Back in my day being at College or University was all about racing around and being passionate about either Politics, Music, Alcohol and whatever else (or in most cases whoever else) you were passionate about.
Nowadays it is more about managing the College or University Loan and trying to find ways of servicing the estimated ?25,000 ($45,000) amount of debt per student.
This is appalling. Youngsters have enough on their plate to start with without struggling to cope with a financial millstone of this size hanging around their neck.
The knock on effect of this is actually harming the way we look at financial management and also the educational prospects of future generations.
Two things are shaping the future workers and leaders of tomorrow's industry. The amount, cost and financial debt of going to university and how many different credit cards they can lay their hands on to help fund their overall shortfall.
Of course whenever there is a demand for something then there is the corresponding supply of what can be best described as financial temporary first aid. The trouble is that it is First Aid of the worst sort and should actually be only considered as a means of last resort.
The feeding frenzy that is the never ending sales pitch of the Credit Card Companies during ?Freshers? week at most Colleges would leave most people sleepless if they had the remotest idea of the long term implications or the damage that this is actually causing.
A recent survey in the UK by one of the leading Banks (hmmnnn?. an unbiased research study obviously) came up with the following findings:
The survey, which questioned sixth formers, students and graduates, showed that sixth formers were more worried about debt than about their studies, with 71% saying they were concerned about making ends meet and 60% admitting to worrying about failing their exams.
It also went on to report that an increasing number of this year's new students are planning to work their way through university to ward off high levels of debt, the survey found, with 87% of freshers hoping to get a part-time job. The report then also stated that:
?Just over half of current students admitted being concerned about the amount of debt they were in, and one in five said they had considered dropping out of university and finding paid work.?
This is appalling. The way things are going it will not be too long before some enterprising Financial Institution will be providing Savings Plans for women the moment they become pregnant! I know in a lot of cases we are there already but saddling youngsters with large amounts of debt when they are mostly still struggling with coming to terms with living their lives on their own just seems madness to me.
With large, unmanageable and financially prohibitive interest rates, some of these Credit Card Companies get what they deserve when they post mounting bad debt provisions.
The trouble is that they then claw it back from the rest of us.
Traveling around Europe can be a truly unique experience. In fact, I don't think there are many people who would pass out on the opportunity to travel all over Europe and see all the beautiful countries and cities that they hear so much about. I'm sure that even those who have had such an experience would like to relive it. The only problem is that seeing all of Europe at once can be quite expensive. Transportation, meals, accommodation, fares, etc. - they all add up to an overall amount that most of us cannot come up with.
What do you do if you dream of going on a tour of the European capitals, but you realize you are a little short of cash? If you want to stay at a hotel in cities such as Amsterdam, London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Berlin, etc., you will be taking quite a lot of money out of your pocket. Therefore, if you travel on a budget, pretty much like everybody else, your best option is represented by hostels.
The history of hostels goes back almost a century, when, as a result of a rather unfortunate situation, a German teacher realized that safe and affordable lodgings needed to be built in order to accommodate students traveling for various purposes. As a result, the first youth hostel was built in Germany in 1912. Many other countries quickly embraced the concept, and hostels began to be built in countries such as the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, etc. Nowadays, hostels can be found in every country, but the one with the richest tradition is the Netherlands. To be more precise, it was Amsterdam that played the most important part in the development of these inexpensive and comfortable accommodations. In 1932, the International Youth Hostel Foundation was created in Amsterdam, foundation that has about sixty-five members now.
You can imagine that such a wealth of experience has lead to the continuous improvement of services provided in such hostels. As a result, most hostels Amsterdam are a lot more than just safe and affordable. They are very clean, comfortable and welcoming places where everyone feels at home. It's safe to say that some hostels Amsterdam set the quality standards for youth accommodations. Therefore, when in Amsterdam, for whatever reason, don't give any second thought to staying at a hotel, because hostels are an excellent choice.
Some of the hostels Amsterdam offer excellent conditions and facilities. If you are lucky enough to find a vacancy in one of the well-located hostels Amsterdam, you will need little else. In order to make your stay as pleasant as possible, you should try to find a hostel whose staff are friendly and welcoming, whose prices are moderate, and whose location is close to the city center or the main attraction points of the city. The good news is that there are such youth hostels in Amsterdam. Moreover, some hostels in Amsterdam also offer all sorts of facilities, such as free quality breakfast, free city map and walking tour, free luggage storage, free movies to watch, and so on.
In conclusion, when you get to Amsterdam, make hostels your number one choice. You won't be sorry!
Both Stephenmorgan & Groshan Fabiola are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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