Scurvy the new scourge of uni life (1 Viewer)

[Captain pi]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/06/12/1118514931386.html?from=top5

 

[White Rabbit]

Nice....theres something to look forward too.

 

[Skittled]

I'm not surprised... my girl and I live on $50 each, a week, but it's not particularly easy... I don't think we're going to have problems with scurvy or malnutrition: I think we should eat better, but things are generally okay. Then again, our parents still feed us, so maybe that's why...

I've no problems with the govt being interested in increasing studnet welfare, though! Can't wait to see the report on thursday...

 

[Danoz The Great]

We have a lot to look forward to Pi.

 

[White Rabbit]

I usually live off ~$50 a fortnight after rent and all is paid, this payment went down to $20 for 2 weeks because Uni likes charging me for extra shit. Mum sent across some extra money, but the bank fucked up so I won't get it till atleast Tuesday, and I haven't eaten more than a few bits of bread in 3 days. Makes studying very hard and makes me a hell of alot more irritable. Happens to alot of people here though.

 

[neo o]

Perhaps it's time to get a part time job then? University + University study don't take up more than 30-35 hours a week including transport unless you're in your honours year, so most students have plenty of time to at least be working 5-10 hours a week.

I've said it before, but this student poverty crap is complete rubbish. Youth Allowance + RA IS NOT HARD TO GET AT ALL, and will cover rent + a reasonable amount of food. Also, as students it's amazingly easy to get cash in hand work that won't disrupt your payments (tutoring for example).

Oh, and oranges aren't expensive, I dont think that it's the governments fault that uni students are too stupid to know that they need Vitamin C .

 

[Xayma]

Neo_o the prevention of scurvy requires but a few slices of potato a day.

An orange would probably last you close to a week in preventing scurvy.

 

[clairegirl]

i've stopped working (during exam period) and just not having the choice of buying that coffee or V bottle or lunch i thought sucked!! and here some of you guys living off bread... i feel so guilty now

no wonder your getting scurvy...

Anyway goto a oriental shop and buy a box of Mig Goreng (noodles that are realllly nice) it's like 7 bucks a BOX and you get about 30 packets!

It could last you 10 days if you ate it for breakfast lunch and dinner... it can be done... my friend said she did it for a month (mon-friday) weekends (dinner with parents = proper food, whilst stealing a bit of vegetables and fruit and meat off her parents)

I think living on 20 bucks a week is survivable yet yes i think you'de get scurvy, the price of fresh fruit these days are beyond crazy

 

[clairegirl]

Perhaps it's time to get a part time job then? University + University study don't take up more than 30-35 hours a week including transport unless you're in your honours year, so most students have plenty of time to at least be working 5-10 hours a week.

I've said it before, but this student poverty crap is complete rubbish. Youth Allowance + RA IS NOT HARD TO GET AT ALL, and will cover rent + a reasonable amount of food. Also, as students it's amazingly easy to get cash in hand work that won't disrupt your payments (tutoring for example).

Oh, and oranges aren't expensive, I dont think that it's the governments fault that uni students are too stupid to know that they need Vitamin C .

I agree to a certain extent... but getting youth allowance is HARD! i was supposed to goto ANU but my parents made over the 28k mark ...thus i still live at home (no way could my parents afford an extra 50 bucks a week, let alone 200 a week to send over)... i get around 150 a week from work ...(sometimes more)... i doubt that would cover food, rent, transport, etc

 

[Xayma]

I would be more concerned about their vitamin C intake during the holidays it takes a long time to develop scurvey.

 

[White Rabbit]

Getting a job in a country town isn't as easy as getting a job in Sydney ya know. In Bathurst, the job market is limmited, and you have 3000 other students all wanting jobs. Preference will automatically go to those from Bathurst or the Central West (and as it should) and on top of that, you're competing with locals who can work more hours.

That said, I'm transfering into Sydney because it's nigh on impossible living on just YA. I'm not really complaining (well, just a bit), it's just how it is. Also, why I'm moving back to Sydney.

