“Should I Stay Or Should I Go?”: The Pressure To Stay In The Educational System
Ever since our primary school years, we have complained about waking up in time for school. So why do so many of us stay for as long as possible? From a young age, the educational system is all we’ve known: nursery, primary, secondary, college…all up until the age of 18 when we can leave college and get to decide for ourselves whether we want to remain in education longer or leave it. But it doesn’t always feel like a choice.
Going to university has become the norm for many college leavers, with many planning which universities to apply for years prior to application. And when it becomes the norm, it becomes expected that university what everyone should aim towards. A 2019 study however showed that two-thirds of students felt pressured to apply for uni with six out of ten students feeling pressure from their parents. Independent Colleges put unnecessary pressure on A-Level students to attend university, despite some university courses not being needed for certain career paths and university isn’t for everyone. In my final year of college back in 2016, my college tutors prioritised helping students with their UCAS applications over discussing other paths, with one of my college tutors pressuring me to choose a different university course than the one I wanted. Parents are also more likely to put pressure on their children to attend university if they haven’t been themselves and want to project onto their children or if they have been to university and want to keep that image in the family.
University prices have risen in England in recent years to £9,250 per year in tuition fees alone. Those who receive a lower maintenance loan might have to rely on their family for financial support until they get a job. But for some, depending on family for financial assistance might not be an option even if Student Finance England doesn’t take this into account right away. Many minimum loans from student finance don’t cover the cheapest accommodation on offer at certain universities.
There are also many degrees that you might choose that aren’t required for your dream profession. For medical careers in both mental and physical health, you require a degree, so it’s always best to research when a degree is needed for your future career. This sadly means that arts degrees aren’t valued by society as they aren’t deemed necessary for many art-based job roles. Certain companies, however, value work experience over a degree and will often train their employees if needed.
No one is 100% honest online and this doesn’t help when looking into potential universities. Instagram highlights featuring nights out and showcasing more ‘free’ time throughout the week paint an image of the perfect entry into adult life. But in reality, many students are suffering from depression and anxiety that is only worsened by university pressure. You’ll be looking online through rose-tinted glasses trying to uncover every hidden clue about what university life is really like. The number of students suffering from mental health issues keeps rising. This is also due to factors from university itself, and the pressure to succeed while in university definitely puts strain on many students. With your peers sharing their grades openly, you might feel reluctant to share if you didn’t score the same as them. Taking gap years between college and university has become more popular among college leavers, giving them a breathing space to figure out if this is right for them.
Even when it comes to degrees, there are different routes to follow, including a degree apprenticeship. A degree apprenticeship is a combination between a job and a degree qualification. This can work out better for those who wish to pursue the world of work as well as a degree – you’ll be working for an employer and completing your degree at the same time. Although some offer a degree level qualification rather than a degree. Depending on which degree apprenticeship you might look into, you would be studying for anywhere between 3 and 6 years. This option helps you save on tuition fees as your employer typically pays towards them rather than taking out a tuition fee loan- added bonus!
There is a societal idea that going to university will lead to a more successful career. Some workers in the building industry are reported to earn more than the average university graduate. A university degree is definitely not needed to be successful in life – Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson and Steve Jobs prove that!
As you grow as a person, your passions will also change. You might be halfway through your degree before realising that this isn’t for you and that you either want to try a different course or not go at all. Either way, jumping into a university course because you feel pressured isn’t ideal, and you’ll be left with student loans. Some graduates have also been shown to pursue a career completely unrelated to their degree after graduation either due to lack of jobs in their desired field, the rush to find a job role, or a career change. Research, commissioned by IBM, showed that out of the 698 graduates who partook in the survey, 65% admitted to having regrets about going to university.
It’s okay to adapt to your new goals and choose your own path that gets you to where you want to be, whether that includes a university education or not.
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