UK Thread? UK Thread.

[Horsefish]

This is why you should attempt to educate yourself in the north of England. Everything is cheap. You do not need to rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad when you piss your first ever student loan installment away on cider, because your rent is so easily covered that you're basically golden.

I might just ditch the idea of going to London altogether and just focus on Manchester
And it wouldn't be the bank of mum and dad, it would be the bank of grandparents. Their a lot better off.

[Yootwopia]

This is why you should attempt to educate yourself in the north of England. Everything is cheap. You do not need to rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad when you piss your first ever student loan installment away on cider, because your rent is so easily covered that you're basically golden.

I might just ditch the idea of going to London altogether and just focus on Manchester
And it wouldn't be the bank of mum and dad, it would be the bank of grandparents. Their a lot better off.

Yeah fuck London, it's full of people from London.

[Horsefish]

Yeah fuck London, it's full of people from London.

The north is full of northerners though. I should evidently stay in Bristol because Bristolians are the best of a bad lot.

[Tagmatium]

Yeah fuck London, it's full of people from London.

The north is full of northerners though. I should evidently stay in Bristol because Bristolians are the best of a bad lot.

But things aren't exactly cheap there, though.

It's still on the M4 Corridor, albeit at the good end.

[Yootwopia]

Yeah fuck London, it's full of people from London.

The north is full of northerners though.

They/we (lived here for years but not exactly integrated because that's for proles) are basically harmless.

I should evidently stay in Bristol because Bristolians are the best of a bad lot.

As roit moi lavver, but getting a change of scene is always a good thing.

[Horsefish]

As roit moi lavver, but getting a change of scene is always a good thing.

True.

An example of the living cost diffrence though- Liverpool is estimated at £5-7 grand a year. London is £10-12. I'm starting to think uni's don't actully want anyone to go.

[Yootwopia]

As roit moi lavver, but getting a change of scene is always a good thing.

True.

An example of the living cost diffrence though- Liverpool is estimated at £5-7 grand a year. London is £10-12. I'm starting to think uni's don't actully want anyone to go.

Or that they want Timothy and Jemimah or their Chinese/Nigerian/Arab equivalents...

[Horsefish]

Or that they want Timothy and Jemimah or their Chinese/Nigerian/Arab equivalents...

Well we couldn't have people from Eton not having a place so someone from a working class family might get in. It might cause the collapse of society as we know it! They might end up as Prime Minister!

It's esp. ironic considering the promise that not many universities would up their fees to 9 grand and nearly all of them have.

[West Vorshka]

Labour (right-wing neo-liberals), Tories (right-wing neo-liberals) and Liberal Democrats (right-wing neo-liberals).

If we go by the USA, that should be Labour (left-wing neo-liberals), Conservatives (not-quite-so-left-wing neo-liberals-but-pretty-left-anyway) and Liberal Democrats (left-wing neo-liberals)

I take it that you are part of the c.38% of the country that support Labour? Unlike the c. 50% that support the parties in the government. They're not all that bad. Even Ed Miliband seems to support the present government, although he seems to want us to become like Greece. Anyway, they're not all that bad, except that they have some funny ideas about cutting spending more than raising taxes. And defending the NHS from even small efficiency savings. (Can't they just cut it by a few percent? That would save billions.)

On the matter of present conversation, I think the government should cut tuition fees for useful, economically valuable subjects - like engineering and maybe banking - and cut back on the NHS by a few percent to make up the shortfall. And stop giving away money to foreigners without getting useful things in return. (Shouldn't we bribe them to behave properly, i.e. open up their services sector to ours?)

[Yootwopia]

Or that they want Timothy and Jemimah or their Chinese/Nigerian/Arab equivalents...

Well we couldn't have people from Eton not having a place so someone from a working class family might get in. It might cause the collapse of society as we know it! They might end up as Prime Minister!

It's esp. ironic considering the promise that not many universities would up their fees to 9 grand and nearly all of them have.

Yep well as soon as you charge less, people are going to think you offer BEngs in Hair Studies or something. I knew this was what would happen, especially since central funding (sort of) went down 80% (but not really, given that central also backs all the student loans, making this whole thing probably actually worse for the government unless uptake really declines massively).

[Alyakia]

If we go by the USA

In the UK Thread?

I take it that you are part of the c.38% of the country that support Labour?

They aren't.

They're not all that bad.

They are~

Even Ed Miliband seems to support the present government, although he seems to want us to become like Greece. Anyway, they're not all that bad, except that they have some funny ideas about cutting spending more than raising taxes. And defending the NHS from even small efficiency savings. (Can't they just cut it by a few percent? That would save billions.)

*forces people to work at poundland for below minimum wage (totally not a job)*
*fucks DLA*

On the matter of present conversation, I think the government should cut tuition fees for useful, economically valuable subjects - like engineering and maybe banking - and cut back on the NHS by a few percent to make up the shortfall.

the economy trumps all. tolkien is not economically valuable.

