NME [Student Guide] - How was it for you? (september 2000)

Matt about college in the student guide of NME magazine Why did you not to go to college? I never really had any plans to go to university, eve though everyone says that’s what you’ve got to do to get by nowadays. Which is absolute bollocks. And I knew that. I think the teachers knew that I didn’t ever want to go. I didn’t actually care about becoming intelligent, not that type of intellgence anyway, textbook knowledge. Also, I didn’t go because I always knew I wanted to do this, whatever level it was on. I didn’t feel I needed to do that to achieve what I wanted to achieve. But also, I couldn’t afford it. What did you do instead? I stole cars and sold various drugs. I painted houses. Stuff like that. Cleaned out Drains with a glove that went right to my shoulder. Built scaffolding really high, demolished walls. I demolished an entire shopping center once. I really enjoyed it. Really had a good time. Do you regret not going? I think I probably will go in a few years. I just don’t feel ready for it then. I also couldn’t find a subject that I fancied that was the main thing. I probably should have said that first. I couldn’t find a subject that I really wanted to learn about. Later on, I’ll probably fancy it and I’ll probably be able to pay for it as well. What subject would you do if you go later? Theology. Or film composition. I found out there was a degree in composing music for films. There’s even a degree in Klingon language now because degrees aren’t about what you learn about, it’s about proving you can absorb a certain amount of information and repeat it later. There’s so many jobs these days that they just want a degree in anything because it proves you can function in that way. That’s what it’s about. But, yeah, I probably will do one eventually in some sort of religious thing to find out if I can believe in spirituality, because there’s a part of me that wants to believe in life after death. I want to test myself fully to see if I am the atheist I think I am. So I’d probably study lots of religions and see if there’s anything that tickles my fancy Would you recommend people take time off as you have? Just do what you feel. When I was in college, as in A-level time, I did do some traveling for six, seven weeks and I think that changes you. A lot of people who’ve done traveling between A-levels and university end up not wanting to go. Or they go traveling after university and then don’t even want to get a normal job. That’s what I did. Just do what you want to do really. Enjoy it while it’s there because it’s gonna be over in a flash. NME

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