The eighth floor

[Viv]

According to Aled,

"This Sunday's show will have Anthony and Charlotte from BBC Revealed to debate things!

This week, is University worth it and should Obese people pay for medical services as some people are suggesting!

This Sunday from 10pm on Radio 1".

[Bumble_85]

Yes, university is more than worth it. if not for the degree and proving that you actually have a brain but for the confidence you get from having to talk to new people and stuff like learning to fend for yourself.

[Behelzebub]

I agree completely with what Bumble says, I was actually coming on here to say the same thing, haha. It may cost a hell of a lot but it does give you that little bit of an edge when applying for jobs, that you can not only say that you got a degree out of going to uni but also improved your self-confidence and learnt how to deal with problems on your own.

[Guest CancerForTheCure]

It's definitely worth it. A degree is an absolute minimum. You have to have a degree in my opinion - I'm a bit weird in that aspect. I'm not exactly satisfied with my uni social life though, I miss my friends and family and I really wish Plymouth was a good uni. As for dealing with problems on your own - I don't really do that either as my boyfriend is doing most of it for me. It's not good, I know, but why do it if you don't have to.

Therefore, for me it's all about the education.

*off to do some contract law revision*

[Jono]

You can't really draw the line about obese people and free health. It's like drunk people needing their stomachs pumped, those who don't wear protection in sex getting pregnant or diseases, those who get things stuck inside themselves etc. We all make mistakes, fat people shouldn't be the ones fined. There's also doctors who dismiss illnesses because of eating the wrong food and not getting fit. My doctor told me this instead of ME. They get a shoddy service as it is.

[Guest CancerForTheCure]

You can't really draw the line about obese people and free health. It's like drunk people needing their stomachs pumped, those who don't wear protection in sex getting pregnant or diseases, those who get things stuck inside themselves etc. We all make mistakes, fat people shouldn't be the ones fined. There's also doctors who dismiss illnesses because of eating the wrong food and not getting fit. My doctor told me this instead of ME. They get a shoddy service as it is.

True, but some mistakes are irreversible, whereas with obesity if you have to pay for your treatment it might motivate you to do something about it and most people are capable of it.

[Chris.]

Yes, university is more than worth it [...] for the confidence you get from having to talk to new people and stuff like learning to fend for yourself.

I don't entirely agree with what you're saying here.

I'm 19 and don't go to university, but study for a degree part time in the evenings. I work full time for a Telecommunications company in their planning team. My job means that I meet and speak to new people all the time, from colleagues in different areas of the business to customers. I have learnt how to interact with a colleague as well as a customer and I have also learnt what is expected from somebody in a business and the best practices to use when in a business environment. I have certainly learnt how to fend for myself (such as when people criticise the work you do).

Behezlebub, I can understand that going to university can "give you that little bit of an edge" when applying for jobs, but in three years time I will have six years of work experience in a business as well as a degree. I feel that this will keep me on par with, or give me the edge over, the average university student when applying for jobs.

I'm not saying that University is a bad thing here. I think that University is worthwhile if you know where you want to go once you have got your degree and/or you have a genuine interest in the subject. If you are going to University just for the sake of going to University, as in you go because "that's just what 18 - 21-year-old people do" then I think that you are wasting your time and money. I don't think that going to Uni is something that you must do to stand a chance in life. There are other ways you can gain a successful education and a successful career without going to University full time such as apprenticeships and I wish that this would be advertised more often in schools / colleges.

[Bumble_85]

I meant fend for yourself as in have to cook for yourself, do your own washing etc. Not that I'm saying people who stay at home don't but if you go to uni then you have to and generally if you go to uni then you move away from the area that you live in too.

[Lucinda]

If you are going to University just for the sake of going to University, as in you go because "that's just what 18 - 21-year-old people do" then I think that you are wasting your time and money. I don't think that going to Uni is something that you must do to stand a chance in life. There are other ways you can gain a successful education and a successful career without going to University full time such as apprenticeships and I wish that this would be advertised more often in schools / colleges.

I agree with what you're saying here. Although personally I went to university because I didn't know what else to do. I think the Government is being irresponsible, telling everyone that University is the way to go. Different people have different abilities and different jobs have different requirements and universities only fit some types of people and some types of jobs. I agree that they need to publicise other options in schools or else people will end up wasting their money and time on degrees they're not interested in and won't get a job from.

As for whether obese people should pay for their medical treatment, it is the same argument as whether smokers should pay. Especially if you treat obesity as being a consequence of eating too much. I think putting resources into providing advice and help for people to lose weight to the same extent that there is help for people to give up smoking is a good idea. I don't think there's any way that you can refuse someone medical treatment on the grounds of weight unless it is medically unsafe.

[squiggle]

I bleh hope uni's worth going to. From what I've heard it's the best years of your life. But then there's the debt afterwards.

[Behelzebub]

Pretty much everyone says it's the "best years of your life", I wouldn't necessarily agree with that as there are a lot of ups and downs and the workload can get very stressful sometimes. Not to mention actually having to live with people and put up with all their annoying habits. But it is worth it in the end - you'll never get such a good opportunity to improve your self-confidence, I used to hate being stuck in a room full of strangers but since I've been at uni I feel so much more confident about being around people I don't know and talking to them.

[Lucinda]

The first year of uni wasn't great because I didn't know many people very well and felt disorientated.

The second year I would rather forget pretty much everything about.

The first four months of the third year have been the best of my life so far. That's just my personal experience though. I can't believe how soon it's going to be over.

[E*F*4L]

i didn't go to uni

looking back i think i would have liked to have gone.

i do think uni can be a waste of time & money if a person takes one of them silly subjects, there seems to be.

