What did you do in university compared to what you do now?

Chuchoter

Results are out tomorrow and I have lots of freaked out 6th year friends, so tell me, did your college degree bear any weight on what you ended up doing? Are they all doomed to emigration no matter what they put down on the CAO or will they be trapped in one line of work forever?

galwayrush

I did some Joinery for a few third level colleges, i'm still doing the same work now days. Does that count?

knird evol

My school was the streets.
And now I live in a card board box. So yes.

El Siglo

Chuchoter wrote: »

Results are out tomorrow and I have lots of freaked out 6th year friends, so tell me, did your college degree bear any weight on what you ended up doing?

Absolutely not, the degree made no difference whatsoever. I made friends and had good craic, that was about it.

Are they all doomed to emigration no matter what they put down on the CAO or will they be trapped in one line of work forever?

How is emigration a bad thing? Get out of Ireland for a few years, see the world etc... Nobody is "trapped in one line of work forever", we're not in the 1960s. If you have intelligence and are willing to work hard then you can work at anything.

I did Applied Physics and Instrumentation, finished in 2002, have worked as a process tech in a pharmaceutical plant, a technical sales engineer for a water treatment company, a validation engineer in a plant that made neurovascular products, a manufacturing/project engineer in a plant that made orthopedic implants, a quality engineer in a plant that made cardiovascular stuff and now I'm a validation engineer back in the place where I was a manufacturing/project engineer.

There are still jobs out there, in 4 years time things may have improved a tad here, many folks never reckoned the boom would end, so too many folks reckon the recession never will.

I would advise you to do what you really want to do, if you make the "wrong" choice though there is so much more to life than work, hobbies you enjoy can make up for being unhappy at work. Only one of the jobs I have had I really hated and that was more the company than the job.

newbee22

Ya, when you study primary teaching that's the only thing you can do afterwards really :rolleyes: I remember being more freaked out the night before the CAO offers than I was before the actual results, feels like a lifetime ago now:eek::eek:

g'em

I work in Science in Third Level (did Science at Undergrad and Postgrad myself too) and our Graduates are doing ok job-wise. They can't walk into a job like they used to but there's money being pumped back into research (we're one of the few areas that flourish during the big R) so Postgraduate positions are certainly there for the taking.

El Siglo

newbee22 wrote: »

Ya, when you study primary teaching that's the only thing you can do afterwards really :rolleyes: I remember being more freaked out the night before the CAO offers than I was before the actual results, feels like a lifetime ago now:eek::eek:

Or nursing, or medicine or radiography, or pharmacy, or dentistry (you can see where I'm going with this).

4zn76tysfajdxp

I drank and rarely woke up before midday. Today I... uhhhhh...

Where To

University - Media Studies (got a first too:))

Now - Taxi Driver

Whoever said media students wouldn't amount to anything was talking out of their arse:rolleyes:

newbee22

El Siglo wrote: »

Or nursing, or medicine or radiography, or pharmacy, or dentistry (you can see where I'm going with this).

I didn't think that one through! My brain is taking a holiday for the month of August:P

locked_out

I have a BA degree in Bull****. I now work as an empowerment consultant!

Odysseus

Undergrad and postgrad in psychoanalysis, working as a therapist for the HSE, small amount of privatework and lecturing.

Adyx

At various times I've studied mechanical engineering, commercial computing, IT support and sound engineering & production.

I'm a barman.

GLaDOS

g'em wrote: »

I work in Science in Third Level (did Science at Undergrad and Postgrad myself too) and our Graduates are doing ok job-wise. They can't walk into a job like they used to but there's money being pumped back into research (we're one of the few areas that flourish during the big R) so Postgraduate positions are certainly there for the taking.

Going into 4th year of a science degree myself and can see me going down the postgrad route. Seems a sensible option in the current climate

Scrappychimow

galwayrush wrote: »

I did some Joinery for a few third level colleges, i'm still doing the same work now days. Does that count?

That job doesn't require a university degree , you have no place in this discussion, get back to inhaling sawdust and extracting splinters from your eyes.

Mahatma coat

Studied Industrial Computing

Ended up Running a Sawmill

discus

Graduated with a degree in Medicinal Chemisty.

I start basic training as a soldier in... 1 month or so

yawnstretch

Studied media. Working media. Anecdotally media students end up wasting their time but all the people I work with have similar qualifications.

That said all that really matters is perseverance. Orient yourself towards your goals and get moving.

Tubsandtiles

discus wrote: »

Graduated with a degree in Medicinal Chemisty.

I start basic training as a soldier in... 1 month or so

Goodluck, you must be a cadet ya lucky fecker

starbelgrade

In college, I took copious amounts of drugs & alcohol, slept around loads & never got out of bed before noon.

These days I work.

Chuchoter

discus wrote: »

Graduated with a degree in Medicinal Chemisty.

I start basic training as a soldier in... 1 month or so

So why did medicinal chemistry not work out?

starbelgrade wrote: »

In college, I took copious amounts of drugs & alcohol, slept around loads & never got out of bed before noon.

These days I work.

Thats everyone's plan, just all the courses my friends and I would like to take are ones with copious amounts of lecture hours.

stovelid

Chuchoter wrote: »

Are they all doomed to emigration no matter what they put down on the CAO or will they be trapped in one line of work forever?

Yes.

starbelgrade

Chuchoter wrote: »

Thats everyone's plan, just all the courses my friends and I would like to take are ones with copious amounts of lecture hours.

