Talking Employability: Is a degree really worth all that time and money ?

DMU graduates celebrate
Copyright: DeMontfort University

By: Maren Mahnke

Thousands of university students are about to graduate and flood the already crowded job market.

Three years and a total of £27.000 of fees is what it is going to take for one to get an accredited certification. Often that means students have to get into debt at a very young age in order to fund incidental living expenses.

Aspiring DMU Business and Management graduate Michael Gondo (23) said: “Personally, I believe that apprenticeships provide an excellent means of qualifications as well as developing skills within a more practical work environment.

“A degree however, tends to be more appealing for employers since one specialises in a specific area of education, as well as gaining a certain level of real life, first hand experience.”

Having a degree does not guarantee one a job, and reality shows that at times an apprentice earns more than a university graduate. Most of the time however, students graduating from college do not have a clear idea of what career they want to enter.

Journalism and International Relations graduate Dolapo Eniola (24) said: “Studying instead of working gives you the freedom to explore your chosen area of interest more in depth, to collaborate with others on projects and you learn to deliver deadlines in a place where it is ok to fail and start again.”

On another note, many graduates like to talk about the fun they had whilst being at university. Psychology and Health Studies graduate Vanetta Findlay (27) said: “Looking back on my university experience, I believe the greatest advantage was not necessarily what contents I learnt, but instead what patterns. From my own and others’ experiences I learnt that what we do repeatedly defines how far we go and where we will end up- whether that is studying, partying, resting or maintaining relationships.”

Making the conscious decision to invest into a university degree rather than going into employment straight away is not easy by any means, especially since both universities and companies have exciting and life changing options to offer.