The Changing Views on University

University now is seen as an essential part of an employee’s CV, and having a good degree is simply now a requirement. This inevitably leads to changing the student’s view of their degree, and in their eyes it most likely becomes something that is needed to secure a good job, rather than a chance to receive a good quality education. But these views are changing, and university is for some moving out of favour.

In the UK, it was not long ago when university was not only free, being funded by the government, but also many grants were given to those who could not support themselves financially in aid of gaining a degree. This led to a wider distribution of degrees through the different classes of Britain, an extremely class divided country, and is essential in creating a more equal society. However, obtaining a degree then was still a differentiating factor between job seekers, whereas now it is the norm to have a degree.

Degree certificate

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This is a good thing in terms of being educated, however in terms of employment, a degree no longer demonstrates more than other people, unless it is from a good university, and so it does not mean so much to employers who either ask for a master’s degree, or no degree at all, but instead a hard working ethic and experience.

The huge increase in fees that was recently implemented has contributed to this, as going to university is now out of the reach of the majority of people who are either incapable or unwilling to pay for it, and obtaining a degree is no longer dependent on intelligence, ability, or work ethic, but rather on wealth, which is a terrible thing.

No admittance

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The number of universities
The amount of universities in the UK has somewhat contributed to the diminishing value of degrees in the eyes of the employer, as many degrees are badly taught in poor universities. This means that gaining a 2:1 degree has more value depending on where it was received.

Learn the Skills you need for Life

No matter where life takes us, we are all going to need a set of skills to help us along the way. If you’re looking to work in a field that demands qualifications, you need to make sure you get them. Getting the right qualifications and the right skills will ensure you’re more likely to succeed in your chosen field. What’s more is having an impressive set of qualifications can also help you to have a better chance of getting the job you’ve always wanted.
Colleges and universities all over the world could potentially teach you the skills you need. Remember, it’s not just about getting a qualification, it’s also about proving you deserve it too.


Picture Credit: Nasser almulhim

Prove you can do the job

If you want to work in engineering you need to make sure you have the right qualifications in order to apply for the right job. Without the necessary qualifications you may not even get an interview, no matter how many skills you have. This is the same for almost every job sector out there, you need the right qualifications to prove you can do the job.

College, university or online courses

Getting the qualifications and the skills you need will take time. You may have to go to college for at least a year, but it will be worth it in the end. Don’t forget there are both part time and full time courses available, and they all last a different length of time. If you’re not sure about going to college, why not think about studying online? There are many different educational institutions around the globe that let you study and submit work online. You can get a bona fide qualification online and find yourself with the skills you need to get ahead.


Uni prospectus

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There’s no time like the present to start looking. Think about what courses you would like to do and find out if your local college or university teaches the courses you need. Learning the skills you need for life can help you to get your foot in the door and lead you to that promising career you’ve always dreamed of.

Smile And The World Smiles With You

It’s become common knowledge that the more you smile the more control you have over your own well-being and healthy relationships with others. Psychologists go as far as to say that smiling in the face of adversity can alter your mood and thus make more sound decisions. In all settings be it professional or social, we greet others with a smile. This custom has developed over millions of years of evolution and not surprisingly we rarely ask the question, why do I show my teeth to the world?

Toothy Grin man

Picture credit: Kat N.L.M.

Teeth provide evolutionary cues to individual fitness. A nice smile that reveals healthy teeth is found to be attractive and many men and women claim it is a feature they look for in a potential mate. Regardless of the shape and texture of lips, size of the nose or colour of the eyes, healthy teeth can make an otherwise unattractive face appear appealing and pleasant to the eye.

Teeth are made of hard tissue, dentine and the enamel which is sensitive to physiological stress and can reveal much about an individual’s life history. Whereas in the wild male chimpanzees flash their teeth to incite fear in an attempt to discourage a rival to fight them; well-looked after teeth in humans show that an individual has the means and time to look after himself, indicating that his social status is financially secure. At other times a male chimpanzee will show its teeth to a female for her to measure his fitness by taking a look at its sharp giant canines which in turn tell her that he is strong and is evolutionary fit to protect her and secure territory and food.

