[noisy06]

(Original post by flown_muse)
LOLZ. My parents divorced when I was 6, so I only had my mum. She had breast cancer which progressed to lungs, bones and multiple brain tumours. She chucked me out about 5 months before she died. Her mental state was not her own.

I apologise unreservedly, and sorry for your loss. That sounds terrible, it's a wonder how you got through that. I understand if you don't want to tell me but who took care of your siblings, how did you guys manage after she passed away?

[flown_muse]

(Original post by noisy06)
I apologise unreservedly, and sorry for your loss. That sounds terrible, it's a wonder how you got through that. I understand if you don't want to tell me but who took care of your siblings, how did you guys manage after she passed away?

Don't worry about it My aunt and uncle look after them now, so they're good. Both my brother and myself have our own places.

(Original post by DeadGirlsDance)
You shouldn't really judge her parents when you practically know nothing about the situation, there could have been lots of different factors that influenced this. I don't think that that's the main thing that's wrong with this country.

Thanks dear

[noisy06]

(Original post by flown_muse)
Don't worry about it My aunt and uncle look after them now, so they're good. Both my brother and myself have our own places.

You should try hard to succeed in life now, I'll tell you what if you get far in life your future biography will be a bestseller. It might be insensitive to say that but it's true. It would be one heck of a story, read nationally or even internationally. Make your mum proud.

[zaliack]

Since when was criticizing immigrants a taboo? Nearly every politician is jumping on the 'hating immigrants' bandwagon.

[alis-volatpropriis]

(Original post by OU Student)
I feel this way too. But I need something to do.

I'm trying to load my CV with work experience and extra-curriculars in order to "stand out" from the crowd. But still it's hard.

I get what you're saying about people living of benefits and those that are unemployed with more children making more money than those who actually work.

It's a vicious cycle, if you remove the welfare system. Then those that really need it will have nothing. And if you keep it the way it is, million of pounds is being wasted on people who do not need as much as others.

The system needs to be revised from the bottom to the top. And something has got to give with this economy.
People need to stop buying houses and having mortgages they cannot afford. Then losing their homes. Just to keep up appearances, when what they're really doing is detrimental to the economy.

[alis-volatpropriis]

(Original post by zaliack)
Since when was criticizing immigrants a taboo? Nearly every politician is jumping on the 'hating immigrants' bandwagon.

I think it's unfair to criticise immigrants. And I find the majority of the time, immigrants are used as scapegoats. People claiming they are taking up all the jobs, when really they're doing work that real "British" people don't want to do.

I don't understand why immigration is a taboo topic it's not racist. I think it needs to be explored thoroughly and the media isn't making anything better either.

[madders94]

Thanks to everyone who has replied nicely, to those who disagree with me generalizing, I apologize but I think it's a fair assumption if these people think that a life on benefits is cushy and that poor people don't deserve to go to uni, they've probably not had to worry too much about money.

And as for the point re: immigrants, it seems that at the moment people are tiptoeing around the issue that immigration is costing us lots of money.

[flown_muse]

(Original post by noisy06)
You should try hard to succeed in life now, I'll tell you what if you get far in life your future biography will be a bestseller. It might be insensitive to say that but it's true. It would be one heck of a story, read nationally or even internationally. Make your mum proud.

Well, so far I got the Dux in high school and I'm getting the first year prize at my uni for best grades in my subject. Getting there!

[madders94]

I also just want to say that I have nothing against immigrants who come here to work, I just hate the belief I've encountered recently that criticizing immigrants who come here and claim benefits is racist, which is stupid because immigrants aren't a race of their own. Immigrants were just the first group that came to mind, sorry

[madders94]

It just all feels a bit pointless sometimes, and that's why I don't understand why people are neg-ing the first post... the country is in dire straits and it feels like the government go out of their way to protect themselves and their friends and the rest of us are left to rot, and the fact that they promised to look after the students and didn't (regardless of what you think about them cutting EMA and increasing tuition fees, you can't deny that they went back on a promise, which is never going to create a sense of trust), they promised to look after carers and haven't done, and yet they're earning so much money and have comfortable lives watching the rest of us struggle, being told we need to stop scrounging and get non-existent jobs, being told we need to move back in with our parents when our parents aren't given any financial help with that... it's a vicious circle and I wish we didn't have to experience it, and I wish the generations that will come afterwards wouldn't have to either but it feels like it's going to last forever unless something dramatic happens.