[Robbie Keane]

It's definitely worth it. A degree is an absolute minimum. You have to have a degree in my opinion

If you're anything but a media student, that's fine. In some instances, such as media, having a degree can hurt you far more than it helps.

[Jono]

If you're anything but a media student, that's fine. In some instances, such as media, having a degree can hurt you far more than it helps.

Indeed. I'd say it's sidetracking what I want to do but the other paths it leads to is very exciting.

[Emma]

If you're anything but a media student, that's fine. In some instances, such as media, having a degree can hurt you far more than it helps.

Gah, I'm totally wasting my time! A Level Media said it was good to have one, though.

Referring back to the original post, I don't think uni is a waste of money, as it provides you with skills for life. I can't really add to what the others have said, because I agree with what they've said about it building confidence, etc.

[Jono]

True, but some mistakes are irreversible, whereas with obesity if you have to pay for your treatment it might motivate you to do something about it and most people are capable of it.

Maybe but I've seen people who I genuinely think are genetically fat. So is it fair to do force them to do something about it? I mean the people who will go on diets and hardly shift a thing even though they're trying their hardest. I don't exercise - so I could lose more if I did - but I don't eat much junk yet consider myself overweight. It's very difficult to make your argument work for all.

[superchris0110]

For some people, yes it is a waste of money. It essentially all depends on what your desire is to do in life. Some job opportunities that you may want to pursue require a degree as a minimum, and if thats what you want to do then uni is well worth it. If thats not your cup of tea, uni is a waste of money and there are plenty of other career paths to follow.

I think another key aspect of uni is the whole meeting of new people is almost priceless. Currently at work I am forever meeting new people and working with people I met only 5 minutes before, would this have been as easy without going through that experience in an "easier" environment... its difficult to say but probably not.

[DarkAngelMJH]

With the obese thing people who are the 'feeders' should be made to pay. Them people are the worst!

Uni most likely would be a great experience (heh I never went), the social life the confidence n stuff. To some employers it would give them the edge too but it's all a matter of preference & what you want to do I suppose. You couldnt be a vet, doctor, lawyer etc without going to some kind of uni/med/law school.

It's one of those things that depends on what you want to do i think.

[Jono]

With the obese thing people who are the 'feeders' should be made to pay. Them people are the worst!

So what about smoker? Crack addicts?

I find fat people further down the scale, yet it's still an addiction. I'm fed up of the amount of bloody smokers going on about coughs and going to the doctors and yet buying endless amounts of fags.

And how about anorexics. Is this not just on the opposite end? Should we make them pay because they've decided they won't eat?

[DarkAngelMJH]

So what about smoker? Crack addicts?

I find fat people further down the scale, yet it's still an addiction. I'm fed up of the amount of bloody smokers going on about coughs and going to the doctors and yet buying endless amounts of fags.

I've given up on smokers, my dad smokes cigars all the time. Has crap arteries, heart and has even had his leg off since his arteries were so bad in that leg. But still he smokes. Makes you want to smack some sense into him but nothing works.

Crack addicts i ain't even gonna get started on :*

And how about anorexics. Is this not just on the opposite end? Should we make them pay because they've decided they won't eat?

Cannot really comment on the last one with having suffered from that myself :whistle:

[Jono]

I'm sorry to hear that.

I think free health care is something we should all be entitled to. I mean if people start taxing the obese will this not cause more problems than good? People who aren't morbidly obese might now end up with more issues because they're being branded obese.

I wouldn't like to be whatever government introduces such plans because it's sure to be seen as another scam like the congestion charge. The values are there but never quite hits the mark.

[DarkAngelMJH]

I'm sorry to hear that.

I think free health care is something we should all be entitled to. I mean if people start taxing the obese will this not cause more problems than good? People who aren't morbidly obese might now end up with more issues because they're being branded obese.

I wouldn't like to be whatever government introduces such plans because it's sure to be seen as another scam like the congestion charge. The values are there but never quite hits the mark.

I never said the obese people should pay, however when they cannot move from where they are ie the bed, sofa, etc it's the people that then carry on feeding them burgers & greasy food which are the worst in my opinion.

Made worse I think from watching American tv progs where they feed them about 2 super size meals in one sitting. Gah how is that meant to help them? If they can't move they cannot go to the loo or wash *shudders*

[Lucinda]

I think it is so difficult to draw a line between what is self-inflicted and what isn't.

I had to do a question during one of my A level economics exams about whether the NHS should pay for treatment for smokers. You could argue that a lot of things people receive medical treatment for are self-inflicted. Drunken injuries, stunts gone wrong, speeding drivers, smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts, people who have unprotected sex. I'm not sure to what extent being obese is a matter of nature or lifestyle. It does take a lot of food to sustain a very high weight but a lot of people are overweight and can't shift the extra weight. Especially as being obese makes exercise very difficult. As I said earlier, I think it should be about helping people to try to prevent the need for treatment first but the National Health Service was set up to be the only truly free and equitable health service in the world so it definitely shouldn't discriminate.

Smokers argue that they pay for their health costs through the taxes on cigarettes. I suppose obese people spend more money on vattable foods (fizzy drinks, chocolate, cake etc) but I'm not sure that makes up for the cost to the NHS.

[DarkAngelMJH]

True there will always be an arguement for every side, but whatever I am still glad that there is an NHS service.

Was watching an American tv show the other night think it was one of the law & orders where someone went into a coma and their health insurance didn't cover it. Yeah it was fictional but would be horrid to finally come round (or for your family if you don't) and face repaying that. If thats how it works lol, only know from what that show said