Clearly not worth bothering according to the Independent
Are degrees worth the paper they’re printed on? Once, a university education was a passport to a brighter future, a better-paid career, a life of privilege. But after a decade and a half of massive expansion in our higher education system, the ‘gold standard’ qualification is losing its lustre. Is it time for a rethink?
But what exactly is the rethink/alternative proposed here? What we have is a set of observations about the fact that studying at university is not free, that not all graduates enjoy above average earnings within a year of graduating, that parents feel they should support their offspring, that many students work for extra money during their courses and that there is a general view that the degree classification system is not terribly helpful for differentiating performance. And that’s not all:
High-street banks have stopped offering students juicy incentives to sign up for new accounts; last year, banks were offering iPods to new customers, but now offers are more modest, such as free travel insurance or a national railcard.
But iPods are already ubiquitous. A railcard is likely to be worth more to many students than a second iPod. This is hardly revolutionary stuff. But hang on. The big question here is who needs a degree anyway? When we look at the list of successful people named here – Philip Green, Richard Branson, Katie Price, Barclay brothers, Ann Gloag – all of whom are fabulously wealthy – it seems there is a clear message from the Indy: don’t waste your time studying for a degree and you are just certain to be a billionaire. Easy.
