Now that the summer sunshine is fading, many families' minds are turning to new horizons. In the next few weeks, some 425,830 students will embark on the great adventure of life at university.
For many of us, it remains a seminal rite of passage: the first extended spell away from home, the first lecture, the first seminar, the first hangover…
If you listen to university chiefs, Britain's youngsters have never had it so good. With more than half of those in their late teens and 20s going into higher education, numbers have doubled since my student days 30 years ago. Yet still, enthusiasts for higher education are not satisfied.
