how do you live off student loans if it all goes on rent

melancholly

durhampoker99 wrote: »

I've just finished my second year of a law degree. Therefore no final degree classification...I got a low 2.1 (63) but am currently predicted a 1st (not gonna happen).

I think part of the problem that we have is that some of you went to other universities some years ago, when I think the story was much different. Right now being a student at virtually any uni outside of Oxbridge, Imperial and maybe LSE is a true part-time occupation. From my understanding (talking to parents and others) this was simply not the case even 10 years ago. I have friends at Nottingham, Edinburgh, Durham, Bristol, Newcastle, UCL and St Andrews (a fair spread then) as well as a few of the polytechnics and by all accounts they have significantly less work than us in terms of contact hours, reading hours and essays written.

Outside of medicine (and vets I suppose) there really does exist a huge gulf between the quality and quantity of work that we are expected to produce. How else do you explain the bias towards us when it comes to careers? We are exposed to a level of independent learning and deep thinking (through the tutorial system - one on one attention etc) that other universities simply don't or can't put their students through. It's the great academic benefit of Oxbridge.

QUIT WHILE YOU'RE BEHIND!

just stop it..... please, it's now beyond embarassing. can you also please remember that although oxbridge has a lot of contact hours each week, the terms are usually 4/6 weeks shorter. everyone knows the 'great academic benefits of oxbridge', but swanning around, rubbing it in everyone else's faces and going on and on about how bl00dy amazing you must be to have got in is painful.

the most important quality you need to get a job is the right attitude - everything else will be secondary. you can have the best degree in the world but with a snotty attitude like yours, that will be your limiting factor.

System

kelloggs36 wrote: »

A bit difficult for my DD as she studies in York and we live in Kent.

Rent out her empty bedroom in Kent? There is a large university in Kent so it may not be so hard to find a student. Also, you could find people through agents. We found many people who'd come into the city for jobs and training and needed a place to stay but didn't want to have to pay the rent for a whole flat or apartment (which have minimum 6 month contracts etc.)

Oldernotwiser

melancholly wrote: »

QUIT WHILE YOU'RE BEHIND!

just stop it..... please, it's now beyond embarassing. can you also please remember that although oxbridge has a lot of contact hours each week, the terms are usually 4/6 weeks shorter. everyone knows the 'great academic benefits of oxbridge', but swanning around, rubbing it in everyone else's faces and going on and on about how bl00dy amazing you must be to have got in is painful.

the most important quality you need to get a job is the right attitude - everything else will be secondary. you can have the best degree in the world but with a snotty attitude like yours, that will be your limiting factor.

Durhampoker has done more in the last couple of days to put the average student applying for Oxbridge than can be imagined; I wonder if that was his intention?

melancholly

it's sad - it's a fantastic place and is a great opportunity. it's also full of 'normal' people from 'normal' backgrounds who are bright and it's just a shame that the loudest people from there tend to be a vocal minority. yes, it gives advantages, but not so many that you can consider degrees from places like edinburgh, bristol and UCL for part timers!

and anyway, someone doing law can't tell me anything about the workload - try being a scientist, medic, vet or engineer! if they did those courses they'd know something about epic contact hours

but on one point to digsby202 - luckily not all of us with high marks get sucked into the city and the milkround (and i didn't spend all my time in my room either )! there is hope for oxbridge graduates away from that

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Durhampoker has done more in the last couple of days to put the average student applying for Oxbridge than can be imagined; I wonder if that was his intention?

I think it is intentional too.

It was the way he backed down and started talking a little more sense when responding to melancholly which did it for me! Obviously he doesn't feel the need to big things up for one of his peers!

I do not mean you are in any similar to him in attitude though melancholly - just to make that clear!

Never mind though eh? The country would fall on its knees but for the likes of him :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: , so maybe we should allow him to boast a little? :rotfl:

It actually makes me cringe and I have to say I am very glad it isn't just me who feels that way!

The_One_Who

I like how DP99 has completely ignored my point about being able to do a postgraduate degree (with a chance of funding too) at Oxbridge despite gaining an undergraduate from a "lesser" university.

kelloggs36

durhampoker99 wrote: »

I've just finished my second year of a law degree. Therefore no final degree classification...I got a low 2.1 (63) but am currently predicted a 1st (not gonna happen).

