University: Do You Really Need It?

There’s an unbelievable amount of pressure placed on young people today to become ‘successful’. More so than ever before because everyone is watching…..on instagram! We’re taught that in order to become ‘something’ we must follow a set path that looks a little like this:

- You’re 18 yayyyy!

- Go to university.

- Get a job.

- Earn as much as you possibly can.

- Have your entire life together by the time you’re 28!

- BOOM! You made it. You’re a success.

This is what we call a culturescape. It’s a man-made set of rules about how to live our lives. We all blindly conform to them in the pursuit of success and happiness. Indeed, this path works for many people and they go on to live very ‘successful’ lives. The problem is that path is not for everyone, but we’re taught that anyone who dare to live ever so slightly outside of those systemic norms, would live an unsuccessful and unfulfilled life.

On the flip side, there are also many people who have signed up to the whole go to uni, get a job, have your life together at 28 and yet they don’t feel totally fulfilled. Surely they should be happy, they followed the ‘path’. You see there’s one fundamental flaw with the ‘path’. We’re all trying to achieve the same things even if we don’t all want the same things. Our goal setting isn’t coming from inside us, it’s coming from goals that society sets out for us; a safety mechanism.

Within that culturescape, going to university is a biggie. We equate a university education with the only way to become successful. So, at 18 years young, without having one original thought, we pack our bags and take ourselves off to study a subject (we think) we want to pursue a career in. Our parents reinforce the idea that this is the ‘only way to success’ but sometimes I think they fail to see that the process is not as linear as what it was for them. The world and how it works have changed dramatically in the last 15-20 years.

Of course they only want the best for us, but adopting a career because your parents wanted you to or because you fell into it can often start to feel wrong once you’re settled.

The rules of the game have changed folks and the new economy is here. Having a degree does not always mean a job you dream of and even if it does, it does not mean security. The biggest security you can have in this life is knowing what makes your soul tick and working towards that. Controversial statement I know - oooops!

As someone who did go to uni (but then quit after two years), this topic is something I have reflected upon a lot. I ask myself things like, 'Would I be ‘more successful’ if I had of stuck at it? What does being successful mean anyway? Too many of us are in this mad rush to have everything figured out by the time were 30. What are we trying to prove and to who?

There are many things I don’t believe in. One of those things is going to university for the sake of university. I believe in university and I believe in going for the right reasons. Go because you want to learn, because you’re excited by ideas, because you believe education is important for its own sake.

I do believe more in taking the time to know what makes you tick. Invest your time in trying shit out, and not being afraid to. Take the time to get to know yourself. Know what you like and what you don’t like. Experience as many things as possible. Walk forward from all that knowingness (is that even a word?) and if you still need a degree, great - get one. I believe in knowledge and wisdom and learning and all those things but I don’t believe uni is for everyone and definitely don't think it's the only way to become 'successful'.