Studying at uni and working in a bar on nights and weekends, is often how many students, in my day, made ends meet. In fact, the whole experience of uni was so special because we were all living on a shoe string – materialistic accessories weren’t important – infact, if you did have your own car…you certainly stood out from the crowd.
So, I find it quite concerning that some experts are now saying student debt may not be just a result of the fees they have to pay, but actually, the main cause being, the lifestyle they insist in maintaining – despite the fact they have no income to support themselves. Middle class students are often not opting for jobs around their study hours and instead relying on weekly allowances and credit cards from their parents. The ugg boots, blackberry’s and laptops come with them in their brand new cars and all of a sudden, student life doesn’t look so humble after all.
And despite such eloquent education available to them at university, it seems there is one lesson, our students are failing to learn. Professor Kevin Sharpe states that he believes the difference between students of today against those of yesteryear is their lack of budget sense and understanding of living to their means.
The latest student survey confirms students are graduating with debts around £23,000. With such figures hanging over their higher education experience, I have to ask, what is going wrong? Has the student lifestyle really become a fashion statement or is this genuinely just an effect of “the crunch”?
To help debate this more, let me know of any students you know and the lifestyle they live to see if this latest research is spot on?
