Should I get higher education? Is it worth getting a higher education? Why higher education is needed.

Still wondering if it's worth going to college? Do you doubt whether higher education will be useful in everyday life? Let's figure it out together.

Every school graduate faces a choice - to get higher education or not

What is higher education in Russia?

Higher education, in contrast to vocational secondary (VET), prepares highly qualified personnel. The program is structured so that students receive fundamental knowledge in order to understand their professional field from the inside, relying on scientific research and world experience.

Currently, there are 2 systems of higher education in Russia:

• Classical - specialty. This is a continuous education system. The term of study is 5-6 years, upon completion you will receive a specialist diploma in the chosen profile.
• Two-level - bachelor's and master's degrees. Bachelor's degree - 1st level, which provides basic knowledge in the chosen direction. The term of study is 4 years. Master's degree - 2nd level, which involves deep immersion in the specialty. The term of study is 2 years. In the first case, a bachelor's degree is awarded, in the second - a master's degree.

Most universities use a two-tier system, and every year there are fewer and fewer specialties.

Get knowledge at the university, not a "crust"

What does higher education give

After graduating from the university, you will receive:

• Profession. First of all, you will gain knowledge in your specialty, which will allow you to work in a specific area. If you choose a profession in demand in the labor market, you will never be left without a job.
• Employment advantage. Most employers give preference to specialists with higher education. After all, having a diploma confirms that you have at least basic knowledge and initial skills in the profession, have a high intellect and a sufficient level of culture.
• Career prospects. This is especially true for government organizations. Higher positions can only be counted on if you have a higher education.
• Deep knowledge in a specific area. Even if you will not work in your specialty, the knowledge gained can be useful in another area. For example, after graduating from law school, you can easily navigate the laws. With economic majors, you acquire financial literacy, which is useful in any area of ​​life.
• The opportunity to start your own business. Yes, you don't have to have a college degree to become an entrepreneur. But nevertheless, special knowledge can open up new possibilities for you. For example, if you have acquired the profession of a dentist, you can open your own private office. By becoming a lawyer, you will be able to provide individual advice, etc.

In addition to professional opportunities, higher education allows you to acquire many useful skills and qualities that will be useful in everyday life. At the university you will learn:

• Find and process large amounts of information quickly. During your studies, you will have to study many specialized disciplines, you will write term papers, essays, and tests. Textbooks alone won't be enough here. You will learn how to quickly find the information you need, which is useful in any area of ​​life.
• Study independently. Here they will not "chew" everything, as in school, but will only point out the right direction. The ability to educate yourself is needed in any profession.
• Communicate and negotiate with different people. At the university, you will receive your first serious communication skills. A new and unfamiliar environment awaits you. You will have to learn to find a common language with teachers and classmates, work in a team.
• Work with computer programs. Which one, it all depends on the specialty, at least it is Word and Excel. In the age of computer technology, this skill is especially useful.
• Independence and responsibility. A university is the first step into adulthood. Here no one else will lead you by the handle and solve your problems. You will learn to make decisions yourself, to be responsible for them. You will pass an especially good school of survival if you enter another city. Here, in addition to studying, everyday problems will await you.
• Plan and organize your time. At the university, life awaits you according to a schedule close to that of a worker. To do everything, you will have to learn how to properly plan your time and distribute tasks according to their priority. This skill will definitely come in handy in everyday life.

You will get all these useful skills and opportunities only if you go to the university for knowledge, and not "crust".

There is an ongoing debate around higher education. Someone thinks that there is nowhere without him, others are sure that studying at a university is a waste of time. So who's right? Let's figure it out together.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Higher Education

Higher education has its pros and cons. Main advantages:

• Possibility of career growth. In most government agencies, it is impossible to occupy leadership positions without higher education.
• Getting special knowledge. There are a number of professions that can only be learned at a university.
• Employment advantage. Employers most often want to see highly qualified specialists.
• Getting useful skills. At the university, you will learn how to quickly find the information you need, as well as organize and process it. Develop the ability to self-study.
• Broadening your horizons. You will have to study many different disciplines that you would not be familiar with in ordinary life.
• Acquisition of communication skills and useful connections. You will learn to negotiate and find a common language with different people. Many new acquaintances await you, which can be useful in the future.

