My motto is "employ a graduate whilst they still know everything"!

However to be fair, experience is something that can ONLY be gained by that, so if you have not been around that long, you cannot be as experiences as SOME people, whereas SOME knowledge (particularly in some sectors) is required to be proven before practicals (eg would you want a doctor or vet carrying out operations before they had studied anatomy)?

Totally agree with this one i have worked with graduates that have all the text book theory, but not a clue how to put it in to practice in the work place, i have also had graduates turn down jobs straight out of uni that were.ny paying 30K because they "believed" that to aceept less was beneath them.

I also have no degree but have worked my way up to where i am with no problems, and i don't think that my peers in the same position are any further on for having that piece of paper.

However i am now in the middle of a masters degree in my chosen field, this is because its something i wanted to prove that i can do, due to experience i have been able to bye the normal degree, and move staight on to post graduate study. says a lot doesn't it

Is it still the same to pay it back?? At the moment is like a tenner a month if u earn 16000 so just means it will take longer
ATD x

I don't see why this thread has now turned into a slanging match against those who have chosen to go to uni as an undergrad straight from school... I got the grades to get into a course that really interested me and came out with a good degree that I worked hard for. I worked as and when I could in crappy retail jobs to earn money to buy my food as my loan only covered travel expenses and rent when I moved out of home in my 3rd year. I also volunteered at a zoo one day a week to get experience in the 'real world' that I aim to get into now that I have graduated.

I have spent time working with big cats in a remote part of Namibia and plan to go back for 4months at the end of next year - once I have worked to get the money saved up to go.

I know you are not talking about every graduate when you say they are useless for having no 'real world' experience straight after uni, and I know that some of them do come out with a 'mightier than thou' attitude after completing certain courses, but just remember that when you generalise graduates like that you really insult people like me who worked hard to get through uni by studying, working a job and volunteering in my chosen field.

Apologies for the rant but I feel going to uni really helped me become a more rounded person with a better outlook on my chosen career path and I am more than willing to now start at the bottom as gaining relevant experience is paramount for what I want to do with my life.

Get back in your pram, most of us have our tongues firmly in our cheeks............

Don't worry I'm not naive enough to take everything to heart... Just putting the other side of the story out there to be considered! And I have met several graduates of the type mentioned... Not sure how they made it through tbh!

Back on topic though - I was wondering if anyone knew how they are going to decided how much each university charges? What will it be based on? I know its practically a given that Oxford/Cambridge will charge the maximum they are allowed to... But will it vary for course etc?

i wasn,'t saying every graduate, just a lot of the ones i've met, to be honest with the antics of the last 24hrs they have lost any sympathy from me that i may have had, just because they don't agree theres no need to go about destroying property, that the rest of us will have to pay for, again i'm not saying all but a fair few were involved

I agree. Think things are going backwards...

I know I know... I did apologise for ranting a little...

And totally agree about the so called 'protests'. Looked more like riots to me! I know they are angry with the government but nothing can justify their actions. I don't know how they can expect sympathy for their cause when they act like that... I was really disappointed watching that yesterday. It's not even the action of a few any more - there were hundreds involved.

We are not sure yet, it's not been decided, as the ruling only went through yesterday. Our management has said that it will be a fairly complex thing. E.g. are there different fees for different courses? Where does each uni want to place itself in the market - e.g. you don't want to end up as the 'easyjet' bargain uni, but you don't want to price yourself out of the market as an "emirates" top dollar university....