Lectures are for nerds.

holystungun9

Trained and worked as a mechanic. Now I teach English!

Sugar Free

I have a science degree. It's deemed necessary by my employer to be considered for graduate positions although my degree has nothing what so ever to do with the job itself, which is broadly speaking, in pharmaceuticals.

Scrappychimow

holystungun9 wrote: »

Trained and worked as a mechanic. Now I teach English!

How did you train as a mechanic in University????????

--LOS--

I'll tell you when I leave it

holystungun9

knird evol wrote: »

My school was the streets.
And now I live in a card board box. So yes.

You should Celtic Tiger that post up a bit. Streets = prime development opportunity, card board box = luxury energy efficient studio apartment.

starbelgrade

Scrappychimow wrote: »

How did you train as a mechanic in University????????

You don't.

But you also can't fix an engine with a degree.

Both are equally obvious, but ultimately pointless things to say.

x_Ellie_x

I did computer programming and web design in college. Got a job working at a website and hated every second of it. I stuck with it for a year hoping it would get better but I was bored out of my mind most of the time. I quit. Did a few office management and accounts courses. Been working in the accounts dept of several companies over the years and training to become an accountant (although my studies are on hold at the moment because I ran out of money).

Scrappychimow

starbelgrade wrote: »

You don't.

But you also can't fix an engine with a degree.

Both are equally obvious, but ultimately pointless things to say.

You can use it to wipe the dipstick to obtain an accurate reading .

randylonghorn

You haven't figured out how long your dipstick is yet?

holystungun9

Scrappychimow wrote: »

How did you train as a mechanic in University????????

Ok, you've got a point. It was an apprenticeship with FAS. I was thinking less university and more post Leaving Cert.

A mechanic is a far more genuine qualification than some of the 3rd level courses available today.

thphys & maths msc -> actuary

Toby Take a Bow

The typical arts degree... Now I'm unemployed. Says it all, really.

Hunchback

studied art and design.

now i'm a waiter.

i'm doing nothing to subvert stereotypes :P

SomeGuyCalledMi

Studied computer science in 1990. Still doing it now. Still like it. Good money too.

Did Physics at undergrad and now doing a PhD in Physics.

Hunchback

Fiona Elegant Gypsy wrote: »

Did Physics at undergrad and now doing a PhD in Physics.

emm, that doesn't fit the criteria of the OP though??

keep up the good work anyway

CKonetheonlyone

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

emm, that doesn't fit the criteria of the OP though??

keep up the good work anyway

Well it does in a way because I finished my undergrad in one university spent a while looking for a job and then decided to do a phD in a different university, the fact I'm actually in a research institute also makes it feel like a job too so I think it counts.

Dravokivich

Studied sound engineering, music technology and audio production. I now work within Service Delivery for an IT Call Centre...

eirn

Undergrad in History and Politics, postgrad in History, and PGDE.
I then promptly forgot everything I had learned about politics, and now work as a history teacher, with some tutorial work at third level and a PhD part-time. So not at all dull and predictable...
But in between I worked in an archive, customer service, retail and admin.

Thepoet85

Studied History and Classical Studies.

I'm now a physical therapist.

Go Figure!

watna

I have a degree in chemistry. I'd slit my wrists if I ever had to work in a lab, or pretty much in that area at all.

I said it in the LC results thread. I wouldn't be working in what I am if I didn't have a degree, but it didn't matter what it was in. I know lots of people who have never "used" their degree, as in used what they've learned but they work in jobs where you need to be university educated.

discus

Tubsandtiles wrote: »

Goodluck, you must be a cadet ya lucky fecker

Thank you! Not as a cadet at all. Intellect and/or intelligence doesn't mean that one is naturally a leader. I'm going in as a regular soldier. They've made moves to push me into officer training, but there's a complication about that

Chuchoter wrote: »

So why did medicinal chemistry not work out?

Being in a lab bored me to hell... I was like a puppy in the lab - every time the door opened, I would spin around hoping to share even 30 seconds of conversation with someone. It was positively pavlovian, that door was my bell! It made me weird, I'm usually a people person, but the isolation of the lab made me so bloody awkward around my colleagues. On top of that, I was going to have to do further studies in Uni to progress further, and the idea of returning to uni within the next few years fills me with a sense of dread!

Also, watching the news every evening made me sad, in that huge events all over the world are happening, but I'm playing no part in them. I'm not even there as a bystander; I'm getting a tiny glimpse through a 30 minute news cast at 6pm every evening. So it made sense to look to the army... to me anyway.

Having said that, I'm happy that I did get the degree and work in the industry. It's something to use in the future, when I have a wife and kids and just want a nice cosy 9-5! Also, we live in one of the few countries where 3rd level education is affordable to all... It would have been stupid to pass up the chance to get a degree!

discus

Odysseus wrote: »

Undergrad and postgrad in psychoanalysis, working as a therapist for the HSE, small amount of privatework and lecturing.

It must be nice to have studied for a single line of work. A few of my mates studied Occupational Therapy - I was always kind of jealous that they knew EXACTLY where they were going once they graduated!

Vicxas

I did computer science in college and im taking calls in Xbox now... how the mighty have fallen.

coco_lola

I did a Psychology degree, got honours, and now I work in a call centre.

discus

coco_lola wrote: »

I did a Psychology degree, got honours, and now I work in a call centre.

****ing call centres - the black hole of Irish youth. I know it's disrespectful, but a lot of you working in these places should be (and could be) working to your full potential elsewhere. The situation in the country boils my blood.