[krayon]

(Original post by JordE)
How long you here for?

Friday night till Monday probably, then off up to Lancaster for their visit day on the Wednesday.

(Original post by AberInsider)
I'll be giving a speech on student life tomorrow for Comp Sci - see you there, and hope you enjoy the day!

So you're James, right? Brilliant speech at the start, cheers for that. Only thing I thought you missed was how accommodation usually goes during your course (from what I've read it's mostly Halls of Residence for first years, second year in the private sector, and third in PJM?).
Had a brilliant day though, and Aber seems great. Everyone's very friendly.
Informal interview thing was fine too… nothing to worry about.
Overall a really good place and this visit has reinforced my idea of having Aber as my first choice.

[Æbbie]

RE accommodation, don't bank on having PJM for the third year. Housing in Aber is becoming a bit contentious - despite the levels of students increasing dramatically, there's been no increase in university housing, instead the university rely on the private sector to take up the slack.

Maybe by your third year they'll have some new accommodation though. :P

[krayon]

Yeah, I thought as much... I'm banking on some new accommodation then! Or — rather sadistically — I half-hope the rise in tuition fees leads to a big enough drop in students that uni residence is less competitive by my third year (which will be starting in 2014).

[Æbbie]

If you look for accommodation early (i.e. before Christmas) then you'll be fine.

One of the main problems is for people away on a year abroad (those taking languages) and industrial placement. I mean - how can you look for housing if you're not even in the country?

[smithsrail]

Who else was at the CompSci open day yesturday?

[AberInsider]

(Original post by krayon)
So you're James, right? Brilliant speech at the start, cheers for that. Only thing I thought you missed was how accommodation usually goes during your course (from what I've read it's mostly Halls of Residence for first years, second year in the private sector, and third in PJM?).
Had a brilliant day though, and Aber seems great. Everyone's very friendly.
Informal interview thing was fine too… nothing to worry about.
Overall a really good place and this visit has reinforced my idea of having Aber as my first choice.

Jamie, but close enough Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll try and squeeze in a bit more about accommodation for those visiting the department on Wednesday.

In terms of what happens with accommodation later in the course; the majority of 2nd years move into the private sector (unless you have a disability, are an international student, or hold a scholarship). Then for your 3rd year, a number of students can return to halls based on demand, and the rest opt to stay in the private sector. Accommodation is a bit tight at the moment due to having 3 of the largest undergraduate groups ever. However hopefully by the time you progress in your course, numbers will even out, and new accommodation will have been built to provide more options.

[krayon]

(Original post by AberInsider)
Jamie, but close enough

Oh god, can't believe I just did that… sorry! My excuse is that I was tired and had a lot of information to take in yesterday! :P
Was going to write Jay, so that probably confused me, seeing as that's what's on your AberInsider blog, right? Those things are awesome… Don't know any other unis doing things like that.

In terms of what happens with accommodation later in the course; the majority of 2nd years move into the private sector (unless you have a disability, are an international student, or hold a scholarship). Then for your 3rd year, a number of students can return to halls based on demand, and the rest opt to stay in the private sector. Accommodation is a bit tight at the moment due to having 3 of the largest undergraduate groups ever. However hopefully by the time you progress in your course, numbers will even out, and new accommodation will have been built to provide more options.

Yeah, thought so… Cool. Thanks for the help again.

(Original post by smithsrail)
Who else was at the CompSci open day yesturday?

*waves*

[AberInsider]

(Original post by krayon)
Oh god, can't believe I just did that… sorry! My excuse is that I was tired and had a lot of information to take in yesterday! :P
Was going to write Jay, so that probably confused me, seeing as that's what's on your AberInsider blog, right? Those things are awesome… Don't know any other unis doing things like that.

Yup that's the one Thanks, glad you like them!

[WelshyBB]

I'm heading up on Wednesday for the Politics open day and need to know whether travel expenses will be paid for bus fare and whether the expenses will be paid if I stay in the town for another day. The prospect of having to spend six hours on a bus on Wednesday doesn't appeal and one of my mates studies in Aber so I'd rather stay there for the night.

[informal]

Just returned home from a Aber applicants day and i can safely say that it has overshone all other unis i have visited, it real does tick all the boxes for an ideal uni.

[Æbbie]

(Original post by WelshyBB)
I'm heading up on Wednesday for the Politics open day and need to know whether travel expenses will be paid for bus fare and whether the expenses will be paid if I stay in the town for another day. The prospect of having to spend six hours on a bus on Wednesday doesn't appeal and one of my mates studies in Aber so I'd rather stay there for the night.

I don't think they will cover hotel expenses, but I would imagine travel expenses, yes.

You just have to send them your receipts.

[Wookie42]

Anyone else going this Wednesday? Can't wait to be honest, just hope the rain doesn't decide to join

[WelshyBB]

(Original post by Æbbie)
I don't think they will cover hotel expenses, but I would imagine travel expenses, yes.

You just have to send them your receipts.

