No money to be made studying Agriculture!!!

[Kiwi Pete]

What would happen if all the Creative Artists in the world went on strike?



I bet it would be the most creative and artistic striking imaginable

... most of my classmates went to uni to get a degree in something relatively pointless, and have a good time ...

 

[Red Fred]

Very few of my group from college in 1985 are still working in farming. In fact out of the 10 of us in my little gang of pals, I'm the only one daft enough to have stuck at it. One other family farmer said "s+d it" a few years ago and retired early, but has since started dabbling again. Otherwise, everyone did all sorts of interesting non farming jobs, but I think all would say that the Ag course at Seale Hayne was an excellent start in the world, no matter what they ended up doing.

 

[Gong Farmer]

I think it's still the case that employers favour a university/college experience, irrespective of the course taken.

 

[ollie989898]

Seriously, I got the T shirt, BSc written on it, I was cleverer than half the daft muppets doing the course, some of them sat endlessly redoing their second years because they just fudged about.

The degree has never helped me whatsoever. If I could wring a half decent job out of agriculture I would have stayed but I can't. The difference between me and my non-farming peers is that their industries have growth and better prospects, promotion and increasing salary were there for the taking. I have had no end of interviews and constantly get available positions advertised to me directly. I once drove over 200 miles to attend an interview and was not even paid for the expense incurred. Contrast that with my friend who studied economics, the company he was interviewing with sent a junior executive to collect him from the train-station and paid him for his travel expenses. It quite literally is a different world and mindset.

Time is up. I'm 35 and I want the wonga. No more jam tomorrow.

The thing that winds me up the most is the prevalence of complete muppets in so many walks of life earning ridiculous money. I backed the wrong horse, pure and simple.

Would I study agriculture. No I certainly would not. Not if it meant starting life with 27K in debt.

 

[Hilly]

Last time i was at MacDonald`s i thought thank god for university's, i need someone to serve me my burgers in the drive through.

 

[ollie989898]

Last time i was at MacDonald`s i thought thank god for university's, i need someone to serve me my burgers in the drive through.

But the joke is on you- tax payers are funding this situation. After 30 years all student debt is wiped clean....

 

[Hilly]

But the joke is on you- tax payers are funding this situation. After 30 years all student debt is wiped clean....

Fair point, alot of them will pay it back surely.

 

[ollie989898]

Fair point, alot of them will pay it back surely.

Repayments do not begin until you reach an earnings threshold. How will they do that if they are working for Ronald McDonald???

 

[Hilly]

Repayments do not begin until you reach an earnings threshold. How will they do that if they are working for Ronald McDonald???

Im sure the McDonald students are just that students, not graduated.

 

[willwilson100]

Seriously, I got the T shirt, BSc written on it, I was cleverer than half the daft muppets doing the course, some of them sat endlessly redoing their second years because they just fudged about.

The degree has never helped me whatsoever. If I could wring a half decent job out of agriculture I would have stayed but I can't. The difference between me and my non-farming peers is that their industries have growth and better prospects, promotion and increasing salary were there for the taking. I have had no end of interviews and constantly get available positions advertised to me directly. I once drove over 200 miles to attend an interview and was not even paid for the expense incurred. Contrast that with my friend who studied economics, the company he was interviewing with sent a junior executive to collect him from the train-station and paid him for his travel expenses. It quite literally is a different world and mindset.

Time is up. I'm 35 and I want the wonga. No more jam tomorrow.

The thing that winds me up the most is the prevalence of complete muppets in so many walks of life earning ridiculous money. I backed the wrong horse, pure and simple.

Would I study agriculture. No I certainly would not. Not if it meant starting life with 27K in debt.

I really want to disagree but i cant - all your points are valid. The trick is to only have friends in agriculture and not compare yourself to other industries which you are right do pay much better.

 

[kiwi pom]

Seriously, I got the T shirt, BSc written on it, I was cleverer than half the daft muppets doing the course, some of them sat endlessly redoing their second years because they just fudged about.

