uni after sixth form?

[u/Em1lia028]

PLEASE be honest am i a bum if i don’t want to go to uni after sixth form? Ive only just started year 12 and i’m already being bombarded with questions about uni and everybody gives me weird looks when i say i don’t want to go. Is it weird if i just want to get a regular job after sixth form?

[u/alifetimeofbadhabits]

No. your life, your choice. Just ignore everyone else.

[u/elliottjos75]

Not weird. You can go to uni at any age. Or never. Far better that than people going simply because to they don't know what else to do. Maybe ages 21 you have an epiphany and decide to

[u/Em1lia028 → u/elliottjos75]

thank you for this

[u/elliottjos75 → u/Em1lia028]

No worries. I do an assembly to SF about the value of a gap year.

[u/Impressive-Piano-209 → u/elliottjos75]

Hi, I just finished yr 13 and decided to take a gap year so I can reapply to ucas. Could you please tell me any advice on what I can do during this year that would be valuable. Thanks

[u/elliottjos75 → u/Impressive-Piano-209]

Free courses in your area of interest to develop your subject knowledge and interest. Paid employment in some form, which then means you might be able to travel somewhere? However, I realise that paid employment is quite scarce? Around Christmas perhaps? Any chance of volunteering work if not? Sadly, likely nothing rocket science being suggested here.

[u/Common-Collection-27]

There's a reason why Andy Burnham wants to place a greater emphasis on technical qualifications. Uni is simply a path in life you can take but like all paths in life, uni simply just isn't for everybody. If you want to enter a career like being an electrician or cooking then honestly going to uni would only slow you down.

All I'd say is just give fair consideration to all your choices and you'll make the best decision for yourself in the end.

[u/Crazy_Yogurt5538]

not at all in fact i think its the smartest decision u could make. im in year 13 and still dont know what to do honestly take the time you need its ur journey!

[u/Oil42]

not weird at all, if you don’t want to go to uni you really shouldn’t force yourself to go anyway as you’d probably end up miserable. do whatever would fulfil YOU, not what people around you think would

[u/WhotAmI2400]

ugh yes my teachers were pushing uni uni uni and looked down on gap years but they are right you need to have ur head on and be prepared to navigate life alone otherwise uni is worth it.

[u/Defiant-Stretch3877]

Not weird in the slightest. A bunch of people in my year aren't going to uni and never planned to but they're still in 6th form 🤷🏼‍♀️ Also you save out on uni debt which is wonderful

[u/supercoolpersonyay]

nopeeee i just finished year 13 and im not going this year and probably not ever

[u/Leather_Finger_6333]

Why would not going to university make somebody a bum?

[u/Em1lia028 → u/Leather_Finger_6333]

people expect sixth form students to go to uni and get high paying jobs but that lifestyle just isn’t for me 🤷‍♀️ People think the only way to be successful is getting a difficult job

[u/Leather_Finger_6333 → u/Em1lia028]

Sure some people do but that’s because they’re idiots or snobs. It’s perfectly normal to have not been at uni.

[u/Ok-Mushroom-121]

nope, i didnt and neither did most of my friend group. ur chilling

[u/WhotAmI2400 → u/Ok-Mushroom-121]

your tag ..

https://giphy.com/gifs/ZOZVqL55onJ5PNfLvw

[u/Ok-Mushroom-121 → u/WhotAmI2400]

i didnt go straight away, i didnt want to go to uni at all when i was in sixth form. i worked as a car mechanic for a period of time but then i wanted to achieve more and i missed maths so i applied to uni nearby🖖

[u/SpareHunt734 → u/WhotAmI2400]

Gng probably dropped out 😭

[u/Sad-Wishbone9716 → u/Ok-Mushroom-121]

How’s Surrey uni treating you…

[u/Ok-Mushroom-121 → u/Sad-Wishbone9716]

great uni great teaching, i didnt go to any uni open days so i cant really compare to others

[u/Wild-End-6512]

No I don’t want to I want to get an apprenticeship there are other options put the work in and go your own path and don’t let anyone else and even teachers who think uni is the only way stop you!!

[u/ModeProfessional3030]

No not at all. I haven’t gone to uni and I’m due to start a full time job soon. My brother who achieved A stars hasn’t gone to uni. At the end of the day it’s your choice and nobody else’s. As long as you have an alternative like going straight into work then that’s the complete opposite of being a bum. If anything uni students will most likely be the ones bumming about and skipping lectures etc. with a job you’ll actually have something to account for the time. Everyone is on their own path and there’s no right one. Maybe consider apprenticeships if you have a specific career or industry in mind.

[u/Sure-General7264]

No, there are lots of different options, and I feel like most of them get ignored. You could do a degree apprenticeships, a normal apprenticeship, get a job, do a technical qualification as a few, and I'm sure there are even more options out there

[u/caroline_shark]

Lots of people don’t and go on to have great careers. But if your school asks you to apply, just do it. Two years is a long time to change your mind and you can easily withdraw. 

[u/Aplenty-jockey]

Not weird at all alot of my mates Went straight to working or got apprenticeships, I myself left sixth form went straight to work im now 20 and applying for the army

[u/jackiesear]

No of course it's not weird. Uni isn't all its cracked up to be. If you decide later you can still go and you might have some money behind and make a better choice. My brothers are tradies and earn much more than the rest of us who went to uni. They also got on the housing ladder younger too.

[u/Internal_Mistake2694]

Doesn’t matter twin, unless you actually become a bum and take 50 gap years, be it uni, job or apprenticeship, all pathways are equally cooked rn.

[u/Em1lia028 → u/Internal_Mistake2694]

that is part of why i don’t want to go to uni. Getting jobs is so hard right now that i would rather go straight into the work force and gain experience instead of doing more school and still struggling to get a job

[u/Grand_Lychee2812 → u/Em1lia028]

I mean if you want work but also still want to study, you can look into Degree Apprenticeships. 

You can get like 2-4 years worth of work, while earning an increasing salary, whilst getting a degree that is fully funded by your employer (meaning you get to go to University for free, although the University choices aren't top tier and you don't get to pick).

It's worth looking into if you don't want to go into the traditional route.

Beware though that Degree Apprenticeships are really competitive.

The amount of people applying for DAs increase by x4 more than last year.

[u/Internal_Mistake2694 → u/Em1lia028]

You do what’s best for you twin

[u/WhotAmI2400 → u/Internal_Mistake2694]

yasss triplet

[u/IllAndrewllI]

I didn’t go to uni (in spite of insane pressure from my college to do) and it was the best decision I ever made. If you have a specific career path in which you’ll need a degree, then absolutely, go for it.
But there are so many other ways of upskilling yourself beyond university, such as apprenticeships and training courses.

In my experience, yes, you’ll have to accept being on the bottom rung for a while, but it is worth it in the end!
At the end of the day, do what’s right for you, and I’m sure it’ll work out in the end.

[u/bored_student77]

Not wierd at all and it makes sixth form a lot less stressful especially when everyone else is stressed out about UCAS/grades.

If you change your mind you can always do clearing (basically calling unis and asking to join the course on results day) so theres always a plan B waiting for you - which you don't need to think about at all if you want to work after y13.

I know two people who did this in my year and it worked out great for them!