I think part of the problem that we have is that some of you went to other universities some years ago, when I think the story was much different. Right now being a student at virtually any uni outside of Oxbridge, Imperial and maybe LSE is a true part-time occupation. From my understanding (talking to parents and others) this was simply not the case even 10 years ago. I have friends at Nottingham, Edinburgh, Durham, Bristol, Newcastle, UCL and St Andrews (a fair spread then) as well as a few of the polytechnics and by all accounts they have significantly less work than us in terms of contact hours, reading hours and essays written.

Outside of medicine (and vets I suppose) there really does exist a huge gulf between the quality and quantity of work that we are expected to produce. How else do you explain the bias towards us when it comes to careers? We are exposed to a level of independent learning and deep thinking (through the tutorial system - one on one attention etc) that other universities simply don't or can't put their students through. It's the great academic benefit of Oxbridge.

I went to university between 2005-2008 so that isn't true. I just got my notification in July this year.

kelloggs36

candyflossing wrote: »

Rent out her empty bedroom in Kent? There is a large university in Kent so it may not be so hard to find a student. Also, you could find people through agents. We found many people who'd come into the city for jobs and training and needed a place to stay but didn't want to have to pay the rent for a whole flat or apartment (which have minimum 6 month contracts etc.)

I doubt any student would want her tiny room - her room in her halls last year was bigger than her bedroom. Also, I am not too enamoured about having a student living in my house - I don't know them from Adam - in and out at all hours, with my younger children I don't think is feasible. I did consider it for a nano second though.

kelloggs36

durhampoker99 wrote: »

I've just finished my second year of a law degree. Therefore no final degree classification...I got a low 2.1 (63) but am currently predicted a 1st (not gonna happen).

I think part of the problem that we have is that some of you went to other universities some years ago, when I think the story was much different. Right now being a student at virtually any uni outside of Oxbridge, Imperial and maybe LSE is a true part-time occupation. From my understanding (talking to parents and others) this was simply not the case even 10 years ago. I have friends at Nottingham, Edinburgh, Durham, Bristol, Newcastle, UCL and St Andrews (a fair spread then) as well as a few of the polytechnics and by all accounts they have significantly less work than us in terms of contact hours, reading hours and essays written.

Outside of medicine (and vets I suppose) there really does exist a huge gulf between the quality and quantity of work that we are expected to produce. How else do you explain the bias towards us when it comes to careers? We are exposed to a level of independent learning and deep thinking (through the tutorial system - one on one attention etc) that other universities simply don't or can't put their students through. It's the great academic benefit of Oxbridge.

I had to go in 4 days every week for lectures and seminars and we had to undertake full-time placements too. The whole ethos of my university was to be independent thinkers and not to accept what is being said on face value. We were encouraged to be critical of everything we read - be it from an eminent academic or anybody else - doesn't mean they have the authority on any subject. Everything can be critisized - most have an agenda of some sort and all statistics can be manipulated to show what you want them to as I proved with my final maths assignment (I got 81% for that one, I nearly fainted!!!) which was a quantitative research project.

I feel that you think that just going to Oxford automatically means you get the best - it has a very good reputation but that is because of its history of being elitist. Unfotunately we still live in a world where having money and a high brow education means you can walk into a better job without necessarily being better qualified for it. Old boys network and all that is still live and kicking. Lucky you are part of that, whereas most of us have more real world experience than most of the Oxbridge students who haven't a clue about anything other than the elite lifestyles they have grown up in and have no idea of the value of money, or what it is like to live in poverty.

I can't claim to have lived in true poverty, but I have been pretty close I can tell you in my time, so I feel that I can empathise with the struggling classes more than somebody who has only ever read about them.

cupid_s

durhampoker99 wrote: »

I think part of the problem that we have is that some of you went to other universities some years ago, when I think the story was much different. Right now being a student at virtually any uni outside of Oxbridge, Imperial and maybe LSE is a true part-time occupation.....

Outside of medicine (and vets I suppose) there really does exist a huge gulf between the quality and quantity of work that we are expected to produce. How else do you explain the bias towards us when it comes to careers? We are exposed to a level of independent learning and deep thinking (through the tutorial system - one on one attention etc) that other universities simply don't or can't put their students through. It's the great academic benefit of Oxbridge.

Durhampoker, as an aside would you summarise for me the hours that you are expected to put in. I doubt very much it would be much more than what I had to do.

But back to the original topic. Every summer I worked as many hours as I could. I'd work for the full holiday, doing all the overtime I could, and save pretty much every penny. I'd also work over the christmas holiday as well. This meant I didn't have to have a term-time job in my second and third year (which is good as we were told not to by our head of course, and for good reasons) and managed fine.