Party Vibe

@General Lighting 534896 wrote:

Most technical drawing is done on computers these days and isn’t half as hard as it once was. In our country there is a wrong perception that the skilled trades do not need brains (which is why many of our infrastructure projects run into bad problems and make financial losses), and the idea that everyone must attend University in Western Europe is quite frankly of the most hare-brained things that has arisen here.

Exactly. 20 years ago, although universities were free to attend, far fewer people went, and to be admitted to university was seen as quite a prestigious achievement. Since the commercialisation of higher education in this country, despite the fact that degrees are now worth less and are not hard to get onto, there still seems to be a perception that university education is the proper aspiration for any middle-class college student, and to do anything else is seen as ‘working-class’ or a waste of potential (this is not helped by the university marketeers who use ‘career prospects’ to sell places).

Some people argue that you might as well do a degree, since most new job seekers will have one by the time you graduate, so to not have one will place you at a disadvantage, but I do wonder how long it will be until employers grow tired of hiring people with second-rate qualifications and bad attitudes who are unable to do their jobs, and just start to ignore them in favour of those who have limited experience and a willingness to learn.

If my earlier post seemed a little bitter, it’s because it was. I now know plenty of people who have ‘been through the mill’ as it were, and come out to find that their degree hasn’t helped them to find a job, and they’ve had to retrain or do something completely different. My younger bro did badly in his A-levels, but ended up being accepted onto a foundation degree in engineering. He scraped through that, then got onto a bachelors degree in engineering, which he did for the next three years, and ended up with a third-class degree. After about a year of unsuccessful job-hunting he ended up doing some CAD courses off his own back, and recently started a job at an engineering firm as a junior draftsman (no degree required, just some basic CAD experience). He’s doing a lot better now and learning loads on the job, as he’s a practical guy, but not particularly academic. University was a mistake for him, as he could have done the CAD course after leaving school and got the job three years ago (and I’m sure he would have been promoted a couple of places by now).

CAD is actually not a bad shout. For anyone who has grown up using computers, getting to grips with the software is not especially hard, and it’s a very transferable skill – it’s used in all sorts of unexpected places, not just engineering firms. I might even consider training myself this year, as it looks like I’ll be doing some project/production management work in the summer and CAD is used in the sound/events industry for creating site maps, stage plans and even drawings of truck interiors (for figuring out the best way to stack flightcases for transit).

On the other hand, my younger sister is doing a PHD and loving it (I couldn’t think of anything worse!), and it seems absolutely the right thing for her to do, as she’s quite academically-minded and driven.

@joksgez 534922 wrote:

cheers for all the info, this is what i have been saying to people since i’ve always been in two minds about whether i should go surely i should be 100% sure i know i want to do it or else it will probably end badly.

my dad is of the opinion that i should go to uni no matter where it is or what im studying as i will have 3 years of fun and come out with a degree at the end – which is the completely wrong way of looking at uni i think, but he is pretty stubborn and wont be told otherwise.

a couple of months back i decided i wasn’t going to go and i was gonna get a job a ‘find myself’ as they say, but after realising how hard it is to get a job at the moment i was put off and scared back into going to uni as it will give me something to do for the next 3 years.

its just all a bit confusing really but i completely agree people rush into things too much which is what i am trying to avoid

you may not feel 100% but you can have a good amount of faith in your instincts… are you feeling it?

i’d suggest having not much else to do and not being able to find a job is not the best reason to go. why don’t you get a basic job and go to events for things you have an interest in?… have a look around and try to understand what you want to do.

if you’re up for a graft and would like a financially stable future where you may even be able to enjoy some £ at some point then i’d read cheaseweasel’s last post. ofc grafting is not as fun as partying but you may get a deeper satisfaction later on when you can support yourself at a relatively young age

@General Lighting 534925 wrote:

This has already happened where I work. The senior management are more wary of people with certain qualifications and CV history (and yes they do check hobbies and leisure!) as they think they will immediately want a “London / SE area” salary (the East is not as affluent as SE England) but also won’t want to put in extra hours when needed during busy times/emergencies (this is a healthcare organisation which is 24/7).

its not as harsh as it seems as they would never employ me but they (and other employers here) are really concerned that the education system isn’t teaching anyone the right things which also include various social skills and basic communication skills (its worrying when you see folk born here struggle with basic English and spelling more so than people “just off the boat”) – they are very supportive of day release and vocational courses though..

I think having a vocational qualification can suggest that the person has made an effort to ‘go against the flow’ and taken the initiative to train in something that they are passionate about. Ironically, although doing a degree takes a lot more time and involvement than a short course, a lot of people just go to uni because it’s ‘the done thing’ and aren’t all that interested in their chosen subject so may not be as appealing to a prospective employer.

Amongst the various companies I work for, there is one in Bristol who give me the majority of my work. We get CVs on a daily basis from school-leavers, students and graduates mostly trying to get sound engineering work, and from time to time we do need extra crew and we try them out. The ones who have just spent the last few years at uni do seem to have the worst attitudes to work (moaning about getting muddy, having to lift things, generally being lazy/shit). Although they may know how to do a Fourier transform or design a Fixed Impulse Response filter, if they’re going to bitch about loading a truck in the dark then they’re a pain in the arse to have around as they’re bad for morale. We do get really excellent ones too, though – we tried out a guy a couple of weeks ago who impressed us so much, we’ve offered him loads of paid work over the summer.

I did a degree in sound recording, and whilst it was very technical, I don’t feel that it really prepared me for work. I left with a bit of a know-it-all attitude and was brought down a couple of pegs when I had to start finding work for myself and realised that I wouldn’t be walking straight into the hotseat at a big recording studio.

You can still party while you have a job. In fact, with many jobs you can happily get fucked at the weekend, feeling that you’ve earned it, and without the nagging stress of coursework/deadlines looming over you. And you can afford better drugs :wink:. I was smoking DMT with my boss on Friday night until about 7am!

i’d recommend reading this book. its just short but witty captions… and it has pictures!! wooo :weee:
Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden – Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

i also found this page :p

How to Be Happy, Young and Jobless | VICE United Kingdom

I am only a uni person until I get my wheel fixed – then I become a regular bicyclist again…

… until then, it’s a challenging balancing act.