It has been 13 and a half years since you proudly invested in my future. On a warm and sunny August morning after my A-level results had been collected and I had discovered that I had been accepted into a modest University (It did not matter to you that it was once a polytechnic!) you gladly and willingly provided me with the financial means to kick start a long and successful career. You sent me off like a delicate yet excited butterfly, with faith and hope in your heart that one day I shall make something of myself and gladly repay your kindness and low rate of interest. You may have cheekily imagined that I would wrap the final payment around a lavender scented candle (bought from a pretentious boutique no less) to express my gratitude. I therefore feel that it is only fair that I update you on my progress over the years .......
You will be pleased to know that I did fairly well during my studies. My academic year was one of the first that was introduced to self-paid tuition fees, but thankfully you had provided me with the funds to pay them. Despite your kindness, having to pay student fees meant I also had to hold down a part time job to pay for silly things like accommodation and food. In addition to this I had to arrange a weekly allowance from my parents as a top up to supplement those times I had to attend my classes and work on my assignments. But like a good citizen of this great country I plodded on and battled through those 3 years to obtain an upper second class degree (with honours may I add ... yes I know, you expected nothing less of me). My student life was a typical one and although I didn't have as wild an experience as some of my fellow peers I look back on those days with fondness and a knowing smile. You may be pleasantly surprised to know that I also obtained a higher degree with distinction. I had to cheat on you a little bit and arrange a personal loan to cover the costs but as you don't generally deal with the post grad elite I knew you wouldn't mind.
Like a beaming parent you will be ecstatic to find out that I did indeed enter into the career I had coveted since I was 12 years old. Applications ran into their thousands and yet I was deemed special enough to warrant a place amongst these working angels. I worked diligently and learnt fast. Unfortunately this was where it started to go wrong, this is where our hopes and dreams for the future started to fall apart like a well cooked leg of lamb.
The pay was bad ... I mean it was appalling. The knock on effect was that I couldn't afford to get on the housing ladder, or even rent a flat by myself. I expected to start at the bottom but the forecast was bleak. Inflation was rising and annual pay increases paled in comparison. As my manager delicately put it "put up with it or leave, there are thousands willing to take your place". So with sadness I left for pastures new and a slightly better salary. This also failed to bare fruit as my new destination was a mess of confusion and bad temperament. Micro managing tactics had bred poor practices and dodgy line managers. When redundancies were announced I volunteered myself to leave this impending disaster behind. There was no sadness in this instance.
But wait there is a small speck of light at the end of the tunnel. I had married a few years beforehand to a lovely man (who fortunately for me was already a few feet on the property ladder) and we had our first child on the way. We had also managed to find our first home, a little detached bungalow (2009 was a big year for us). We had to compromise and get a run down building in an area with lots of 'character' but we were one more rung up that creaky old ladder! For the following two years we were paddling upstream against a strong current but we fought on with true grit and determination. I managed to find a part time job which topped up the household income .... if only slightly. Competition for jobs and childcare costs had cornered me into the realm of 'low paid, part time job' because apparently I am not a desirable candidate for a 'well paid full time career' (oh and how I would be flogged by the Daily Mail community for being such a bad, uncaring, selfish mother if I dare return to work full time ... I am on a knife edge as it is for dipping in and out work "when I feel like it"). I can sense your disappointment in me, but I must get brownie points for keeping a foot in the door of the working world when so many have been pushed out, or have given up trying.
At this point in time Britain is struggling to be great and our kingdom is no longer united. The financial institutions had screwed us all over royally and the squeezed middle is baring the brunt of it. Neighbour has turned against neighbour and everyone seems to need to know what great deal everyone else is getting. For us, as parents, when we suffer financially those without children would scream with paranoid fury that "you shouldn't have had children if you couldn't afford them!". There is no compassion anymore, there is no understanding. I felt this today when other passengers pushed me out of the way and climbed over my children's buggy to get ahead of me as I was struggling to exit the bus (sad face emoticon). Prices have soared, companies are going onto administration, taxes have risen, the value of a customer is no longer important, insurance companies are corrupt and MP's are demanding a 32% pay rise whilst they promote a cap on everyone else's at 1%. However, throughout all this and through clever degree level tactics I have cleared debts and maintained a good credit score. I am presently trying to secure finance for a much needed family car and you would think the main lenders would welcome me and my fantastic financial maintenance with open arms .... will they bugger!!
