GCSE sailing assesment

University fees was a big discussion point when I was at Uni, as it was just after I left that they abolished grants and brought in the loans instead. To be honest the loan system is probably the fairest system assuming that university educations are reserved for the academically elite, who would then be guarenteed a job however with so many students at uni, there just arnt jobs for them and therefore massive debts have been run up with no chance of paying them off.

The old system of grants favoured the poor and the rich and shafted those in the middle.

I managed to get through 4yrs of uni with no grant and I only took out a student loan for one year and bought a Laser with it, so left Uni with £1500 loan. I worked my arse of every summer working nights at a motorway service station, and easter and christmas holidays were spent at a data entry company to ensure that I had money to live on.

As you say Rick we didnt have mobile phones back then. I remember the long ques by the row of public phone boxes on the campus at 6pm when you could use your home phonecard, and very few of us had a car.

My little sis has just finished her degree at Nottingham Trent and based on her fees, accomodation etc. I worked out I could have left uni with £6500 debt had I been there over the last 3years, which is someway short of the averages that are banded around of close to 20k. The sad fact is though, that so many students expect to be able to swan around fashionable city centres buying designer labels and drinking in fancy bars, that coupled with the fact they seem to have no appreciation for the value of money, means that they rack up monumental debt and land us all in the economic situation we find ourselves in.

I now consider myself to be a pretty good earner with a good career but I couldnt possibly justify going out on the lash in Bristol city centre more than once a month, so how can the students do it everynight, unless they are loading up the credit cards?

A bit of Financial common sense needs to be taught I think.

It is possible to do courses in boat building, or maritime degrees in things useful. As has been said going to uni seems the done thing to see how far you can push your boundaries, your liver and your wallet!

The biggest failing in recent times has been the blinkered careers advice given by school teachers. Apprenticeships are still available with most blue-chip manufacturing companies, but the education system insists that teachers tell A-levels students to go to University.

The problem is that most A-level students are either studied out, or are just not suited to the style of university education and therefore drop out, with all the worst bits ie, debt and no career.

Half hearted attempts to rectify this by bringing in vocational qualifications have always failed because, 1. Industry hasn't got a clue what they are. 2. The content is usually developed within academia and as such is an academics impression of what industry requires, and normally they miss the point entirely.

A good grasp of maths, english and applied sciences along with a decent lump of common sense will set you up for life, the rest is down to experience.

Originally posted by jeffers I agree, when the pass mark for an A is 55% and an A* 65% what do you expect? I think it is criminal!

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dont know what subject this applies for but in all the A'Levels/ GCSE's i have dont the A was 80%, B is 70%, C is 60% etc

Originally posted by turnturtle Originally posted by Ross You've been learning about it since day one at primary school, a GCSE in it will not make any differnce. really... let's apply the same theory to Maths and English shall we? Alex is right, Uni is very different to a school education; it's not essential in life, but it can make life's choices all the more accessible once you've done it.

Uni, for me will be worth going to once I know what I want to do. Until then it's going to be a waist of time for me.

Maths and English are completely different to RE, how can you compare them?

Example.

'I have an A in English and an A in Maths, but I flopped RE' - no problem (unless you want to be an RE teacher!).

'I have an A in RE, but failed English and Maths' - errr, retakes!

Edited by Ross