Response - Kasia on Tertiary Education
In this discussion about tertiary education, Kasia suggests that universities should focus on building independence and personal finance skills while also providing more opportunities for work experience. Kasia also proposes the inclusion of relevant hard skills in each degree program to better prepare students for the professional world.
Themes
- Independence and critical thinking
- Personal finance education
- Emphasis on work experience
- Inclusion of relevant hard skills
- Preparation for the professional world
Keywords
- tertiary education
- independence
- critical thinking
- personal finance
- work experience
- internship
- hard skills
- professional world
- universities
- young adulthood
Transcription
My name is Kasia, and I'm based in London. Today, I'm going to share my thoughts about tertiary education, what's working well, what's not, and some of my ideas for innovation.
So I just graduated last year, so my experience is pretty fresh, and I think particularly as a recent graduate, my perspective has definitely shifted from what it would have been at university.
What is working well is that it builds a lot of independence. It trains you to think critically and rely on your own thoughts, question things, and structure things without relying on others' information. It also serves as a rite of passage, allowing you to live away from home, be in charge of your own life, and gain social independence. However, I believe that university should reflect this rite of passage more into the world of young adulthood, which should include some sort of personal finance course. Budgeting tools were not discussed with my friend group or other young people, and I think university should teach students how to manage their money.
I also think that as part of every degree, students should complete some sort of work experience or internship. University should help students find these placements because, based on my recent experience, it's more about what you have on your CV and your work experience that gets you ahead, rather than just having a degree. This aspect is not emphasized enough.
Another idea I have may be controversial to the student body, but I believe it's important to embed some hard skills into every degree. For example, in art history, where the career paths are somewhat predictable, I think providing marketing or advertising courses would be essential. If studying social science, like I did, I believe statistics should be compulsory. If studying history, learning a language would be incredibly useful. These additional skills would not only broaden our narrow focus on our chosen field of study but also better prepare us for the real world and working professionals.
Kasia
I'm passionate about effective impact for social change - however that may manifest. As a result, I have worked in startups, think-tanks, international organisations, foundations and charities in roles ranging from business development to research. My work has spanned Africa, Asia and Europe and I have a working command of four languages. In 2021, I will be joining a social startup, NEMI Teas, that helps refugees integrate into the UK workforce.
Community managers sign in for assets and bookmarks.