Reflections on University: To Go or Not?

Christine Smith

Warning

Long read: 1850 words

Our last child graduated this week with a Bachelor of Science. Her major was zoology and her minor in classics. Once again, the sense of satisfaction, pride and, with her, the finality. The years of preparation, applying for and being admitted, the plying of trays of tea or hot chocolate and cake for the late night studying, the tears, reassurance, the reading, checking and advising on papers written and financial support. All finished. Even though we officially finished our homeschooling four years ago, there was the sense of seeing the end as she stepped up to be capped. This took me by surprise and a tear or two slipped down my cheek. I do admit to a wee bit of ‘I told you so’ to any nay-sayers, silently watching over the years. Five homeschooled children through primary, secondary and tertiary, done and dusted.

The ceremony’s key note speaker stated how important it was to remain curious and always ask ‘why’? Excellent advice. But what did he mean by curious? Curious on the university’s terms? What if you ask and keep asking ‘why’ to that which is not encouraged to be questioned?

For example, I couldn’t help noticing the presenting staff member (I think it was the chancellor) who took his face covering off, put in pocket, pulled it out and put it back on, more than once. Does he not know the science of clean face coverings and breathing in of bacteria gathered from his pocket? Perhaps the students did not think or know to research face coverings but a lot of science degrees were awarded that day. Even if fresh and green students weren’t curious or asked why, the lecturers and professors with their multiple degrees and experience have no excuse. I’m left wondering if science and debate has been conveniently shelved for now. Does that not undermine the discipline of science?

I’ve been told direct anecdotes and what is second hand indicates the universities are not so much the centres of independent thought they were originally set up to be. We are seeing the results of 30-something years of new, progressive thinking, some which is restrictive, going by what we see, and supportive of a particular world view at the expense of others. And I don’t think our society is better for it. We need at the universities, open, transparent and honest debate without worrying about your career, if you are staff, and your degree outcome, if you’re a student. Or being barred from campus if you don’t take a medicine.

So, how to decide whether to go to university, which degree to choose and why. There are several things to consider. There’s the expense. Are there jobs available in that field after university? And will those jobs pay to justify the expense of study and the loss of earning years? Can you learn what you need to on the job rather than university? A degree opens doors, that’s true but can you open those doors without university? Trades are needed as much as degrees. The lawyer and doctor still need a plumber and a hairdresser. There are countless examples of successful entrepreneurs and business men and women who’ve never been to university. In other words, going to university doesn’t have to be a given once your teenage child has finished their education.

If they do, the benefits of studying include discipline, broadening of your mind and understanding of history and how it affects now and the future as well as the skills and knowledge needed for the field in which you are studying. It builds intelligence and can set you up with how to be a learner for the rest of your life. We need people to specialise in the intricacies of life and benefiting society, whether that be in new medical or scientific discoveries or how to translate ancient languages. For instance, did you know there are many ancient documents in storage in the British museum which cannot be translated because there are not enough people able to do so? What information and mysteries lie there waiting to fill in historical gaps or to enrich the modern world? Research how the discovery of the Rosetta Stone was an important breakthrough. It wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t have studied some weird and so-called useless language for years.

University is different from when we and our parents went to university. Then, you went if you needed the degree to pursue specific careers, medicine, accounting, law, theology, philosophy and others. You couldn’t be an accountant if you didn’t go to university. Now universities seem to be operating more like businesses and the more students, the better. So what if the degree isn’t a traditional career or doesn’t pay well, or there aren’t jobs? How did ‘underwater basket weaving’ degrees ever get to be degrees like law or medicine? Some degrees make a mockery of the entire purpose of higher education. Take a look at what’s available, if you don’t believe me. Following your passion or studying something interesting may not be the expedient thing to do when taking into account the long-term prospects of your degree. One of our daughters told me recently of a discussion with a friend, who eight years or so out of university said how it would’ve been better to study in a field in which there were readily jobs available and which paid well. To be told, as she had, to study her passion was well intended but unbalanced and secondary to the realities of her life since then.

And then there’s the growing policy of special acceptance being granted to particular people groups and women. Also, the discriminating against Asian students as can be seen on some American campuses. Apparently, they’re too good and places need to be held for disadvantaged students. I have heard from personal anecdotes some students are ‘helped’ through their studies and exams. Yes, I know there are those who are disadvantaged but how is this policy benefiting society? Do we not want and need the best students? How does this not dilute the knowledge and future breakthroughs that we so need? Do you want your operation performed by the best surgeon or your plane flown by pilots chosen by their ability rather than another reason? How is that policy not patronising or discriminating? I would like my daughters to know they were accepted into a degree or got a job because they were good enough and not based on a quota system. How awful to wonder ever after if it was because she was a woman. How utterly patronising. I know there are problems to be dealt with but diluting the outcome of higher education is not the long-term solution.

Perhaps there is the consideration of a Gap Year. There are merits in this. It offers time to think and money to be earned. One of ours changed his mind a couple of times over his Gap Year. Knowing better what he wanted meant total focus when he did start his first year, instead of realising part way through it was a mistake. How many have you known who’ve started a degree only to realise it’s not what they wanted? Bang goes a year or so of time and delayed income and not a few dollars in student loan to be repaid

I strongly suggest you consider taking a statistics paper, even if it’s not in your field. The saying, “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” has been credited to Mark Twain and is a phrase describing the persuasive power of statistics to bolster weak arguments. There are graphs which are put together to prove a decided outcome by the writer to sway the reader. Think about those hockey stick graphs we’ve seen over the years. Did you ever wonder what the graph would look like if it was started in an earlier time? Would it look as dramatic as it was needed to illustrate or would it look like variations naturally happening over a long period of time? Taking a statistics paper will help you ask such questions and help you discern what so-called facts are being presented to you. Also known as less possibility of having the wool pulled over your eyes.

Now, I want to talk about the importance of your daughters having a way to create an income. Some years back I was at a homeschool conference and the speaker said it was more important to concentrate your homeschooling towards your sons rather than your daughters because your sons were the ones growing up to support a family. I sat there and I thought, did they just say what I thought they said? Whilst it’s true that your sons are highly likely to grow up and have to support a family, your daughters, through no fault of their own may well find themselves in situations where they also have to support themselves and their family. I know of women who were widowed early, their husband left them or whatever reason they needed to have an income rather than fall into poverty, as can so often happen. So, I disagree with that! Now, that doesn’t actually mean that you need to send your daughter to university but it means they need a way to create an income. And not just a basic income. They need to know how to get enough money to not only pay the bills but to see their family grow up successfully and without restriction as can fall to solo mothers. I leave that thought with you.

Can you get into university if you’re a homeschooler and you’re not following your national curriculum? You absolutely can! In New Zealand, which is the only country I can speak for, we have a Discretionary Entrance application. Which means, if you are applying and you have not used the national approved curriculum, you are using a Discretionary Entrance application. And there are ways to do that. I’m not going into detail here; I have gone through that in an earlier podcast.

So, even if you are still in the early years of teaching the phonics, times tables and the difference between a coma and a semi-colon or knee-deep in dirty washing with a meal to prepare, keep your eye on your purpose of raising amazing and smart children to be productive and responsible adults who know how to think. Take courage and reassurance of those who have gone before. You can do this. And maybe, one day a few years down the track, you too will sit in an auditorium and proudly cheer and clap like mad when your young adult student goes up on that stage and gets capped! Or just as proud when they successfully make their way without a degree.