Reply to: Best way to pay off student loans?

[vetran]

Presumably the salaries for graduate positions must be pushed up a bit - or will be - just as contracting rates partially increased due to blanket inside-IR35 policies and so on?

But definitely quite scary. I can still buy a house here for 60k (well maybe not now we've had the Covid price boom). However there's so much expectation to go to uni now I imagine many do it "just because" and don't really think about the debt because at 18, who cares what happens in 10 years or even 5
Maybe we will see a backlash with the more astute rebelling and not going to uni, but taking up trades or finding other ways into work.

luckily both parties are quite happy to undercut locals so large multinationals can pay their tax abroad. The millstone they fitted is yours for life!

[d000hg]

CBA to start a new thread….

mate of ours has just got their funding confirmation through, £9k in fees and £11k maintenance. I’m guessing this is a year so come graduation your £60k I’m debt before any interest.

who the **** goes to uni these days!!!

Presumably the salaries for graduate positions must be pushed up a bit - or will be - just as contracting rates partially increased due to blanket inside-IR35 policies and so on?

But definitely quite scary. I can still buy a house here for 60k (well maybe not now we've had the Covid price boom). However there's so much expectation to go to uni now I imagine many do it "just because" and don't really think about the debt because at 18, who cares what happens in 10 years or even 5
Maybe we will see a backlash with the more astute rebelling and not going to uni, but taking up trades or finding other ways into work.

[SueEllen]

CBA to start a new thread….

mate of ours has just got their funding confirmation through, £9k in fees and £11k maintenance. I’m guessing this is a year so come graduation your £60k I’m debt before any interest.

who the **** goes to uni these days!!!

If they can't get one of the really competitive apprenticeships and want a chance of getting a job to stay at the standard of living of their parents plus a chance to work abroad, then they go to uni.

[SimonMac]

CBA to start a new thread….

mate of ours has just got their funding confirmation through, £9k in fees and £11k maintenance. I’m guessing this is a year so come graduation your £60k I’m debt before any interest.

who the **** goes to uni these days!!!

[SueEllen]

The things I replied to.


How do we define this? I don't have a job as a computer scientist. I don't know anyone who's job is "In English" (except English teachers). Few traditional university subjects have a 1:1 mapping to work, there are relatively few professional mathematicians but lots of people work in jobs where their degree is useful/important.

So if this is something you used to do, how did you ascertain the answer? Based on if their degree was a requirement to have their job?

I used the word "area". If you go to a careers website they can list the career areas that your degree can be used as a stepping stone to get into that career. It doesn't mean you can't enter other careers areas but certain degree subjects make it more difficult. So I don't expect anyone with a degree in computer science, maths or English to find it easy to train to be a civil engineer but it isn't impossible.

[SueEllen]

Blimey that's one way to kill off ambition, there's a perfect job for you in the Home Office once PP leaves.

When i want to be evil I model myself on Priti Patel.

Though my answer wasn't evil it models what happens now.

[Gibbon]

I did answer your question what part of "If you can get a student loan for it" did you miss?

If you drop out now or fail your final module then you still have to pay your loans back once you earn enough.

Also like with student loan repayments there will be a repayment threshold.

Blimey that's one way to kill off ambition, there's a perfect job for you in the Home Office once PP leaves.

[d000hg]

What's not true?

The things I replied to.

Unfortunately I can only find the 2014 figures which state 50% of people don't work in the area they have their first degree in.

How do we define this? I don't have a job as a computer scientist. I don't know anyone who's job is "In English" (except English teachers). Few traditional university subjects have a 1:1 mapping to work, there are relatively few professional mathematicians but lots of people work in jobs where their degree is useful/important.

So if this is something you used to do, how did you ascertain the answer? Based on if their degree was a requirement to have their job?

[vetran]

What's not true?

I actually had a period when I asked people what was there first degree for a few reasons. Also someone on here about 10 years ago pointed out it was rare to find someone over 50 with a CS first degree. I found a lot of people had first degrees in STEM subjects and some of them had programming on their course even though IT isn't just programming. I found that it is more likely that someone in their 20s had a CS first degree working in IT but even then it was about 50/50. I discovered that chartered/certified accountants had degrees in a wide range of areas and even a good number of lawyers have first degrees in other areas.

Unfortunately I can only find the 2014 figures which state 50% of people don't work in the area they have their first degree in.

CS degrees weren't widespread when I was a lad.

[SueEllen]

I don't think that's true. But if they were, they might be more useful - it's quite possible to get a CS degree with barely any programming skills. University courses are not generally intended to be vocational training*, they are higher education. Many of the top universities shy away from making their courses directly applicable to a job because that would tarnish the 'pure academia'.

*obviously exceptions to varying levels like engineering, medicine, law, education.

What's not true?

I actually had a period when I asked people what was there first degree for a few reasons. Also someone on here about 10 years ago pointed out it was rare to find someone over 50 with a CS first degree. I found a lot of people had first degrees in STEM subjects and some of them had programming on their course even though IT isn't just programming. I found that it is more likely that someone in their 20s had a CS first degree working in IT but even then it was about 50/50. I discovered that chartered/certified accountants had degrees in a wide range of areas and even a good number of lawyers have first degrees in other areas.

Unfortunately I can only find the 2014 figures which state 50% of people don't work in the area they have their first degree in.

[TheDude]

I don't think that's true. But if they were, they might be more useful - it's quite possible to get a CS degree with barely any programming skills. University courses are not generally intended to be vocational training*, they are higher education. Many of the top universities shy away from making their courses directly applicable to a job because that would tarnish the 'pure academia'.

*obviously exceptions to varying levels like engineering, medicine, law, education.

That is what I meant - top CS degrees are math heavy and there are few programming modules - especially language specific programming modules.

[d000hg]

In the UK loads of people do not work in their first degree subject area so yes it would be fair.

That is because it is a proper degree.

Most computer science courses are little better than training courses for Java and SQL.

I don't think that's true. But if they were, they might be more useful - it's quite possible to get a CS degree with barely any programming skills. University courses are not generally intended to be vocational training*, they are higher education. Many of the top universities shy away from making their courses directly applicable to a job because that would tarnish the 'pure academia'.

*obviously exceptions to varying levels like engineering, medicine, law, education.

[edison]

In the UK loads of people do not work in their first degree subject area so yes it would be fair.

It used to be about 50%, not sure what it is these days.

[edison]

That is because it is a proper degree.

Most computer science courses are little better than training courses for Java and SQL.

I think you may have a point.

I've started looking into Oxbridge for my son who is quite likely to want to do Computer Science or Maths or closely related subject. Only looked at Cambridge so far in detail (mainly because mother in law worked there) and the Computer Science course there looks incredible. I'd guess that it stacks up well against MIT, Stamford and Harvard.

Shame is, only 160 students can get into Oxbridge each year for Computer Science.

[edison]

because they would all go abroad?

Go abroad to study or work? The options are a bit more limited these days for both.