Value for money?

Today I bought a 78p pot noodle. I am in catered accommodation. Consequently, I am wracked with money guilt and constantly checking my bank balance, watching as the thousands trickle out to pay for my education. But am I getting the best value for money I possibly could? Many second year history students at York would argue not; they would argue that 4 hours contact time per week was not equivalent to the £3290 they pay per year, never mind the inevitable rise in price within the next few years. 4 hours?! Let’s face it; you could do that in your living room at home on the sofa, eating a pot noodle, with no guilt whatsoever.

When I joined university, I enrolled in Philosophy and Politics- my first supervisor meeting saw an exams officer not know when my exams were (worrying) and offer complicated and uncertain answers to our important queries; this man was an excellent academic yet had no idea about the pastoral side of University life. When asking fellow 1st years, many have said they have huge reservations about whether they are getting the time and help that they need to handle the leap to University study and also feel that a full programme condensed into 2 years would enable them to feel supported, in step with the work and a lot more financially secure.

But there is a silver lining to my sorry tale…When, transferring to Social and Political Science due to my inability to exercise logic (an entirely separate issue) I realised what I was paying my money for. My new supervisor was kind, supportive and even knew my A-Level results. I have 15 hours of contact time a week and people are emailing to check I am okay all the time. So I ask myself, how can it be that I am receiving this huge amount of support for exactly the same money?!

SIMPLE- there are only 25 students in the School of SPS; students who will therefore be nurtured and paid attention to in a way that, in a University of this size, is simply not possible for large departments with the current staff: student ratio. Of course, University is what you make it, it is up to us to use our time wisely but I can’t help thinking, having experienced 2 such different scenarios of University life, that the more help, and time we get, the better off and more likely we are to succeed. 4 hours of time a week with an academic works out at around £80 an hour, not including accommodation and living costs. One English student of York told The Times Good University Guide this year that “As time went on I became more frustrated that I was paying primarily for ‘self-directed learning.”and so it is clear that many students like myself, crave and appreciate some direction from people who know how best we can succeed.

Later this year, the NUS and Universities UK (representing vice-chancellors) will report and make agreements on personal support from tutors, accommodation and contact time with staff. Maybe they will rightly conclude that working 9-5, possibly one on one with a tutor, really is the way to make a living.