&gt; First, a lot of jobs in the UK require a degree, although it is not clear to me why.<p>I knew a couple who wouldn&#x27;t hire a babysitter that didn&#x27;t have a four-year degree with a GPA of at least 3.7.  They weren&#x27;t wealthy or eccentric.  Their combined family income was probably around $65k a year and the job only paid $8 an hour.  There were simply enough people looking for work that they never had trouble finding someone who met their requirements.<p>Granted, the above anecdote was from the USA, but I haven&#x27;t found things that different here in the UK.