University Challenged?

Go back a few decades ago and it would appear that university was only for the rich or academic amongst us. However now is the age that a couple of D's at A-level will see thousands of people my age being shipped off by parents thinking that if the Jones' next door are doing it why cant their little princess also get a degree and become a high flying business woman?
Well thats because she got a U in every subject and is only going to live the next three years in an alcoholic stupour.

Dont get me wrong im all for further education, but it seems we have become an age in which if your not going to university you have dropped off the face of the earth. Hypocritical I am as I sit here typing this; a fully fledged under graduate, but then having an aim and passion is leading me and it was not all plain sailing along the way. For five whole days I was a student at Cardiff university and in that time I learnt moving away from home was not for me. Be it my mums cupboard love over the years that had me running for the next train home or just the fact I could not stand sharing a kitchen with 7 messy strangers any longer, the reaction i got on my return was not particularily pleasant.

My mums face at the door when I returned washing in hand, or the many phone calls I made to disappointed relatives who had spent many an afternoon in Ikea with me choosing the perfect bedding for my cardiff room. All of their calls begining with the same shock and finishing with the same sigh, "Who wouldnt want to be away at university?"
Well I still am but living at home means to them im not experiencing the full joy of doing my own washing and getting intoxicated every night. Instead I choose an education without the every morning hang over.

My last point, what about those who dont go to university at all? Do they deserve the same shock and sighing as I recieved? Well no, many appear to know exactly what they want from life, or atleast what they dont. They are not turning around in three years time ready and waiting for the big wide world to open up to them degree in hand and debt in the bank, as they are already living in it.