Vision says:
Hearing that a student at the University of York has racked up £54,000 of debt is terrifying. When students are set to be paying £27,000 for a three year undergraduate degree from 2012, the idea that even under the current system somebody has managed to rack up twice that is horrific.
This isn’t the fault of the student, either, and he or she isn’t the only one in high levels of debt. What’s tough for this student is that they will probably never repay their £54,000. In fact, it’ll probably be written off before they can get it all paid back. But the £10,000 we’re all paying for our York degrees, alongside any other debts (maintenance loans, overdrafts, credit cards) is hard to swallow, and taking a second degree only increases the burden. In a climate where letters after your name are vital to land the dream job, extortionate charges for this necessity is damaging to our future salaries.
Earlier this year, students at York overwhelmingly voted, and campaigned, to oppose the increase in tuition fees. This change in the system will make the above, seemingly extreme, case far more common. How long will it be before all students are finding themselves in unsurmountable debt?
Thumbs up to…
Summer term student activities! With the freedom of the summer upon us, it’s time to let our hair down and have a good time. Whether it was Goodfest last Saturday or the upcoming college events (James Quad Dash & Bash, anybody?), the York Carnival or York Apprentice. There’s a plethora of activities to get on with and exams, as painful as they may be, give us the opportunity to get out and celebrate once they’re done.
Big D is set to be fantastic (if Basshunter makes it), and the Summer Ball also promises a good time. Whether the rest of your summer term is going to be full of partying or writing a dissertation, take a chance to get out and enjoy yourself because the summer won’t last forever.
This is a great time for students to raise plenty of money for RAG, get volunteering and enjoy the chance to throw a sponge at a sabb before they leave the concrete paradise forever.
Thumbs down to…
The University’s heavy-handed attitude towards accommodation renovations.
Vanbrugh students in Fairfax House feel like ‘The Forgotten Block’ and it’s little wonder; they’ve suffered flooding, burglary, failing internet connections and have even gone without running water for a week. While the off-campus ex-nursing home may be fantastic for forming close-knit friendships with your neighbours, it’s also sounds like a bit of a hole, by all accounts.
The suggested increase in rent doesn’t seem to fit in with students’ experiences of the building, but even more concerning is the University’s cavalier attitude towards the block’s welfare.
Now maintenence work has been scheduled in the middle of first year exams, and only belatedly rearranged. Vision reckons it must be difficult enough for Fairfax students to be isolated from campus, but to have their grievances go unacknowledged and uncompensated by the University adds insult to injury.