Why I wish I'd considered alternatives to university

So, is university more about the experience than the qualification young people come away with? My opinion about this is beginning to change.

I have been to university, and although I didn’t start my university degree with the dark cloud of the pandemic hanging over me, I certainly ended with it. My final year was cut short and lectures were moved online. I still haven’t been able to graduate.

I firmly believe that if the pandemic had hit before I started university, I would not have gone. Tuition fees along with the cost of living would have been far too much for me to just end up sitting in front of a laptop.

It’s the experience of meeting new people, budgeting for a food shop and surviving in an all-girl flat, where I learnt the most. University was a place I felt I finally belonged and I met my best friends there.

Tamika studied writing and film studies at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge (Image: Tamika Green)

But now that I have completed my degree, I realised there was a lot I missed out on. When it came to competing in an ever-competitive job market, I struggled.

I applied for many jobs in journalism and publishing, but application after application I was rejected. I felt stranded and I didn’t know where to go next. I was left wondering if I had made a mistake studying writing and film studies.

I didn’t have all the skills I needed to be employed in the field I wanted to go into and I thought about changing my career plans.

However, after many months and a lot of hard work, I am now lucky enough to be on a journalism apprenticeship. I'm studying for an NCTJ diploma in journalism and working as a community reporter for the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star. I'm getting hands-on experience in the workplace whilst training to be a journalist at the same time.

Tamika is now on an apprenticeship studying for an NCTJ diploma in journalism (Image: Tamika Green)

I have learnt more in the last few weeks than I did in the three years that I studied. I'm seeing first-hand the value that an apprenticeship can offer – being in the work environment and learning from those more experienced than I am.

I'm not saying I regret going to university, but I do think young people receiving their A Level and GCSE results this week should give a little more consideration to alternatives to university. I know I wish I had.