I'm staying with a mate

(Original post by Wookie42)
Anyone else going this Wednesday? Can't wait to be honest, just hope the rain doesn't decide to join

I am! Actually, I may head up on Tuesday because of student night.

[Æbbie]

Head up on Tuesday and come to the University at noon and join the rally we're having against the cuts to the Guild and societies! There's going to be around 1,000 of us marching through the town...

[WelshyBB]

I'll be sure to get involved

I headed to Cardiff on Saturday to see the UK Uncut protest that was supposed to be taking place there, but only six people turned up. It was even more disappointing considering what happened in London on the same day

[Æbbie]

(Original post by WelshyBB)
I'll be sure to get involved

I headed to Cardiff on Saturday to see the UK Uncut protest that was supposed to be taking place there, but only six people turned up. It was even more disappointing considering what happened in London on the same day

Ah! We had ours on Thursday because we decided that no one banks on a Saturday in Aberystwyth. There was probably about twenty of us, so it was ok. Someone emailed George Monbiot (who lives not far away) and he said he was interested to know about our plans. :O

It was great to hear so much support from the general public - and the snobby sounding woman who said "I do think it's rather cheeky that you're standing in front of Barclays while protesting" was rather hilarious - about as hilarious at how puzzled the police looked when they were told there was no leader here, and yes we did mind if they took our names.

The demo tomorrow is organised by the Union but we'll be marching under our own banner, Aber Students Against Cuts. Look out for us.

[marcusfox]

(Original post by Æbbie)
Ah! We had ours on Thursday because we decided that no one banks on a Saturday in Aberystwyth. There was probably about twenty of us, so it was ok. Someone emailed George Monbiot (who lives not far away) and he said he was interested to know about our plans. :O

It was great to hear so much support from the general public - and the snobby sounding woman who said "I do think it's rather cheeky that you're standing in front of Barclays while protesting" was rather hilarious - about as hilarious at how puzzled the police looked when they were told there was no leader here, and yes we did mind if they took our names.

The demo tomorrow is organised by the Union but we'll be marching under our own banner, Aber Students Against Cuts. Look out for us.

Perhaps a question I would like to ask is with all the criticism you are levelling at Barclays, how many of you at the protest volunteer to pay more tax than is legally required? Or even everything that is...

Ever had a cash in hand job? Surely you don't forget to declare every penny. Bought something cheap in from outside the EU or had it posted to you? I bet you're first in line at the tax office to tell the HMRC about all that extra VAT that needs paying.

[Æbbie]

No one is suggesting corporations pay more than they should. Just that they actually pay their dues just like every other citizen. We're all in this together, after all.

As it happens I do pay tax, and rather a lot as tax here is much more than in Britain. I don't begrudge it at all.

[marcusfox]

(Original post by Æbbie)
No one is suggesting corporations pay more than they should. Just that they actually pay their dues just like every other citizen. We're all in this together, after all.

As it happens I do pay tax, and rather a lot as tax here is much more than in Britain. I don't begrudge it at all.

I seem to recall that Barclays did pay their dues at the amount as required by law. So what's the problem?

Maybe you thought they should have paid more? Why?

As an aside, corporations don't pay tax like every citizen since they are not citizens. Leaving aside the idiocy of a company paying tax, it's not the company that pays it.

The burden of tax falls on a number of groups. Owners, who find their businesses worth less than it would be in say a lower corporation tax environment, employees, who get lower wages than they otherwise would, suppliers, who might have to cut their prices and customers, who might find that as tax goes up, so do prices.

So while companies are turning over the actual numbers to HMRC, they are simply the middleman for turning over more of our money to the government. So, in the end, who bears most of the burden?

Unfortunately most of the research on this "tax incidence" suggests it is the workers. A study of European countries (cites available if interested) reveals that 92% of corporation tax falls on the wages of the employees. It will of course be more or less for individual companies in different countries, but the point stands.

Corporation taxes are paid mainly the workforce in terms of lower wages, not by the shareholders. The same is true of employer NI contributions.

Individuals like to hear that corporation taxes are going up, the idea that those nasty rich shareholders having to fork out more means they will be shouldering less of the tax burden themselves. But it doesnt. Whichever tax goes up, it is the worker who pays for it in the end.

Now, not suggesting there should be no such thing as corporate taxes - that's one way of really upsetting the lefty communists here, but it does suggest that if you want to be sure of taxing capital you need to find another way, such as taxes on dividends and inflation adjusted capital gains at the same rate as other income might be a start.

It should also be obvious to the likes of UK Uncut that the more in corporate taxes that they succeed in making the big companies pay, the more the rest of us get hurt.

[Æbbie]

There's a very basic outline of why people were protesting against Barclays here: http://ukuncut.org.uk/targets/tax-dodgers/barclays

I am personally in favour of higher taxes. Not something I really want to get into - nor something that really matters.

As this is a thread for the visiting days of Aberystwyth, I suggest this conversation ends here. I'm sure there are plenty of lefty communists elsewhere on TSR who would be more than willing to discuss economics.