Anyway I digress. So as it stands I am presently considering my options as I masquerade in the lowest rank of the civil service. I am hanging by a snippet of red tape due to not being able to secure a permanent contract after 20 months (long story and nothing to do with my performance may I add). I can't even give you the confidence that I will eventually rise through the ranks towards independent success. There is no future career for me in this job because there are no promotions from my level. I do sincerely apologise for not being able to steadily contribute to my loan over the last 3 years but I am a victim of circumstance, a slave to the law of sod.
You must be heartbroken that I have let you down in such a way when your initial hopes for me were so high. Rest assured I will keep trying, Illegitimi non carborundum and all that jazz. Don't lose faith and don't write me off when I reach 50!
Like a beaming parent you will be ecstatic to find out that I did indeed enter into the career I had coveted since I was 12 years old. Applications ran into their thousands and yet I was deemed special enough to warrant a place amongst these working angels. I worked diligently and learnt fast. Unfortunately this was where it started to go wrong, this is where our hopes and dreams for the future started to fall apart like a well cooked leg of lamb.
The pay was bad ... I mean it was appalling. The knock on effect was that I couldn't afford to get on the housing ladder, or even rent a flat by myself. I expected to start at the bottom but the forecast was bleak. Inflation was rising and annual pay increases paled in comparison. As my manager delicately put it "put up with it or leave, there are thousands willing to take your place". So with sadness I left for pastures new and a slightly better salary. This also failed to bare fruit as my new destination was a mess of confusion and bad temperament. Micro managing tactics had bred poor practices and dodgy line managers. When redundancies were announced I volunteered myself to leave this impending disaster behind. There was no sadness in this instance.
But wait there is a small speck of light at the end of the tunnel. I had married a few years beforehand to a lovely man (who fortunately for me was already a few feet on the property ladder) and we had our first child on the way. We had also managed to find our first home, a little detached bungalow (2009 was a big year for us). We had to compromise and get a run down building in an area with lots of 'character' but we were one more rung up that creaky old ladder! For the following two years we were paddling upstream against a strong current but we fought on with true grit and determination. I managed to find a part time job which topped up the household income .... if only slightly. Competition for jobs and childcare costs had cornered me into the realm of 'low paid, part time job' because apparently I am not a desirable candidate for a 'well paid full time career' (oh and how I would be flogged by the Daily Mail community for being such a bad, uncaring, selfish mother if I dare return to work full time ... I am on a knife edge as it is for dipping in and out work "when I feel like it"). I can sense your disappointment in me, but I must get brownie points for keeping a foot in the door of the working world when so many have been pushed out, or have given up trying.
At this point in time Britain is struggling to be great and our kingdom is no longer united. The financial institutions had screwed us all over royally and the squeezed middle is baring the brunt of it. Neighbour has turned against neighbour and everyone seems to need to know what great deal everyone else is getting. For us, as parents, when we suffer financially those without children would scream with paranoid fury that "you shouldn't have had children if you couldn't afford them!". There is no compassion anymore, there is no understanding. I felt this today when other passengers pushed me out of the way and climbed over my children's buggy to get ahead of me as I was struggling to exit the bus (sad face emoticon). Prices have soared, companies are going onto administration, taxes have risen, the value of a customer is no longer important, insurance companies are corrupt and MP's are demanding a 32% pay rise whilst they promote a cap on everyone else's at 1%. However, throughout all this and through clever degree level tactics I have cleared debts and maintained a good credit score. I am presently trying to secure finance for a much needed family car and you would think the main lenders would welcome me and my fantastic financial maintenance with open arms .... will they bugger!!
Anyway I digress. So as it stands I am presently considering my options as I masquerade in the lowest rank of the civil service. I am hanging by a snippet of red tape due to not being able to secure a permanent contract after 20 months (long story and nothing to do with my performance may I add). I can't even give you the confidence that I will eventually rise through the ranks towards independent success. There is no future career for me in this job because there are no promotions from my level. I do sincerely apologise for not being able to steadily contribute to my loan over the last 3 years but I am a victim of circumstance, a slave to the law of sod.
You must be heartbroken that I have let you down in such a way when your initial hopes for me were so high. Rest assured I will keep trying, Illegitimi non carborundum and all that jazz. Don't lose faith and don't write me off when I reach 50!
Deeply remorseful, Joolz
p.s. it may be interesting to know that my husband was on the grant scheme and he paid his student loan off in ten years. He is doing very well, you would be very proud x