[Angleter]

I personally can see myself going back to College and doing Brick laying or some kind of trade. Hopefully by then someone will have ripped up the NVQ stuff so I can get a nice City and Guilds qualification

Also, when in Sixth Form, they used to march poor ex uni students 'living the dream' as a shop worker with nothing else to do to tell us about how 'Unis in the UK don;t want robots.' It was pretty funny because suddenly all the students started signing up for essentially any and all extra curricular stuff the Sixth Form did...

Yes, that's something I've been doing too...

Year 11 = No activities
Year 12 = ZOMG WHERE CAN I FIND SOME CUUL EXTRACURRICULARS!

Extracurriculars are, at least for the top universities, only really taken into account if you can link them to the course you're applying for (so I applied for History, and thus I mentioned my having to analyse case files while on work experience at a solicitors', and how I write for the pupils' newspaper). And that was basically as far as my extracurriculars went (aside from occasionally frequenting debating society), and Oxford have offered me a place.

On which note, I wouldn't agree with your suggestion that Oxbridge is a 'pipe dream'. You've got a pretty good haul of A*s, IIRC, and IGCSE (I assume you did these) is widely considered more challenging than the mainstream version. And all the stories of people projected a myriad of A*s and with all the grades and extracurriculars in the world being rejected suggest more than anything (given all the more 'normal' applicants offered places) that Oxbridge applications are the least predictable based on what's on paper. It more than anything rests on interview and the tests the universities themselves run. I wouldn't want you to be discouraged from at least having a go.

Yep well as soon as you charge less, people are going to think you offer BEngs in Hair Studies or something. I knew this was what would happen, especially since central funding (sort of) went down 80% (but not really, given that central also backs all the student loans, making this whole thing probably actually worse for the government unless uptake really declines massively).

I think, and I'm far from sure about this, that the actual money-'raising' is by passing the buck for university payments from central govt. to the Student Loans Company, which is sort of autonomous-ish. But that's just a theory- perhaps it's just that the budget'll work under the (wrong) assumption that they will get all the money 'back'. I think they'll probably write off all the 'debts' in a few decades or so, when it becomes a viable tax cut for the 'squeezed middle'.

I now have offers from 4 unis and the other one hasn't got back to me yet

Is the 'other one' Durham, perchance? Because they really are taking ages.

[Naughtania]

If we go by the USA, that should be Labour (left-wing neo-liberals), Conservatives (not-quite-so-left-wing neo-liberals-but-pretty-left-anyway) and Liberal Democrats (left-wing neo-liberals)

Britain is totally left compared to America. Then again, it is America that's the anomaly. Even with the current government's plans we will still have some sort of NHS, welfare state and free education system. Unlike the States, where the Republicans will destroy it all.

[Salandriagado]

A guy in Year 13, who has a predicted A*A*A*A got rejected at Cambridge! Apparently, his interview didn't go too well.

Same thing for a few mates of mine. Someone is predicted A*'s in everything along with all the extra-ciricular activites but didn't do well enough in her BMat. It's a shame for Oxford too, she would've ticked some kind of quota somewhere

Though I have just worked out I'm going to need to earn around £5,000 a year whilst at uni to cover livng expenses (I might just not eat)

Yeah, I didn't get in to Cambridge either, despite four A*s at a levels and the like. Just a matter of luck, as much as anything, with the numbers of people applying with identical predictions.

[Bales Rant]

If we go by the USA, that should be Labour (left-wing neo-liberals), Conservatives (not-quite-so-left-wing neo-liberals-but-pretty-left-anyway) and Liberal Democrats (left-wing neo-liberals)

Britain is totally left compared to America. Then again, it is America that's the anomaly. Even with the current government's plans we will still have some sort of NHS, welfare state and free education system. Unlike the States, where the Republicans will destroy it all.

I fear in name only.

This is the future of the NHS, started by New Labour and finished by the Tories.

Welfare changes here, here, and here - 'around a third of the existing stock of incapacity claimants will lose
entitlement to incapacity benefits.' Plus, after a year of claiming jobseekers an unemployed person is sent to a provider as part of the Work Programme. Here a person works full-time and performs the same duties as a normal employee not in return for a proper wage but for their benefits and invariably without gaining a permanent position afterwards. If that same person finds him/herself back on jobseekers within two years they will immediately be put back on the Work Programme.

'State schools hover on the brink of huge private sector revolution'

[Naughtania]

I wasn't aware of those particular schools. It is worrying that the government is awarding contracts, but parents can choose not to send their children to that school, and OFSTED is still as strong as it ever was. And they are still free of charge to the parent.
The welfare reforms, going through Parliament right now, are worrying in many ways. I do not approve of the working for benefits programme, but a cap is justified - though it should be more flexible, as it is punitive on large families. In any case, the point I was making is that Britain will still be better than America, and that still stands.

[Bales Rant]

I wasn't aware of those particular schools. It is worrying that the government is awarding contracts, but parents can choose not to send their children to that school, and OFSTED is still as strong as it ever was. And they are still free of charge to the parent.
The welfare reforms, going through Parliament right now, are worrying in many ways. I do not approve of the working for benefits programme, but a cap is justified - though it should be more flexible, as it is punitive on large families. In any case, the point I was making is that Britain will still be better than America, and that still stands.