The disadvantages include:

• Long training period. You will spend 5-6 years of your life at your desk. All this time you will have to sit on the neck of the parents, because not everyone can study and work at the same time. And if you do find a job, it will be very difficult to combine.
• The high cost of training. Not everyone succeeds in getting on the budget, so be prepared to shell out a rather large sum for the entire period of study. Especially if you want to enter a prestigious university.
• Insufficient acquisition of practical skills. Universities provide more theory than practice. As a result, you have to learn on the job.
• Large loads during training. Since the university provides broad knowledge, many new disciplines await you. Most of the time, you will have to study on your own. Plus you will have control, coursework, essays, tests, exams. Not everyone can keep up with this rhythm.

Professions that require higher education

There are areas of activity where you cannot do without higher education. We have compiled a list of professions that can only be obtained at a university:

• virologist;
• biophysicist;

• aircraft designer;

• culturologist;

Professions for which free software is enough

Colleges offer a wide range of areas that are in demand in the labor market. These are mainly working specialties and from the service sector. Unlike universities, college education is more focused on gaining practical skills. As a rule, after graduation, you can immediately start working. Employers are willing to accept such specialists. Here are the most in-demand professions:

• Auto Mechanic;
• Cook;
• confectioner;
• hairdresser;
• primary school teacher;
• System Administrator;
• builder;
• nurse;
• cosmetologist;
• designer;
• hospitality specialist.

Professions that do not require special education

There are a number of specialties that can be mastered independently or in special courses... And for some, it is even enough to have minimal skills and physical endurance. Here is a list of the most popular professions:

• waiter;
• shop assistant;
• call center operator;
• Sales Manager;
• animator;
• Courier;
• driver;
• copywriter;
• smm manager;
• security guard;
• photographer;
• florist;
• visagiste.

All these specialties are in demand in the labor market, but you will face a lot of competition. To be successful, you need to improve all the time.

How to make the right decision?

• Listen to yourself. Do not go to college just because it is considered prestigious or because your parents insist. Then you live and work.
• When choosing a profession, consider not only its prestige, but also your abilities and inclinations. Career guidance tests will help you with this.
• Study the labor market. Find out what specialties are most in demand, pay attention to the salary level.
• Avoid overly popular destinations... With an overabundance of specialists, it may be difficult to find a job.
• If you have chosen a university, visit it in advance, chat with current students. Explore the learning environment, teaching level, etc.
• If you are still undecided on the choice of direction, do not rush. Do not act just to do. Go to college or get a job. This way you will not waste your time. It's never too late to get higher education.

Whether or not to graduate depends on the direction you choose. In any case, in order to be successful, you will have to work hard and constantly improve yourself.

So, the average salary of a very average young specialist has grown in 2016 compared to 2015 ... by 300 rubles. This is if a university graduate found a job. The recently published monitoring of the Ministry of Education and Science gives figures: only 75% of those who graduated from universities and institutes find something to do. The monitoring, however, does not say whether the specialty received at a higher educational institution corresponds to what a young person is paid for. I can assume that working as a salesman in a grocery store or as a receptionist in a dry cleaner is also an option for graduates of economics and law schools.

The only question is - was it necessary to sit for four years in the classroom, then to lay out cabbage and dill on the shelves? And why do you need a higher education at all? (By the way, graduates of economics and law schools, on average, even fall short of 27,700 - their salaries are 27,000 and 26,000 rubles, respectively.)

Who is great

Actually, the monitoring gave quite expected results. Graduates of Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University and National Research Universities find work in their specialty and earn good money - this status has recently been received by leading Russian universities (see table). Among the required specialists are aviation and rocket and space engineers, doctors, pharmacists, experts in nuclear energy, thermal power engineering, chemical technologies, geologists, miners and oil workers (see table).

