Oh fuck yes
I absolutely agree.

I went to university to study computer science. I chose to do so because I am quite good with computers, and because I come from the kind of background where university attendance is presumed to be the natural thing to do.

I soon found out that the things they taught on the course were barely relevant to actually *getting a job in IT*. Not only that, I also realised that although I was good with computers, I was not all that madly in love with the idea of spending my working days writing code, as it's boring if it's not a personal project.

After leaving university, however, I duly applied for jobs in IT - only to be told that everyone wanted two years' commercial experience - and since I had been at university, I did not have that.

The irony of it all was that, during my gap year, I did actually have a job in IT: working for Barclays, doing their website for them. I left that job in order to go to university. If I had not been to university, then I would have had 3½ years' experience in the commercial sector, and would have been a lot richer.

The lesson I learned is: university is only really worth going to if you're studying for a qualification which is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY in order to do what you want to do. For example, to practise as a doctor or a lawyer etc, you are required to have obtained the necessary qualifications.

In the general field of work, however, it's far better to build yourself up over the course of three or four years while actually working - than to spend that time at university obtaining a degree which is usually only vaguely related to what you want to do. Of course there are exceptions, but this is what I have generally observed.

And that was very well put, by the way: "the vague notion of some 40-somethings who remember a time when a degree, any degree ('it shows you're capable of working and sticking with something!'), was worth the paper it was printed on." My father was like that.
(EuroSong I love horse meat: best of all the animals, Tue 7 Apr 2009, 10:52, 1 reply)

You are me - or at least your Uni experience is the same as mine ...
Had the very same thing - good with computers therefore do a CompSci degree, only to realise it's very academic and you spend 90% or your time hacking code which appeals to some, but not me.

10 years later I'm now a Design Engineer, solving problems and designing systems - worked in both Comms & Defence - softies work for me, and being able to read code is useful, but I use absolutey fuck all of my degree.
(Teiresias, Wed 8 Apr 2009, 11:56, closed)