Oh for sure. But that's little compensation to many many Britons. The British welfare state will be in name only; there will be two tiers in health and education. Profit will be naturally put ahead of people. Unemployment is increasing whilst job vacancies are decreasing. We are very possibly looking at another recession. The gap between the rich and poor is increasing and we have three political parties all agreeing that cuts are the way forward when its been shown that it's not working.

[Vellosia]

Certainly not a fan of these Lords reforms, though.

[Naughtania]

Unemployment is increasing whilst job vacancies are decreasing. We are very possibly looking at another recession. The gap between the rich and poor is increasing and we have three political parties all agreeing that cuts are the way forward when its been shown that it's not working.

I think few except politicians would deny that we are looking at another recession. Having said that, we may have reached the stage where long-term null growth is the new status quo; I'm no economist, but after this crisis, I think there will be an abiding unwillingness amongst banks to lend, which will prevent booming growth.
I am not defending the government's work programmes, flawed as you have described them. However, you misrepresent the Labour party, by putting off cuts, they were hoping to have kickstarted the economy so cuts would not lead to another recession. Neither do I defend the wealth gap. Sadly, however, the days of Attlee socialism are long gone. I merely meant that in a time of austerity justice may have to be valued over compassion, that is, restricting help to those most in need.

edit: Profit-run schools are worrying, as I have said. However, this will not happen in the health service. There will be a frankly shameful postcode lottery, but doctors will not be motivated by profit.

[Keronians]

Yeah fuck London, it's full of people from London.

The north is full of northerners though. I should evidently stay in Bristol because Bristolians are the best of a bad lot.

Bristol?

Got a friend there. Crazy bastard he is. I often wonder if he does something at uni other than get drunk and party.

[Bales Rant]

I think few except politicians would deny that we are looking at another recession. Having said that, we may have reached the stage where long-term null growth is the new status quo; I'm no economist, but after this crisis, I think there will be an abiding unwillingness amongst banks to lend, which will prevent booming growth.
I am not defending the government's work programmes, flawed as you have described them. However, you misrepresent the Labour party, by putting off cuts, they were hoping to have kickstarted the economy so cuts would not lead to another recession. Neither do I defend the wealth gap. Sadly, however, the days of Attlee socialism are long gone. I merely meant that in a time of austerity justice may have to be valued over compassion, that is, restricting help to those most in need.

No sorry, I should have been clearer. As part of the ongoing 18 months 'policy review' that is the Labour opposition under Miliband, they have recently been told that to gain credibility with the electorate that they should stop opposing government cuts. They have for the most part disregarded their initial 'too fast, too deep' argument, of which I had no problem with. Whether they are for or against cuts doesn't matter, they are still a neo-liberal party. Like the Tories and Lib Dems. The good thing about Labour is that they will give you a reach around after they've fucked you.

Personally, I don't think there's any 'justice' by restricting help to those most in need.

[Bales Rant]

edit: Profit-run schools are worrying, as I have said. However, this will not happen in the health service. There will be a frankly shameful postcode lottery, but doctors will not be motivated by profit.

The private firms will be. How can they not be?

[Keronians]

Yes, that's something I've been doing too...

Year 11 = No activities
Year 12 = ZOMG WHERE CAN I FIND SOME CUUL EXTRACURRICULARS!

Extracurriculars are, at least for the top universities, only really taken into account if you can link them to the course you're applying for (so I applied for History, and thus I mentioned my having to analyse case files while on work experience at a solicitors', and how I write for the pupils' newspaper). And that was basically as far as my extracurriculars went (aside from occasionally frequenting debating society), and Oxford have offered me a place.

On which note, I wouldn't agree with your suggestion that Oxbridge is a 'pipe dream'. You've got a pretty good haul of A*s, IIRC, and IGCSE (I assume you did these) is widely considered more challenging than the mainstream version. And all the stories of people projected a myriad of A*s and with all the grades and extracurriculars in the world being rejected suggest more than anything (given all the more 'normal' applicants offered places) that Oxbridge applications are the least predictable based on what's on paper. It more than anything rests on interview and the tests the universities themselves run. I wouldn't want you to be discouraged from at least having a go.

Yeah, I did IGCSEs, and got 7 A*, 3 A and 1 B.

That's the unnerving thing about Oxbridge, though. They're completely unpredictable. The TSA and the interview are things you can't screw up. Anyway, yeah, I will probably apply if I get anything a grade over their minimum requirements.

If they reject, then so be it. I'm pretty happy with my predicted results for my AS levels so far: AAAAA.

Also, congratulations on getting an offer from Oxford! I assume it's conditional? What grades did they ask you to get?

[Naughtania]

@Bales Rant
I'd forgotten about them. But, then, we already have a two-tier healthcare system; this is nothing new.

[Bales Rant]

@Bales Rant
I'd forgotten about them. But, then, we already have a two-tier healthcare system; this is nothing new.

Yeah we do but prepare for a much bigger gap which will be far more damaging, especially for those who won't be able to afford those 'extras' which at the moment are just part of basic care in a reasonable-ish timeframe.