Do People Go To University Too Young? Insight from a University Dropout

By Aoife Wilson

Every year in the summer month of August, thousands of young people visit their secondary school or college for the final time to find out whether their previous fourteen years of formal education has prepared them for the next three years. In August 2021, I was one of those nervous individuals. Unlike many of my classmates who had already decided to devote their professional lives to disciplines such as medicine, law or accounting, I had no intention to attend university. Throughout my final two years of secondary school I had an apathetic approach towards higher education and my studies in general. In other words I did not have the level of maturity required to choose a university course that would dictate my career path.

As results day loomed nearer, I began to second-guess myself and the impending doom of a gap year. Ultimately, as a naive eighteen year old I succumbed to parental pressure and FOMO, opting to enrol in a BSc Computer Science course through UCAS clearing.

After the novelty of results day had worn off, I was left alone with anxieties about my potential new career as a programmer. Questions such as “Who am I going to become in the next three years?”, “Will I find employment after university?” and “Will I even enjoy the course?”, took up most of my thoughts.

From the severe self-doubt already mentioned and the subsequent publication of this article, it is not a total surprise that I dropped out of my course. I lasted a single term. Looking back on my underwhelming first attempt at university, I can pinpoint where I fell short. It was not due to my work ethic or my inability to develop a database system. Instead I lacked direction and guidance. As should be expected, the majority of eighteen year olds simply do not have the life experience or career insight needed for the decision-making involved.

Personal issues aside, there are other practical reasons why many young people choose to forgo university altogether.

A prominent reason being, the steady rise in university costs for young students. It was only in November 2024 when the new Labour government of Keir Starmer announced a 3.1% increase in tuition fees for undergraduate home students in England [1]. Fortunately, Northern Irish homegrown students have not been impacted by these changes as of now. However, the prospect of long-term debt coupled with financial insecurity has created a growing sense of mistrust among young adults toward the viability of the university system.

The UK Government decided to increase tuition fees to alleviate financial pressure that many higher education providers were experiencing. Despite the UK Government’s efforts, the future of British higher education has never looked more bleak. Institutions across the United Kingdom continue to suffer during the ongoing funding crisis, with Trades Union Congress reporting that “nearly threequarters of higher education providers in England could be in deficit by 2025-26.” [2].

It seems that this prediction has become true and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

In October 2024, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) was expected to cut up to 270 jobs in the upcoming academic year – which is more than 5% of its workforce [3]. With the onslaught of financial cuts and the never-ending rise in tuition fees, it is understandable why some eighteen year olds are hesitant to fully commit to university before exploring other options available.

Following my brief stint at software development I worked a variety of underpaid retail jobs. Although being yelled at by store management for not sorting the lemon striped blouses from the lemon spotted blouses in a timely manner was a humbling experience, these jobs strengthened my resilience and gave me the confidence I needed to make future career decisions. With the new skills I had acquired and my frontal lobe finally developing, I applied for the university course I am currently undertaking, which is much more suitable to my future goals.

I may have found the path I eventually wanted to take at the age of twenty-one, but I still believe that there is a societal belief in many places, including the UK, that a degree is essential for success. This unnecessary strain forced onto young people can lead to feelings of unfulfilled potential or career regrets – alternatively, they may have been better suited to other educational routes such as apprenticeships and vocational training, or even finding immediate employment.

It is undeniable that the decision on whether to go to university or not carries much more weight for today’s young people compared to previous generations. Therefore, a young person should have the flexibility to choose for themself, free from school interference; free from familial pressure; and ultimately free from societal expectations.

Sources:

[1] Lewis, J. Bolton, P. and Wilson, S. 2024. “Tuition fees in England: History, debates, and international comparisons,” House of Commons Library. December 2, 2024. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10155/

[2] Morrison-Smith, J. 2025. “Stakes are high if university funding crisis continues,” TUC, January
20, 2025. https://www.tuc.org.uk/blogs/stakes-are-high-if-university-funding-crisis-continues

[3] Meredith, R. 2024. “Queen’s University to cut jobs as it faces £11m deficit,” BBC News, October 25, 2024. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy54v5lg45o