[Closed] If you could go back to university and do it all again what would you do and why

if I went back to uni I wouldnt go to study for a career. Already did that and it's a fine life, but next time Id wish I was a proper mathematician.

Science because I was good at it rather than computing because I wanted a job out of it

i wouldn't go to university

I wish I'd worked harder at shagging and philandering, would try to put that right second time round.

Srsly - I ended up staying in academia and am very happy with my chosen field (chemistry). I'm sometimes envious of younger fields, though - organic chemistry is 170 years old and it's very very hard to do the type of genre-defining work you can do in younger disciplines.

There's a converse argument to that which I won't bore anyone with, but means I'm pretty satisfied with working in such a venerable area.

I wouldn't bother. There's no way on earth the wages in my industry would make it worthwhile taking on that kind of debt.

There are surely less expensive ways nowadays to spend a couple of years off your tits

i'd do it 10 years previously instead of waiting until i was in my late 20's

but i'd still do geology

If you could go [b]back[/b] to university and do it all again

Stoner - Member
if I went back to uni I wouldnt go to study for a career. Already did that and it's a fine life, but next time Id wish I was a proper mathematician.

That's exactly what I want my kids to think when their time to make choices comes. It seems to me that if you study for its own sake, the work - whatever the discipline - will come.

Students often ask me what they can do having studied history/philosophy/theology/mathematics, and the answer is both 'nothing' and 'anyting', because all are profoundly enhancing, and none lead to specific careers.

In any case, while I appreciate what I did study as an undergraduate, I think I wouldn't have minded studying law... NOT for a career in it, but because I love it as a human study.

I've never looked at university as part of a career path.

As a serial starter, but not finisher, of degrees I'd be happy just to graduate, rather than continue to build on my random collection of first year papers.

Oh tricky, I'd do the same but make better career choices and not go for the first job I was offered.

Maybe use spell check on my dissertation so I could have got a first instead of a run-of the mill 2.1 😮

Uni was a blast but I wish I'd ridden more and smoked less 'woodbines'.

I didn't go to university and I can't see why I'd change that.

It seems to me that if you study for its own sake, the work - whatever the discipline - will come

I'd have joined the navy as a nurse. Now I'd be doing the things I wanted to do, rather than making do.

When I was 13 I loved maps, from there I decided I wanted to be a cartographer i.e. a chartered surveyor. So I picked my GCSEs and my A Levels to get me to a course that led to Chartered Surveying. Im happy with my choices, although I dont work in maps, I learnt a sufficient blend of knowledge in my field, skills in my field and wider skills to satisfy my needs and desires.

never looked at university as part of a career path.

Agreed.

With hindsight, more variety would have been a good idea. There's more to life than blondes. 😉

Is there actually any point in going to uni & getting a degree? If there is, then in what? It obviously doesnt need to be in what you eventually end up doing (in lots of cases) as my son can testify although if you want to be a scientist it's probably not much use having a degree in knitwear design.
Me, i would've stayed with the local council or joined the RAF or navy.

My biggest regret is choosing to spend thursday, friday and saturday nights in the library rather than in the union or other student clubs. I was stupid enough to think it would always be easy to hook up with attractive, intelligent women in their late teens / early 20s 🙁

I read Archaeology and Anthropology (BA & MA), and loved every minute of it. I knew it was never going to turn into a career, but I'd do it all again.

Now work for the NHS, although I sometimes ponder becoming a university librarian.

@D0NK

D0NK - Member

Thought education for educations sake was frowned upon by a lot of people now... Unfortunately.

I think you are right, but that this is precisely the problem.

This society will never have a caste of creative, free thinkers if its population studies only to become economic units.

I would rather have one my kids study Classics and end up working as a bike mechanic than to have them obsessing over their UCAS application to read 'museum curatorship' or some such nonsense just because they think that by reading *'museum curatorship' will somehow get them a job.

*Not that there would be any problem with 'museum curatorship' for someone who only wanted to be a museum curator (not that there is such a course). Having said that, I would think that someone who read 'museum curatorship' alone would be at a disadvantage when compared to an academically-sound Classicist who happened to move into curatorship. If you know what I mean.

Probably Mech Eng or Computer Science.

I would rather have one my kids study Classics and end up working as a bike mechanic than to have them obsessing over their UCAS application to read 'museum curatorship' or some such nonsense just because they think that by reading *'museum curatorship' will somehow get them a job.

