Hard times

A Money worries are part and parcel of university life, but recent events in the world of finance, not to mention rising food prices, are making it tougher for students- from living costs as undergraduates to employment prospects once they have graduated. But are they bothered?

B Raymond Sawyer, a graphic design undergraduate at New College Durham, says he is concerned by the naivety of some of his fellow students when dealing with their finances. “I’m surprised by the lack of maturity some of them have when it comes to money,” he says. “We had been at college for just over a week when some of my fellow students got their grants through-and their first thought was spending money on clothes and planning nights out, which I couldn’t believer. Many students seem unaware of the state of the economy right now.” Sawyer says the prevailing economic conditions have influenced his choice of where to study. He lives at home, just a few miles from his college, which means he is able to run a Web design business that helps ease his money worries. “Rent and mortgages are costly these days and I guess that’s what swayed me toward studying locally,” he says. “I only have to spend three days a week at college and I can travel easily by car, devoting the rest of my time to developing my business.”

C Sawyer counts himself fortunate that he is self-employed. A recent survey commissioned by recruitment agency Reed reckons that over half of graduates are “concerned” with finding a job in the current climate. Job security is also becoming a major concern; one in four graduates say they would be willing to sacrifice up to five percent of their income in exchange for job security for three years. A significant number of graduates are moving toward creative marketing and media sectors, shunning City jobs, and watching banks and other financial services firms fall over has been particularly disheartening for students who had planned to work in the Square Mile(伦敦金融城). Reports suggest that many are now also considering teaching as an option.

D “With many recent graduates still looking for jobs in a difficult economic climate, undergraduates need to remember there is a serious side to university,” cautions Reed’s marketing head, Mark Rhodes. “It’s important that incoming university students have an eye on their future.” Rhodes warns students not to leave their job-hunting too late. “If you are trying to get on to a graduate program for the year you graduate, you may have to start preparing at the start of your third year to avoid missing the deadlines,” he says. Rhodes also advises speaking with a university careers adviser at the earliest opportunity to get the latest news on jobs available.

E Nick Wasson-Jones, who has recently graduated in engineering from the University of Sheffield, says the next few months will be tough. “My advice to students is to get some relevant work experience,” he says. “I haven’t been able to get past the CV stage and I think that’s because I can’t demonstrate that I have worked in the field I am looking to enter. It I could go back to my university days, I would definitely do some work experience in my first or second year before I got stuck into my dissertation and exams in my final year.”

F Third-year student Danielle Maughan has worked a part-time job since she started her criminology and psychology course at Liverpool John Moores University, but she says she’s finding it tougher to make ends meet. “I’ve worked in a local pub since starting university,: she says, “but things are getting harder now. my student loan just covers my rent for the year , so having a job is essential.” Yet Maughan admits to being poor at managing her finances. “I’m not great with money to start with, so things can get a little tough.”

G Unfortunately many students are responding to the financial crisis by burying their head in the sand, allowing money problems to snowball as graduation draws nearer. A survey conducted by the National Union of Students concludes that many students are unaware of even the basic costs of living, and don’t have the information and guidance they need to manage their own finances. The survey suggests that the average cost of university life is nearly $450 a year higher than students expect.

H In addition, some students are overly optimistic about being able to receive financial support in the form of bursaries(奖学金). The survey show that 42 percent believe they will be eligible, whereas only 28 percent receive one. The issue of bursaries is further complicated by confusion over what students are actually entitled to –leading to thousands of eligible students failing to claim last year, says the Office for Fair Access.

I “It’s clear that students have no idea of the costs of living when going to university,” says Lucy Payne, HSBC’s youth and student manager, “but let’s face it, how many of us did?” HSBC has developed a website to offer advice in addition to the student advisers in its branches.

J “ We are getting a steady stream of enquiries, especially from mature students,” says Jemma Samuels, manager of student charity Uniaid. “Our aim is to help students plan for the costs of living before they get to university. There is plenty of support around, but students don’t always know where to get it. Most tend to rely on friends and parents for advice, which may be inaccurate or simply out of date. The problem is particularly bad for international students, who can run into hardship very quickly.” Uniaid runs training events for students and has a series of online tools that can be used to calculate costs and keep undergraduates abreast of what support they can access.

______1. University students’ life is hard due to the increase of living costs and their uncertain employment prospects.

______2.Statistics show that 42 percent of the students believe they are qualified to get bursaries but some fail to receive one at last.

______3. Twenty-five percent of graduates are willing to sacrifice up to five percent of their income for three-year employment stability.

______4. Undergraduates can calculate their living costs and know what support they can get through training events and some online tools.

______5. An undergraduate with the plan for graduate study should start the preparation work as early as the beginning of his third year.

______6. It is helpful to get some relevant work experience n the first or second year at university to get a job in the field one wants to enter.

______7. With banks and financial services firms collapsing one after another, many students who planned to work in the field of finance fell disheartened and turn to other jobs like teaching.

______8. Many students neglect the financial crisis, and thus face more and more serious money problems with graduation coming nearer and nearer.

______9. Some students are unaware of the present economic state and immediately think of spending the money on clothes and entertainment once they get their grants.

______10. Friends and parents may offer unreliable or outdated advice on financial issues.

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