This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

My feelings towards freeloading students

I am very angry because I hear people moaning about how little money they have. These people in the main have massive overdrafts and they constantly worry about how much they are in debt without taking appropriate action to control their finances. They live off their parents, have a full loan, but yet their parents pay everything, accommodation and tutition. I was speaking to someone in my seminar the other day and she says that she is thinking about dropping out of university because of the debt that she is facing and she says she can't afford anything and that her parents refuse to give her anymore money. I suggested that she should get a job like me, but she said she worked during the summer and that money has all been spent, but she doesn't want to get a job when she is studying. It does my head in. I worked 20-47 hours a week over the summer and now I work 12-20 hours a week. I pay my own accommodation, my own fees and I only get a tiny tutition fee grant from the government. I have to fund my own living costs from my wages, which sometimes only amount to £150 for the entire month. I don't have an overdraft and I have expensive books to buy, I can still go out (although I have to watch my spending) My parents help me WHEN I AM ABSOLUTELY DESPERATE! but this is in the form of food or small amounts of money. I also feel it would be unfair for my parents to totally fund me and I appreciate the help they do give me because I know it is hard for them to afford it. If I can do it, you can do it.

Reply 1

sparkly_woo

2

Well posting anon was probably a wise idea.

I would be one of those free-loading students you are talking about and I am in debt up to my eyeballs...three loans, 2 overdrafts and hand outs from parents.. I am about to start myself a job - 12 hours a week. But even that - combined with the amount of work I have on a weekly basis (|16 hours contact time.. and then separate directed study) is not going to make a dent in the amount of debt I am accumulating.

The fact that you can afford to pay your own fees and living costs is amazing - and I salute you for it, but I dont think that just because I am getting financial support from my parents that that makes me a free-loader, not if my parents want to help me out, rather than see me go under (|which would most likely happen if I was left to deal with this on my own)

As for your CV being bigger than 'free-loading' students.. not sure how that works considering we're all in this debt for the same reason - qualifications.

ok..

If a company insists on its workers having degrees then how can students be accused of not wanting to work because they go to university? Apart from anything else your logic is totally ****ed up dude.

Reply 4

Seanisonfire

15

I just live off my loan. £70 a week. Means i cant afford as much as some people but i get an odd enjoyment out of living with less.......So i guess its win win :smile:

Reply 5

FyreFight

14

That sure is a long way of phrasing "I'm jealous and bitter".

Reply 6

puppy

And some students aren't allowed to work while at uni.

Reply 7

Powersymphonia

20

sparkly_woo

Well posting anon was probably a wise idea.

I would be one of those free-loading students you are talking about and I am in debt up to my eyeballs...three loans, 2 overdrafts and hand outs from parents.. I am about to start myself a job - 12 hours a week. But even that - combined with the amount of work I have on a weekly basis (|16 hours contact time.. and then separate directed study) is not going to make a dent in the amount of debt I am accumulating.

The fact that you can afford to pay your own fees and living costs is amazing -

and I salute you for it, but I dont think that just because I am getting financial support from my parents that that makes me a free-loader, not if my parents want to help me out, rather than see me go under (|which would most likely happen if I was left to deal with this on my own)

As for your CV being bigger than 'free-loading' students.. not sure how that works considering we're all in this debt for the same reason - qualifications.

The reason I can pay my accommodation and fees is that I have a tutition fee loan and maintenance loan, but my loan just covers my accommodation and I have virtually nothing left. I live on my crappy wages only and nothing else. What I don't understand is that if I am in this position and don't have debt (apart from having to pay my loans back obviously) why are all you people with "better-off" parents in so much debt?

Reply 8

20083

2

lol - de-noned and warned.

Reply 9

sparkly_woo

2

Originally posted by AerisYuna
The reason I can pay my accommodation and fees is that I have a tutition fee loan and maintenance loan, but my loan just covers my accommodation and I have virtually nothing left. I live on my crappy wages only and nothing else. What I don't understand is that if I am in this position and don't have debt (apart from having to pay my loans back obviously) why are all you people with "better-off" parents in so much debt?