*Not that there would be any problem with 'museum curatorship' for someone who only wanted to be a museum curator (not that there is such a course). Having said that, I would think that someone who read 'museum curatorship' alone would be at a disadvantage when compared to an academically-sound Classicist who happened to move into curatorship. If you know what I mean.

I've really enjoyed reading that. 😆

[i]I wish I'd worked harder at shagging and philandering, would try to put that right second time round.[/i]
This, and this alone. Trying to cling onto a failing relationship during the best 5 years of your life for 'rat up a drainpipe' action = FAIL. 18 months of 60 well and truly wasted.

Shag more and work harder so I could have become a bonus earning city trader - so by now I would have retired 10 years ago.

museum curator (not that there is such a course)

i know some one with a masters in that.

I presume a masters in that would regularly enable you to ask 'would you like fries with that?'

I would (try to) go to medical school. I would love to have been a doctor, but it was never really discussed whilst I was at school and there didn't seem to be anybody that I knew going into medicine.

Otherwise I think I may avoid central London and head for somewhere with more outdoor stuff to do.

i wouldnt bother. i would get an apprenticeship in something useful instead, either toolmaker, or a building trade.

Probably medicine. But then again I haven't totally ruled a conversion course out for when I finish the current course.

@Binners

Unlikely. I watch the academic classifieds all the time, and there is substantial demand for museum curators - for both art and history museums.

I'd do something easier with more girls on the course, I had to search for them in bars instead which involved drinking and general merriment which is detrimental to your grades.

I'm happy enough where I ended up but I really did waste a lot of time at uni. Time again I'd do some work.

Joining Glasgow OTC was one of the best decisions of my life though. It was like a rugby club with guns and girls......and we got paid.

Philosophy, like I wanted to do originally but was persuaded out of.

Something easier than Mech Eng.

I'm not an engineer now so why bother with [s]all the 9am lectures[/s] feeling guilty about missing all the 9am lectures and [s]rock hard maths exams[/s] being stressed about failing all of the rock hard maths exams. 😳

No way would I consider not going though. Uni is much more than a path to a career and even though my job has nothing to do with my degree I still use knowledge I acquired at uni every day.

Dentistry, obvious reasons.

Saying that i do enjoy my job.....

I just dont get that well paid!!

PPE

Studying straight Economics was too mathematical/theoretical and less effective if one ignores the political and philosophical contexts within which all economic decisions are made in reality.

Otherwise, it was a brilliant experience. Would I pay £9k today to do the same? Good question, probably yes but I would expect more 1-o-1 time and effective tutoring for the fees.

Something easier than Elec Eng 🙂 - exactly the same result jfletch.

Going to encourage my children to do something they are 100% interested in studying. I think most employers look for a grade rather than a subject these days. I'd love to hae done something like astrophysics, but my humble upbringing hammered the 'get a job' mentality in so hard I didn't even think for 5 minutes.

I'd drink less and not start smoking. I'd also have not chosen to do Biochemistry at a place that three of my friends were going to, but go for a course that had more potential in the outside world.

I sometimes think that doing Industrial Chemistry at Hull would have been a better choice in the long run.

Thinking about it, I probably should have done Comp Sci, but showed no aptitude for it back then.

Or joined the Army straight after...

Prob Medecine.

I'd probably do an engineering subject so i could be smug about how hard my degree was.

(Actually, that's not fair - architects are the worst for swearing they work harder than anyone else at uni)

I got a reasonable result 2:1 and Im doing alright. So I dont think I'd work harder. I'd have probably to work twice as hard to get a first.

Id probably say spend slightly less time drinking/counterstrike and more time cycling/playing footy.

id probably have become some kind of mechanic having not gone to uni

something to keep me out of the office.

ive landed on my feet with a good job that varies office time and workshop time and field work off the back of a mechanical engineering degree but it was a chode and i very nearly failed my final set of exams - lucky the one i did fail i got a subsidised pass as i failed it so horrendously and passed all my others with high grades + got a high grade in my honours project and my course works for the course so the one i failed they took me in and had a chat and decided id just choked on the day !

I don’t think I would like to go back. I had a good laugh there don’t get me wrong. Perhaps to good. I went to basically avoid getting a job. I did a subject that required quite a lot of commitment and I found it quite difficult. I ended up getting chucked out, not for anything cool just for doing no work and failing. Im not really cut out for academic life!

I was pretty limited in choices when I went to Polytechnic, there were only 2 degree courses in photography in the country where I could get a grant and no local BTech options close enough to home.

