Yooni

[Phil D. Rolls]

Does anyone think that there are too many people going to University now? I reckon too many of the courses being offered are nothing more than jumped up vocational certificates.

My course has a minimum of four standard grades as an entry requirement, I'm not exaggerating when I say that some of the students can barely talk, let alone read and write. I think they would be better learning the skills on the job.

[Betty Boop]

Does anyone think that there are too many people going to University now? I reckon too many of the courses being offered are nothing more than jumped up vocational certificates.

My course has a minimum of four standard grades as an entry requirement, I'm not exaggerating when I say that some of the students can barely talk, let alone read and write. I think they would be better learning the skills on the job.

What are you studying if you don't mind me asking?

[Woody1985]

A lot of jobs state that you must have a degree. I was going to apply for an IS trainee job 6 months ago but was told I couldn't.

I've been working as an systems support analyst for +5 years and know the ins and outs of the business and have an understanding of the IT infrastructure. I understand the job I would have been doing and I work with the people doing the job on a day to day basis and already undertake some of the tasks they do to learn more as it was natural progression from my current role.

All because I never had a degree I couldn't. I could have a degree in french, lego building or flower arranging without the slightest idea what the job entailed and been more eligable to apply. :grr::grr::grr:

Crazy world.

[Phil D. Rolls]

What are you studying if you don't mind me asking?

Nursing, a course that used to be run by the Health Boards, but now is a University based degree.

[MSK]

Does anyone think that there are too many people going to University now? I reckon too many of the courses being offered are nothing more than jumped up vocational certificates.

My course has a minimum of four standard grades as an entry requirement, I'm not exaggerating when I say that some of the students can barely talk, let alone read and write. I think they would be better learning the skills on the job.Thats only required if starting from scratch, failing that you do access to Nursing...or go through the HNC route which im doing next year ..the HNC is a pretty intense course & that in turn will seperate the "chaff" fi the "wheat"...

[Killiehibbie]

I don't see the point of all these useless, watered down degrees. Lots of these students are getting qualifications that in no way prepare them for the real world.

[Phil D. Rolls]

Thats only required if starting from scratch, failing that you do access to Nursing...or go through the HNC route which im doing next year ..the HNC is a pretty intense course & that in turn will seperate the "chaff" fi the "wheat"...

Wish I'd gone down that route, you get a better bursary, and you are usually better poised to get bank work. I do know that people who joined our course in second year, from the HNC, found it hard at first though. Mainly, when it came to essay writing.

Good luck, though, as it is one of the most enjoyable things I have done in my life.

[MSK]

Wish I'd gone down that route, you get a better bursary, and you are usually better poised to get bank work. I do know that people who joined our course in second year, from the HNC, found it hard at first though. Mainly, when it came to essay writing.
Good luck, though, as it is one of the most enjoyable things I have done in my life.My wife went through SVQ 2 to HNC to 2nd year of her Nursing degree & is only a matter of weeks away from graduating...i witnessed first hand the amount of essays etc & you really need to be on the ball..time management was the factor in this....

Essay writing was something they were primed to do & more emphassis was spent on that as opposed to learning vital clinical skills..

This "flaw" was exposed when my wife moved into second year...the "direct" group were struggling with their writing skills as they had spent a year on placement/Uni & the HNC students spent more time in Uni & didnt do placements..

Some food for thought for Napier...

[Betty Boop]

Wish I'd gone down that route, you get a better bursary, and you are usually better poised to get bank work. I do know that people who joined our course in second year, from the HNC, found it hard at first though. Mainly, when it came to essay writing.

Good luck, though, as it is one of the most enjoyable things I have done in my life.

I have just passed my HNC Social Sciences, which included Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, Politics and Software Applications. I found it very tough but I got there in the end, and I am off to Queen Margaret next week. I could go in at second year, although I am wondering if that is a good idea?

[Phil D. Rolls]

I have just passed my HNC Social Sciences, which included Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, Politics and Software Applications. I found it very tough but I got there in the end, and I am off to Queen Margaret next week. I could go in at second year, although I am wondering if that is a good idea?

The sooner you are finished and earnng money, the better, IMO.

[lyonhibs]

Well you'll be glad to know that the entry qualifications for my degree were far from "watered down" or "psih easy" and I use the degree I worked for every day in my new job, and genuinely could not do my job as it is without degree level French.

2 sides to every coin. :agree: :agree:

[Phil D. Rolls]

Well you'll be glad to know that the entry qualifications for my degree were far from "watered down" or "psih easy" and I use the degree I worked for every day in my new job, and genuinely could not do my job as it is without degree level French.

2 sides to every coin. :agree: :agree:

I'm not taking a pop at a degree education. I am just musing as to whether there are too many degree courses out there, to the extent that a degree is now the equivalent of Higers when I was young.

It also gets my goat, how many youngsters I meet on my course, who are clearly on it to get a degree - any degree, rather than because they want to be nurses.

[lyonhibs]

I'm not taking a pop at a degree education. I am just musing as to whether there are too many degree courses out there, to the extent that a degree is now the equivalent of Higers when I was young.

