I can’t remember who said it, but I distinctly remember someone saying that a Bachelors degree is this generation’s High School diploma. In that most doors are closed to you unless you have it.
My brother-in-law has a diploma and does well, but he has an obvious glass ceiling bc he doesn’t have a degree, in a field that you absolutely don’t need a degree in.
It's basically a prerequisite to almost all management positions at any company you go to. At my employer, you can become a frontline supervisor without a degree but anything above that and you will need to upskill.
It's a common theme in my industry for the trades to shit on junior management and if I had a nickel for every old timer who thought they should be an immediate promo to Superintendent, I'd be rich.
I have a younger guy here that I am grooming for management. He is a smart kid and wants to go places. I've let him tag along with me a couple of times on his days off to see what I do and also walked him through some of the technology I use.
He was shocked at the amount of data analysis and varied computer work I have to do. I told him University is what prepared me to be able to do this given the amount of reports and information I have to compile on a daily basis.
I think University prepares you in a number of ways for this type of work:
1. It is an environment that forces you to generate a lot product output (aka assignments) in a compressed period of time so there is a built in stress inoculation component.
2. It also forces you to do a lot of that work on your own time and you are responsible for your own schedule. They don't care when or how you do it, they just care that it gets done.
3. What you studied is mostly immaterial, just that you do something and demonstrate your ability to achieve an outcome (get a degree).
It's almost like it was purpose built to train and generate a managerial class for the industrial revolution
