Grant Students are Nothing But Boozers (Apparently)

Byron85

According to a new Government report that is...

A government report is set to lift the lid on student life -- revealing that grant-aided students spend three times more a month on "alcohol and socialising" than on books.The Economic and Social Research Institute report will show that students spend €132 a month on having a good time -- but about €30 a month on books and study aides. But when questioned about their spending, researchers were told that it
ANALYSIS PAGE 22
was books rather than bar bills that were of most concern to students.
"Books were cited by most students as causing significant and sometimes unexpected financial strain,'' the report will reveal.
However figures indicate "that students who receive the full maintenance grant of €3,250 a year may be spending more than a third of this on alcohol and cigarettes", says one source.
Over the nine-month college year, students on the full grant receive €361 per month from the State.
Over 33,500 -- or 25 per cent of third-level students -- receive a grant. The top rate is €3,250 for students who live away from home, but some 16,000 also receive a Special Rate of Maintenance grant for students from extremely low income backgrounds of just over €6,355.
The report, which examines various areas of student life, will also reveal that despite the recession students have no intention of abandoning their party lifestyle.
Despite complaints about the absence of money our third-level aspirant graduates told researchers that their main object in life is to "go out drinking the whole time".
Another student told the study: "Everyone in your class goes out once or twice a week. I'd say socialising is my biggest expense outside trying to actually live."
An education figure said that this research proved "this constant moaning about the college grant is just a joke. They have been found out here. It's time now to stop doing their degrees by going on the beer, get off the booze bus, and get back to the lecture hall with their sandwiches in their pockets''.
Another veteran college source meanwhile told the Sunday Independent: "It used to be the case that poor students would send telegrams saying 'no mon no fun, your dear old son' and get replies like 'too bad poor lad, your dear old dad'. Now the State is providing them with the money for fun.''

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/grantaided-students-buying-more-booze-than-books-2017471.html

pvt.joker

lets be honest, it's true.

karlog

Well as a student i can only say that this is completely true

Byron85

Thing is, i'm not necessarily disagreeing with it either, especially when it comes to the younger students. I'm a mature student myself (24) and it gets rather tiring listening to people in lectures and tutorials talking about how they can't afford anything as they've been pissed for the last week.

Knifey Spoony

This might be true for some people, but i like to think that i am not like that. While my course does not require me to buy books (have just bought one book this year, so far) that does not mean that i spend the rest of the money on drink. I have the grant money saved in a bank account that I only use for college stuff. When I do go out I only spend money that I have saved form working during the summer, when that runs out there will be no going out for me unless a find a job.

I hate the fact that people out there abuse this system, but in my case i really do need it and would hate to see it taken away because some people prefer drinking to doing a small bit of study.

bleg

Bring back fees!!!

Papa_Lazarou

Well of course this is true for a lot of people but then there are plenty of tohers who it aint true for. Ive been out like three times in the last two months and those itmes i did go out i didnt even spend that much. Yet in those two months ive had to buy a new labcoat and glasses,4 lab manuals,books at 70 quid a pop etc etc

Animo

I'd say that for most people getting the grant that its true but not for everyone. I know a couple of people that get the grant and the majority of them spend it on non-college stuff.

For example I've a mate thats in 3rd year and everytime he gets the grant he goes shopping. This year he bought a €90 pair of shoes just after he got the money and the rest of the time he spends the money on drink/fags.

But then on the other hand, my girlfriend who gets the grant has barely spent any of the money on things for herself, most of it went on accommodation and the rest on books, stationary etc.

Tbh its not hard to believe that report based on the fact that most people come to college and spend the most(if not all) of their time drinking amd hungover rather than attending lectures and studying.

Nova_era

The grant system is ****ing stupid anyway, just because you live in the city of the University, your parents are automatically well off enough to pay your way in college? I've heard of students from outside Cork who's parents treat the grant as "socialising money".

I'm bitter of course because I've got to work and I still can't afford to "go out" as often as students who are getting a grant. These things should be strictly means tested, and until that is done of course students are going to go and get drunk while receiving free money.

Amtmann

Not a cent of my grant is spent on books. It all goes to my landlord and the ESB.

ReacherCreature

Very little is spent on books, my section of the course doesn't need books to be purchased, the library and online are excellent sources, goes mainly to my landlord.

maglite

Can someone explain this idea of buying books?


I have gone through 3 years of college and have not needed to buy a book yet. We have a library that has a decent selection, you can get interlibary loans for those the library does not have. We have access to a multitude of online resources through boolweb. Then you have the wonder that is the internet.


This report is so bias in its nature its just short of tabloid sensationalist tripe.

I spend more on chips or chewing gum than i would on drink, and while i do not receive a grant if i did would this mean the grant encourages obese people with good oral hygiene

podgemonster

Nova_era wrote: »

The grant system is ****ing stupid anyway, just because you live in the city of the University, your parents are automatically well off enough to pay your way in college?

