60% of Uni Students live below the Poverty Line (2 Viewers)

[JaredR]

Grateful to be amongst the other 40%

 

[Will Shakespear]

the only ones who can rly be excused for not being able to work are med students

 

[bubbly89]

the only ones who can rly be excused for not being able to work are med students

I am a med student who works, one of many. I also entirely support myself. I work like crazy during the summer to afford rent and things I want, and a little during the actual session. I also have a nice social life. This summer alone I have enough to cover my fees and a little extra for some travel.

Heck I know someone who worked 30 hour weeks and still scraped a distinction average. (we do look at him like he's crazy though)

Working and studying, is not that hard. Just be grateful that you don't have a kid/family to support like others in my degree.

 

[Enteebee]

I am a med student who works, one of many. I also entirely support myself. I work like crazy during the summer to afford rent and things I want, and a little during the actual session. I also have a nice social life. This summer alone I have enough to cover my fees and a little extra for some travel.

Heck I know someone who worked 30 hour weeks and still scraped a distinction average. (we do look at him like he's crazy though)

Working and studying, is not that hard. Just be grateful that you don't have a kid/family to support like others in my degree.

Just shut the fuck up and stop complaining.

 

[SylviaB]

the only ones who can rly be excused for not being able to work are med students

I think perhaps Engineers also.

 

[blue_chameleon]

I think perhaps Engineers also.

Nah.

Imo, if you're needing to spend 4 hours a day studying, then you're doing the wrong degree, or you shouldn't be at uni.

A lot of people that are too afraid to cut into all their 'study time'. In reality, you can make the adjustment if you organise well enough.

 

[Will Shakespear]

what if you like spending 4 hours/day studying?

 

[katie tully]

what if you like spending 4 hours/day studying?

oh hey lyounamu, i didnt see you there

 

[blue_chameleon]

what if you like spending 4 hours/day studying?

...and you're crying poor?

Then, you're out of touch with reality pretty early in lyfe.

 

[babikakez]

oh hey lyounamu, i didnt see you there

i lol'd

 

[loquasagacious]

I applied for literally hundreds of jobs after HSC and for the first year of uni, Its very very hard to land one that fits around your uni schedule especially for high contact-hours courses.

Literally hundreds eh? Lets say that it was only 121 e.g. less than claimed but a nice number for my maths.

Lets say end of HSC to end of first year (not counting summer break) = 365 days e.g. 1 year.

365 / 121 = 3

So you had time to apply for at least one job every three days. Given time taken to locate a job to apply for, write application, follow it up and hopefully some interviews I think we can conclude that you do have time to work around your contact hours.

As for the issue at hand:
- Student poverty is a myth. NUS numbers are suspect at best and that aside YA+RA and/or one of the any scholarships or you know just plain living at home are all very viable options. Blowing all their money on alcohol/etc and crying foul they can't afford textbooks is more accurate.
- A university education is an incredibly valuable thing in terms of improved earning ability/potential in life, associated improvements in living conditions/etc. Through HECS students already get this very cheaply e.g. graduates benefit immensely and society foots the bill - why should society cover even more of the cost? This creates (exacerbates) market inefficiencies.

My proposal:
- VSU because unions are a rort. user-pays.
- Introduce variable rate YA. Make a lower-pay YA available to students from currently not eligible (e.g. relax parental means test). Make a higher-pay YA available to disadvantaged students and those studying priority courses. Introduce YA penalties for failing courses. This helps break the cycle of poverty for the disadvantaged, provides greater incentives to do in demand courses and encourages diligence.
- Relax the thresholds at which YA is cut by earnings from work. This will reduce the disincentive for students to work.
- Apply a partial exemption to income earned working in a students field of study. E.g. if an engineer works as a cadet over summer their YA would not be cut as much as if they worked as a cleaner. This incentivises gaining relevant experience and will produce better graduates.
- Offer a YA top-up. Where students can access an increased level of assistance by adding to their HECS debt. Higher interest rate than normal HECS debt.
- Increase the interest rate applied to a HECS debt.

My background:
- I moved out of home and interstate for uni. I wasn't eligible for YA and I worked whilst studying.
- I became eligible for YA and combined YA and study.
- I decided to work full-time whilst studying which I continue to do.
- I make considerably more than most graduates and continue to study around work.