Debt coexists with designer clothes and mobile phones. Student accommodation standards are rising, but more are choosing to live at home. Political radicalism has waned, but students are far from apathetic about global issues. Seven articles on student life set the background to a major Times Higher /Mori survey on student attitudes.
<a class=red href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/News-and-Analysis/Student-Focus--P..."> Poor bums, shoddy seats </a>
A much greater proportion of young people must be educated to at least a basic undergraduate level, the mantra goes, or Britain will fall behind its competitors in the high-tech economy. In the future, degrees could be ten a penny, while a 'prestigious' PhD might cost a mint.
<a class=red href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/News-and-Analysis/Student-Focus-
-The-courage-to-deconstruct-Raiders-
-of-the-Lost-Ark-must-be-acquired/159365.article"> The courage to deconstruct Raiders must be acquired </a>
The ability to analyse easy texts comes only after rigorous work on difficult ones. Diane Purkiss explains why Oxford students outperform those bred on a diet of pick 'n' mix.
<a class=red href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/News-and-Analysis/Student-Focus--
--A-problem,-and-solution,-shared.../159360.article"> A problem, and solution, shared... </a>
A record number of students with mental health problems has highlighted the need for universities to pool their expertise in pastoral care. Leicester University is leading the way.
<a class=red href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/News-and-Analysis/Student-Focus-
-Debt,-designer-clothes-and-dwindling-politics/159361.article"> Debt, designer clothes and dwindling politics </a>
Mandy Garner looks at a major survey on student attitudes to life, work and mobile phones.
<a class=red href="http://www.thes.co.uk/statistics/student_life/surveys/2001/index.asp"> THES/MORI poll, January 2001 </a>
<a class=red href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/News-and-Analysis/Student-Focus-
-Id-prefer-a-Barratt-to-a-garret/159363.article"> I'd prefer a Barratt to a garret </a>
As the costs of higher education increase, undergraduates are demanding more for their money - and that includes better accommodation.
<a class=red href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/News-and-Analysis/Student-Focus-
-Does-home-work-or-is-it-better-to-breakaway?/159362.article"> Does home work or is it better to breakaway? </a>
Harriet Swain finds out why more students are choosing to live at home.
<a class=red href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/News-and-Analysis/Student-Focus--
--The-partys-over,-lets-save-the-world/159366.article"> The party's over, let's save the world </a>
Although political radicalism has waned in UK universities since the 1960s, Chris Bunting discovers that some students are far from apathetic about issues of a more global nature.