We're probably all in the same amount of debt as you, just more vocal about it - which is one privilege of being a student.. the ability to complain that the government is screwing you over for your education.
Aside from that, as somebody else mentioned - some people have so many contact hours at uni or a heavier work load that they are advised or just dont have time to get a job (however rubbish the wage).
Those of us that are 'free-loading' off our parents, dont necessarily have better off parents. My parents are separated and having to support me and my younger sister through 3 years of uni, because they dont want to see our educations suffer -- because we got jobs with heavy hours, or were worrying too much about debt.

Reply 10

Powersymphonia

20

Seanisonfire

I just live off my loan. £70 a week. Means i cant afford as much as some people but i get an odd enjoyment out of living with less.......So i guess its win win :smile:

Now you have a valid argument, because although you don't work you live off what you have and are careful with your money. My argument is targeting people who have much more money than you but take their money for granted and yet have the cheek to envy students who aren't in debt. IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT YOU ARE IN DEBT!!! (Get a job or stop the spending sprees)

Reply 11

Chumbaniya

17

Cambridge won't let me work during term. Sorry.

AerisYuna

think of students who are less fortunate than you, cos at the end of the day, my CV's bigger than yours and so I'm gonna get the job at the end of the day! :biggrin:

Wow, using "at the end of the day" twice in one sentence! How, erm, eloquent.

Reply 12

papergirl

Well, remember that all the people with 'better-off' parents get smaller loans and no grants in the first place, and their parents don't necessarily (and, most probably, usually don't) make up all the shortfall...

Reply 13

sparkly_woo

2

Originally posted by papergirl
Well, remember that all the people with 'better-off' parents get smaller loans and no grants in the first place, and their parents don't necessarily (and, most probably, usually don't) make up all the shortfall...

Exactly.

Reply 14

Powersymphonia

20

I lived with some "freeloaders" and they took the piss out of me because I'm "working class" and didn't go to private school like they did. This is another reason why I am angry.

Reply 15

FyreFight

14

Haha, I take the piss out of one of my friends all the time for sounding working class. Thankfully, she has a spine/sense of humour, so she doesn't form a wildly generalising opinion of the middle classes and then go on forums to whine about it.

Reply 16

Jacksonxvi

I think you have issues...

Reply 17

puppy

AerisYuna

The reason I can pay my accommodation and fees is that I have a tutition fee loan and maintenance loan, but my loan just covers my accommodation and I have virtually nothing left. I live on my crappy wages only and nothing else. What I don't understand is that if I am in this position and don't have debt (apart from having to pay my loans back obviously) why are all you people with "better-off" parents in so much debt?

In no particular order:

Having your shopping sent to you from Waitrose
Buying your toiletries from Molton Brown
Drinking 27 litres of Tattinger and Veuve Cliquot champagne in may week
Ordering stuff from ebay that you don't need like ouija boards and typewriters
Eating out several times a week
Smoking French cigarettes
Drinking expensive red wine
Frequenting cocktail bars
Running up £50 library fines
Getting taxis to the end of your own street
Buying entire box sets of TV series to watch when you should be revising
Buying half of Boots' vitamins and herbal remedies range
Spending £30 a time on prescriptions
Buying sex toys
Forking out for the morning after pill from Boots instead of a clinic
Throwing £100 post-exam picnics for you friends
Drinking expensive vodka
Staying in hotels in London the night before interviews instead of getting up at 6am
Buying Miu Miu handbags
Getting trashed in a bowling alley where drinks cost £financial rape
Herbal highs
Several new ball dresses a year

Just to be getting on with...

Reply 18

Caribou

1

c'est la vie. deal with it.

Reply 19

sparkly_woo

2

Originally posted by AerisYuna
I lived with some "freeloaders" and they took the piss out of me because I'm "working class" and didn't go to private school like they did. This is another reason why I am angry.

Not all 'freeloading' students went to private schools, I didnt - and my parents dont have loads of money to just throw around. But they do make sure they have enough to support me and my sister when we need it.
So why I should feel guilty about that?!

My feelings towards freeloading students

Related discussions

Articles for you