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Feeling worthless, hopeless … who'd be a university student in Britain? Feeling worthless, hopeless … who'd be a university student in Britain?
(4 months later)
Being a student is hard, according to the latest study from the National Union of Students. Specifically, it's hard on your mental health: 80% of the 1,200 UK students surveyed reported feeling stressed, with 55% experiencing anxiety and 50% suffering from insomnia or sleeping problems. One in 10 reported "suicidal feelings" and, perhaps most poignantly, 40% of the sample reported feelings of "worthlessness" or "hopelessness".Being a student is hard, according to the latest study from the National Union of Students. Specifically, it's hard on your mental health: 80% of the 1,200 UK students surveyed reported feeling stressed, with 55% experiencing anxiety and 50% suffering from insomnia or sleeping problems. One in 10 reported "suicidal feelings" and, perhaps most poignantly, 40% of the sample reported feelings of "worthlessness" or "hopelessness".
Getting into university is an increasingly difficult affair, which explains why we simultaneously celebrate and lament the excellent results produced by a new cohort of students each year, more often than not outperforming their predecessors. The reward for their collective achievement will be renewed competition for the best universities, the top grades, and – now that it's not unusual for fees to cost at least £9,000 a year – an experience that's "value for money".Getting into university is an increasingly difficult affair, which explains why we simultaneously celebrate and lament the excellent results produced by a new cohort of students each year, more often than not outperforming their predecessors. The reward for their collective achievement will be renewed competition for the best universities, the top grades, and – now that it's not unusual for fees to cost at least £9,000 a year – an experience that's "value for money".
Gruelling interview processes are not unusual, especially for courses like medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science, or for institutions like Oxbridge. Additional hoop-jumping, such as the History Aptitude Test or the LNAT for law applicants, is similarly commonplace. Students should be highly academic but "well-rounded", with a stereotypically American idea of the all-singing, all-dancing star quarterback (or the British equivalent: best wing attack since 2008 and/or a Duke of Edinburgh silver award) becoming more and more pervasive. Once the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young intelligentsia pull up at their dank student halls, they should at least feel some semblance of achievement. The fact that almost half of them in any survey end up feeling "worthless" anyway is a damning indictment of education in 2013.Gruelling interview processes are not unusual, especially for courses like medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science, or for institutions like Oxbridge. Additional hoop-jumping, such as the History Aptitude Test or the LNAT for law applicants, is similarly commonplace. Students should be highly academic but "well-rounded", with a stereotypically American idea of the all-singing, all-dancing star quarterback (or the British equivalent: best wing attack since 2008 and/or a Duke of Edinburgh silver award) becoming more and more pervasive. Once the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young intelligentsia pull up at their dank student halls, they should at least feel some semblance of achievement. The fact that almost half of them in any survey end up feeling "worthless" anyway is a damning indictment of education in 2013.
Perhaps it's to be expected that after all that performance and magicianry, all the cajolement to be your own publicist amid tears and retakes and pushy parents, that the promised reward of heady student days falls short. Surprisingly overpriced snakebites at the student bar glitter like so much fool's gold. The inner-city halls are a test in endurance (my own once memorably provided a dinner of roast potatoes with chips.)Perhaps it's to be expected that after all that performance and magicianry, all the cajolement to be your own publicist amid tears and retakes and pushy parents, that the promised reward of heady student days falls short. Surprisingly overpriced snakebites at the student bar glitter like so much fool's gold. The inner-city halls are a test in endurance (my own once memorably provided a dinner of roast potatoes with chips.)
