Are university degrees overrated?

Tonight I had the privilege of attending Adelaide's first, IQ2 live debate at the City Town Hall. The topic up for debate was 'Having a University Degree is Grossly Overrated,' with Ms Annabel Crabb, Professor Peter Shergold and Dr Lynn Arnold AO for and Professor David Finegold, Mr. Stephen Johnston and the Honorable Amanda Vanstone against. As a student attending, what some would call an elitist college in the heart of Adelaide, my teachers are forever advising me to study hard to get into Uni, not perhaps go the way of TAFE or a trade but to go to uni. As much as I do, intend to attend university after completing my year 12 later this year I was, and still am struck at the point grossly overrated. Grossly overrated, what does that even mean? I mean personally I don't think that term means 100%, always, is there no point in a University degree but is the hype surrounding getting into uni and completing a degree worth it? Obviously there are many profession where having a uni degree is vital, I mean there is no way I would let a Brain Surgeon without years of study dive into the inner sanctums of my brain, and nor would I let an architect who has had no previous study design the plans to my future house.

However, saying that, the speakers for the argument spoke eloquently about about University not being the only option for someone, in life. I probably would not die if I did decide to not go to uni come the end of the year, and likewise if I dropped out half way through in order to join a girl band traveling the world. Amanda Vanstone tonight spoke about Universities being places to develop as a human being, she said that having a degree shows employers that individuals can stick it out, that they can get through the mundane lectures at uni even if the person really does not want to be there and survive. She said it teaches people determination and also, quite frankly who doesn't want other letters after there name? Conversely Annabel Crabb and co. quite rightly, and slightly ironically, seeing as though her and her partners all held numerous degrees, that it is not the be all and end all, that more and more people are turing to other institutions to get just as good an education. Furthermore, will having a uni degree get you as an individual anything more out of life, than someone without a degree? Better movie seats? Better behaved children perhaps? I think not! Therefore unless you know exactly what you want to achieve out of life, why waste time going to university, becoming educated in one or two specific areas when, more than likely you will change careers more than a few times in your working life?

However when all is said and done, I think it comes down to the individual, and what they want out of life, some people will never want to learn in a classroom, and honestly isn't that their choice? At the current moment in my life with just over 12 weeks left of high school, I believe that for me and many of my peers there is and will continue to be, immense pressure to get that high ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) and get into University. Some of us will crack under all that pressure, and so I am again thinking, is it all worth it? None of us will spontaneously combust if and when we all do not achieve the desired ATAR of 99.95, come half way through December, right? Granted some of us will get that amazing magical number we have always wanted and get into the perfect course, and lead happy lives, and other will find another way to get to uni. But then, all my friends who have gone to uni say if you even utter the word ATAR when you enter the hallowed halls of which ever uni you attend you will become a social outcast.

But that is getting of the topic at hand isn't it? So, are degrees grossly overrated? Even if the poll at the end of the night showed a narrow win for the against, it did get me thinking, why? Why am I even getting stressed about going to uni? There must be many jobs that do not require a uni degree, and many people who fill them, yes? And then going by that logic some of them must be happy? Right? After reflecting on all of what was said tonight, Annabel Crabb may be right at degrees being overrated, and so may Amanda Vanstone saying they are not, but at the end of the day when it comes to mid december 2012, I will be crossing all my fingers, toes, arms and legs, praying and hoping that I have done enough to get into my preferred uni course. I of course will be heartbroken if I don't and over-the-moon if I do, but once I have seen, been and conquered uni life I wonder if my opinion will have changed, and more so when I enter the workforce will my view change again?