In my personal opinion, one of the biggest things to come out of the coalition government is their decision to raise tuition fees. As it is something that has clearly impacted me to an extend I wonder what am I paying for?
Like thousands who are currently in higher education, I sometimes wonder to myself if I am truly better off in a meritocracy system or are these just mythical dreams being sold to me? No matter what degree you are studying I’m at least 99.9% sure that you have goals and aspirations to be earning enough for a comfortable lifestyle. But why we are paying such a high price?
The idea of tuition fees was first introduced to the UK in 1998 but by the Labour Government. Ironically the increase was made in 2004 to £3000. Over a decade on and the fees have tripled to £9000. Yet Labour is now promising to cut these by 1/3 down to £6000 still six times the original amount in 1998.
It saddens me to know that there are people who may feel discouraged about attending university due to the fee increase. There are already stigmas that surrounds post-university life but the key thing to remember is that everyone’s path and journey is different. If you are thinking about going to university this academic year or like me you are about to graduate and enter the real world then try to find a positive on everything.
Don’t dwell on things that are out of your control but try to focus on how you can turn experiences (such as a university) to the best of your advantage. Use all the facilities, network with everyone at every given opportunity and have fun!