This is a collaborative post.
Studying a full-time university degree has lots of advantages for young people, but whether or not it’s right for your own child is entirely dependent on them. All young people have a unique set of goals and requirements for their future, which should help you decide whether or not to encourage your child to go to university. Here’s some advice from a senior school in Hertfordshire.
In many industries, a degree is essential, such as teaching, nursing or dentistry. With that said, if it’s your child’s dream to be a dentist, then it’s definitely important that you encourage them to go to university. Find out what qualifications are required for them to land their dream job and go from there.
Many employers offers a scheme which covers the cost of the degree, which might be more appropriate option for your teenager, particularly if they’re the sort of person who learns better with hands-on experience. This is a great option because it means your child gets to avoid the debt that university leaves many students to struggle with. However, in these cases, your child won’t get much say in which modules of the course they study, it will be down to the employer.
If your son or daughter isn’t entirely sure what they want to do as a career, university will buy them some time to think about it, whilst enhancing their qualifications and developing their personal skills. They will learn to pay bills, cook, clean, do laundry and deal with a variety of different people. This will help prepare them for adult life in the real world.
If your child really isn’t inspired by the idea of university or any particular subject, there’s no point in them going just for the sake of it. They could consider a gap year to go travelling or take part in charity work, or they could get an apprenticeship role; the possibilities are abundant.
The teachers at your child’s school will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have about university and the other options available.