Are UK Universities a drag on our economy?

useless

I didn't have time to read all the posts, so apologies if this point is made already...aren't we falling into the trap of blaming every one they are cutting...chasing the scape goat? first it was centralised public sector and red tape, then councils, now unis...where they point the finger, we follow.
can see arguments on both sides, but the anger behind some posts? are we sheeple.

Sapphire

borntobefree wrote: »

She's at Cardiff but must have had links with Nottingham. I think Robin Hood studies must be fascinating but we do need a national debate as to whether we want to fund this stuff.

Not quite clear what Robin Hood studies entails, but certainly the other topics listed above are useful, if only because they are a part of our culture that should not be lost. If taught well, they develop the mind and provide insights into ourselves and the world around us. And they are certainly useful for people who will become (for example) writers, journalists, politicians, speech writers, etc.

If people just learn about ipods, computers, mobile phones, etc, we'll end up with an even more vacuous, shallow society than we are becoming now.

English literature is not a Mickey Mouse subject, unlike media studies and the like.

PaulW1965

WhiteHorse wrote: »

Discrimination is a fact (the Daily Telegraph has exposed this scandal more than once).

Give a link then.

borntobefree

Sapphire wrote: »

Not quite clear what Robin Hood studies entails, but certainly the other topics listed above are useful, if only because they are a part of our culture that should not be lost. If taught well, they develop the mind and provide insights into ourselves and the world around us. And they are certainly useful for people who will become (for example) writers, journalists, politicians, speech writers, etc.

I'm sure that all these things are useful and worthwhile and I include Robin Hood Studies in that. In a world of infinite resources I would be more than happy for this situation to continue.

However, many people may not think that giving up 9% of their income for 30 years so that people can research these subjects is such a good deal.

Of course, they'll vote accordingly - either at the ballot box or with their feet.

borntobefree

Sapphire wrote: »

English literature is not a Mickey Mouse subject, unlike media studies and the like.

I have no idea why so many people have it in for media studies? Media is a massive industry and makes tons of money. Of course the book selling industry is also massive.

PaulW1965

lostinrates, pink teapot, Hank, etc - thanks for your replies. I have been enlightened. I had no idea that this is how students studied at Oxford!

TBH it sounds like hell to me The idea of spending hours and hours on your own just reading history books is close to my idea of hell :rotfl:Especially as my friend's daughter is studying Europe in the 1800s which as I recall from O'level was just one Napoleonic war after another :eek:

misskool

WhiteHorse wrote: »

Read the post again - we're talking history here.

Discrimination is a fact (the Daily Telegraph has exposed this scandal more than once). Staff at the several universities that I have attended made no bones about it, either.

Universities make more money out of overseas students, so prefer them. It's a simple business decision.

This was the only Daily Telegraph link but I would love to read how the discrimination was published.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7480481/Edinburgh-University-discriminating-against-students-from-southern-England.html

Of course, they make money out of the overseas students, they are the ones subsidising the home students. :rotfl:

Anecdotals don't turn chinese whispers into fact.

pinkteapot

PaulW1965 wrote: »

TBH it sounds like hell to me The idea of spending hours and hours on your own just reading history books is close to my idea of hell :rotfl:Especially as my friend's daughter is studying Europe in the 1800s which as I recall from O'level was just one Napoleonic war after another :eek:

Well, not being a historian I can't comment on the 1800s. But it's not as isolated as it sounds. Some people do just lock themselves in the library all week and read. Others discuss the reading, especially if the essay title for the week is particularly vague or confusing!

At each college you'll have maybe 3-8 students in each year studying each subject. There were 4 of us at my college doing my subject. So you get close, help each other out with work, etc. In the first year our tutorials were in our college with each other so we got to know each other well. In subsequent years, when we picked specific modules, we had tutorials mixed with students from all the colleges.

There is one definite down-side to the Oxford system, at least for arts subjects. There's no group work; it is all individually written essays. It doesn't teach you to work together as a team to get a project done. You also don't write presentations or produce work in any form other than the essay.

Aside from the work, there's loads of student societies - I went to societies on Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights. There's also the college canteen so you tend to eat socially a lot of the time.

Thinking about it now, I want to go back. It was probably the best three years of my life, far better than working. :rotfl:

lostinrates

pinkteapot wrote: »

Thinking about it now, I want to go back. It was probably the best three years of my life, far better than working. :rotfl:

Do you go to things there still? we go to Formal Hall every now and then and DH makes it to a few of the social things both at his and in London and occasionally career related stuff or stuff relating to the course he did. Also DH's mother's ashes are in one of the college gardens so we try to make it there on or near her birthday.

pinkteapot

I'm still close to a group of friends from the societies - we get together regularly though we're scattered across the country. I haven't been back for any of the alumni events etc.

I wish I could go again because I'd know what I was doing second time around. No-one from my school had been to Oxford and no-one from my family had been to uni so for at least the first year I didn't know what was happening. :rotfl: