The University Dilemma: Why Walking Away Isn’t the Answer
In a world where generative AI is rewriting the rules of education, the question of whether university is still worth it has become a heated debate. Personally, I think this conversation is long overdue, but the way it’s being framed—particularly the advice to young people to wait it out—is deeply troubling. Let me explain why.
The AI Elephant in the Room
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: AI. Yes, it’s disruptive. Yes, it’s forcing us to rethink how we teach, assess, and verify learning. But here’s what many people don’t realize: AI didn’t create the cracks in the system; it merely exposed them. Take-home assignments and unsupervised exams were already flawed long before ChatGPT entered the chat. What makes this particularly fascinating is how quickly the narrative has shifted from fixing the system to avoiding it altogether. That’s not just unproductive—it’s potentially harmful.
The Uneven Playing Field
Advice like think twice about university might sound neutral, but it’s anything but. For students from privileged backgrounds, taking a gap year or delaying enrollment might be a viable option. But for those without inherited advantages or professional networks, university isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. If you take a step back and think about it, telling a first-generation student to wait is essentially saying, Your future can wait too. That’s not just unfair; it’s a recipe for widening inequality. In my opinion, this advice isn’t just misguided—it’s tone-deaf to the realities of social mobility.
The Quiet Revolution in Higher Education
Here’s a detail that I find especially interesting: while everyone’s busy declaring the death of traditional education, universities are quietly reinventing themselves. The shift isn’t from teaching to not teaching—it’s from assessing artifacts to assuring capabilities. What this really suggests is that the future of education isn’t about eliminating universities; it’s about transforming them. More real-time demonstrations, more conversations, more emphasis on what students know rather than what they can produce. It’s slower, messier, and more expensive, but it’s happening. And it’s necessary.
The Human Factor
One thing that immediately stands out is the role of academic staff in this transformation. Universities aren’t abstract entities; they’re made up of people—teachers, professors, and administrators—who are on the front lines of this change. Blaming institutions for cashing cheques while ignoring the work being done by educators is, frankly, reductive. From my perspective, the real story here isn’t about institutions failing; it’s about individuals adapting. And that’s where hope lies.
The Cost of Waiting
Let’s talk about the cost of telling young people to sit it out. For many, a year of waiting isn’t just a pause—it’s a setback. Lost momentum, lost income, and delayed entry into professions that require degrees. This raises a deeper question: Who benefits from this advice? Certainly not the students who need university the most. What many people don’t realize is that this narrative of wait and see disproportionately hurts those who can least afford it. It’s not just about delaying education; it’s about delaying opportunity.
The Value of Hard-Won Knowledge
Real learning has never been easy, and that’s precisely why it matters. In a world where shortcuts are tempting, the graduates who do the hard work—who resist the urge to outsource their thinking—are the ones we need. Personally, I think the system isn’t broken; it’s evolving. And evolution is messy. But telling young people to step away while it figures itself out? That’s not just unhelpful; it’s counterproductive. The students who show up, who engage, who do the work—they’re the ones who will graduate not just with a credential, but with something far more valuable: hard-won knowledge and skills.
Final Thoughts
So, should young people go to university? In my opinion, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. It’s a yes, but. Yes, go—but don’t cut corners. Yes, go—but demand more from the system. Yes, go—because for many, it’s still the most reliable path to their goals. The system isn’t perfect, but it’s changing. And change, as they say, is the only constant. What this really suggests is that the future of education isn’t about walking away—it’s about stepping up. And that’s a future worth investing in.