I wouldn't say that they're better off, more like they don't have to fork out €4000+ on rent. Still i agree that shouldn't exclude them. The process should be reviewed. The rule is like a 25 km radius of the college, so basically if you live in Bandon you should live at home and commute to college, Bull****!

also
'€132 a month on having a good time -- but about €30 a month on books and study'

Majority of students use the library, internet and group photocoping rather than paying the high prices of the book store. plus study aides, seriously? u might spend €30 one aides one month but that should do you for the year. Plus your only young once, so enjoy!

captainspeckle

I buy a good few books, but they are mostly novels and things like that. they arent expensive really and definately wouldnt constitue the amount of grant money that they suggest in the article! Some people in my classes proboblt dont buy them, but i just think its easier to have your own copy coming up to exam time and assignmnets. also, 150 + people looking for the 2/3 copies of a particular novelel in the library is just too cut throat for me!

but back to the thread title, i think its a fair generalisation to be honest. now i know this doesnt apply to EVERYONE, but it does apply to a huge amount of people who receive grants. I am sick of hearing people who have just gotten their grant cheque showing all the wondeful new things they bought when they went on a huge shopping spree, or telling me how mush they drank last night at the bar etc. it enrages me that one of my friens who claims that her family are almost on the bread line actually cracks me up! yet she works at the weekend and spends that money on shopping and going out on the piss! a few weeks before chrsitmas i went shopping (pretty rare thing by the way!) and she hadnt received a cheque at this stage. she was questioning everything i bought and how could i afford it and making me out to be so well off and look poor old her. so ****ing annoying! yet she got an overdraft for christmas to buy christmas presents and for money to head out. she guaranteed this over draft against her grant which she was going to receive a month later. yeah, that grant was a benefit to her education alright.

I know so many people who are much worse off than her and dont receive any grant and they are much worse off, finnancially. There as also a huge amount of people i know who dont actually fit the criteria for a grant but still receive one?

basically the grants sustem is a shambles. and 90% of the time nightclubs/off licences/ shopping centres are the people who benefit.

just my 2 cents.

Papa_Lazarou

maglite wrote: »

Can someone explain this idea of buying books?


I have gone through 3 years of college and have not needed to buy a book yet. We have a library that has a decent selection, you can get interlibary loans for those the library does not have. We have access to a multitude of online resources through boolweb. Then you have the wonder that is the internet.


This report is so bias in its nature its just short of tabloid sensationalist tripe.

I spend more on chips or chewing gum than i would on drink, and while i do not receive a grant if i did would this mean the grant encourages obese people with good oral hygiene

The problem with the library this year is that they have cut so many staff that a lot of the books are not actualy where they are supposed to be and on top of that you ahve the little shíts that hid the books so they can use them later. Its realy handy to have the books at your own disposal,especialy for the science courses considering that for most lectures there is quite a bit of material that we are supposed to read up on ourselves when we get home.

Esse85

Let them do what they want with the money.

I know loads of people who completed their degree last year and now cant get a job. They've been on the dole since the summer and go out drinking at least 3 times a week.

That makes me sick and angered to hear it but there's no law to say what you can and cannot spend your money on.

kevin216

Esse85 wrote: »

there's no law to say what you can and cannot spend your money on.

solution?

Food stamps

Glico Man

I'm a 4th year student in receipt of a grant...supposedly (haven't got a cent so far this year) but 95% of the time I'm struggling with no money because my grant money goes towards my rent, my food, my bills and books.

My parents live in the UK and are struggling themselves so I don't ask them for anything. I can't get a job because I'm in 4th year and so I spend every waking moment doing research for my dissertation and work for my project. Therefore my grant (whenever I get it) goes towards me staying alive and keeping a roof over my head.

If there are people spending their grant on drink then I'm not one of them. They are the lucky ones that get money from their folks at the weekend when they go home so they can blow the grant money socialising when they are back in college.

confusticated

kevin216 wrote: »

solution?

Food stamps

Yeah ideally I think they should have it set up so you get your grant paid directly to landlord/accommodation management, since that's the biggest expense. I really don't see much extra expense for anyone living at home during college. Could be wrong on this, but they're not paying €4000 in rent and bills, so they're doing pretty well in my book.

Thing is even with that setup, the people who spend all their grant money on drink, shopping etc are probably getting their rent paid by their parents (as am I, no way could I afford it on my own) so they'll just be given that money to blow instead.

jive

some miserable bunch of bastards in this thread hate people havin a good time. so what if they spend it on drink? theyre getting the grant and thats that. its just the government blowin more money. if they werent given grants then the money would be blown elsewhere, i say 1 person havin a good time off the money is better than wastin it on other ****. plenty of other areas where more money is wasted than this lets be honest

Pride Fighter

What utter lies. It is the Independent after all, or FF press. This is just FF putting out the feelers for the abolition of the grant. As an earlier post said with greater online resources students buy less books these days. Thats not to say the grant is not necessary, as another poster said, he spends it on the ESB/rent, others might spend it on bus fare.

This report is nothing but sensationalist tabloid tripe.

D'Agger

Books? sure isn't all on that new interweb now so I hear...I know plenty of grant students who don't head out that much because the moneys spent on bills, rent and countless other financial burdens. The article sounds one sided & smells like something "The Sun" would publish to spark outrage amongst the easily lead idiots who read it, suprised to see such ****e in a broadsheet

Celtise

That article is ridiculous, as usual a small few is ruining it for the majority.

I am a 4th/final year student and the only way I could go to college is because I receive the grant. I receive no financial support from family and my grant is my living expenses for the entire year as I do not have the time to work part time during college. I have worked every summer and this pays for most of my accomodation but then my grant is what pays for food and everything else.

If I was nothing but a boozer, then I wouldn't be graduating with such a good degree this year having already worked for 6 months (placement/internship) in my future job and with a sponsored masters for next year and a job contract for straight after that.