“You’re 24, you have a degree already, so why are you going back to uni?” #Design 100

“You’re 24, you have a degree already, so why are you going back to uni?”

When I announced I was going back to uni to pursue a second degree, this was question asked of me by my friends and family.

Why was I going back to university?

And to study a degree, that was, according to my aged neighbour “not hard science and not skills-based, thus not going to take you anywhere”

In some ways he was right, my first degree (BA with a double major in Sociology and Employment Relations), which was not hard science and did not teach me how to fix appliances, operate machinery or codes things on a computer, did not take me where I wanted to go. Sociology is so board that it was hard to know where to go; there aren’t many jobs with “Sociologist” in its title.

But where exactly did I want to go? All I knew was I didn’t want to work in HR.

I started to have a plan when I saw that Auckland University was offering a design degree.

I was, and still am working as an English Literature tutor, and while that’s fine for now, I know it wouldn’t make for a satisfying long-term career, and coming from someone who’s studied Employment Relations, job satisfaction is everything! I have always been an inquisitive and creative person and I knew, deep-down, I wanted a creative and dynamic career that is a little bit different to my parents’ very tradition careers (accounting and engineering).

Although I’m from the technology savvy generation, I am anything but tech-competent. It’s something I’ve always run away from, and that’s exactly why I’m running towards it now; I yearn for a challenge. Furthermore, I know the future job market will be grounded in technology (not only did my last degree tell me so, but its common sense) I must become tech-competent to not be left behind. It did dawn on me then, that what I wanted was to be at the spear point of something new, something exciting, and Deb’s words advertising for the new design program; “We're not really interested in doing the traditional thing.” was almost god-sent as it propelled me to click ‘accept’. (I promise I have not been endorsed to write this)

Now I have an answer for the friends who asked me why I was going back to uni at 24 years old, (thanks for the age complex), I want to be know what tools are out there and how to work them, I want to expand my skills repertoire so I have more tools at my disposal which I believe will make me an even more creative person. And finally, I want to still make use of my research, critical thinking and writing skills so I could somehow combine sociological concepts into my design projects.