I'd liked to have done a more practical course but I ended up in a job I loved for 7 years from it and that led to the job I've been doing for the last 16 years.

Maybe, ignore my girlfriend (now wife) and move in with the 6 Swedish girls, no I'm not making it up really! 😀

And make more use of the testing lab for various experiments.

I would go back and study Medicine. I had the chance and passed it up, opting instead to study Economics. I've made far more money than I ever would have as a medic but I'm not fulfilled. Maybe it's not too late (I'm nearly 40) Any medics ITT want to share their experiences?

Made more use of the free sporting facilities, used a decent lock on my beautiful steel Reynolds racing bike rather than a cheap combination lock. Studied business or accountancy not Chemistry.

Back? I never left.

I'd have done the same, just not played football on a particular Sunday = preserved knee ligaments = life as a pro wendyballer

same degree, I'd still do pinball, but less drink/dossing and would have joined some societies (sport/outdoors) etc and had a longer sporting life (e.g first game of hockey as a vet - which is 35+).

Mind you I've been lucky - tents used to be single skin canvas (without sewn in groundsheet) windsurfing used to be hideous lumps with rope tied booms, kites were balsa wood, motorbikes had drum brakes, and as for mtb....

Not change much, pick a different group of freshers week friends that i might actually have something in common with, not just a bunch of people who lived on the same corridor but i never really connected with. Oh and worked a bit harder in second year (yes those are the results you are applying to employers with ! )

I think I'd have learnt Unix rather than PR1MOS, put a bit more effort into actually doing coursework occasionally, and had considerably more(*) sex.

(* - ie, any)

I wouldn't. I'd have done an apprenticeship and worked my way up. It would have been quicker, more profitable and I'd now be better at what I do.

I would still do mathematics. As others have said, do what really interests you rather, than thinking of it as a stepping stone to a vocation (bar the obvious courses like medicine etc).

I would like to think I would work harder, but I still got a First, but I could have still applied myself better. I wasn't really a very hard working student, it just came easily.

I would probably look to do something more productive in my leisure time rather than just the usual drinking and pursuing endless causal sex with varying degrees of success. Definitely more sport.

what are of maths did you focus on GJP? and what do you do now?

Yes, if (as the classic goes) I knew then what I know now. Looking back it was still pretty good, just could have embraced it more.

Being a graduate though society semi-dictates I grow up and take responsibility but we all know that's bollocks anyway 🙂

Never been to uni, did a four year apprentiship in electrical and electronic engineering, did a couple of years as an electrical design draughtsman and then went off and got a career that I liked and am still involved in.
Got enough quals and life skills to do me and academia doesn't really interest me.

Doubt I would have had the interest to do well in anything other than mech eng.

If I couldn't do that I reckon apprenticeship as a mechanic or welder would have seen me right.

Think uni was a fairly valuable experience in areas other than work though, so it's a tough one.

EDIT: was that abel's robotics exam trail_rat? that almost cost me my degree, totally solid!

I would do the same course (B.Ed. Hons in Outdoor and Science Education) - just 5years later after some life experience...

I'd do pretty much exactly as I did first time round, i.e. Not bother with uni because I know it's not for me. Nothing I've seen or done in the last 24 years since I first made that decision even suggests I made the wrong decision. 🙂

Go back?

I never stopped. I'm currently on degree number 5. I may call it a day after this though.

I have gone back to actually do a degree I want to do (maths with education). I don't plan on failing this one though!

Stoner - Member
if I went back to uni I wouldnt go to study for a career. Already did that and it's a fine life, but next time Id wish I was a proper mathematician.

Ironically I did just that as it was what I was interested in, then carried on into applied mathematics research and then on into employment. Rubbish pay unless you go into banking, not using your skills unless you manage to get a good university position or a rare good position in industry (many engineers seem to have the impression that applied maths has nothing to do with engineering), too desk bound to get a hands on job.

If I had my time again I would not go university at all. I would do something like a HND/HNC in Mech eng,+ an apprehensive. Enough theoretical to get an pretty good grasp on technical issues, but enough hands on stuff not to be stuck in theory and behind a desk the entire time. I would more than likely be on more money than I am now, without the debt and years struggling, with a job that had more potential for a small business.

geoffj - Member
Go back?

I never stopped. I'm currently on degree number 5. I may call it a day after this though.

I had a friend at uni whos dad did this, I think he did his last degree just as the fees came in. I'm always tempted to do many different evening courses (not necessarily university based ones) but the cost is crippling.

