Wed Jan 28, 2004 4:52 am by Chips
mwhahah - i recently graduated.......and am currently sat on the vast fortune of being 20,000 pounds in debt.
University is not going to break the bank for you, unless they put it up to 5k of tuition fees.
Perspective. UNLESS you get a 2.1 or above, the job prospects are crap. Regardless of what papers say, nearly all jobs that require you to be a graduate will be asking for a 2.1 honours degree, in a decent subject (not philosphy - that is a waste of space study, trust me. Friends did it, and had to do a masters to get employed (media studies)).
The thing that breaks the bank, is trying to have a social life.
Thats right - if your smoking - quit. you will save at least a grand.
You will go out nearly every night, go shopping in the expensive shops for clothes (as you try to keep up with "fashion", and suddenly find out that in your SECOND year that you really don't want to be associated with first years, so you will go to expensive bars, restaurants, and try to almost become "cultured"
Truth is you will spend around 5k a year on drinking.
I did it, and nearly failed a degree due to too much drinking. Only problem is that although it was the best year ever, my next three years suffered. I didn't do the "poncy i am soooo cultured" thing, but stayed firmly in an alcoholic haze instead for all years.
If you don't go out every night, but only once a week, you will have more than enough money. Don't drink 5 quid cocktails or other stuff, down beer in a flat and go out lathered, and its cheap. There are cheap nights, but they are only cheap as long as you don't buy all your mates drinks, and don't have 20 pints either.
I have graduated, and to be honest - the tuition fees will hopefully stop people doing truly pathetic courses - like Golf Studies, David Beckham studies, and.....yup.....the course that even munchkins can get on - philosophy.
So - do a decent course, pick unis carefully, and don't go overboard on going out/clothes/trying to be posh, and you will be fine. You can easily afford the top up if its only to 3k by just NOT GOING OUT.
Personally, i am not sceptical - i support the increase in tuition fees - mainly as i saw a right group of wastes of space at uni. Poeple so dumb they couldn't work anything out if they tried. They got into courses where you only needed a few E's at A-Level to get in. They then pissed up all thier money up the wall, moaned that they are paying to much, and started fights when drunk. These guys should never have got in to do sports science, and maybe this will start to keep a degree from being "a thing for the masses" back to actually being worth something. Right now, degree qualifications are going fast downhill. They are becoming worthless unless its a decent course, or you get a 1st.
I did colour chemistry and polymer physics. A tough but interesting course. Nearly any chemistry job i go for wanted a 2.1 at least, and 90% want someone with 2 years lab experience (not uni lab work, proper research). Unfort, i now don't want to stay in chemistry -mainly as i could earn more working for McDonalds than using my Degree.................
It aint the fees that are crippling students at the moment (or in the near future), its their lifestyle. When we had 5 nights out a week at 30 quid a time - that is when the debts rack up.
*shake head in disaproval*