A
male
age
30-35,
*ookingforwisdom
writes:This is not a question on relationships but I am still looking for some advice/guidance from the older working generation!I'm currently 2 years into a 4 year course studying Mathematics at Edinburgh University. Before this my CV was building up to be really good, I got all A's at school (A levels and GCSEs), got work experience at KPMG on my Gap year and have spent 6 months living in China so I have a good grasp of the language (including reading Chinese characters). But when I went to uni I lost the plot. I barely scraped through first year and am on the verge of failing 2nd year and possibly being kicked out. If I am kicked out I will be 21 without a degree and I just really don't want to carry on this whole academic process, I want to get out in the real world and get my hands dirty. I am also contracted to live in Edinburgh next year so i won't be able to move for a year, and also my girlfriend is there so I wouldn't want to leave anyway, so that is another year living there. If I do get kicked out what should I do? Is it really that necessary to get a degree for employment, or if you are confident in your abilities is there any way of making a name for yourself in the job market without a degree? I'm currently working my ass of for my re-sits but due to a year of doing absolutely nothing I'm having to teach the vast amount of (complicated) maths to myself. I am making progress but I fear due to my time limit I'm not making enough. What to do!?
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reader, anonymous, writes (3 August 2010): Guess ur desiring in august then. ? If so good luck and what other course Are you doing alongside maths? You better at that? You coul always major in that instead of maths if it is getting you down
A
female
reader, DrPsych +, writes (3 August 2010):
 It is clear that you have academic potential from your A'level results, but perhaps you have just picked the wrong subject for your degree. Of course you can drop out and try to get a job, but it maybe a struggle to find an employer to take you on in a professional role if you drop out of uni. (it will require some fast talking on your part to prove your commitment to a job). If you have a particular talent or skill then perhaps you might consider self employment, while doing some vocational training to back up your skill. You could also drop out of university taking any credits from your degree with you, and complete a degree elsewhere (perhaps by distance learning) in another subject like languages or IT. I dragged myself through a first degree in social work many years ago, and hated it. I went back and did another degree in something that interested me and they let me trade in my learning credits to speed up the whole process. You could also explore the possibility of suspending your studies for a year or two. It gives you a chance to test out life in the real world but without closing that higher education door firmly shut. If you are on good terms with your personal tutor, see them now (they won't be that busy in August!) and explain what you think. If you don't get on, see the Uni. counsellor for a chat about your options or someone from the careers service.
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A
male
reader, olderthandirt  +, writes (3 August 2010):
 I never graduated and ended up with an engineering firm making more than many of the 5-year grad students. But I busted my buns doing "grunt work" once within the firm.I'd still recomend getting the degree. Life comes at you a little easier. So bust you buns now in school or later on.. Like the song goes..."It's a climb!"
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A
female
reader, k_c100 +, writes (3 August 2010):
 Well as I'm sure you are aware, the job market is pretty dire at the moment and it is hard for people with degrees and years of experience to find jobs - so dont be fooled by anyone saying "of course you can get a job if you believe in yourself enough blah blah blah", it is tough out there let me tell you!
People with degrees and 5 years experience are currently having to apply for graduate jobs because demand is way outstripping supply when it comes to jobs. It is not as bad as it was this time last year, but the job market still has not completely recovered.
In terms of can you get a job without a degree - well it depends on what you want to do. If you go to a small firm, with your A levels and your work experience then you stand a chance of getting something, but dont expect it to be well paid or in a firm where you are going to have any exciting prospects. It would be a low salary and you would have to take it just to get the experience for your CV. But if you want to work in a large firm with a salary of £20,000 or more with plenty of progression opportunities you might have to lower your standards I'm afraid.
So as for what you should do - focus on these re-sits and try not to worry about anything else for now. basically with the job market at present, it is hard to get a job with a degree, and even harder without one. So a degree is a good thing, dont pass up the chance to give this one last shot.
Now why did you mess up your first 2 years? There will be a reason so that might be worth identifying! Is the course the problem? Have you thought about doing a different course if you fail this year? Maybe something like business with economics would be more suited to you? Maths is a difficult one, and hard to be motivated about doing it whereas at least with business and economics it combines what you are good at (maths) with some practical applications to the business world, and is more varied for you.
Alternative options are just speculatively sending your CV out to firms you are interested in working with, and seeing what happens. I have just had a quick look on google and seen that some people have gotten onto accountancy training schemes at accountancy firms just with A levels, so this could be an option? Or working at a bank may not be such a bad idea for you - my friend left school at 18 and had 2 A's and a B at A level and started off as a cashier at Lloyds TSB, and is now a mortgage advisor at HSBC earning a relatively decent salary. It has taken her 5 years to even get to around the £20,000-£25,000 per year mark, so be prepared that without a degree the process is going to be much slower and you wont be on the salary you want for quite some time. Just as a comparison - since leaving uni only 2 years ago I have had around a £5k pay rise each year. So as you can see uni does pay off, but if you are willing to be patient and work your way up then it can be done without a degree.
Or another option - work for the council/local government, in a low level admin sort of role. They have quite a lot of those roles available and you can work your way up from there. This website might be of use as well http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/
So if I were you I would focus on re-sits, stay positive and work hard. Its not over until the fat lady sings as they say, so dont give up on Uni until they really do kick you out. If the worst does happen then you just need to be prepared to be out of work for a while because jobs dont come easy at the moment, and be prepared to take some low level work so you can start at the bottom and one day work your way up. Try and line up any work experience if you have periods of unemployment - work for free at as many places you can. This sometimes leads to a job if you are good, and it always looks great on your CV.
I hope this helps and good luck!
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