4 Things University Won’t Teach You

University is fantastic for many things. It’s an opportunity to hone your academic skills, get involved in extracurricular activities and grow as a person. And it would seem the public agrees; in the UK, the number of graduates every year has been growing since 1992.

Still, there are some things university can’t teach you – and, as more and more employers complain of graduates being ‘unprepared’ for the world of work, we thought we’d take a look.

1. How to work IRL

It may come as a surprise that the most academic universities aren’t necessarily the best at preparing students for real work. (Check out the next edition of the QS Graduate Employability Rankings next week to find out which universities ARE the best at this!)

While academics may help you nail that top grade, they’re negligible assets in the real world. Nobody cares that you can name all the popes in chronological order. Can you work an Excel spreadsheet and get a report in on time? Can you sit at a desk all day and remain productive? The only way to prove this is through work experience.

In a recent UWE Bristol report, it was concluded that “schools and universities need to move away from teaching purely functional skills that are outdated almost as soon as they are learned and focus on real-world learning experiences.” That means doing work placements and internships while you’re still in education.

2. Soft skills

So you got a 2.1 in physics and know what special relativity is – congrats! But can you teach someone else the basics in ten minutes, in front of fifty people, without making them feel stupid?

Soft skills – nuanced analysis, problem solving, teamwork, emotional intelligence, organization – are workplace staples. They keep the office light, bright and functioning well. It doesn’t matter if you’re a genius; if you can’t communicate well enough to work in a team, you’re next to useless.

Think you don’t need soft skills because you’re aiming for a STEM field? Think again. Soft skills are essential in every workplace, even the most technical ones. In fact, STEM undergrads should be working especially hard on their softer side if they don’t want to be outstripped by humanities students.

3. Realism

Students today. Idealistic? Check. Ambitious? Check. Realistic? Not so much.

In a recent survey, it was revealed that 93% of students in the UK and Ireland want to do work that ‘makes a difference’ to the world. With most companies more focused on financial profits than being environmentally friendly, the statistic suggests an undergrad population that is at best optimistic, at worst naïve. Similarly, 72% of undergrads expressed a desire for a high salary. The average UK starting salary is about £20k – hardly breaking the bank.

Work in the real world is repetitive, dull and, to start with, often poorly paid. Sure, a few people walk straight out of university into £40k career-starters. But most are stuck in the 20s for at least a few years.

I’m not saying don’t dream big. You should. But learn your facts and manage your expectations – you’re less likely to be floored when reality hits you.

4. Maturity

University is a great time to grow independent, escape your parents’ clutches and spread your wings. But the necessity of a governing body – including tutors and lecturers who are constantly granting second chances – means that many graduates have never operated without some form of guidance. It’s easy to think that constantly having an essay deadline upcoming and other people watching over you is normal, but this is a mere simulation of the reality. In the big bad world, nobody cares what you do with your life.

That’s the hardest part for most graduates. Full-time education teaches us that our contribution is important and valued. When we emerge from university and discover this isn’t immediately the case, it’s easy to become disheartened. That’s why so many people go back into education or sign up for teaching themselves: they subconsciously miss the structured microcosm of the schooling system

Leaving university is a difficult time for everyone. The good news is that most come through this adjustment period successfully, adjusting to true independence. Heed the warnings and prepare yourself, and hopefully you’ll realize the best may in fact be yet to come…

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