University Accomodation

[lizziec]

Given the story on the BBC website yesterday, and the Breakfast News this morning about a student's rent costing more than his loan (before his fees are factored in I believe...) I really shouldn't have been surprised that the BBC have opened up a Have Your Say discussion on the issue.

What always makes interesting reading here are the reader's recommended comments [think something like /.'s threshold system] on any matter on this site and reading the most popular one so far has made me very angry and frustrated.

Mr Roy Jones from Manchester has had the most reccommendations for his comments which run thus: "Poor students!! Many of whom's parents are filthy rich, many students spend 95% of their time socialising, most get higher than average paid jobs etc. The students in my area (Manchester University) are always drunk and anti-social, littering and trashing their rented accomadation and causing a nuisance to neighbours. If whinging students cleared their own act up perhaps people would have more empathy even taking into account student's general wealthy background and likely wealthy future."

Grr. It's certainly not the case of most of those people I went to University with and not the case of Phil who is there now. Incidentally his loan barely covers his rent and fees (well done Greenwich). I only really got through Uni cos of my part time job. I couldn't have afforded it otherwise. I worked two summers, which was the only way to pay Uni what I owed them from my first year when I couldn't afford my fees and rent because my LEA cocked up my assessment. Let's not even mention my maxed out student overdraft.

Does Mr Roy Jones' comment really reflect how people see students? Wealthy, anti-social and likely to be more wealthy in the future? What planet do they live on?

Now I'm upset and angry. People clearly just don't understand.

X-posted to ukc and canterbunnies

Comments

[violetnights.livejournal.com]

Uh huh. I did well on my limited finances at uni. I was one of the lucky ones to get support from my parents, but I never took the piss and would never say my family was 'wealthy'.

Although it did and still does annoy the hell out of me when students buy copioius amouints of uncessary items like electronic equipment, computer games and other bits and bobs, then complain they don't have enough money to eat. For 3 years I rarely brought clothing ( 1-2 items a year if I was lucky) and relied on gifts for luxuries like pc games and so on.

But yeah, my loan did cover the cost of my rent and there was barely anything left after that. It all went straight on bills >:(

[jibbler.livejournal.com]

Well, the fact is that there are students who get drunk all the time and are anti-social, etc. There are also good students like us. But he's not going to see those ones, as we're not out and about causing trouble for him to see.

Paul.

[(Anonymous)]

Several people I went to uni with fit that description very nicely - and they will be the most visable ones. All us perfect students will be at home studying *cough*
-dmc

[barakta]

Grrr. I was lucky my parents had money, but they also had debt caused by my mum being ill for 3 years with cancer. She was working part time by the time I started uni, but it wasn't enough to pay hall fees + living money and they didn't like student loans at all. I decided to live in a house owned by my friend's parents which was cheap but that was only 2 years.

Sheffield is very cheap by many places standards, eg UKC etc etc. In hindsight I should have lived in a place like I'm in now with one housemate, our rent would have been cheaper, and the nice guy I lived with wouldn't have been grim. I got screwed over by housemates not paying rent/bills/costs and dodgy landlords who we couldn't find to sue. I reckon I'm owed about £800 from the last housemates alone - there isn't a price on the physical damage I know I put myself through. I couldn't have afforded somewhere more expensive than Sheffield.

In 2002 my dad left my mum unexpectedly they were not 'divorced' so I was still classified as 'dependent' even when he was playing silly buggers with money. That was also when my shoulders packed in and I had to spend months playing the NHS and referral game.

When I spent 2 weeks in hospital for rehab the medics were horrified at the things I did at uni, carrying heavy shopping, heavy cleaning of skank-pit houses, lifting other people's stuff etc etc. They were surprised that I COULD do these things, not that they caused me damage. They said my ability exceeds my safe limits by several orders of magnitude and that is probably where half my problems started.

I would have liked to be able to work part time, but as a disabled student I know that isn't realistic in terms of physical stamina and actual employability. I couldn't get work for love nor money during my A-levels - even at places which interviewed everyone. I didn't even get interviews. I eventually gave up applying because the rejection hurt me so badly and I didn't need much money other than travel passes and a few quid for drinking cokes in the cheapest place in town with friends. I did a load of voluntary work, but that doesn't seem to be valued as much as paid-work even though I was doing regular decent stuff.

Yes some students are piss-artists, but it isn't always based on money mummy and daddy have. For every piss-artist I know three or four people from financially hard up homes where family do everything they can; or where mummy and daddy are disgustingly rich and kid doesn't get a penny (doubly screwed cos they don't get decent loans and have to pay fees!).

I got shouted down by NUS hacks once for saying we should not be unrealistic about fees and loans, but we should make sure everyone is entitled to PROPER loan amounts irrespective of parental earnings. If rich brats put it in ISA accounts then so be it, if someone pisses it up a wall so be it, but if it rescues those who need that to survive then it is worth it. Anyway, doing the maths on the ISA route shows someone at uni for 3 years with all loans in the ISA makes a grand total of £300 or something - it isn't worth it!