But such specialists are trained by fifty universities. The question is - who are preparing the rest of the nearly nine hundred?

University or not

Ah-ah, your children graduated from universities, and you want to stuff ours in vocational schools! - This is a common first reaction to a conversation about where to go and why.

And to the next question: "Are you sure that it is the university that will make your child's future life happy and successful?" there is a long, thoughtful silence.

School, university, work - this is a long familiar scheme. And few of the parents, let alone grandparents, are ready to agree that it is outdated. Meanwhile, most universities do not so much teach as raise children. The first two years are at least. Only at about 19 years old, the children wake up with an understanding: “Oh, where did I go? Why do I need it?!"

The main player in the career guidance market is a university, - said Vladimir Ogloblin, partner of the Project Pro career guidance portal, an expert of the Delovaya Rossiya education committee, on Radio KP. That is, only at a university, and even then students do not immediately understand what profession they are getting. And they think.

As a result, they leave as conditional "specialists" and are not able to build a career. And what employer needs a sluggish specialist who does an unloved job out of the blue?

Could you have acted differently? Can! The university is only one of the possible trajectories. And not always the best. A weak university is almost always a guarantee of failure in life after graduation. Little knowledge, little prospect to complete my studies. At the same time, today there are many options for building a successful career.

The main question is not where to study, but what set of skills, abilities, knowledge do you want to get in order to become successful and in demand in the labor market, explains Ogloblin. - You choose an educational institution according to what competencies it gives you, how your price will change after that on the market. It's like a computer game. I took one level, pumped it, gained strength and go to the next. There are colleges, courses, online training, short programs, educational workshops for this. In college, in two or three years, you can get the profession of a programmer, system administrator, tourism or hotel specialist, designer, locksmith, optician. A merchandiser (commodity expert in the old way) in Moscow can count on a maximum of 35-40 thousand rubles. And a turner of the 5th grade, versed in modern machine tools and technologies, will earn from 50 thousand, or even 100 thousand. If you want to develop further, pump the next level.

Choosing a university in this sense is a long, complicated and risky business, - continues Ogloblin - In Soviet times, it was possible to get a diploma in five years and then monetize it almost all your life. Today we need to constantly develop. Remember pagers were popular in the last decade? Hundreds of thousands of them were produced, the companies worked. In five years, the industry turned around and disappeared. And soon such an industry as road transportation will disappear. Rather, it will fundamentally change. There will be no need for so many drivers, dispatchers - cars with autopilot will drive on the roads.

- And if, nevertheless, parents insist - should you go to a university?

My advice: choose the most difficult for yourself. If you are already spending 4 - 5 years of your life, try to squeeze the maximum out of them, while your brain is active, while there is no load in the form of a family, a mortgage. I think that management, economics, jurisprudence, any humanitarian specialty that can be obtained by reading books, listening to online courses is not something worth spending time at a university.

IMPORTANT!

According to the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation, in the near future every tenth graduate of the university may be unemployed after completing his studies. The supply exceeds the demand in the labor market by 18%.

In order to get an education, and not to “grow up” at the university, wasting years, you need to understand at school who the child wants to become. Is it possible to decide still at the desk? Vladimir Ogloblin says: you can.

A child, quite naturally, cannot have a complete idea of ​​a particular profession, - explains Vladimir. “Therefore, we use such a word as“ hypothesis ”. In what place would the child be interested, comfortable, where could he earn? - we argue together with parents. - The child says: I want to be a marketer. Fine. What is needed for this to test this hypothesis of his? You can take a test, see how your abilities correlate with this profession. You can go to a marketing company, look at these people, see if you want to live your whole life among them. There are universities that you can go to. There are leaders of professional opinion, successful marketers, whose biography you can study and think how close this path in life is to you. There are practices and internships - I don't think any company will refuse if a schoolboy comes with his parents and asks to see how the employees work here.

