Paying for children at university

missbiggles1

mumps wrote: »

Well if you are right pigpen doesn't have any worries, her kids will get grants, bursaries and all sorts thrown at them.

Thinking about it I am sure the students with the poorest parents seemed to have the most money at uni when my kids were there.

And lots of extra money if they're parents themselves when they go.;)

mumps

missbiggles1 wrote: »

And lots of extra money if they're parents themselves when they go.;)

Oh yes, didn't think of that. I heard that one single mum on the nursing course had to take a cut in money when she qualified. How mad is that?

mumps

missbiggles1 wrote: »

That's what I meant about strictly vocational degrees like Nursing, the ethos is totally different from traditional academic subjects.

Yes, sorry I was looking at the last paragraph. Mind you back in the day it would have still taken three years to qualify so nursing not that different to the old days really.

missbiggles1

tea_lover wrote: »

I've got a good geography degree from a top 10 university and it's always helped me to find work. My profession isn't directly linked to my degree subject (there are some links, kind of!)

University purely as a means of getting a job is a real waste of an opportunity to learn.

I've got a good degree in Literature from one of the 60s plate glass universities which has given me two professional careers and numerous other jobs.

My best friends from university (one with a degree in History, the other in Philosophy) are, respectively, a Principal in the Civil Service earning around £100k and an NHS manager earning around £80k.

Not bad for "useless" arts degrees!

spend_or_save

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I've got a good degree in Literature from one of the 60s plate glass universities which has given me two professional careers and numerous other jobs.

My best friends from university (one with a degree in History, the other in Philosophy) are, respectively, a Principal in the Civil Service earning around £100k and an NHS manager earning around £80k.

Not bad for "useless" arts degrees!

Not sure if it was directed at me, but i never said theese type of courses were useless arts degree's, my point is if you come out with a degree in history but dont want a career in a field that has anything to do with history, you cant complain how unfair it is you cant get a job, especially nowadays when things are a bit tighter and the economic landscape is maybe not as good as it was when your art degree friends got their jobs.

spend_or_save

tea_lover wrote: »

I've got a good geography degree from a top 10 university and it's always helped me to find work. My profession isn't directly linked to my degree subject (there are some links, kind of!)

University purely as a means of getting a job is a real waste of an opportunity to learn.

Im not entirely sure when you graduated and what the economic situation was when you graduated, however nowadays nearly everybody you speak to has a degree, hence perhaps the chances nowadays of graduating with a degree and getting an unrelated job are alot slimmer.

I agree Uni is place to learn, however it should be setting you up for a future career, hence i still think people who take on a course which is not related to their future career choice only have themselves to blame when they cant find a job.

missbiggles1

spend_or_save wrote: »

Not sure if it was directed at me, but i never said theese type of courses were useless arts degree's, my point is if you come out with a degree in history but dont want a career in a field that has anything to do with history, you cant complain how unfair it is you cant get a job, especially nowadays when things are a bit tighter and the economic landscape is maybe not as good as it was when your art degree friends got their jobs.

Unless you want to teach, English and History degrees are always going to be non vocational and students need to aim at working for large organisations which recruit mainly on management potential and who value graduates like these over those with spuriously vocational degrees from many of the ex Polys. They also need to make sure that they enhance their CV with voluntary work and positive activities at university.

Of course it's harder than it was in the 70s but a good degree from a good university is still career enhancing even if it isn't the golden key that it used to be.

Person_one

spend_or_save wrote: »

[QUOTEmumps;69860460]
Uni should be about gearing you for a career

I couldn't disagree more.

The day that university education becomes nothing more than a route to employment will be a sad day for the future of the country, and the world!

Person_one

mumps wrote: »

Oh yes, didn't think of that. I heard that one single mum on the nursing course had to take a cut in money when she qualified. How mad is that?

I would take that with a huge pinch of salt! Probably not true at all unless perhaps her children have serious disabilities that entitle them to a lot of extra support/state benefits.

(I say that as a fairly recently qualified nurse, I knew a lot of mature students with kids on my course who struggled and worked incredibly hard to get through it.)

mumps

Person_one wrote: »

I would take that with a huge pinch of salt! Probably not true at all unless perhaps her children have serious disabilities that entitle them to a lot of extra support/state benefits.

(I say that as a fairly recently qualified nurse, I knew a lot of mature students with kids on my course who struggled and worked incredibly hard to get through it.)

Apparently she was quite upset when she got her first job, she had bursary plus money for childcare, child support from ex, and had rent paid, CT paid. I don't know what else, I think their uni was very generous from what I understand. Maybe she did some work as well and counted that in? I don't know but I am pretty sure it was true.