Sod the degree; there was this girl...

I was too shy. Stupid.

I'd be reluctant to do anything differently in case it changed too much of what was good. I'd consider asking the girl out a bit sooner*. I'd should have done more kayaking. I did a lot but I got a comfortable first so I could have done more. I'd definitely have taken the risk and gone to the Alps in my second year rather than looking for a job.

I should have got more relevant experience for jobs when I left. was definitely better at doing fun stuff rather than organising fun stuff.

Generally although I got loads out of Uni and did so by taking risks and just saying yes to stuff I should have done this much much more. Commitments take away a large number of opportunities these days but at uni those commitments weren't as commuting as they seemed at the time.

I did eventually and we're getting married in 4 weeks. HEnce, why I don't want to risk changing too much.

I'd sack it off and be a blacksmith like I wanted to be before I got talked into science as it was good for a "career"

I'd rather be poorer but happy, than a corporate whore with no self respect

TBH I don't have the numerical aptitude for the engineering courses I'd like to have done, so I'd probably end up going down the same route that I did, it's worked out not badly and plays to my strengths.

OTOH, I'd like to have a word with Young Northwind and have him work a bit harder in 4th year but have a bit more fun in 1st to 3rd year. I should've got at least a 2:1 if I'd applied myself at all, and I should have had more casual sex. Ah well.

Drink less, cycle more, get to know more women from around the world - I never did have an Indian.

I would either go back and work my socks off for a first in the degree I actually did or go back and study Spanish, then do a PGCE and become a Spanish teacher which is what I wanted to do rather than become a lawyer, which is what everyone else wanted me to do.

I made the decision to do just this in August.

I originally came to Uni and chose Computing Science for the "career potential", should have changed degrees whilst doing it but didn't. Never wanted to work in the industry. I became a bar manager.

I handed my notice in at the start of August, started wondering what I wanted to do and my girlfriend asked me

if money was no option, what would you do?

As back-story, I got a HNC in Mech. Eng. in the '90s, and worked as a design engineer/draughty for about 8 years, so that's not completely random.

So, I emailed the head of Salford Uni Engineering dept. and here I am, part way through my first year of Uni (again) studying a 4 year combined BEng/MEng.

I'm quite lucky that I'm severely dyslexic (according to the report I got when I was diagnosed at 28 at the end of my second year at Uni the first time) it seems. With the final outcome of this degree being higher than the BSc that I got from the University of Manchester, and with my specific learning disability, I don't have to worry about ELQ fees (equivalent or lower qualifications) so I am paying the 3-off thousand a year fees rather than the 11-odd thousand it would be for a second degree.

I don't get my fees covered by student loans, so I work, but that's not a problem. I am finding the maths a bit difficult after so long not doing anything of this level, but I'm starting to get my head around it more and more, I just need to read more and more.

🙂

I ****ed about at uni when I was 18, and got a second-rate Art/Design HND, then ****ed about for another 10 years before going back to Uni to do a proper (Engineering design) Degree..
I'm now 39, having graduated 6 years ago, and am in a pretty good job that I actually quite like..

I am! MSc in Brewing and Distilling in September, really excited about it. Just hope i can find some work to keep me in pocket money between 1st April and the course starting.

I wouldn't change it as it made me who I am and got me where I am and I wouldn't want to change that. But i do occasionally wander if I should actually be out weilding a chainsaw or building oak framed houses rather than sitting in an office/lab... There's still time for that though 😀

I'd have done the same thing (mathematics) but would have
- not drunk so much
- worked harder
- most importantly not spent nearly 2 years of the 3 i was there with the same girlfriend, what a waste!

My career however, well, i'd have changed pretty much everything, its been a disaster...

I would have done something that I...

A. liked
B. was good at

Rather than Mechanical Engineering, just because there are plenty of (in my experience tedious) jobs.

So probably something like History or English.

Wish I'd studied something more sciency. I wasn't allowed to do A-Level Biology because I was in foundation tier for GCSE and they wouldn't move me up to the higher tier despite being top of the foundation class, so that kind of put a halt to that anyway..

Still I did a fun degree (media production BSc) I've ended up with a job I really enjoy where I get to play around with cameras, lights and microphones etc, so it's not too bad I suppose.

I'd probably do the same degree (MEng Software Engineering), but would definitely sleep around more.

I was a serial monogamist for years, so I spent a lot of time in *serious* relationships, interspersed with intense periods of heartbreak and listening to REM. Should have got over myself and shagged anything that moved.

Dave