Just read this excerpt from Jim Murphy's Wikipedia page:
"In 1985, Murphy returned to Scotland aged 18 to avoid having to serve in the South African Defence Force.[3] He studied Politics and European Law at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He was a student at Strathclyde for 9 years, but did not graduate from the university."
Posted Mar 1, 2015, 4:35 PM UTC
He was going to leave in 1990, but then he heard that Nicola Sturgeon would only be spending 5 years at uni and had to one-up her.
He spent a lot of time working for the Student Union there, as many of your trendy lefty hipster types are prone to do.
I worked throughout my undergraduate degree and still managed to get a first.
I doubt that I can be categorised as a 'lefty', given that I'm in favour of abolishing corporation tax.
I worked throughout my undergraduate degree and still managed to get a first.
Don't those paid to run the Union do so is a sort of "gap year" type deal (where they work for it full time)?
I doubt that I can be categorised as a 'lefty', given that I'm in favour of abolishing corporation tax.
Are you Jim Murphy?
Don't those paid to run the Union do so is a sort of "gap year" type deal (where they work for it full time)?
Most run in their final year and as such take up the position when they graduate, unless of course you have no interest of graduating, ever.
Are you Jim Murphy?
Find one quote of Jim Murphy stating that he's in favour of reducing corporation tax in Scotland. Wait, I'll save you time. It doesn't exist.
Don't those paid to run the Union do so is a sort of "gap year" type deal (where they work for it full time)?
Most run in their final year and as such take up the position when they graduate, unless of course you have no interest of graduating, ever.
I only have experience of Edinburgh and St Andrews, but it's usual for 2nd or 3rd year students to take executive/vp positions at the student union and take a year out of their studies to do it, which is exactly why it's called a sabbatical position in the first place. I don't recall anyone graduating and then taking the job (I left four years back).
I doubt that I can be categorised as a 'lefty'
I didn't say you were a lefty, I said Jim was.
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Scott Walker
Perhaps somebody was seeking an explanation as to why this Republican "in high office" rejects evolution and climate change.
Education might be a factor in why he's an ignorant nut-case. ;)
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Could you imagine if David Cameron announced everyone without degrees are not allowed to vote anymore because they are ignorant nutcases
This. Having gone to university in later years it's surprising what highly educated people, students, graduates and academics, and seeing how ignorant they can be on some aspects of 'real life/commonsense that is just as lacking as in the general public. Some of them even believe 'Israel is a fascist state' and 'we are on the verge of a socialist revolution' ;P
as for non degree prime ministers, the only one in the post war years was John Major, but then again when he was just a lad it was possible to go straight into a career that is today 'graduate entry'.
You go to university to learn. Getting a degree is evidence of this. Failing to get one suggests that you've failled.
So Bill Gates failed? There are plenty of good reasons not to obtain a degree, many of which have nothing to do with being incapable of getting one.
Stephen Spielberg apparently also failed film school and Mark Zuckerberg failed college.
(Spielberg actually went back decades later to finish and submitted Shindlers List as his final year project)
I really hope that that schindler's list story is true. That is classic :)
He left early he didn't repeat loads of years and then ultimately give up altogether.
Murphy didn't repeat.
He was on sabbatical as su vice president, president, nus Scotland officer, nus Scotland president, nus vp and then nus president.
After that he left to work full time for the labour party.
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I wouldn't want someone that sets out to do something only to take twice as long as everyone else and ultimately fail to be put in a position of power where they're in charge of extremely important matters (e.g. the benifits system, the NHS, social work etc).
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With regard to his not going to university, Scott Walker said he has No Regrets.
Spent most of his late teens and early twenties getting Soused instead, from what I hear.
I managed 6 but then I worked for half of it and smoked pot for the rest.
what the hell am i doing wrong im looking to finish my 5 yr course in 4 yrs
not being a teenager? ;-)
Some of that will be down to at least a couple of sabbatical years where he was involved in student politics.
He leveraged his career in student politics into a fulltime political career so it's entirely possible he had all his course credits on paper, but just didn't bother to pay the graduation fee.
Whatever he did, he made it that bit harder for anyone else to repeat the feat
It will take me 5 years because I had a lot of problems in my 3rd year and had to retake 2 finance modules but I'm on track for a 2:1 now. 9 years on the other hand is a pisstake
I got two degrees in less time.
Well he's clearly failed every year at least once so its quite an achievement. I had a bumpy Education at points but I still came away with a honours degree at the end of it in half the time it spent Murphy to come away with nothing.
I think what's even more impressive is the fact he studded politics and failed came away with anything. - It somewhat explains the current Scottish/British Labour party.
He didn't, it's all about sabbatical years. He took time out to work for the Student's Union, NUS Scotland and NUS. That can add up to a max of 6 years, two in each.
Which is exactly what happened and why he ended up as president of the NUS.
Did he pay Tuition Fees?
Ach, yer being a silly billy, of course he never - they pulled the ladder up after them a good few years later on.
Someone should send him a bill for £81k.
That'd actually be a pretty good media stunt. Get a giant novelty invoice/cheque from him needing a signature and deliver it to his office or something.
He supported their implementation too, he was probably just trying to help and make sure other people wouldn't spend so long pursuing an education.