This applying to universities business is proving to be a nightmare. I am shortly going to crawl into a darkened room with a bottle of gin. A couple of days ago we had it all sorted. He’d finished his personal statement, decided which course he was doing and which universities to apply to and everything was clear.
Then his father wanted to meet him to talk about it all and I went to. The three of us had a drink together. His dad had done a lot of homework. Knew which universities were best for the course he wanted to do. My son looked like lots of teenagers do. Blank. Disinterested. Deaf? Not listening? Thinking about other things? Uninspired?
The conversation sort of went:-
DAD “so which universities do you think you’ll apply to and why?”
HIM “well, I’ve heard Southampton is quite easy to get into and Leeds is a party place so I might look at those two”
DAD “yes, but what about each individual course?”
HIM “dunno really”
DAD “have you looked at the specific syllabus at each university?”
HIM “not exactly”
DAD “what do you mean by not exactly?”
HIM “dunno really”
He really might as well have said that he liked the swirly carpet in the student union bar.
And so on until I pointed out that if he actually got offered a place he wouldn’t get through an interview because he was about to become the least inspiring Doctor-to-be that I had ever met. It seemed the right moment to question his choice. Was he really sure he was ready for the gruelling 7 years ahead? “No. Not really” he said immediately. “To be honest I can’t really see myself on a ward round”.
At this stage his dad was beside himself “hadn’t we discussed all this before?”, “had we any idea how little time there was left?” “how could he not yet know what he wanted to do?”…..
Then he said he thought he’d prefer to do a different course, but was going to look online quite soon to see exactly what this different course involved. My view was that he should be doing a degree he is interested in at a university he wants to go to – then consider his career options later. BE INSPIRED – at the very least. He’s got a long way to go. Might as well enjoy it along the way.
So the last few days have been full of attempting to become enthusiastic about an entirely different area and re-writing his life’s script. We’ve had meetings with his careers guidance bloke and a final EGM last night with his dad, who commented, (I thought a little harshly) that it was “like polishing a turd”.
BLOODY TYPICAL then that just as he is getting ready to fly the nest, universities are about to face their most radical changes for 50 years as big rises in tuition fees and the withdrawal of government teaching grants force a reshaping of higher education.
A taxi driver I talked to yesterday told me not to bother. He said that two of his kids had finished their degree, one daughter with a First in Fashion and they had now been out of work for 18 months with debts of £28K respectively. “The government have cheated our kids” he said “and things are just going to get worse. Tell him to go straight out to work. Much easier”.
Shit. I know it’s really bad out there. I recently heard about a Law firm (not even one of the ones in the magic circle) that is getting 1100 applications for 30 places. Universities are providing counselling sessions for all the students that can’t find work once they’ve finished their degrees. RUBBISH. There are no jobs for them when they come out.
WHY do they keep calling them “fees” or “loans?”. Students and their families are going to be saddled with a huge amount of “DEBT”. Lord Browne has said that fees of £7,000 a year would only replace cuts in higher education funding expected in next week’s spending review. He proposed that degrees be funded by student fees rather than teaching grants for all but a few essential courses, such as medicine and engineering. This means that universities would be forced to rethink their business models, and that many would face serious financial difficulty. Many universities depend on teaching grants for large proportions of their income.
This seems to me ridiculously short-sighted in our current economic climate. Our kids need to be encouraged to be educated for the future. This move will result in a lot of students deciding to simply go out and find work or leave the country.
GET THE BUSINESS SECTOR TO INVEST IN THEIR NEW RECRUITS. That’s what I think.
Don’t ask me how though.
fd
October 13, 2010As a (relatively) recent graduate (2007), I can say that I know very very few people who have ended up wanting to do jobs in or actually doing jobs in the field they studied. Its the skills they acquire at university (rather than the knowledge) that employers have typically been looking for. The few who have ended up doing what they ‘qualified’ in are the ones that did profession specific university courses (medecine, engineering and to a certain extent law – but here they still need to get the professional trainign contracts which are so competitive and where you also compete with all those who never studied law but did conversion courses with years of experience under their belts). Also when I was at uni, about 15% of students transferred courses (within the uni) within the first 5 months. It was a relatively hassle free process. I’m sure the careers advisor and you as parents would be horrified to hear people tell him this, but basically I think he can relax about what course he goes for and just choose somehting he’s genuinely interested in (or that has a broad cross-section of options).
