What Will 2012 Hold For Us?

I stand upon the threshold of my third year at the centre of the academic universe (okay, the University of Lincoln) and contemplate the state of the world outside the brick and concrete walls of academia.

Why bother? I hear some of you ask. Well it’s quite simple really. The state of the economy of this fair nation (the UK) is going to have a direct bearing on our (and I really mean my) ability to find work after we finish our courses. From where I’m sitting the future doesn’t look at all rosy.

Why?

1. The UK government is mired in debt. Successive governments have maxed out the state credit card and we suddenly find ourselves with the national equivalent of a nasty looking pair of guys at the front door looking to take away anything remotely valuable. It’s like a scene out of The Full Monty, except I don’t think the whole nation standing up in its collective underwear is going to scare them away.
2. We, as a nation, have very limited means of making money. We don’t really make much, our services sector is heavily dependent on banking (which is not exactly doing that well), we have few natural resources to exploit and we’re pretty limited when it comes to tourism.
3. Our educational system is a nightmare. The value of many of the academic awards appears to be bogus. My own experiences of dealing with university students doesn’t engender in me any respect for “A” Levels or GCSEs. My son’s current education, at a state secondary school (sorry, academy with a focus on the performing arts), fills me with dread. Especially when I look at the syllabuses for various GCSE courses.
4. Our costs, both as a nation and as individuals, are rising like rockets. Electricity, gas, petrol and diesel have all reached a price point where they have become real weights around our collective necks. I now dread the arrival of power bills and I’m sure that I’m not alone. If the cost of energy is so high here then that puts our nation’s ability to compete in the global markets in peril. It also puts off potential investors in the UK. Remember, business isn’t about sentimentality it’s about making money. 
5. The UK has become addicted to state interventions. Both in monetary terms and in social terms as well. If anything goes wrong then people seem to be obsessed with “what’s the government going to do about it?” Self-reliance seems to be as rare as rocking horse poo. That’s led us to a welfare state we cannot afford, hence the huge government borrowing, and a people who expect to be spoon fed from the cradle to the grave.

So what can we do? Unfortunately, not a lot. My considered opinion is that the UK is in the toilet and will remain there for some time. My advice is to start looking elsewhere. Beyond the rather stinky and turd laden shores of good old Blight. Look for those countries where they’re making money. China, Canada and Australia seem to be doing well at the moment. Africa could be the rising star of the 21^st Century. Perhaps Eastern Europe? You need to look into the options available to you and start thinking of not just what you want to do when you leave university but where you want to do it. I’m certain of only one thing at this time. The UK is going to be in intensive care for a long time to come. Can you afford to wait around?

I'm Back - First Year Students Beware...

After a prolonged period away I can announce that I'm back and full of vitriol. So what to begin with? How about Mike's Advice for first year university students?

Here it is....

1. Turn up to lectures and keep mouth shut and eyes and ears open. If your mates want to play around and make a nuisance of themselves then dump them.

2. Turn up to seminars and do the set tasks. Why bother even being at uni if you cannot be bothered to do the work? If you're only going for the lifestyle and the socialising then you're wasting your time.

(I'm about to start my 3rd year at Lincoln and can tell you that many students weren't exactly bothering to do either 1 or 2 for the first two years.)

3. Don't fall for the bull crap that your first year's marks don't count to your degree. They don't and they do. Why the paradox? Simples. The tutors are looking out for those who work hard and show a real interest in the subject. Spend the first year of your course tossing it off and guess what kind of impression it makes on the people who count (tutors/lecturers etc)? Come on, it doesn't take a genius to understand that.

4. Marks? Aim for a First in everything. Aim to be top dog at every subject. Why? Well in the words of one of my tutors:  "Anyone with less than a 2:1 has wasted the last three years." Guess what? He was right. You're going into a fantastically competitive world and you cannot have too high a mark in any subject. If that means abandoning friends, being focused and selfish with your own resources etc then you've just realised what the REAL world is like. Once you graduate everyone around you will be competing for the same kind of work. They're not your friends and peers, they are your competitors and they won't shed a tear for you when you end up serving Big Macs at the local Maccy D's.

5. Watch out for group work. While your Uni will tell you that there are mechanisms to deal with the freeloaders that group work nearly ALWAYS attracts those mechanisms aren't very effective. There are plenty of students who will let you do all the work while they reap the benefits of a good mark earned by you.

6. Watch out for the Mature Students (I'm one so be warned!). Why? Well it's quite simple. We are often more motivated, better focused and not obsessed with getting into everyone else's underwear. Yes, we are boring. Yes, we are older and probably appear to be ancient when compared to you. Yes, we care about our marks and how well we can translate them into career enhancing opportunities. But we also make damn good team managers for group work, usually have a better understanding of the tutors/lecturers and can draw on life experiences that you can only dream off. You can learn from the mature students. Watch them. Even get acquainted if you like. But also remember that a mature student, if they're remotely like me, will be looking to beat you. To get higher marks and to succeed in the job market. That means they won't tell you everything. They won't spoon feed you answers and make your life easier.

7. I wrote some material for our student newspaper (The Linc - check it out) and in one piece I compared the majority of my fellow students to pig swill. I still stand by that statement. I also compared a very few students to pearls. My advice to you is to be a pearl. A hard working, dedicated, focused individual. If that's not your attitude then I'd recommend you withdraw from university asap and save yourself a whole pile of cash and a wasted three years of your life.