Evolutionary speaking the female is the most on demand sex and will go where the food can be found. It is the male’s dependency on the female to reproduce that keeps the order in the chasing game – which mate chases who.


Picture Credit: Odontologia UPC

Hard tissue business
For humans, healthy teeth are aesthetically pleasing but more than that they also point at healthy genes and fertility and the social and cultural context of an individual. So it’s neither the big smile of a male often associated with the trait of generosity nor the heart-shaped lips of a female that are thought to arouse sexual appeal towards the opposite sex, it’s simply teeth.

It’s important to educate ourselves on the development of the hard tissue – bone and teeth – in order to understand our own evolution and behaviour. More understanding can result to adopting successful behavioural traits that mean in strictly evolutionary terms, more mating opportunities.

The Right Qualifications can boost your Self Esteem

Some people would like to progress further up the career ladder, but they can’t because they simply don’t have the right qualifications. We all have an idea as to what our perfect job will be, but we cannot always achieve this.
No matter what field you work in, it’s likely that you would like the job someone else has. This could be because the pay’s better or there’s something about the job that you like. Unfortunately some people’s self-esteem isn’t what it could be because they simply don’t have the right qualifications. A few years of studying could prove to be the ticket they need to get the job they want.

Job interview

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It’s the key

Knowing that you’re capable of doing a job and being able to prove it are two different things. If you want others to know that you have the right skills, getting the right qualification is the key. If you need to have a specific set of qualifications to make you feel better about yourself, then you need to think about getting them.

Knowing that you could one day apply for a great job and have a better chance of getting work is something to work towards. Getting the right set of qualifications can lead you to where you want to go in life, and that feeling is a great one.

Become a student

If you are certain that getting a qualification or two is the key to boosting your self-esteem, then you need to start the ball rolling today. Think about what you need to do in order to get those qualifications. Be prepared to become a student for at least a year or two, and be prepared to put in some hard work.

More hardworking students

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When you get a certificate that shows your new qualifications, you’re bound to feel good. Your qualification no matter what it is will open new doors for you and give you that boost you need.

Is University Essential?

University is seen by many as an essential part in their careers, and it is probably true, but this is most likely only the case due to traditions and the reputations of the universities, and is something that has already shown signs of changing. Many youths face this dilemma, which is only made more complicated by the large debts that are collected over the years spent at university. However, I think education is irreplaceable, what the question should focus on is how one should receive an education.

Going to university
Higher education is seen by many as the last step in a formal education before starting a career in any chosen profession. This is not the case for the majority of students as they will face much training on the job, and will most likely have to enter a graduate scheme introducing them to the working world and giving them the basics of experience.


Working world

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Vocational degrees or not
Considering that the numerous graduate schemes that are the gateway for many people into employment, how much of what vocational degrees teach cannot be taught on the job; in my opinion, fairly little. The main lessons that university is meant to teach are the ability to voice clearly your independent thoughts to others, a hard working ethic, and good time management.

I think these are all important lessons, but they are not the reason why people collect thousands of pounds of debt. They do this because they think that university will help in their career by learning about it beforehand. I think law is a good example of this.

With the opportunity to study a law conversion course after any degree, is studying for four years going to be better than studying another subject before turning to law? Many people consider a different subject before going to law provides a wider base of knowledge from which to draw when encountering some morally challenging case.

It is an education in morals and values that vocational degrees lack, and I think that these are far more important to a person’s well-being than knowing the technicalities of a vocation.

Busy students

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Hard work is king
However, on top of this, there is no reason why any person cannot learn these things from books for free, books which constitute the main part of a university education anyway. This is entirely possible, and far cheaper, and it only requires the essential and irreplaceable trait behind any success, that of hard work.