16/08/2026
I’m reflecting on this year’s summer school, and enjoying showing off our awesome students’ work! 🤩
The following piece explores whether university might be the right or wrong route for you, and provides some excellent food for thought.
Just a reminder that our Saturday school starts this September - for more info and to book a place, visit our website (link in comments).
Is University a good fit for you?
Picture this - you are contemplating your future.
You are worrying about the amount of debt you will have to face and how much time you are
going to have to see your friends and family.
This is making you feel weighed down, with stress and pressure hanging over your shoulders. Your eyes are heavy, your head is pounding, and the constant workload is stressing you out. It’s a common situation for university students.
The truth is, university students are not getting enough sleep, have less time for leisure activities and are low on energy.
Around 25% of students who go to university are struggling with signs of anxiety from the large amount of work they are faced with on a day-to-day basis.
In addition, these students achieved lower scores in tests and had less sleep than students of the same age who didn’t attend university.
This explains how university can worsen a student’s life in multiple ways.
I have an answer to this problem: students must prioritise themselves over their work.
Firstly, they could look into different ways of getting to where they want to be in life. For example, apprenticeships, which are paid training opportunities, are a very reliable way of helping someone achieve where they want to get to in life.
This includes getting paid as you work for a company whilst gaining experience at the same time. Secondly, by not going to university, sleep can improve significantly because there is a vast amount of pressure reduced.
This gives young people a chance to make sure their body and mind are healthy rather than focusing on scoring perfect grades on tests. Finally, students don’t need this heavy debt weighing over them like a heavy tree.
Instead, they can get paid to do something they love and believe in.
Some people may argue that university could be worth the cost and pressure because it can lead to very successful outcomes for students later in their lives.
However, I vehemently disagree with this statement for the very reason that it completely contradicts the clear evidence stated right in front of our own eyes.
What is the point of gaining success through university if it will wreck your sleep schedule, take a massive chunk of money from you or your parents, which will forever be in the back of your mind, and make you feel as if you want to crawl into a ball and not continue with university?
Picture this… Imagine you are an apprenticeship student who has the luxury of going to sleep at a recommended time, which ensures you sleep peacefully throughout the night and wake up feeling lighter.
You walk into your place of work feeling energised and ready to smash your targets for the day.
Your day goes amazingly, and you feel as if you have accomplished what you have always wanted.
You are in control of your own life and won’t have a burden falling upon you for the rest of your life.
You have a clear mindset and know what you need to do to reach your goals.
You can work with a clear plan and know that what you’re deciding is the right choice.