- How objective are the tests?

The test allows the child to navigate at least the first two or three hypotheses of who he wants to become. Tests are different. There is a Center for Humanitarian Technologies at Moscow State University with a base based on research from the Soviet school. Moreover, the test can be taken remotely from any region. He helps to find your university. We also have our own test - it focuses more on choosing a profession, rather than a university. The sooner you get a feel for what your child is interested in, the greater the chance that he will become successful.

I would like to comment on the situation as a teacher (from the other side of the barricades, so to speak). I talk a lot with my students and many tell why they entered and why. Often forced by parents and grandparents. Often a person does not know what to do after school, why not go to a university? Often girls believe that education is such a kind of dowry, it is more interesting to talk to an educated wife. Many go, because "nowhere without a tower." And only a small part comes to receive education with adequate expectations and with an understanding of the process.

In my opinion, in order to answer the question whether it is worth it or not, it is necessary to consider several trends and facts.

1. In general, all people do not need higher education. There are a huge number of jobs and specialties where a person needs a specialized secondary education or just a secondary (completed school). For example, to work as a waiter, receptionist, secretary, courier, barista, it is enough to finish school and undergo on-the-job training. If this kind of suits you (by the way, they pay for it, by the way, they often pay more than for the work of specialists with higher education), then higher education will simply be a loss of 4-6 years of time (for which you will earn money at work and maybe get a couple of promotions ). Many students want to get practical work skills and algorithms (do it once, do it twice, here's the result), they want a specific craft, on the income from which you can live. This is a good request, but it is essentially a request for secondary specialized education. And this is not necessarily about electricians, plumbers and car mechanics. There are also hairdressers, manicurists, system administrators, jewelers and many, many others. These are good, necessary and paid professions. You can make a career in them and see the result of your work. Again, if you like that, then a college degree will again be a waste of time and a loss of profits.

2. Unfortunately, the attitude of people towards higher and secondary specialized education is not the same. Higher education in our country is still perceived with respect and honor. And about the secondary vocational education is often spoken of with disdain (for example, "fu, some kind of birdie", "this is for stupid", "why couldn't I go to a poor university?). I think this is completely wrong. This phenomenon is rooted in Soviet times, when specialists with higher education worked in more comfortable conditions, received much higher salaries and moved up the career ladder. About 20% of people had a higher education, and getting a degree was a powerful claim for social success. The memory of those times is still alive in the minds of our parents and grandparents. The situation, however, has completely changed since the mid-1980s (30 years have passed, but the stereotypes have remained). The demand for specialists with higher education is not as great as the supply (thousands of university graduates are not in demand). And, conversely, the professions of a make-up artist, administrator or call-center operator are much more in demand, they pay more for them and a higher education is essentially not needed there. Why waste 4-6 years?

3. Higher education now performs the functions that used to be performed by secondary education. Previously, the school did not hesitate to leave for the second year children who did not master the school curriculum well enough. The "one" rating was in use and the "two" had to be earned. No higher requirements were imposed, just the requirements were met more consistently and clearly. By the end of school, a person had not only a basic set of knowledge, but also a number of social skills sufficient to start an adult life. Now a school graduate is rarely ready for something. They give a certificate to everyone, repeaters are pulled up to grade 11 (even if they don't really know the 7th grade). But in the end it is necessary to send these people somewhere, so that they still "mature", gain communication skills, understand how, what and where. And now they are sent for another 4 years to the university, to learn the mind to the mind. This is not about a full-fledged higher education, this is about socialization and entering the culture. + Of course, now there is objectively more information and a more complex social structure, people grow up later than before (a global trend).

4. The quality of higher education leaves much to be desired (this applies to both conventional and top universities). There are many reasons for this. This is also a massive exodus of teachers in the 90s. And insufficient funding, insufficiently high salaries. And excessive bureaucracy, endless checks. And as I wrote above, the level of training of applicants is not always sufficient (and often it is not about knowledge, but about the ability to plan your time, communicate politely with teachers, independently complete tasks without super-detailed instructions, the ability to motivate yourself, etc. ).

