Brief 006: Do you actually need a university degree?

For a lot of us, education was presented as a very simple formula: Do well in school, go to university, get a degree and you will get a good job and succeed.

Easy. Right?

Except… not really. Because somewhere in that formula is a question we don’t ask often enough: A degree for what?

Don’t get me wrong, University can be brilliant. It can give you deep knowledge, professional preparation, research opportunities, networks and credentials, and for some careers, you absolutely need it. You can’t decide you want to become a doctor and say, “I’ll just watch some YouTube videos.”

But here’s the thing, not every destination requires the same road.
Someone might learn a trade through vocational training.
Someone else might become highly skilled through an apprenticeship.
A designer might build a career through practice and an impressive portfolio.
Someone might learn a specialised skill through online courses and professional certifications.
An entrepreneur might learn by building a business.
Someone else might combine university, work experience, mentorship and self-directed learning.

So perhaps the question isn’t: “University or no university?”
It’s: “What am I actually trying to become capable of doing?”
That changes the conversation.

Imagine education is a city. University is one major road into that city. It’s an important road, but it’s not the only one, and you wouldn’t choose a road simply because everyone else is using it.

You should ask: Where am I going?
Then: Which route gets me there?
That’s how we should probably think about education too. 

This is because a degree and capability aren’t exactly the same thing. A certificate can show that you completed a recognised programme, but capability asks a different question:

Can you actually do the thing?
Can you design?
Can you build?
Can you write?
Can you solve problems?
Can you manage people?
Can you analyse information?
Can you make good decisions?
Can you create something people actually want?

Sometimes a qualification helps prove that.
Sometimes experience does.
Sometimes a portfolio does.
Sometimes you need several things together.

This is where I think we can get ourselves into trouble. We sometimes choose education based on prestige before we think about purpose.

“What university are you going to?”
“What degree are you studying?”
“What’s your qualification?”

Very few people ask: “What are you actually trying to become good at?”

Sometimes we follow a particular educational path simply because everyone around us expects it.
Parents expect it.
Friends are doing it.
Society respects it.
It feels safer.
Or maybe we simply don’t know what else exists.

That doesn’t make university bad. It just means “everyone does it” isn’t necessarily a good enough reason to spend years and money doing it.

And the reverse is also true.

Choosing an alternative route simply because it is faster or cheaper doesn’t automatically make it better.
Some professions require extensive training.
Some skills take years to develop.
Some qualifications open doors that other routes simply cannot.

So don’t ask: “What’s the fastest way?”
Ask: “What does my destination actually require?”

That’s the interesting part, because once you start with the destination, your education starts looking less like a box you are supposed to tick…and more like something you can deliberately build.

Maybe you need a degree.
Maybe you need a professional qualification.
Maybe you need an apprenticeship.
Maybe you need practical experience.
Maybe you need a portfolio.
Maybe you need a mentor.
Maybe you need three of those things together.

And maybe you don’t need to decide your entire life at 18. You just need to understand what you need next.

My question for you is: If nobody cared about the prestige of your educational choice…what would you actually choose?

Would you still choose university? Or is there another path that makes more sense for the person you want to become?

Perhaps the bigger question: Are you choosing your education, or simply following the route someone else chose for you?

Read the next Brief here: Brief 007: Degree vs Diploma vs Certificate – what’s the difference?