Not Another Tuition Fee Increase!

I am riled to find the Conservative government are planning such a huge increase to tuition fees in the near future.

The problem still stands, if they wish to address it, that students from the past three years who have graduated-with decent degrees, still have not been able to secure graduate roles. Myself included. And it is not due to a lack of perseverance, quite the contrary.

I recently worked in an office environment. One day I overheard a conversation between colleagues about graduates apparently saying 'there are no jobs'. Their argument consisted of their belief that there were plenty of jobs out there for graduates, which is in some respects true, but that graduates were too lazy to look for them. The problem, I believe, is that there is not the kind of job a graduate seeks to gain which is available, or rather the majority of graduate roles are based in the expensive location of central London.

I found their outlook quite ignorant in the fact they were saying graduates were lazy job hunters. As a prime example myself, there I was working in their office as a temp-helping them do their menial tasks whilst gaining an understanding of the business, within a company that does actually run a graduate scheme. Perhaps an opportunity some graduates would love to hold. But I don't particularly want to work in engineering-and I probably wouldn't meet the selection with my Cultural Studies degree. But still, I was working, whilst holding onto the prospect of eventually finding a graduate career.

I believe the main reason it has been so hard is actually due to the costs the employer faces to train up new graduates with the skills and experience which are needed for their entry level role.

Therefore, I do not believe it is viable to ask students to pay even more for an education which may not secure them the vital skills for them to enter the realm of employability. They may as well avoid the debt of a student and tuition fee loan and use the 3-4 years they would have spent studying in the workplace gaining experience. We may have the knowledge, but no one will support us to help us gain the skills!

Show Me the Value of my Degree, Please.

Last year, 2008, I graduated with a 2.1 in Media and Cultural Studies from a top 20 UK university. I was part of the last year of students to be paying tuition fees of £1,200, before the rise to just over £3000 for 2006 entry and onwards. Watching the
News this morning, I was surprised to be greeted by the fact that tuition fees are being suggested by universities, to rise to over £5000 in coming years.

Perhaps it is money well spent if you’re guaranteed a quality form of employment within the first 12 months after graduating? Yet having graduated over six months ago with a respectable degree, I still find myself on a continuing quest for employment.

I’m not alone either. Amongst many others, a friend who studied Marketing and Advertising and received a first degree, as well as gaining work experience from a well renowned advertising agency, is also still unemployed.

With the promise of a degree as a stepping stone to our chosen careers, we now only seem to only be employable to those ‘student job’ employers such as bars, supermarkets and call centres. As a result of the constant influx of rejection letters from graduate employers, for unpaid work experience as well as full time employment, I now find myself questioning, where is the value of our degrees?

Obviously, we are in the midst of a recession, but surely the government or our universities should be doing something to help graduates out in times like these, especially with the growing amount of student debt that each of us hold? Should it not be an incentive to universities for them to ensure that recent graduates set an example to their current and prospective students and find decent employment quickly, showing them why they should subject themselves to tremendous amounts of debt to complete a degree, justifying the increase in tuition fees?

So here I am, a fully qualified graduate, on New Deal Job Seekers Allowance, learning how to use a computer in a Job Centre Plus Training Centre. The government are paying for me to be unemployed and to train me for employment, whilst charging interest for the extent of my oh so ‘valuable’ education. Ironic, huh? Cheers.

Price's Candles

Price's candles were established in 1830, and between now and then they have definitely perfected the art of candle making. As the biggest candle manufacturer in the United Kingdom today, and as a key producer in the history of the candle, I was surprised not to have heard of them before.

I came across Price's candles this year whilst at University. I needed some time to de-stress and relax, to take my mind off looming final exams and assignment deadlines. My solution was an aromatherapy face mask, Moon Safari by Air and a scented candle.

I decided to look in the cheap, cheerful and questionably tacky, Au Natural. Surprisingly, it was there I found a small stand displaying a very appealing collection of vintage style candles, Price's Candles, and at £3 for a lantern I couldn't complain!

From previously purchasing 'scented' candles before which haven't really smelt whilst burning, this was completely different. My room began to be filled by the scent of honey and lemon, I was really impressed by the strength of the scent which was perspired.

Although only one collection was for sale at the place of purchase, having ventured onto the Price's Candles website I have become aware of the vast array of colours and scents in which the company produces their product. From floral to odour reduces, Price's have every possibility covered.

So, the moral of this story is, if you want a candle that actually smells as it burns, buy a Price's Candle!

www.prices-candles.co.uk