debt in less than 4 years. Don't waste your time if you don't know what you are going to do with your degree before you start it. From: Paul
Comment: If I could take back anything in my life, it'd be going to uni. My school (private) drummed it into our heads that if we didn't go to uni, we'd end up failures. Out of my group of 5 mates, 1 finished uni. We're all successful now, but I still have a 2 year HECS debt I'm paying off. I just don't think you can know what you want to do with your life when your 18 and fresh out of school. From: Nelly
Comment: I agree completely with Meagan! Universities need to take more responsibility in letting potential applicants know what the likelihood of employment in their chosen field is after they complete their degree, so that they can make an informed decision whether to complete the course or not. They should also make clearer the cost impacts, and based on average wages in the field, calcualte how many years the whole thing is going to take for them to pay off. It is not for free! From: Edgar
Comment: My academic career was the opposite. I had a great time, bummed and flitted around Uni, did an Arts degree majoring and minoring in pure airy-faerie humanities. At the end I had no problems finding a good job in an unrelated field. Sorry Meagan, the problem doesn't lie in the system. From: Aaron
Comment: The three years that I did at uni, in hindsight, are one of the worst decisions that I have made. Racked up a huge HECS debt doing a double degree, didn't finish the degree because I had to work to live, and couldn't do both, and 6 years later, I am still paying off the debt. Having said that though, I did have a great time whilst I was there and there are great memories From: Lisa
Comment: Definitely a waste. I work with a tool who left school in year 10 and earns a ridiculous amount of money. He's thick as two short planks. If he can get a high paying job without tertiary education, anyone can. From: Ben
Comment: Uni is totally worth it. I completed a Bachelor of Engineering and just four years later I am on $70k a year. As I was told by one of my lecturer's - an arts degree quilifies you to flip burgers. From: Rebecca
Comment: I just graduated from my university honours year in HR. I started looking for work at the beginning of my final year, and got several offers by July - 6 months before graduating! From: Roz
Comment: I think scandals have shown how pointless a paper degree really is. I never bothered to finish uni as I was earning more money and feeling more useful working. I have a great job and earn more than most masters graduates. Due to experience, I have better job prospects too. From: Gary B
Comment: I completed a double degree with Honours in Science/Biomedical Engineering. The Uni pumped out about a dozen graduates a year, but job prospects in Adelaide are almost non-existent for Biomed graduates so a move elsewhere in Australia was required. I was one of the lucky ones to land a job even remotely relevant to our studies. There are too many narrowly focussed, boutique degrees out there and employers consider you over qualified or not what they are looking for. From: Stuss
Comment: International Relations? That's Meagan's first mistake. No wonder she can't get a job. Computer Science is the way to go! I had a full-time job even before I graduated. From: Derek
Comment: University is a stepping stone. You are fortunate to have been given tools that other people may never recieve. How you use them is up to you. A tradesman never blames his tools. From: LTJ
Comment: Meagan's first mistake was the choice of her academic discpline. I too have a Masters in International Relations and another in a foreign language (Spanish). They make you great for dinner parties, but they won't help you find a job. Second mistake - getting a masters from an Australian university. To the rest of the world, an Australian degree (unless it's from the AGSM) is a joke. My advice - swallow your pride, get a job that you are overqualified for, do the leg work for a year or two, at which point your superior education will kick in as you leap frog those who started straight out of high school or with just an undergraduate degree. If you're cute, your ascension will be ever faster! Good luck and chin up. From: Meg
Comment: Uni is not a free ride to a job. You have to work hard to network and make contacts just like you do getting any other job. You have to chase down what you want, it won't just land in your lap. And you have to be good. These days it is easier (academically) to get in to uni, so there are more people competing.
