The University Discussion

Should you go to Uni?

I assume that many people, like me, have to make the choice about whether or not to go to university. There are many different pros and cons of going to university. I wanted to do this post because, personally, I have not yet decided if I will be going to uni. I thought that writing out a list of my personal pros and cons about uni would help me to better decide what decision I will make, and what better way to do that then to share it on my blog!

Pros:

- Getting a degree: This is the first point because we can't get away from it. The main reason that people go to university is because they want to get a degree. It is said that having a degree, any degree, can increase your pay in many jobs you choose. This is because it proves that you can be committed to something and that you meet deadlines and are punctual and have good attendance, which can be reinforced by university professors.

-Making new friends: For some people, it seems daunting to have to let go of the friends that we have made in the previous stages of school in our lives. And this may not be the case, some people maintain the friendships that they make in school and never look for anything else. But other people want to look outside their old school friends. University can be good for this, you're forced to spend time with people that you've never met, you're bound to make friends who will love you for you.

-Experiences: Going to University is a good way of gaining the experiences that, some would argue, you wouldn't get otherwise. You get to meet many new people, have new study habits and find out more about yourself, which can always be a good thing.

-Memories: For the 3+ years that you would go to university, there is no denying that there will be loads of memories that would warm your heart every time you think of it. All the memories that we make are not guaranteed to be good ones, but maybe the strength of the good ones will be enough to cancel out the bad ones.

Cons

-What do you study? : Some people are lucky. They've known what they wanted to be since they were young. They had been working towards the same goal all of their lives and university is the only option for them. I have friends like this and I am genuinely happy that they know exactly what they want to do. But, for other people, it is much harder to decide what to study. A con of going to university is not knowing what to study. Most of us will only have one chance at going to uni, so we have to make sure that we are making the right decisions.

-Fees : The costs of going to university, for some people, seem to outweigh the benefits of getting a degree. The fact is, the great majority of us (In Britian, particularly England) will have to take out a student loan to be able to even think about going. The prospect of being in debt to a bank  as soon as we leave our university can seem incredibly daunting.

-Choosing where to go: This is one of the big problems with going to a university, choosing where to go. The phrase 'Choose the course, not the university' springs to mind in this discussion, but it's hard to do this. We'll all have a few universities to choose from and it will be hard to know which university will be the best fitting for us, which will bring out the best in us and which will give us the best opportunities later in life.

-Hard work: Don't be mistaken, going to university would be 100 x harder than studying at school. We will have to work so much harder and remember so much more. If you are not enjoying education, even in your favourite subject, then it may be safe to say that university may not be the best option.

Other options:

If you are having trouble deciding if you should go, or if you have chosen to go just because you have nothing else to do, then below are some ideas of things you could do it you don't want to go to uni.

-Travel: If you can afford it, travelling could be another way of gaining experiences and meeting new people without having to study.

-Get a job: A good way of earning money straight away. You may not get the best pay at first, but if you stick with it, you could build up a rapport with your employers and become highly regarded in the field of your choice.

-Start a business: Do you have a passion for something? If you have the drive and ambition

-Volunteer: Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and to work with different people. Although you may not get paid, the memories may be worth it.

I hope this post has made you think about whether university is really for you.

Thank you for reading. Comment below if you've decided to go to uni, to not go to uni or if you have no idea what you are going to do.