Childish Is Fine, Child-Like Is Not

Dear Diary,

I work with young adults in a university and recently some of them have started to really piss me off. Don’t misunderstand me, the majority are hard-working and fun to be around – they also introduce me to trends like only painting one fingernail a different colour – remarkable! But a significant amount of them, and more so each year, act like total babies.

I mentioned this to a colleague who said we are now dealing with people who have been consumers from their earliest memories. My god! She hit

Celebrity Student

41 year old actor, Mark Wahlberg (formerly known as singer Marky Mark) has decided to go back to school in order to complete his graduation.  Mark dropped out of school leaving with no qualifications and although he will not actually attend school and will take part in online courses I think it sets a great example for people who regret leaving school early.

Sometimes I feel the education system is too strict.  

The Educated Housewife

A recent article on the wonderful feminist blog Jezebel asked the question: Why aren’t educated Middle-Eastern women joining the workforce?  Apparently in two thirds of Middle Eastern countries there are more women that go to university than men.  There are parallels in South Asian culture even amongst British Asians.

One University professor in the US who was questioned about this disparity commented that Middle Eastern women simply went to university to fill time and find a better husband.  

Cheap Heart

I was a student in the days where we all enjoyed a free university education and graduated without the debt woes of the current geeks.  I am Scottish and I have to say I am pretty ashamed of Scotland’s poor camaraderie with the rest of the UK when it comes to tuition fees. 

My Other Interests Include

Gap years could be going out of fashion as tuition fees rise and job prospects for graduates fall.  I went straight to uni from high school as did everyone else I knew from school and those I met at university.  Anyone who took a gap year was suspected of not getting in to university and needing to re-sit their exams.

I’m sure my mum wouldn’t have let me go on a gap year like the ones I heard of

University Challenge

Today is the day when A-level students find out whether they have got a university place of their choice. UCAS are reporting that approximately 200,000 candidates will, once again, fail to secure a university place this year and with the introduction of university fees, it may mean that many will be left without further education.

Empty Nest Syndrome

The summer before your child goes to university comes the realisation that life is going to change forever.  Recently, I have encountered a number of mothers coming to terms with their first born leaving home. They are filled with fear, vulnerability,  sadness and loneliness. Strangely, it is like they are preparing to grieve.

Oxbridge Underdog

UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, opened a can of worms on higher education when commenting on the entrance figures of ethnic minority students to Oxford or Cambridge. Although his statistics were slightly incorrect, the message was heard. Oxbridge is for the privileged and elite. There is no place there for state school students or ethnic minorities. They just don’t fit do they?