The courses, mostly marred by educational cuts that haven't been balanced out by skyrocketing fees, often offer disappointing teacher-to-student ratios. Enthusiastic protests and occupations abound – and are summarily ignored. Deadlines come thick and fast for first-year students, and for their final-year counterparts, the recession beckons. Finally, when they emerge into this delicate economic environment, it will be in the knowledge that they're nothing special after all: UK graduate job vacancies recently outnumbered roles that don't need any qualifications. Is it any wonder that our students feel anxious?The courses, mostly marred by educational cuts that haven't been balanced out by skyrocketing fees, often offer disappointing teacher-to-student ratios. Enthusiastic protests and occupations abound – and are summarily ignored. Deadlines come thick and fast for first-year students, and for their final-year counterparts, the recession beckons. Finally, when they emerge into this delicate economic environment, it will be in the knowledge that they're nothing special after all: UK graduate job vacancies recently outnumbered roles that don't need any qualifications. Is it any wonder that our students feel anxious?
Michael Chessum, president of the University of London Union, pointed out in response to the NUS survey that student poverty has been "rising exponentially, while more and more of us are being pushed into working long hours to make ends meet". The fact that his own job title is quite possibly soon-to-be meaningless – considering an internal review at the University of London recently recommended shutting down the students' union – is depressing enough. Meanwhile, groups like the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and movements like Occupy have made enthusiastic attempts to change things on a political level, but are usually dismissed by university boards and businesslike provosts. The large-scale student occupation of UCL ultimately ended in eviction. Most student protesters across the UK then graduated, and slunk off home to sign on the dole. After all, they'd been priced out of their university flats once the student loan ran out: rents in college areas remain stubbornly extortionate.Michael Chessum, president of the University of London Union, pointed out in response to the NUS survey that student poverty has been "rising exponentially, while more and more of us are being pushed into working long hours to make ends meet". The fact that his own job title is quite possibly soon-to-be meaningless – considering an internal review at the University of London recently recommended shutting down the students' union – is depressing enough. Meanwhile, groups like the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and movements like Occupy have made enthusiastic attempts to change things on a political level, but are usually dismissed by university boards and businesslike provosts. The large-scale student occupation of UCL ultimately ended in eviction. Most student protesters across the UK then graduated, and slunk off home to sign on the dole. After all, they'd been priced out of their university flats once the student loan ran out: rents in college areas remain stubbornly extortionate.
Meanwhile, the ones who could afford to stay in their university towns and continue the protests usually did it with the support of moneyed parents. Even activism looked like it was becoming the bastion of the upper middle class. During the aftermath of the UCL occupation, a slew of privately educated anarchists appointed themselves to continue "fighting the student fight. They did this by attending anarchist book fairs, holding long internal meetings about "the poor" of London, and organising the odd trip to throw stones at tanks in Palestine. In this world of unsure prospects, financial instability, champagne socialists, unmoved governments, and strip clubs urging female students to consider lap dancing their way out of student debt, there's no wonder that stress levels are through the roof. An ONS report of the recession years showed that student suicides had increased dramatically between 2007 and 2011, with rates of female suicides in particular almost doubling.Meanwhile, the ones who could afford to stay in their university towns and continue the protests usually did it with the support of moneyed parents. Even activism looked like it was becoming the bastion of the upper middle class. During the aftermath of the UCL occupation, a slew of privately educated anarchists appointed themselves to continue "fighting the student fight. They did this by attending anarchist book fairs, holding long internal meetings about "the poor" of London, and organising the odd trip to throw stones at tanks in Palestine. In this world of unsure prospects, financial instability, champagne socialists, unmoved governments, and strip clubs urging female students to consider lap dancing their way out of student debt, there's no wonder that stress levels are through the roof. An ONS report of the recession years showed that student suicides had increased dramatically between 2007 and 2011, with rates of female suicides in particular almost doubling.
It's a shame, then, that during cuts that ravaged student welfare, mental health services have often been the first to go. In the callous words of the vice-chancellor of the University of Northampton last month: "Students don't come to university for support staff." But if modern student life continues to have such a bleak outlook, he might find that the brightest and best don't come to university at all.It's a shame, then, that during cuts that ravaged student welfare, mental health services have often been the first to go. In the callous words of the vice-chancellor of the University of Northampton last month: "Students don't come to university for support staff." But if modern student life continues to have such a bleak outlook, he might find that the brightest and best don't come to university at all.
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