As for the job situation and the fees situation hopefully in a few years by the time he’s done it will have changed again…
Family Affairs
October 13, 2010I do agree with you – going to add that bit to my post – that my view was that he should do something he enjoys and then work it out afterwards. Life’s too short otherwise! Lx
Eclipse
October 14, 2010Doing something you enjoy is good, but you shouldn’t waste the opportunity to go to Uni. Uni is a priviledge not a right, something Labour forgot. My sis did History of Fine Art. However she never bothered getting work experience in auction houses during the degree to help her get work there after graduation (working for one of the big auction houses was her ambition). Now most places expect people to get work experience without pay, so I guess if she wanted to work in auction houses now she would have to get two part time/night jobs to pay for rent and food as the parents aren’t able to fund her (which I think is quite right). She isn’t prepared to do that and so now works in admin at the Co-op bank. I really cannot see how any skills she learnt in her degree are helping her now. Consequently she has a useless degree, 12k of debt and a job she could have started years ago and probably be further ahead in.
Family Affairs
October 14, 2010Its a shame isn’t it – unless of course she likes working in admin…..Lx
Eclipse
October 15, 2010She does now, but my point is that maybe she shouldn’t have gone to Uni in the first place. But because “everyone” does it, you kinda feel left out if you don’t. From the plus side, Uni is a great way to experience something totally different and it is a life changing experience (trust me I wouldn’t be in Finland otherwise!), but I’m not sure it’s worth that kind of debt unless you are passionate about your subject and are studying something worthwhile that you can use later on in life. And who knows, maybe my sis will get a job in the art world later in life.
Family Affairs
October 15, 2010Oh, I see your point now, sorry. Like the taxi driver advising not to do it….there are a lot more kids that you would expect to be going deciding otherwise and there has been quite a lot about it in the paper – just so difficult though. The fees will put off even more people = I agree with you that it’s a privilege, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world and the current climate is so rubbish that staying in education for longer might just be the right answer.
saz
October 13, 2010l’m thankfull on this particular level, that l am now single and on low income, l’m assuming you are too with the one job and wtc and ctc and child support isn’t considered either…!! So our kids get an extra £4K than currently….where as my duaghter after her gap year, living with her dad, will be in greater debt than my son or indeed I!
but nothing is for sure yet, only recommendations.. horrific that the students are penalised by parents’ incomes…when they are suposedly adults, none of it is consistent nor makes sense.
The coaliton, seems to be hitting children and students hardest, the future, our future….its barmy!!
saz x
Family Affairs
October 13, 2010Not good. At all. Lx
Expat Mum
October 13, 2010Much as I love the British education system (in theory), the idea that 18 year olds have to basically decide what they want to “be” without really knowing themselves or the options, is not good. At least in the States they don’t have to declare a major for a few years and they quite often change their minds about what they want to do.
We’re going through the college app thing here too, except she knows what she wants to do it’s just that apparently, she’s NEVER going to get into ANY college. Ever.
Family Affairs
October 13, 2010I know that feeling…..but in the US the colleges are WAY more expensive than here aren’t they? Lx
libby
October 13, 2010What I struggle with is trying to keep optimistic about my childrens future. I have a Graduate son who is working in Retail until his career can begin (and has a student loan) and a daughter who has just started at Uni., …what on earth will the next 3 years bring?
Family Affairs
October 13, 2010I know, it’s all so uncertain…..although I suppose it’s probably always that way for parents! Lx
Jon Storey
October 14, 2010Well Lauren’ UCAS application is in and she looks as worried as hell.
Preferred option is Veterinary Medicine at a Scottish university incurring projected debts on fees alone of some £50,000! Then there is the small matter of rent and food etc. for 5 years…..
I am at home waiting for the gin tanker to make the weekly delivery for her Mother.
Family Affairs
October 14, 2010bloody nightmare. Clever girl though and at least she’ll be employable at the end of it! Lx
Jo Ward
October 15, 2010I was very interested to read your “GET THE BUSINESS SECTOR TO INVEST IN THEIR NEW RECRUITS” comment. Spot on. This is a subject that I feel very strongly about. It is quite simple, if a student is making a financial contribution to a business, then employers need to pay. There is a website who is working very hard at trying to get fair pay for students called http://graduatefog.co.uk/. Unpaid internships and work experience should be confined to history, the sooner the better but attitudes to students have to change. Likewise, students have to step up to the mark when applying for jobs.
Our students in the UK are highly talented and their skills should be applauded and rewarded. Isn’t that how you get the best out of people?
Family Affairs
October 15, 2010HEAR HEAR LX