The standard of teaching and the quality of courses at British universities has fallen off a cliff over the last thirty years. The only establishment to maintain a quality output is the OU, but its fee rises means course value has fallen. My advice to young people would be to enter work and complete a degree by release or distance learning if you have to - there is no longer any value differential in attending full-time, and the additional cost of accommodation kills the entire proposition. This is grounded in the experience of obtaining multiple degrees, higher degrees and certificates. Due to fee rises and poor standards, I do all my study as an autodidact now.