 

[White Rabbit]

I agree to a certain extent... but getting youth allowance is HARD! i was supposed to goto ANU but my parents made over the 28k mark ...thus i still live at home (no way could my parents afford an extra 50 bucks a week, let alone 200 a week to send over)... i get around 150 a week from work ...(sometimes more)... i doubt that would cover food, rent, transport, etc

I live in Self Catered, and assuming I don't get hit with Vacinations for prac, extra packs and resources, and all the other stuff I need to pay for (nursing is an expensive course) I can survive on $150 a week. ($105 on rent, $45 for food is more than plenty) but you make sacrifices and need to buget. But I think ANU is more expensive than CSU.

Thats whats bad about YA - it has a ridiculousy low net, and doesn't help out people who live on properties. I know many people whoes parents sacrifice alot to allow their kids to come to Uni - they have very little money and don't earn over the threshold, but because they have big properties - which make oh so much income atm - they are disqualified as the property is considered an asset. It's a joke.

 

[loquasagacious]

The Diatribe fixed for marmooks:

These claims strike me as exagerated for several reasons into which I will delve.

I believe that it can reasonably be assumed that the 'extreme case' who was living on $30 a week and had scurvy was living on $30 AFTER paying rent, food (breakfast and dinner x7). Thus $30 a week was LEFT to pay for lunches, snacks, entertainment and clothing. I can see no reason for them to have scurvy. Yes that is a tight situation however it is not one in which I would expect scurvy UNLESS students FAILED to adopt an appropriate lifestyle eg rather than eating healthily and leading a balanced lifestyle they blow $30 a week on a night out every week and scrape by the remainder. This scenario would likely result in health problems, health problems bought on by choices the student has made.

There is no reason to expect the government (which means the taxpayer which means all of us) to fund YOUR social life.

The dems contend that YA+RA is insufficient. I commend them for their intuitive knowledge. Yes YA+RA is low, it is set at such a level as to ENCOURAGE part-time work as this is more economically desirable than government supported students. And with contact hours for a full-time course being as low as 9 a week (BA three courses a semester, 2L, 1T each course) there is no reason not to work.

Illustrating both this point and my previous one are two examples, one is myself the other a person I know.

I am ineligible for YA because of my parents income, due to the number of children in my family it is untenable for them to support me. As a result I work. In the school-uni break I worked 12+ hour days on an 11 day on 3 day off roster. I did this so as to have savings when I started uni to fund books, bond, etc etc. I have since taken up part time work. I get up at 4am in the morning to go to work, I do a 5-9am shift five days a week. Three days a week I tutor maths. I earn more than enough to cover my expenses. I do 14 contact hours a week at uni and attend all of them. I eat well, have a long weekend (well from 9am on Friday) every weekend, go out if I want (albeit limited to friday and Saturday nights) and do reasonably well at uni. I do 40 hours a week face to face uni and work, slightly more than I'd like, however doable, working and university is clearly possible, though not necessarily preferable.

My second example lives in tracki-dacks and on tuna mornay. He is up late, completes assignments at the last minute, is in many 'clubs and societies', he receives YA+RA+parental support, complains about a lack of time, money and food. He campaigns for greater YA, etc etc. He does NOT work, he DOES go out frequently during the course of a week.

Clearly my examples are extremes however I think they illustrate the point nicely, that is: it is not that hard to support yourself at university. It is about lifestyle choices. Some students CHOOSE to live in squalor so they can go out more frequently, this is no particular reason for them to receive additional government support.

I accept that it is harder for some people than myself, for this reason I do support making YA+RA more accessible however I do NOT support making much larger. I do support changing aspects which mean a $20 drop in rent is punished by a $50 drop in RA. This is a disincentive for students to explore cheaper accommodation options and as such the government spends our taxes unnecessarily.

Before I started uni I would have gasped and pointed out the injustices seen in the article, having been at uni, worked at uni, thought about uni, and observed the people who do live in squalor and the people who are active in the NUS. My attitude has been hardened considerably by experience.

Oh and pi ONE thread ONE location.

 

[White Rabbit]

That is true as well, people will go out for piss ups and then realise they have no money.

However, if I could work I would. I've applied across Bathurst (and into Kelso) and there simply isn't work. Next year I can work as an AIN at Bathurst Base, but until then.

