GOGSoc Episode VI: The GoG, the Bad and the Ugly

Yo! Still happy to check over any more statements you've got left to do. I'm not procrastinating, honest

We have a buyer for our boat! The lady who came to look before Christmas fell in love with it and has offered (my somewhat optimistic!) full asking price.

She still needs to get her finances sorted though - she's on a fully funded studentship and only needs to borrow £10-15k to make up the full cost of the boat but is worried she won't get a loan/marine mortgage whilst on a studentship. Anyone got any experiences of getting loans/mortgages whilst on studentships?

Take over my seminars pleeeeeease! I like structure in seminars too but it appears most academics don't (or none of my seminar tutors have )

Craggy - the problem I generally have with my students is that they do the reading, but don't think about the issues, and just hope the answers will materialise in the tutorial. I've found a good way to reduce the amount I speak, and to make Them think is to ask them each to prepare an answer to one of the tutorial questions. It focuss their reading and makes for a more focused tutorial discussion.

Good luck!

Scarlet - I got a mortgage, but was quite lucky I think. Most banks wouldn't accept my stipend as income. Natwest told me that it was for my education, and shouldn't be using it to pay for a mortage repay,ends. God knows what they think I should spend £13000 a year on for my education. That there be a lot of books.

I got a mortgage from RBS - nos from Natwest, HSBC and lloyds. I think it depends on the mortgage adviser, and the underwriter. I think rbs were more flexible as I've banked with them forever, so they had 10 years of bank statements.

I'm not sure what subject to be honest! She only just mentioned it in an email. It's not as big a financial commitment as, say, rent! Paying back £300/month on a mortgage/loan would be cheaper than renting a room in Cambridge..

Yep, that's what I meant (I can't recall if you've mentioned this already but) are you teaching undergraduates or postgraduates?

x

Someone I know has just got a mortgage. She and her boyfriend are both funded PhD students and they found it tough to find a lender, but RBS have given them one. From what flying plum said as well it sounds like they might be the best bet...

First year undergrads.

Brave!

I also used to find it the easiest since they're usually quite keen and easy to mold (and they are usually pretty respectful). Second years I find trickiest because the gulf in ability and maturity becomes very clear, and they're usually wise to the tricks of how little work they can get away with by then. I was always quite pleasantly surprised by how good first year work can be, and for the majority they don't make much progress in second year and then panic in final year.

Hm, probably my own experiences then i.e. when I was in first year, fellow students were a difficult bunch but they became far more keen as they progressed throughout the degree. First year seminars consisted of silence for the most part - even when the tutor was asking simple questions just to get people talking.