Your degree is poor value and it’s making you unhappy

A third of us would do a different course, a new survey said


Our degrees are poor value for money and we are less satisfied than our mates who aren’t at uni.

A third of us rated our course as poor or very poor in a new survey – but 36 per cent admitted they could have put more effort in.

While most say they are satisfied with their course, 34 per cent would chose a different degree if they went to uni again.

And the survey of over 15,000 students found we are less satisfied with our lives than the general population of the same age.

The stats have lead experts to call for more guidance outside of timetabled hours.

The survey was the first to assess satisfaction for students who pay £9,000 fees, and while most said they didn’t put in enough effort, a third said the course was poorly organised, the teaching was bad and they didn’t feel supported.

Nick Hillman, Director of Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) who conducted the survey, said: “Students are generally satisfied with their courses but there are substantial differences in workload: students in some subjects only work half as much on average as students in other subjects. Across all areas, students work for only around three-quarters of the time stated in the national guidelines.

“Students are less likely to regard their lives as worthwhile and are less happy than others. This suggests good support services, including counselling, should be a priority despite the impending cuts.”

It was revealed we’re far less happier than the general population.

Three quarters of young adults and teens who don’t go to uni said they were happy. But that dropped to a miserable 62 per cent when it came to students.

Undergrads with less contact hours were more likely to want to change course. Only 26 per cent of those in uni for less than 10 hours a week thought their degree was good value for money, compared to 56 per cent of those with more than 30 contact hours.

The amount of time in university can also affect your sense of self-worth, according to HEPI.

Only 43 per cent of those with less than ten hours said they felt their lives were worthwhile, starkly contrasting with 78 per cent of those with at least 50 hours.

Unsurprisingly, three quarters of us said we don’t know where our nine grand fees go, something HEPI Director Hillman called “striking”. The results showed the majority of us would prefer to make the government contribute more than the student when funding education.

We also said it’s more important for our lecturers to be good teachers rather than researchers.