Over one in five graduates don’t think university was worth while

Over one in five university graduates don’t think university was worth while, according to a new survey by Northumbria University.

Half of the graduates who responded to the survey said their current jobs don’t have anything to do with their degrees.

A-Level students are set to get their results on Thursday next week, in turn finding out whether they have a place at uni.

The survey also found that younger graduates felt more pressure from an early age when it came to deciding their future career plans.

79 per cent of 21-24-year olds and 73 per cent of 24-35-year-olds said that when they were 18 they thought they should have their future career plans all worked out.

Comparatively, just 39 per cent of people aged 55 and over agreed with this statement.

In fact, recent graduates reported worrying about their career plans when they were just 14 years old, while those who were 55 or over said the stress only really set in when they were 19.

Lead Forensic Psychiatric Occupational Therapist Jenny Okolo said: “Societal pressures such as social media, quick career progression in young people and accessibility may contribute to this.

“Older graduates grew up in a different time where technology wasn’t as advanced and therefore the pressure to update one another on successes wasn’t as prevalent.”

Okolo suggested students “utilise the university careers service which usually is accessible for graduates a few years after leaving. Also, allow time to adjust and limit comparison to others, as this can take a toll on self-esteem which isn’t helpful.”

Related stories recommended by this writer:

 • One in four graduates haven’t learned to cook by the time they’ve left university

• Russell Group unis paid students up to £15k to defer their places

• One in 10 students think Tories should be barred from campus