Is university education overvalued?

Eighteen-year-old American, Andrew Brackin, has received $100,000 to go and live in San Francisco and develop his own business. He plans to create a website that helps charities to raise money. The money comes from Peter Thiel, co-creator of PayPal. Every year, Thiel selects 20 students with the best business ideas. Andrew got to the final where he had to present his ideas to important business people from Silicon Valley. Thiel is an ex-student himself and he has strong views on university education. He feels that many young people overestimate the benefits of university education and undervalue the benefits of working in business. They apply for degree and postgraduate courses without thinking about how it will help them.

Benefits of going to university

There are several benefits of going to university that you should think about before making a decision about your future.

Prospects

lf you have a university degree, you will generally be offered higher paid jobs. Furthermore, graduates have the option to fast-track their career with multiple graduate study schemes.

Lifelong friends

You can meet people from different backgrounds and visit other countries. lf you like sports, many universities have teams where you can play at all different levels, even semi-professional.

Independence

University offers the opportunity to live away from home for the first time. You can learn how to manage your time and not oversleep.