Non fiction

In the Education Shop

Customer:     Hi!

Cashier:        Hiya.

Customer:     4 years of higher education please.

Cashier:        What kind of higher education institute would you like to go to?

Customer:     Can you recommend me a university?

Cashier:        Depending on your budget, how much you care about reputation and your former education, I could recommend you these two: Oxford and Cambridge. They are really old… You seem not to be... prepared for your choice, though, so maybe one of these red brick universities will suit you better?

Customer:    So I won’t get into Oxford or Cambridge because I don't have enough...? What?

Cashier:        I’m sorry but I can't put my finger on it.

Customer:    Well, these other universities seem nice as well. They are all universities so in the end it won’t matter. When I finish I will have a degree that makes me ready for a good job, right?

Cashier:        I’m sorry to disappoint you, but none of the universities offers a job guarantee. You’ll have to add some toppings to improve your chances. Here are some examples of toppings you can choose:

-           Big social network

-           Influential friends

-           A part time job or volunteering for an impressive organization

-           Extra courses to develop additional skills or knowledge

Customer:     Okay… and what is the price of these toppings?

Cashier:        We can only offer you the possibility to add them, again there’s no guarantee you’ll actually succeed in studying and developing these things at the same time. It’s included in the price of the higher education. I recommend you to read this brochure. It shows exactly which university offers you the most possibilities to toppings. Oxford and Cambridge for example will offer you the possibility to grow a great social network full of influential people. The universities there at the bottom of the page offer a lot less opportunities, but there it’s more likely you’ll be accepted and you can stay at your parents’ place. You may want to have a look at this menu to make a good, informed decision. Maybe you want to go for one of the universities in the middle of the page. People there will be less influential and the institutions don’t have a great reputation, but a social network and maybe some handy sidelines are definitely possible there!

Customer:    Thank you for the information. You may understand that I’m a bit disappointed in the actual value of a university degree, but I will try to upgrade it with these toppings. It will be hard work though, wish me luck!

Cashier:        You’re welcome. Good luck with your decision for an institution and your decisions during your studies. Have a nice day.

In this conversation between a cashier and a customer I wanted to portray the commercialisation of higher education. Because there are so many universities nowadays and so many students, a degree is not a guarantee for a job, and universities are competing to get students.

There is a ranking of universities with the oldest, Oxford and Cambridge, always at the head, simply because they’ve always been there. Sidelines like partying, working, volunteering, meeting people, in other words expanding your social network and skills are getting more important to distinguish yourself as an individual person. The number of opportunities a university can offer is therefore important when you choose a university to study at.

I portrayed these ideas in the context of a shop, because I think a study is nowadays seen as an object you buy. Students are seen as consumers of education. They “buy” this education to be able to find a job, but - just like a plain pizza - this is not enough. Certain “toppings” are needed to get closer to satisfaction or in other words to finding a job. This causes all the choices students have, all the extras, sidelines, opportunities to develop yourself next to your study.

Is choice power, or just an illusion of power? Is the massive shop full of toppings like heaven, or will students drown in the offer of all these seductions and fail to balance studying and socializing and will actual knowledge and academic skills be forgotten? The own responsibility of the student is more and more important. Choose the right sub-soil, the right number and quality of toppings, or you’ll be just one of the millions of people with a degree in England.

Linda Schlief

© 2014