Parental dread day

[jay hay-char]

.... or A Level results day, as it's sometimes known .

Our son hasn't quite got the results that he wanted, or that he was asked for from his first choice Uni, but they have accepted him anyway. We're proud parents, of course, but most of all we're pleased for him because he'll be doing the subject he wants to do, at the Uni he wants to be at. We hope (and expect) that he will get as much intellectual satisfaction and achievement out if it as we did and as his sister is doing at the moment.

Oh - and learn some new drinking games

He's going to be a long way oop north (OK, he'll be in Sheffield, which I know is down south for some of you but it's practically Greenland if you live in our neck of the woods), so we will have to get used to that. Come the end of September, both our babies will have fled the nest. Not sure how we're going to cope with that, but we'll have to .....

I hope everyone else on here in our position gets good news today

 

[Croc]

I've got no A levellers left but the youngest has GCSE results next week.

He's knocked the idea of 6th form and A levels on the head though because of increased university fees and the abolition of grants so he will not now be looking to be a teacher and is looking for an apprenticeship instead.

 

[jay hay-char]

I've got no A levellers left but the youngest has GCSE results next week.

He's knocked the idea of 6th form and A levels on the head though because of increased university fees and the abolition of grants so he will not now be looking to be a teacher and is looking for an apprenticeship instead.

It's tricky, isn't it? We've always been at pains to tell both our kids that they shouldn't automatically think of going to Uni as being the only choice. The thought of all the debt they will build up would keep me awake at night but they both really wanted to go, and I have a sneaking suspicion they will never repay their loans anyway. I think they regard it as just another income-related tax that they may one day have to pay, but no more than that.

One of our neighbours' sons took a similar route to your son, and started studying for an HND in aeronautics (I think ) at a local college with links to the industry. He's the same age as our son and after doing a work experience placement with them, he was taken on by a helicopter firm in Yeovil who are employing him on an apprenticeship basis while they help him complete the HND. When he's finished, I reckon he will be set up for life in a career where employers are desperate for high calibre employees, and he won't have any student debt. Bears thinking about .....

 

[Croc]

My two oldest did the University thing. The second was the last year of £3k fees so his total debt isn't too huge but he is still having nearly £100 a month deducted.

We worked out the youngest would leave with a debt of around £50-60k if he went. He decided he didn't want it hanging over him.

 

[chris lowe]

It's tricky, isn't it? We've always been at pains to tell both our kids that they shouldn't automatically think of going to Uni as being the only choice. The thought of all the debt they will build up would keep me awake at night but they both really wanted to go, and I have a sneaking suspicion they will never repay their loans anyway. I think they regard it as just another income-related tax that they may one day have to pay, but no more than that.

One of our neighbours' sons took a similar route to your son, and started studying for an HND in aeronautics (I think ) at a local college with links to the industry. He's the same age as our son and after doing a work experience placement with them, he was taken on by a helicopter firm in Yeovil who are employing him on an apprenticeship basis while they help him complete the HND. When he's finished, I reckon he will be set up for life in a career where employers are desperate for high calibre employees, and he won't have any student debt. Bears thinking about .....

My god daughter studied art at Uni and so hasn't had a job that has paid enough and then she had the children, and now she's working part time and still not earning enough. An ex colleague has a daughter who was practically a professional student. Very clever girl who speaks 6 languages, finally got married at 32 now has children so is never going to pay back her loans. I think there's a cut off age where the debt is cancelled if not paid. I think apprenticeships are the way to go if you can find a decent firm, it's a shame the pay is so rubbish.