It also gets my goat, how many youngsters I meet on my course, who are clearly on it to get a degree - any degree, rather than because they want to be nurses.

:agree: :agree:

That I agree with, though surely at a later stage they'll get found out when the going gets tough?? :dunno:

[Phil D. Rolls]

[/B]

:agree: :agree:

That I agree with, though surely at a later stage they'll get found out when the going gets tough?? :dunno:

I'd like to think so, but from what I've seen, it seems to be a very hard course to fail. Unless they are absolutely godawful on placement they will pass.

But it's not just nursing I'm talking about. It seems to me that Academia has put the cart in front of the horse. They are judged on the success of their institution by the number of people who graduate. It seems to me nobody fails at University.

My underlying feeling is that a University education should be for the academic elite - for argument's sake the upper 25% of performers. If you go beyond that and everyone has a degree, then it is hardly an elite qualification.

I hope I'm missing some sort of point. Because it seems to me there are a lot of kids at University who don't understand what Groucho Marx said about not joining a club that would have him as a member. Namely, if they are at University, it is hardly an exclusive place to be.

That maybe sounds condescending, but I am basing it on the evidence of my own eyes and ears. There are kids who can't spell, and are average communicators, passing these courses. To me they have dumbed down degrees.

[Danderhall Hibs]

I'd like to think so, but from what I've seen, it seems to be a very hard course to fail. Unless they are absolutely godawful on placement they will pass.

But it's not just nursing I'm talking about. It seems to me that Academia has put the cart in front of the horse. They are judged on the success of their institution by the number of people who graduate. It seems to me nobody fails at University.

My underlying feeling is that a University education should be for the academic elite - for argument's sake the upper 25% of performers. If you go beyond that and everyone has a degree, then it is hardly an elite qualification.

I hope I'm missing some sort of point. Because it seems to me there are a lot of kids at University who don't understand what Groucho Marx said about not joining a club that would have him as a member. Namely, if they are at University, it is hardly an exclusive place to be.

That maybe sounds condescending, but I am basing it on the evidence of my own eyes and ears. There are kids who can't spell, and are average communicators, passing these courses. To me they have dumbed down degrees.

I think you're spot on. The 40% pass mark makes it a mockery IMO. How can you get less than half the questions right and still pass? Crazy.

This all goes back to Tony Blair's vision though - I think schools drum it into kids now that you have to aspire to go to Uni.

[hibsboy90]

About to enter my second year of study at University, for what could be described as a 'traditional degree' which in my case is law.

I agree that far too many young people see university as a necessity, and this demand has led to the creation of some degrees that could be regarded as a piss take if I'm honest. I think that a lot of people see University as the progression between being 18 and dependant on parents to being a full grown up, you get the independence, a place to stay without needing to enter the property ladder, as well as being surrounded by folk in nearly identical circumstances.

Uni provides a great stepping stone in that respect, but so many people are entering 'Higher education' that it can no longer be considered an education to a higher level for a large amount of courses.

The flip side to the progression argument is that you get numerous 18 year olds who leave school, but don't want to grow up, instead fancy a few years of easy living, Hollyoakes and partying. Whilst this would traditionally be an aspect to university life, it is tending to become a primary reason for people desiring a degree, to spend years in this 'cushy' situation. This has led to development of 'less traditional (or piss take)' degrees. Often these folk are completely unsure of what they want to do in their life regarding work, and so fancy these years in limbo, coming out with a 'degree'.

Of course, there is also a proportion of people who desire a particular profession, but are told that they must have a 'degree, any degree will do'. These are unfortunate circumstances, as traditionally people would learn skills on the job.

We also have so many more folk with degrees because so many colleges etc have been rebranded Universities.

[Woody1985]

About to enter my second year of study at University, for what could be described as a 'traditional degree' which in my case is law.

I agree that far too many young people see university as a necessity, and this demand has led to the creation of some degrees that could be regarded as a piss take if I'm honest. I think that a lot of people see University as the progression between being 18 and dependant on parents to being a full grown up, you get the independence, a place to stay without needing to enter the property ladder, as well as being surrounded by folk in nearly identical circumstances.

Uni provides a great stepping stone in that respect, but so many people are entering 'Higher education' that it can no longer be considered an education to a higher level for a large amount of courses.

The flip side to the progression argument is that you get numerous 18 year olds who leave school, but don't want to grow up, instead fancy a few years of easy living, Hollyoakes and partying. Whilst this would traditionally be an aspect to university life, it is tending to become a primary reason for people desiring a degree, to spend years in this 'cushy' situation. This has led to development of 'less traditional (or piss take)' degrees. Often these folk are completely unsure of what they want to do in their life regarding work, and so fancy these years in limbo, coming out with a 'degree'.

Of course, there is also a proportion of people who desire a particular profession, but are told that they must have a 'degree, any degree will do'. These are unfortunate circumstances, as traditionally people would learn skills on the job.

We also have so many more folk with degrees because so many colleges etc have been rebranded Universities.

See my point above for an example.