Why University Isn’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be

It is now the time where students are deciding their future. Well sorry to throw a curveball, but university isn't necessarily the best decision to make.

It is now the time where students are sitting their exams, deciding their future and primarily focusing on which university best suits them for their future endeavours. Well sorry to throw a curveball, but university isn’t necessarily the best decision to make when thinking about your future. Come around kids, let me explain to your why going to university isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.

The Trap of Going to University:

University seems to be an institute that is pretty much imposed on students (well it was 4/5 years ago). Just before finishing school pretty much everybody was heading to university, so it pretty much felt like it was the place to be. Though looking back now, personally I feel I could go back and tell myself not to follow other people and ensure myself that it’s OK to take a gap year to figure yourself out. After all, you have been in education for what, 14 years of your life, surely a little break won’t hurt.

Fast forward to 3 years, and I am an English graduate with a Second Upper-Class Honors. Well, to be frank, that’s a pretty great achievement, but truthfully, I feel like after earning my degree, it doesn’t seem to have any worth in the outside world. If anything, it’s all comes down to experience. That’s how you end up getting the career you truly want by working from the bottom up.

Take a Breather:

I understand you feel overwhelmed because of the fact all your friends are heading to university, so initially, you feel like it’s the path for you. HONESTLY, it’s not a big deal to take a gap year. If anything, it’s better. Speaking from experience I know a large sum of people who regret not taking a gap year and not seizing the chance to focus on themselves and what they really desire.

I happen to fall into the category of wishing. At the end of the day, if you happen to be thinking about university or are just in the first semester/term, think about the steps you need to take to ultimately achieve your ideal job. Is university the foundation that contributes towards earning your dream job?

University Life:

University life can be interpreted in many different ways to many different people. Generally speaking, it is a place where you are limitless, and I say limitless because you are not necessarily faced with the wrath of a teacher like you would at school, but rather you must be held accountable for your own actions and ultimately your own education.

Most students can agree that university life can be a pretty tiresome journey. Deadline after deadline. Personal life affecting your student life. Work life getting the way of your student life. There’s never a clear balance between work, personal life and student life. One way or another it’ll intertwine or you end up prioritising one over the other. There’s no middle ground.

Students mainly function on 4 hours of sleep because even in their sleep they’re thinking about their thesis or exams. As a result anxiety levels, unfortunately, begin to increase due to the high demand of work being imposed on students, which has a fundamental effect on how you perceive jobs in the future.

Just to put it out there, I’m not saying university is a torture institute, it is, however, a place where you begin to understand your limits, your mental strength and your capacity to overcome obstacles. It does train you to think promptly just like any other job would too.

Consider Other Options:

University isn’t a done deal. You can try a variety of different ways in learning and developing your mind without having to go into thousands of debt which realistically can’t be paid off (unless you win the lottery or you’re super rich) Try gaining work experience in an office, a hospital, a school in a kitchen etc. Try out internships whether paid or not. That way you gain a lot of experience into how serious businesses function.