The degree has never helped me whatsoever. If I could wring a half decent job out of agriculture I would have stayed but I can't. The difference between me and my non-farming peers is that their industries have growth and better prospects, promotion and increasing salary were there for the taking. I have had no end of interviews and constantly get available positions advertised to me directly. I once drove over 200 miles to attend an interview and was not even paid for the expense incurred. Contrast that with my friend who studied economics, the company he was interviewing with sent a junior executive to collect him from the train-station and paid him for his travel expenses. It quite literally is a different world and mindset.

Time is up. I'm 35 and I want the wonga. No more jam tomorrow.

The thing that winds me up the most is the prevalence of complete muppets in so many walks of life earning ridiculous money. I backed the wrong horse, pure and simple.

Would I study agriculture. No I certainly would not. Not if it meant starting life with 27K in debt.

What where you doing when you finished at uni? It seems to me when people get a degree today they expect to get a great job and big money on day one but you still have to work your way up surely?
I think too many people go to university with no clue what they want to do afterwards.
35 ya say, i'd been working full time for 20 years by then

 

[Gong Farmer]

I really want to disagree but i cant - all your points are valid. The trick is to only have friends in agriculture and not compare yourself to other industries which you are right do pay much better.

But this is all the ubiquitous worshipping and pursuit of money. It doesn't get you happiness. Maybe the reason I've never been well off is because what I want is to be happy in my work, and therefore my life, and not starve.

 

[thesilentone]

Funny old World, two themes getting mashed together here. £££'s in Agriculture and University Degree's in general.

Having a degree in Media Studies, Performing Arts etal is not going to be a fast track to a high income job. However as the UK was one of the lowest performing Countries in the EU for higher education, something had to be done. So as we know a whole plethora of ' useless ' degree courses were made available, that fixed the Governments numbers for those attending Higher Education. Far from perfect, but it was a start, and no matter what the degree heading, the University experience is a eye opener and doorway to opportunity.

As for ag being a low earner, whats new ?

 

[farmerm]

Fair point, alot of them will pay it back surely.

It is reckoned 70% will never pay off their full student loan.

 

[Wastexprt]

I left school/agricultural college with very few qualifications, let alone a degree. Managed to get by with many various farming and non-farming jobs before I ended up in the waste industry where the ability to work long hours in all weathers is about the only pre-requisite.

Did a lack of qualifications hamper my career path? Yes and no really, I'm now a consultant and enjoy my job on the whole, I just think that my journey would have been shorter had I a degree, but I know how to drive a tractor, 360, wagon etc etc so when talking to people I know where they are coming from, in all circumstances.

Am I still degree-less? Nope, I studied with the OU and gained a BSc(Hons) and am now doing an MSc in Environmental Management. Why? I love learning stuff and finding things out, but also to back up/give credence to my career to date. Like it or not, with letters after my name, reports that I write are more readily accepted than prior to me graduating.

Would I have done it another way? Not particularly as I would have missed out on the experiences that make me what I am today. A slightly fractious, open minded, grumpy old man

 

[Boysground]

Fair point, alot of them will pay it back surely.

There is a repayment threshold which I think is around £22k. So no repayment if you never reach this sum. Also if you drop below the threshold repayment stops, the most obvious time this will happen is pregnancy and maternity leave. As salary increases so the amount repayed each month increases and then after 30 years any outstanding debt is written off.

So it is quite possible that many students will never pay back all their debt, those that do will probably be on high salaries. Student debt does not appear on a credit check.

After going to quite a few Uni finance talks with my kids, I think I have got to grips with it. But I may be wrong

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[Boysground]

Should have added the current 6% interest on student loans which is totally un-reasonable.

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[Wastexprt]

Should have added the current 6% interest on student loans which is totally un-reasonable.

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It is, very much so. Especially when the majority will be written off. Am I correct in thinking that the Student Loan Company is a private company?

 

[Boysground]

It is, very much so. Especially when the majority will be written off. Am I correct in thinking that the Student Loan Company is a private company?

That I do not know

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[Boysground]

Just did a quick search repayment threshold is £25k and you pay 9% of your earnings above the threshold

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