[noisy06]

(Original post by flown_muse)
Well, so far I got the Dux in high school and I'm getting the first year prize at my uni for best grades in my subject. Getting there!

Nice to hear!

[pr0view]

(Original post by zaliack)
Since when was criticizing immigrants a taboo? Nearly every politician is jumping on the 'hating immigrants' bandwagon.

Really, please find me some examples?

[pr0view]

(Original post by alis-volatpropriis)
I think it's unfair to criticise immigrants. And I find the majority of the time, immigrants are used as scapegoats. People claiming they are taking up all the jobs, when really they're doing work that real "British" people don't want to do.

I don't understand why immigration is a taboo topic it's not racist. I think it needs to be explored thoroughly and the media isn't making anything better either.

"they're doing work that real "British" people don't want to do" Only because the govt gives people dole and shelter to do nothing, if we got rid of a lot of benefits we wouldn't need to import immigrants and the controversial ideas and customs they bring with them. Plus we would also cut a big chunk of the deficit. The only reason the govt loves immigrants is because its in bed with big corporations who profit off them. Same reason as why they **** on us via banks.

[SanityinVanity]

Dont let this despondency drag you down.
When life gets harder, you have to try harder and its really as simple as that.
We bother because we are "survival machines" and we have an instinct to fight and better ourselves. Dont loose yours.
It sounds very much like a platitude, but i feel its also true

[billydisco]

(Original post by madders94)
The situation for most of us, as students, is dire. There are so many on here who must have been born into very fortunate families, because they have no sympathy for those who cannot find work

You seem to think only people born into "fortunate families" can succeed?

Oh........ I forgot- the Labour local education authorities in Wales closed the Grammar schools!

No wonder you think like you do! All of us not living in Labour areas actually have Grammar schools- so we know that no matter what your family circumstances, anybody can succeed!

[DeadGirlsDance]

(Original post by billydisco)
You seem to think only people born into "fortunate families" can succeed?

Oh........ I forgot- the Labour local education authorities in Wales closed the Grammar schools!

No wonder you think like you do! All of us not living in Labour areas actually have Grammar schools- so we know that no matter what your family circumstances, anybody can succeed!

The Comprehensive schools actually aren't that bad here, it would be nice to have Grammar schools though. We might as well have Grammar schools here, the houses in a decent catchment area will be a lot more money compared to the houses in the catchment area of a failing school, so really only the wealthier families can go to the good schools.
I don't think that it's true that whatever your family circumstances are that you can succeed. Even if children do get into a Grammar school rather than a Secondary Modern/Technical, there will still be students who are at the bottom of the top so will less likely to actually succeed.

[madders94]

(Original post by billydisco)
You seem to think only people born into "fortunate families" can succeed?

Oh........ I forgot- the Labour local education authorities in Wales closed the Grammar schools!

No wonder you think like you do! All of us not living in Labour areas actually have Grammar schools- so we know that no matter what your family circumstances, anybody can succeed!

It's not my fault we don't have grammar schools... chill out.

[billydisco]

(Original post by madders94)
It's not my fault we don't have grammar schools... chill out.

Im not blaming you per se, but collectively the people of Wales don't exactly help the UK when it comes to keeping Labour out of power.

[billydisco]

(Original post by DeadGirlsDance)
I don't think that it's true that whatever your family circumstances are that you can succeed. Even if children do get into a Grammar school rather than a Secondary Modern/Technical, there will still be students who are at the bottom of the top so will less likely to actually succeed.

What happens is aged between 11 and 13 the Grammar school kids, whatever the family background are equal, 13-16 the ones from bad families start to behave differently and they end up dropping out aged 16, mainly due to their family backgrounds. I saw a lot of this.

[DeadGirlsDance]

(Original post by billydisco)
What happens is aged between 11 and 13 the Grammar school kids, whatever the family background are equal, 13-16 the ones from bad families start to behave differently and they end up dropping out aged 16, mainly due to their family backgrounds. I saw a lot of this.

That's because the "early developers" are able to go to the Grammar schools because they passed their 11+ test. They're probably treated differently there because of their family backgrounds and labelled accordingly, which may explain why they start dropping out and acting differently to the others.