What are your reasons for going to university? (1 Viewer)

[pritnep]

Just curious, as to what has influenced your decision to go to university?

Family, friends, expectations, career options\path?

Have you considered any alternative educational paths into your choosen career. Why or why not?

Have you considered taking a gap year. If so why or why not?

 

[Sparcod]

Good thread.
Why am I going? Because I want a career where I can enjoy better job prosects and such. That's pretty much it.

Also, I have the UAI to actually get in, in the first place.

 

[pritnep]

Thanks.
Hmmm but just because you make the cut doesn't mean you should go. I mean the age old argument some people may do really well at school and get a high UAI but not want to go to uni and do a trade and still be very skillful.

 

[Sprinkles~]

I've always wanted to go to uni, its just been something I've aimed to do all along. I need to go to be what I want to be.

When I didn't end up with the UAI I needed to get into what I really wanted to do I was devastated and it only made me realise how much more I wanted to get into my course. I got in anyway though!

 

[sando]

pretty much just because i can and i wouldnt have a clue what else to do

 

[chenliru]

most conservative asian parents seem to think its embarrassing if their children dont go to university to get a "good degree" that leads them to gaining a "good job".
the pressure is on, especially when friends of parents bugger u about it as well.

my reasons are that i jus want to be able to get a job that secures me financially - it'd be nice to be able to hav a niiiceee income to go shopping as often as u like =] lol nah but financial security is pretty important to me.

 

[pritnep]

You do know that you don't need uni for financial security. Plenty of people had been very successful without university degree and have been able to support themselves and their family.

Also when are you going to move out of your parents shadow. I mean it's all well and good to do what they want you to, but will it make you happy and can you see yourself doing that job in 30 years time?

 

[tallkid34]

I'm going to university for a number of reasons. These being;

- My parents have expectations of me to support myself financially when I'm older and that as being the only boy in my family, my parents (whom are somewhat traditionalists) expect me to start a career and earn money as opposed to my sisters (my 2 older sisters were messing around between uni - tafe - hotel management school in switzerland - overseas uni before just settling down and having children).

- My situation is difficult as my immediate family live overseas and that I'm basically on my own after school (hence why I've applied and am hoping to live on campus).

- The whole university experience is something I've been looking forward to. I can remember all the stories my dad would tell me when he was at UNSW in the 70's (I've even seen some pics of him wearing aviator's with flared jeans from his uni days, haha).

- Meeting new people, learning and experiencing new things. University seems like the place to do this as you have people from all sorts of backgrounds in an environment that is basically what you make of it.

 

[Kezalicious]

parents and to get employment, plus I have no money to travel.

I'll make them send me somewhere overseas after I graduate. =)

 

[DeathB4Life]

well i have an interest in my degree (engineering) for starters. although the idea was introduced to me by friends about mid year 12 ive thought about it and i honestly think it suits me pretty well. ive noticed that about half my conversations with a close friend turn out being "wouldnt it be cool if someone made this thing that does this....." or "i wonder if its possible to create a such and such which does such and such" and weve made a list of some some-what realistic inventions which may or may not make us multi millionaires, should we ever have the knowledge to create them.

the only other thing i had my eye on was digital media with a major in 3d animation, which i guess ill be keeping as a hobby now rather than a career choice. ive always been more of a science/maths than an arts kind of guy, so i cant really say im disappointed with getting my second preference. the first one felt like a little bit of a gamble anyways.

makes my parents happy that im doing engineering. they didnt really nag me or force me to do anything (besides actually getting into uni) but they seem to really love that i got into my engineering and now my mum is allowed to gossip to all our relatives about it.,,...some asian thing *shrugs

ive also just learnt that engineering is apparently much harder to get into in Thailand and is up there with the Medical/Law degrees, so my mum has now gained extra bragging power with her sister-in-law whos son (my cousin) made it into medicine. She is probably unaware of how easy it is, relatively, to get into engineering in Australia.

also i cannot deny that the extra moolah will come in handy my parents have accumulated a fair bit of debt with the bank/relatives that me and my sister are now responsible for repaying.

 

[withaface]

At first it was because I didnt know what else to do, now its a little different. I've found that I have a genuine desire and thirst for education.

 

[P_Dilemma]

...Because everyone else is doing it?

When my parents found out about my UAI they went insane, calmed down, then told me "nuh, it's ok, do what you want, you think you can go to uni with that, fine, but maybe you should think of just coming into the workforce right now"

Me: well, yeah, everyone else is doing it. I'm kinda curious as to why. And yeah, maybe going to uni might help me somehow, employment/education/whatever-wise.

-P_D

 

[ane_st]

Cause i needed my course for the job i want to do

 

[watatank]

I am going to uni because it's the cool thing to do...it makes the parentals happy...because I don't want to go into trade... because I don't know what else to do....because I want to get a degree and say I have one...and basically because I can...

 

[grue]

Parents. Especially with my Nazi mother. Apparently my eldest brother was the only sibling to go to university while the others went straight to trade.. so when she found out that I intended to continue my education, she had high expectations. Of course, I didn't exactly got the UAI I wanted, but I still got into the course I wanted so it's cool. I can try again to transfer next year. She nearly went gung-ho when she didn't find my name in the papers. T_T;; Heck I don't even know if it is in there, but anyways, back to topic.

My reason to university also lies in the fact that I want to learn more about the industry I am interested in. I'm an aspiring illustrator and graphic/web designer but all I've done is volunteer work for small non-profit organisations and other miscelleanous freelance. I want to get the degree so I would be considered "qualified" to work in the professional environment as I have witnessed in many advertisements most employers requires you to have a "degree in multimedia" and "atleast 1 year experience in a studio". The industry's quite competitive in Australia too because it's not in demand.. so it's important to hone my rusty skills.

 

[poloktim]

I'm an idiot.

 

[jest]

all of my family want me to go and that i want a job with good prospects not just here but around the world

 

[Mumma]

To learn?

 

[Punctuation M]

Just curious, as to what has influenced your decision to go to university?

First; good question and I appreciate the thread.

I'd like to study in the field of computing;however, not in a programming enviroment, but more the hardware structure, design and implementation of computer systems (engineering). I understand I could probably sit at home and read on the net to learn, but I would also enjoy landing a job in an enviroment in relation to the subjects I'm interested in.

Have you considered any alternative educational paths into your choosen career. Why or why not?

TAFE don't know anything other then operating Windows, so university is my only option.

Have you considered taking a gap year. If so why or why not?

I am, but not a full year; I will have six months off until mid year 2007 when I will then apply to UAC for mid year entry.

 

[dion7789]

My reason is simliar to others here...i have aways wanted to go to uni and just want to continue my education, i also feel that without uni it wil be hard to get into the science field in which i wish to make a career in. I have thought about taking a gap year but decided against it as i know i would have lost my work/study ethic...just didnt want to risk that. So basically it is personal reason that i am going to uni and not because anyone else is making me.