5. Ultimately, higher education for many is a way to get some kind of magic crust. Its magic lies in the fact that parents and relatives will leave him alone. The magic is that the employer will not show off (and the employer requires a higher education both where it is needed and where it is not needed).

Is it worth it or not?

If you just want to quietly earn money, the content of your work activity itself is not so important for you, your relatives put pressure on you, and you want to “be no worse than everyone else,” then it IS NOT WORTH. You will lose several years of your life, not seeing the meaning in your actions. Get less professional experience and money that you could get if you immediately went to work.

If it is important for you to do a specific job or field of activity that requires in-depth training. If you want to engage in teaching and / or scientific activities. If you want to gain deep knowledge not only about how to do a specific job, but also about how society and the world work. If you are determined to self-development in the intellectual sphere. Then WORTH.

It is well known that today every even the slightest bit capable graduate of a school strives to be a higher educational institution. The truth also happens in another way: parents, by all means, want to give higher education to their child, even if on a paid basis.

I wonder what is the point they all see in this?
We conducted a survey on one of the busiest streets of a city with a population of one million.

WHY IS IT WORTH OBTAINING A HIGHER EDUCATION?

The results are impressive: 37% believe that it is impossible to get a normal job without higher education;
24% - think that while studying at a university it is possible to "skip" from the army;
22% - want to become qualified specialists;
17% cite other reasons.
It turns out that today's youth have a rather abstract understanding of what higher education is. So let's figure it out.
The opinion that after graduation a ready-made specialist is obtained is not entirely true. The fact is that in almost any higher educational institution they teach ... to acquire knowledge. And behind this is very, very much: the ability to correctly pose a question, quickly find a source of knowledge, optimally organize your time, systematize, filter unnecessary and, in general, as they say, "look at the root."
Nobody argues that the main task of the university is to train a future specialist. And the foundations of the profession will undoubtedly be laid. But yesterday's student is still far from being a highly qualified professional in his field. This is where the very ability to study comes in handy, but already in combat conditions - at work.
It is also important that nowhere, as in a university, is the ability to self-control and responsibility formed. But just these qualities are so necessary for executives and are simply necessary in business. A university is not a school or a technical school, where teachers conduct a knowledge survey almost every day. Attendance at lectures at the institute is practically uncontrolled. In other words, when to study, and when to walk, the student decides for himself. I missed more than I should have, I could not understand the material - I did not pass the test. Didn't pass the test - they won't be admitted to the session. Isn't it a useful life experience for someone who is not familiar with the proverb "business time - fun hour"?
Just as you cannot erase words from a song, learning is impossible without social life. Participation in various social movements, volunteering, meeting interesting and successful people, the need to be able to communicate with various contingents - and all this is also part of higher education.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of students working together on various projects, be it laboratory or course work. The ability to work in a team is a skill that many acquire only after several years of work. A specialist with a higher education already has it, barely crossing the threshold of the university.
Higher education is not only the acquisition of knowledge necessary in the profession, but also an irreplaceable experience in life, the first step in a career, an impetus to the further development and improvement of a HIGH-CLASS SPECIALIST.

Second degree

Why get a second higher education, why is it easier to study a second time, what needs to be taken into account when going to a university for the second time, and is it worth doing it at all?

Even 30-40 years ago, the presence of crusts with the proud inscription "Diploma" was considered an evidence of the exceptional education of a person. Today you will not surprise anyone with higher education. The “graduated from school -” scheme has become practically the norm for everyone.

THERE IS ONE DIPLOMA. WHY IS THE SECOND?

Why do so many decide to sit down again at the student's bench? The most common reasons for returning to college are:
- Dissatisfaction with the previously chosen profession (indeed, at the age of 17-18, few people consciously find a “work of a lifetime”);
- Desire to improve qualifications in their field in order to get a higher salary or profit in business;
- Striving to expand the range of knowledge within the personal need for self-improvement;
- The desire to "remember youth", to feel the "spirit of students" again

THE SECOND PANCAKE DOESN'T LOOK!

