A FEW weeks ago, I posed the question “is university still worth it?”, delving into the benefits and drawbacks for students amid the debate around rising costs.

A social media poll by The Forester, which simply asked that question, suggested that university was no longer worth it - with 64 per cent of respondents voting ‘no’, while 36 per cent said ‘yes’. However, many residents shared the view that it was not as black and white as that.

As part of my investigation, I asked Forest of Dean residents for their views on the subject and to share their experiences of university. One respondent agreed to share her story in this week’s edition.

I spoke with Dr Claire Lane, a Clinical Psychologist who enrolled at Cardiff University in 1996. Claire, 48, is originally from London's East End, but now lives in Coleford.

One of the points raised by residents during my research about university was that the experience can help you figure out what you don’t want to do, whilst aiding the search of what you are passionate about.

Claire’s original degree was in Linguistics and Communications Studies and ended up pursuing a PhD in communication within health care settings. Through the process, she became interested in health behaviour change, and later did a conversion diploma with the Open University - converting her degree into a psychology degree. She then sought and achieved a Clinical Psychology Doctorate.

Claire said: “I wanted to be a journalist when I first went to uni. I worked on the student newspaper and with the work experience, I found I liked the writing but didn’t really like the lifestyle.”

One of the biggest drawbacks for some residents when I posed this question was the costs associated with university, as the debate around student finances continues to rage on.

Claire enrolled a year before Tony Blair’s Labour government took office - explaining her feelings about the introduction of tuition fees.

Claire said: “After I went to university, I was out marching the streets, I’d never been so let down by a Labour government. The introduction of tuition fees has really changed the landscape for students.

“When I went to uni, my tuition fees were paid for and I had a small maintenance grant, something like £150 a term, which didn’t go very far at all. So I lived primarily off a student loan and part time work. I graduated with debt, but nothing like what students are graduating with nowadays.”

Claire’s point is valid. According to 2024 government data, students in England graduate with an average debt of approximately £53,000. This can be much higher depending on how many years a person studied, which could be driven by factors such as a degree change or repeating a year. In some cases, this can mean almost double the average.

Claire said: “I don’t think anyone should be starting off in life with 100 grand debt. When I marched against tuition fees, I said it would exclude people like me - and I think that’s what it is doing now, and it’s a shame.”

However, Claire made the point that there could be longer term benefits to university, despite taking the financial hit.

She said: "Short term knowing you’re going to graduate with a lot of debt, it’s a big thing to face. But think about the long term - if that feels like this is something you want to do with your life, you will never regret it.”

When it comes to the benefits of university, many residents cited the university experience. For some, this was learning to live outside the protective walls of your family, while others noted you quickly learn essential skills, such as cooking and budgeting.

Claire mirrored some of these points. She said: “It was a fantastic experience, and it was nice as an 18-year-old not to be under my parents’ gaze all the time. If I spent all my money, that was my problem, even if it meant I had to go crawling to my parents, I was accountable. I had to make decisions, I had to make mistakes and I had to learn from them.

“In your first year at university, you will do stupid things and you will make mistakes, but you’ll learn how to handle them and learn from them as an adult.

“I think it taught me a lot about responsibility and taking care of myself and learning to navigate dilemmas, deadlines and choices to make. It was so beneficial for me because I had to do it for myself.”

There are also the benefits of a social experience, which Claire said was amazing - meeting friends who she still remains in contact with today.

As I said in my previous article, most people would argue ultimately, the point of university is to get a job in that field at the end of your study. For Claire, her experience helped navigate towards her passion, further study and career path.

Claire said: “I had to learn the rules of writing an essay. It wasn’t just about what my opinion was, it was about how to write that opinion and how to build your argument through what you’re writing. I think they are valuable skills if you want to go on and do a job that really interests you.

“Some of the broader academic skills are very useful and if I hadn’t gone to university, not only would I not have those skills, but I may have a different outlook on life.

“There are jobs out there where you don’t need a degree, and if your focus is solely on getting a job and there’s a different way to train, go for it. For me though, going to university increased my life chances. It enabled me to step into those professional careers with academic interest, better paid jobs and better prospects and progression.

“There’s no way I’d be able to have the job I have now without being educated to a degree level.”

Following our discussion, I asked Claire to answer “is university still worth it”, which prompted a pause. The stop to consider the answer is what I’ve found with many respondents - it is not a simple answer.

Claire said: “I would say it’s worth it, if it fits in with what you want from life in the future. If you’re happy with what you’ve got at the moment and you’re happy to stay there or use roots through the workplace that will get you to a better place, that’s fine. But, if you want life to be broader, bigger and you want to have more opportunities offered to you, then university is worth it. The only thing that makes me shaky is the sheer amount of debt.

“The key thing for me is the life chances it offers you, and how it helped develop me as a person. I know I wouldn’t have had those chances if I didn’t go to university.”

Claire’s experience was a fascinating insight. However, you can only make the decision to go to university yourself.

You can find information about open days or higher education on university websites.