If like most young people, throughout your life you have been told that university is the pinnacle of your education and will lead to a bigger paycheque then like most people you will probably be considering going.
The problem that many young people face is not only choosing what they want to spend the next three years of their lives studying but also how willing they are to take on huge lifelong debt (easily overlooked).
When it comes to choosing a university degree, the following steps usually ensue:
1. Google the likely salary of jobs that require that particular degree.
2. Make sure the degree is likely to induce proud parents.
3. Confirm that the university has banging night life.
Unfortunately, all of these steps consist of looking outside of yourself for validation and at no point do they take in to consideration the type of work you’re likely to conflict on yourself for the next ten to fifty years after graduation.
So, here is my number one and only suggestion on how to decide if university is right for you (and potentially save you £53,300 in debt)…
PLEASE TRY OUT AS MANY OF THE JOB ROLES THAT YOU THINK YOU WILL WANT POST GRADUATION.
So you want to be a Lawyer? Go and shadow / get work experience in the following roles…
- Solicitor
- Barrister
- Paralegal
- Legal Executive
- Trademark Attorney
- Patent Attorney
- Barristers Clerk
- Legal Secretary
- Licensed Conveyancer
- Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
- Administrator
- Project Manager
- Management Consultant
If after you have experienced several days in the life of the people currently in these roles and you admire who they are, their lifestyles and you have confirmed that the role can only be achieved with a degree in hand then, and only then is it worth investing in going to university.
I know this point may seem blimmin’ obvious but it is so easily overlooked by many young people (including myself). When I got my degree in Media Production and then had the chance to speak to someone working for Channel 4 in a careers networking session the first thing she said was, “we actually prefer our graduates with English degrees,” my heart broke a little, please don’t let that be you.
Go straight to the source of your perceived career happiness and find out if it really lives up to your expectation, it can save you a whole lot of time and money.
PS: I figured out a didn’t really want a career in television but hey at least I can now share my expensive lesson with you.
Further Reading:
50 Alternative To College (Uni) by James Altucher (FREE)