It often happens that the material obtained in the course of the second higher education is assimilated much better, and it is applied with greater success than the knowledge acquired for the first time. Why? First, the second specialty was chosen with a real assessment of one's own abilities. Secondly, there is no longer the desire to "walk". Thirdly, after the skills acquired in the first university, it is much easier to get a second higher education. Simply put, the student already knows how to learn: take notes quickly, highlight the main thing, optimally allocate his time, etc.

THINK AGAIN - IS IT WORTH IT?

And yet, before deciding on such a crucial step as a second higher education, you need to think again:
- Is the desire to study again justified? (If you just want to hang the next "crusts" in a frame on the wall, wouldn't it be easier to buy them in the "transition"?)
- Has the decision about the second higher YOU been made and whether it is consistent with YOUR personal needs. (Overly interested relatives who utter phrases like "It would be nice for you to become a doctor / lawyer / politician!"
- Are you ready to pay for your second higher education? It is necessary to find out in advance the cost of training and assess your ability to pay for the coming years. After all, it will be a pity to drop out in the middle. Are you firmly resolved to become a student again? Then it remains only to choose a university and - go ahead! Dare, no fluff, no feather!

How to go to university?

It becomes more and more difficult to get higher education every year. The fee for contract education is growing and, as a result, the unofficial price of admission to budget places is increasing. There is an opinion among the broad parenting masses that it is impossible to get into the university "just like that". Either get ready to deposit a certain amount to the account of an educational institution every six months, or look for good friends ... and again collect money. And if there are no financial opportunities, forget about your child's higher education.

In fact, this is not the case. And the future of your children depends not only on the size of your wallet, but primarily on themselves. The main thing is that the future applicant understands his desires, a clear statement of life goals and a choice of priorities, as well as self-organization. After all, not all universities can recruit full audiences of "average" and "poor". In such a situation, our society is simply completely degraded, and university professors will go crazy. After all, someone has to study, represent an educational institution at various Olympiads and competitions, write candidate and doctoral dissertations, and eventually raise his rating. So in any university, places are reserved for "mere mortals" - gifted young people and girls who clearly know why they came to this educational institution.

Therefore, the first commandment on the way to higher education is - as they say - study, study and study again!

But already a year or two before admission, one should decide on the choice of a future specialty. Moreover, the future applicant himself should do this, not his parents! He then comprehend the basics of the chosen specialty, and it is necessary that this be done with pleasure, and not from under someone's stick.
When the choice is made, the priority areas in training become clear: either to lean on mathematics with economics, or to read a history textbook once again, or to go to English courses. But here we must clearly understand that just an average level of knowledge is not enough. The question arises - how to objectively assess your real level of knowledge in comparison with other applicants? Here all kinds of contests and Olympiads come to the rescue. And it’s not even so important, perhaps, the place that the student took there. Let him just try to complete the Olympiad tasks and understand for himself whether he is capable of it.

The next step towards this goal is the right choice of the university

Here it is worth adhering to the rule of the golden mean. You should not choose an unknown university, institute or academy and faculty with a competition of 0.5 people for a place just to guarantee admission. Stop at the "average" university and the faculty where you WANT to study. Try your hand. In the end, you can play it safe and pass exams at a couple more universities in the same direction. It would be very useful to participate in university Olympiads, in some institutes, by the way, they practice enrollment based on the results of these Olympiads.

It is very painful to look at parents, with their last bit of strength, pulling out the education of their son or daughter. Contract education at the least prestigious university is often too expensive for the average family. At the same time, it is most offensive if all this ultimately translates into simply getting a "crust", and not higher education in the full sense of the word. Therefore, spending time on time at school, developing a correct understanding of life and money among schoolchildren is a guarantee of their well-organized future.