For or Against Uni

For:

·      Social life and lifestyle

·      More qualifications

·      Contacts

·      Experience 

·      People with degrees earn on average more than those who don't have degrees

·      Peer guides and advice and feedback from other students

Against:

·      Moving away

·      Fees

·      Not necessarily going to help get a job

Going to university can be a unique experience and as you gain higher qualifications can potentially give you better job prospects. I however do not want to go to university. When I applied to university during my A levels, one of the main reasons I wanted to go was so that I could move away. It was however never the definitive way that I wanted to enter a career in photography, I was always looking for another route which may appeal to me more.

The academic side of university appealed to me but the social side of it was never something I was interested in. After I didn't get on to any courses I looked more into other routes such as assisting jobs or an apprenticeship. These however required you to have experience and at least a diploma in Photography. So that I could go down that route at a later date, I came to college to complete a diploma. Working toward the diploma also meant that I could stay local, as moving away is no longer an option that appeals to me.  

Although on average people with degrees earn more than those who don't have one, there are so many people with degrees these days that often people are unable to gain a job in their chosen profession. I know lots of people who have come out of university with a degree but are now either unemployed or in a job unrelated to their degree and am finding that no related jobs are materializing. I would rather get a practical job within the industry and work my way up from an assistant or trainee photographer and gain experience on the job and then continue on to set up my own business.