The average person with a degree earns on average £250,000 more in their lifetime than someone without, it's a small price to pay when you consider that fact.

and one day you will have to join the real world!

This doesnt mean that if you have a degree your going to earn more than someone who doesnt though. Its only an average and is skewed by the big top earner like bankers. Or take doctors, they all have a degrees and can earn around 100k a year which is 75k above average if they work for 40 years they will earn 3 million more than the average person.

What about the below average person with a degree (there seem to be a few about)? I'm guessing the average skilled/semi-skilled worker will earn just as much, if not more, than the average/below average degree holder. Get a trade and you can work where you want, when you want and work for yourself. If I could go back in time I'd forget Uni and train as a plumber and heating engineer.

I'm not bothered if my kids go to Uni. They are bright, they can go and work and earn piles more money. The highest earning guy on our sales team is the only one without a degree.

Not with the way things are at the moment

If you are any good (which counts out a lot of the muppets we got quotes from recently) then you will still have plenty of work. The guy that did our central heating recently hasn't had a spare minute since he can remember.
Tip for plumbers/tradesmen out there, if you don't return calls or give quotes when asked people will assume that you will be just as cr*p at the actual plumbing/etc. bit and give the job to someone else. That simple.

Tell that to people who are applying at Asda and Sainsburys to work on the checkouts who have spent 3 years studying away at University.

I think we should bring this thread back up in 10 years time. We can re-name the title as "Where are they now?"

If in the unlikely event that happens to me, I'll still think it was worth it for the life experience.

Exactly and thats the problem. I know a number of current students who are understandably worried if they will get a job at the end of the course and are worried they are wasting time. I know graduates who are struggling to find work and most of the work they are finding isn't graduate level.

And part of the reason that is happening imo is because to an extend degrees are losing their value simply because of the amount of people who are now educated to degree level, its not as "special" as it once was.

Life experience? You told me you hated everyone in your flat though and when I speak to you, your back "home".
Is that worth been maybe 20/25 grand in debt forliving with people who you dislike for 5/6 months. I suppose its matter of opinion though.

Lets not carry this discussion on all night, I have an assigment to do through the night in the library which will probably last me till around mid-day tommorrow, due to me grafting all weekend as mummy and daddy only put a roof over my head, and don't give me a wad of cash each month to piiss away in nightclubs