Just received email saying tuition fees to be increased to 9K from next year. aibu to want to weep?

[ladysybil]

It wont affect the amount i pay, as i am already a student. grandfather law applies. I knew this was coming. but am still unreasonably upset at this.

But neither could a science graduate do English post-grad nagynolonger - I'm not sure I understand your point. Likewise I couldn't do DH's job (science degree, works in IT) and he couldn't do mine (Eng. degree, work in editorial).

I'm all for science degrees but don't think they're better or worse/more practical or less practical than an arts degree (with the exception of languages, I agree with hogsback, they're massively under-rated in the UK). I think in the UK choice of university is more important than subject - as the top tier univeristies don't offer 'soft' subjects, this means that the choice of subject is necessarily limited to the traditional subjects. I guarantee that employers are more interested in where you went to university than what you studied.

Our university os currently looking at fast track 2 year degreed to assist students...we will see how that works

My eldest 2 did go to good universities. But probably by accident! They did choose subjects because they lead directly into the careers they wanted. DS chose a campus university and DD chose a city. The only figure in the tables me and DH were interested in was the % of graduates in work. They were going to university to get higher up the career ladder and improve job prospects. For us and them it was as simple as that. They did do well and had a good time too. I would not encourage any DC to go to university just for the sake of it, but then I didn't go myself. I may have felt differently if I had.

% in work is not bad to know and worth checking, but if it's £20k a year for life type of work then not sure how useful that is to know.

wrt to books/libraries - I studied nursing and our library (RG uni for those that care about such things) was dreadful. There were only one or two copies of each book, and often the ones that were there would be the first edition from 1974 when we needed the fifth from 1993 or something. The set texts are not ones that would crop up in your local library or in a 99p Wordsworth edition.

YANBU at all. What's ten million times worse is that foreign students have had fees reduced. Errr... why?? And that's not racist before anyone starts. It's genuine- why are our tuition fees going up and their's coming down?

I didn't realise they were. I do know that unless this government is very careful it's new severe restrictions on foreign student immigratino and visas is going to reduce univesrity income so much it will be a huge damage for British students. The issue is the large numbers coming in though to places where they basically don't study and then disappear as illegal immigrants. The ones who get a place at LSE etc aren't a problem. It's the ones getting bogus places at low grade institutions which seem to account for the issue the new rules are designed to address.

Haven't read through everything but got to the point about the library and just had to add this comment.

In my university library you are lucky if you find 5 copies of a book to share between a hundred (or more)students at any given time. Students even hide books (yes my freinds and I do it as if you don't you are basically a mug) so they can have access to them longer without them being on a time limit, it also alleviates the restrictions you have on the amount of books you can take out (10 books only for all students regardless of course or year).

I do not buy all my books but it means I have to have four library cards and travel from library to library which is time consuming and stressful. I cannot afford to buy all my books so I have no choice.

I know this thread is quite old, but it's interesting to see how so many flaws and inconsistencies have arisen with this policy since it was put through at breakneck speed last December. If you go to this blog: tuitionfeerise.blogspot.com/
you will see an excellent summary of all the arguments against the increase in tuition fees and a link to a petition epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/12760
asking not for the fees to be banned, but simply for the issue to be revisited and a new vote taken now that the implications have become clearer.

I don't personally know the lady who prepared the blog and petition, but she has clearly put a lot of work into it and it would be good if we could get the number signing the petition up to 100,000 in an attempt to bring about a new debate and vote on the matter if or when a new Higher Education Bill is brought to Parliament in 2012.

Please check out the links - it's all explained there (very well) and give the petition your support.