[Celyn]

Hi there!

I don’t know if this is relevant much since I live and have studied in the UK (and yes, I have graduated from university).

1) Do you consider the education you received to be worth the money you spent?

Unfortunately, not really. Based on the hours spent in university, going to lectures and seminars, and using the university’s resources, I don’t feel it was worth the money at all- I would want a lot more time in university, for the money that was spent (£3,465 per year tuition fee for Welsh students, but for international students they would charge around £9,000). I was in university 5 days a week in first year, falling to 4 in second year and 3 in third year. I understand that this was to allow us to do work placement and do our own studying, but considering the price remained the same, I don’t think it was fair. I think it was roughly 10 hours a week that would be spent in lectures and seminars- so not that much really. But remember this is in the UK, and it may be really different where you are. However, I do value the education that I received, and can see how it would help me with post graduate study as well as my career (teaching).

2) Are you working in the field you initially wanted to work in?

For me, personally, I need to do a post graduate course in teacher training before I can become a teacher. On doing this, I expect I will be a substitute teacher at first, rather than a full-time teacher, because there aren’t many jobs going at the moment, and some schools are closing down. Also, for teaching specifically, some might not want to take on a newly qualified teacher and would prefer someone with more experience. At the moment, I do plan on gaining some work experience in classrooms and if I wanted to, I could become a teaching assistant. In short, right now I am not (but that’s down to personal issues) but I will be working in the field I initially wanted to, hopefully soon.

3) About how much debt had you accumulated by the end of your studies?

I hate saying this because I feel spoilt and ungrateful, but none. Basically, my parents saved money up for me and my brothers to attend university (I don’t know if it was planned, I think because my dad was ill and they had a lot of money, my mum would be charged more for my dad’s healthcare, so it was just a quick way of getting rid of the money, to lower the cost for my dad), so they paid my tuition fees (well, half since the government pays around £5,000, but my parents paid the £3,465). I didn’t need to take any loans out, but specifically for Wales, I was entitled to a non-repayable grant of around £5,000 per year. I lived at home, but had to travel, so I used this money to spend on books, travelling, eating out and now will be paying for my counselling with it

However, based on my friend who studied with me, but had loans and moved out, I estimate she is probably in between £15,000-£20,000 of debt. Though this will be paid back gradually, when she starts earning £25,000 per year.

4) Did you receive any significant scholarships after entering college?

No, I didn’t and don’t know anyone who did, because the scholarships available on starting university in the UK, probably had criteria for foreign students or those wishing to pursue a career in health such as nurses. However, if I do a post graduate study I will be able to apply for a scholarship of £4,700, because I had a good degree classification.


It’s good that you want honest information though. As I said in someone else’s thread before, I think you are best off checking out what graduates do when they leave the university you are interested in, to see if they are working in their field, if they paid off their debt and whether it was worth it. You may be able to do this just researching online, since in the UK, that’s the most popular criteria for selecting universities. As much as I love education and would encourage people to pursue it, I understand that the cost seems a lot, but since I’m not in debt, I can’t really comment on whether it is actually worth it. I did the same thing as you before deciding on university and some people on the internet were really worrying about being in debt and not being able to pay it back, and other’s saying it’s not that bad. I guess there are too many factors to decide that e.g. what you want to study, keeping the cost down, whether or not your university helps you with career advice, applying for work in your field in your area vs. further away, starting salary and living arrangements, before deciding if it was all worth it in the end.

All the best!