More grads working, Virgin changes railcard fares, Cat enrolls at school…
More graduates in work
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) has reported that more graduates are in employment than any other time since the recession.
HESA asked almost 82,000 UK graduates who graduated in 2011 and found that 88% of them were in employment. Fewer graduates were unemployed or in further study.
Our take: This is all-round good news! It can be so scary taking the leap between uni world and the real world, and many students fear they won’t find a job. We have an awesome graduate training scheme guide to help you prepare for a graduate job and life after uni (but be quick, most applications start in September!)
London students more likely to be in debt to payday lenders
Student payday lender Future Finance has surveyed 1000 students and found that, nationally, 25% of students owe on average £342 to a payday lender. 35% of students in London owe an average £765.
Future Finance’s survey also revealed that, although 62% of Londoners surveyed have a part-time job, more than one fifth felt that their education suffered because of it.
Our take: This survey needs to be taken with a pinch of salt as it was conducted by a payday lender, therefore the students they surveyed would have already had experience with the company. Not to brag, but our Student Money Survey’s results are more reliable. Almost 2000 students answered our survey and just 3% said they would use a payday loan in an emergency. Nevertheless, the results do show that the classic ‘just get a job’ suggestion doesn’t solve everything – it may help your financial situation but it may affect your education.
Virgin Trains to scrap railcard perk
Do you use Virgin Trains to get to work or to travel back home? Your train tickets could soon become very expensive – in some cases, you’ll have to pay double the cost for the same service.
People with railcards, including the life-saving 16-25 and helpful Two Together railcards, can currently get off-peak fares on peak time Virgin trains which has made train travel much more affordable. Railcard users can still get the usual third off train travel at peak times, but for many they will have to fork out a lot more cash on train travel.
Our take: Virgin were the only train operator who offered this perk, but this is still a kick in the teeth for those who rely on these trains for convenience or if they are the only operator in the area. Prepare yourselves and check out our ways you can save on train travel to find ways to make your journeys cheaper.
Hay fever may affect exam results
Hay fever is literally THE WORST thing about summer, streaming eyes and a blocked nose simply isn’t attractive. A study in Norway has revealed a new reason to hate hay fever – it could actually affect your exam results by as much as 10% and could stop you from getting the grade you need to get in to uni.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that students performed on average 2.5% worse in exams on high pollen days. Having an allergic reaction to pollen could affect your mark by around 10%.
Our take: Did you know that if you have really bad hay fever on exam day, you can actually ask for it to be taken in to consideration by examiners? It’s also a great excuse if you don’t do well…
Edinburgh top for student love
For some reason, the University of Surrey asked over 1000 graduates if they found love at uni. 36% said they met their honey bunch whilst at university overall, but the City of Romance is apparently Edinburgh – 53% of those surveyed found their partner at university.
46% of students met someone special whilst studying in Bristol and Liverpool. Awkwardly, the conductors of the survey, the University of Surrey, were not in the top 10. Maybe they should spend less time researching and more time romancing?
Our take: Uni is a life experience, it’s not just about studying. Or getting blind drunk. Who would’ve thought so many students would’ve found love at uni though? If you have your eye on someone special, we have some cheap first date ideas to win your date over without looking like (too much) of a cheapskate.
Cat becomes high school student
Bubba wouldn’t make a very good presentation partner, but he could help with other stuff like if you had a mouse problem or just wanted a cuddle. Why? Because he’s a cat. He’s also an official student at Leland High School in California.
His owner, Amber Marianthal, adopted Bubba from a shelter but since then, the cat has been keen to learn. He attends lessons and joins the kids on the sports pitch until it’s time to go home. Bubba and his owner hope that he can graduate with other students in 2017.
Our take: The cat wants to learn. It wouldn’t be fair to stop him from getting an education. We hope he doesn’t become too smart and starts to plan world domination, however…
