One thing is for certain. I am glad that I missed out on that hike in fees. I was shocked to read last summer that Exeter is 13th in the UK in terms of the number of students signed up to sites such as SeekingArrangement.com in order to have their fees paid for them in exchange for a bit of romance.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d have assumed that this was merely a dating site. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m coming round to the idea of online dating, but it’s just not my cup of tea. That, and there is something distinctively different when it comes to dating and money combined. It has a distinct air of prostitution.
I understand that as the cost of tuition rises, students are not only struggling to fund going to university in the first place, but once they’ve graduated, they are landed with poor job prospects and a huge pile of debt. Sigh. Despite this, I cannot imagine being in a position where I would willingly be the “Sugar Baby” of some silver fox.
I like to think that I will work hard in an honest job to pay off my university debts. Am I being a snob? Perhaps, but I have to say that there is a fine line between flirting with someone or being their companion for monetary rewards and hustling. And that goes for toyboys and their cougars too.
This of course brings up other arguments; is flirting with a guy at the bar to get free drinks the same as selling yourself? I would argue not. Let’s face it, a £2.50 Jaegerbomb or two at the price of a pull in Arena is not quite the same as raking in thousands for a relationship with an older man or woman. This essentially means that the relationship is centred around money and I find that shallow if nothing else.
What do you think about this? Comment below and/or vote in the poll anonymously. Stay tuned for the results!
By Kate Townend
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