I have 20 contact hours a week, but if I could get work, I'd work my contact hours around that. Sadly, work is hard to find here. But like I said, moving back to Sydney next year - transfering and will then find work./

 

[neo o]

I agree to a certain extent... but getting youth allowance is HARD! i was supposed to goto ANU but my parents made over the 28k mark ...thus i still live at home (no way could my parents afford an extra 50 bucks a week, let alone 200 a week to send over)... i get around 150 a week from work ...(sometimes more)... i doubt that would cover food, rent, transport, etc

Obviously you weren't particularly determined to go to the ANU because...

1) If you had earnt enough money previously you would have been eligable for YA, usually this isn't possible once you have left school, but it's a reason why some people considering deferring for a year (to earn the 15K cap and then get on to YA when they go to university).
2) Even if you don't want to take a year off, and your parents earn too much, you can still get YA if it's "unreasonable for you to live at home" (which, if you were moving to Canberra for university would have been a dealbreaker).
3) There are a few other ways that you can get the independant rate, but these don't really apply to most people i.e. being married.

Also, if you were on $150 a week you'd be covered, barely if your parents payed your fees. Obviously if you lived at college there'd be no transport costs, and you can get anywhere in Canberra by bike ($30 with a lock). Rent is about $120 for self catered, it may be less if you live shared off campus (addymac knows more about that than I do) and you may be able to scrape through on $30-$40 a week on food. Weetbix, fruit, vegies, soup, noodles, pasta, chicken etc.

That's besides the point though

jobs..country town...3,000 students...not in Sydney

I'm in Canberra. 5 times the amount of students.

ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLETELY IGNORANT about what university is like living away from home would make claims like this i.e. kids who are still living at home, kids in highschool, the media, stupid politicians and students who just want more of the proverbial pie.

As whiterabbit and addy said, it's hard - but you survive, considering that you can get scholarships and reasonably substantial bursaries (which are as easy as all hell to get).

 

[White Rabbit]

You may have 5x as many students (with UC and all), but this is a town/very small city of 30,000. (inc. Kelso, Raglan, Eglington, Perthville, Mitchell etc and all the properties inbetween) and the job prospects are much smaller than Canberra.

Though yes, people who make these claims do tend to be ignorant. It is hard, but you manage. Theres always a whole bunch of people in the same boat as you, you just deal.

 

[White Rabbit]

My second example lives in tracki-dacks and on tuna mornay

sounds like me! Tuna is cheap and easy to make!

 

[Xayma]

sounds like me! Tuna is cheap and easy to make!

I don't like things that are easy to make. I still haven't managed mashed potatos but can do most other things.

Mmmm fried chicken. (*Hugs Tandaco coating mix*)

 

[loquasagacious]

Do you fit this discription:

Have long hair because short hair is boyish (yes he is male).
Have finger nails longer than 1cm.
Leave dirty dishes and shoes under seats in a communal area.
Have dirty clothes, dishes and crap miscellaneuos literally 15cm DEEP on EVERY horizontal surface in your room.

Take great care to avoid being 'manly' in any way yet no apparent care in any way for appearance generally eg cleanliness.

............

To be fair Canberra is a very good jobs market, whilst there are alot of students (ANU+UC+ACU+CIT) there are alot of jobs around. This is because canberrans like to live a lifestyle as if they were in sydney so there are alot of restuarants and cafes, the number of studentys means lots of businesses catering to student needs and finally the decentralised nature of canberra creates inefficiency and hence jobs. Whereas in Sydney an area the size of the Inner North of Canberra would be sericed by one 'mall' and some smaller shops Canberra has two major areas of commerce and four smaller ones just in the inner north. Then there's Belconnen, Inner South, Woden etc where its all pretty much the same story.

Sorry that got convoluted, in brief: In Canberra despite the high number of Students it is very easy to get jobs and as such possible to walk from one to another if the conditions are better.

 

[noneother]

Considering most people who live on campus I know of eat 2-min noodles I'm not surprised they are malnourished. Just look at the ingredients (noodles - carboyhydrates) and a sachet of MSG.