Was going to University worth it?

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I went to University in 2004. I have much sympathy for the 2012-13 cohort, especially £9k Plan 2. If had your time again would you still go? Has it furthered your career? Are you still paying off your loan? What would you have done instead? My personal view is, I would rather regret and learn than regret never trying.

Curious as to your views and experiences.

College was a waste for me...I have been unemployed ever since college.

If this poll was re-activated, I would vote "Yes".

Had I not gone to uni, I assume that I would likely have gone into constructions or worked on an assembly line, and died of a massive coronary by the age of 50.

As it was, most of my work was in an office or a shop, and my first heart attack in my mid-50s was mild enough to survive with no permanent damage to my heart.

No. At least, not academically or employment wise. I graduated in 2021. Not a great time.

However, I will say that it let me experience life outside of my small town. I was able to live independently and develop a sense of self away from my family. Frankly, I found a community in a way that I hadn't before.

Was it worth the plan 2, 9k fees with insane interest rates? No. I've never earnt enough to even start paying the insane amount I owe. Especially when you consider the amount of classes that were cancelled due to strikes and due to Covid. Lectures on zoom were often pretty lackluster.

Do I miss it? Yes. I miss being able to have that independence. I miss living in the city. One of the biggest mistakes I made was moving back to my small town. There's a high rate of unemployment here. I'm lucky to have my retail job.

I'm living in a situation now where most jobs require you to have a degree but it doesn't really matter what your degree was in. So, I guess in a way it was worth it, but not in the way any of us expected.

I think that it's difficult to have hope in this economy. I've never lived through a boom, just crashes.

If I were to go back, I'd probably do an apprenticeship. I would find myself a part-time job. Oh, and I'd start learning to drive wayyyy earlier. Then I'd probably try to find an online course with the open university. Maybe be born in a richer part of the country perhaps.

Still, it was worth it socially. I wish I could go back to that life. I've been trying to figure out a way to get out of my small town.

Elite institutions like Harvard have endowments that allow them to offer a free ride to the financially needy. And not just tuition. Something to consider if you have the test scores to get in.