Sir: A young graduate I know has just finished with
a British university and his experience may help to put this subject into a little clearer perspective. He lived on his grant during the three university terms — approximately half the calendar year. In the two shorter vacs he worked part-time and stayed at home, contributing E5 a week to the family income (his family is not quite uppermiddle-class). His spending money ranged from £5 to £10 a week in these periods. In the long summer vac he worked full-time as a 'Red Coat' or similar jobs where he could live in and with wages and tips average £25 to £30 ii Each year he reckoned to start the new academic ycar w,ih £200-£250 saved to help him through. His family helped with clothes, books, records and 'odds.' He was going steady through most of the period with a fellow-student whom he has just married. Her family's poor and could contribute nothing for her extras and he said he 'helped her along a bit.' I admire them and wish them well, not least for their answer when I asked them if it had all been a hell of a strue!!le they both said they had loved it and felt much happier about starting ' real life ' with those years of hard work and fun behind them. Neither of them had 'played politics' and had made few friends from such students. "There were," they said, "plenty of others who were nicer to know."
Antony Walker Box Cottage, Selborne, Alton, Hampshire
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