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Research from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has presented results on the graduates who are most likely to find a job after college.

Naturally, we were curious and had to check out the scores. Unsurprisingly, creative work seems fairly sparse *sighs*.

As it turns out, teachers are the most likely to find a job after they graduate, with over 93 percent of recent education grads finding employment within nine months of finishing their course.

The HEA's research found that graduates in areas such as health and welfare (87 percent), ICT (82 percent) and engineering (82 percent) had especially high employment outcomes.

Nearly 80 percent of third-level students secured work within nine months of graduating, which is good news.

The HEA found that students who studied subjects like philosophy and literature were the LEAST likely to be employed…sorry to all those deep thinkers and bookworms out there.

Anyone who completed their arts and humanities studies were actually among the highest percentages who embarked on further study, at 24 percent.

The study involved 29,000 participants who graduated back in 2017, and found that teaching grads are one of the best paid. Their starting salaries mostly came in at €30-€35,000.

The average salary of full-time graduates in employment was €33,574. The HEA's Valerie Harvey said that those who complete further study are the most employable.

She commented on the research, saying that; "The overwhelming majority of all graduates are working and as you move through the levels of educational attainment higher numbers are in employment."

She continued, "So we found that 75 percent of honours degree, 86 percent of post-graduate taught and 91 percent of postgraduate research graduates are in employment."

78 percent of those participants surveyed are working or due to begin a job, and 14 percent of those surveyed are in training or further education.

A further five percent are searching for work, and the remainder are in "further activities", like travelling the world or saving the turtles. Apparently, 90 percent of those who graduate find a job in Ireland. That one surprised us, alright.

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Riverdale star Camila Mendes has opened up about surviving sexual assault while she was attending college in the US.

The actor appeared on the cover of Women's Health this week, discussing the emotional meaning behind her one and only tattoo.

The inking features the words "to build a home" along her ribcage, and Mendes has yet to speak about its reference until now.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The 25-year-old credited the tattoo with her memories of moving around a lot during her childhood, as well as a "very, very bad experience" in college.

“I got the tattoo after my freshman year. I had a very, very bad experience; I was roofied by someone who sexually assaulted me,” she told the magazine.

The feeling of safety itself can epitomise home for many people, not just a place or a town: "If you don’t have that literal box, you have to create it in your habits.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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She has found a sense of comfort over time by putting herself first and self-care; “Whenever I feel like I’m going through something difficult, I think about what I can do physically for myself.

"People sometimes put working out first and don’t give their bodies rest. I’ll always choose sleep first. I think it’s just so underrated.”

“I danced for seven years, from age 4 to 11," she added. "Then I did musicals as a kid, then so much of acting school is movement classes and connecting your breath to your body. Activity has always been an important part of my life."

Feature image: Instagram/@camimendes

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Nearly two-in-five third-level students are experiencing serious levels of anxiety and depression as a result of stress, a new survey has revealed.

The newly published 'Report on Student Mental Health in Third-Level Education' was compiled by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), with the support of the HSE Mental Health and the National Office for Suicide Prevention.

Almost one-third of students have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, with the results painting a worrying picture of the extent of pressures and struggles on the shoulders of Irish students.

The statistics examined the occurrence of mental health distress and ill health among third-level students and the availability and use of mental health support service for young people.

Multiple factors influence depression and anxiety, and women were found to be more likely to suffer anxiety than men. Non-binary students had the highest levels of severe anxiety.

The survey, which was conducted in 2018, was open to students in every college, North and in the Republic, and most of the respondents were undergraduates aged between 18 and 24-years-old.

74 percent of participants were female, and experiences varied largely depending on the type of college attended, the area of study and whether it was inside or outside of Dublin.

One in five of those surveyed identified as LGBTQ+ and just over 1 percent identified as transgender. 38 percent are experiencing extremely severe levels of anxiety, alarmingly.

30 percent of people are reporting suffering from depression and 17 percent are experiencing stress. Almost one-third reported that they had a formal mental health difficulty which was diagnosed.

One of the most distressing points is that 21 percent of participants did not have someone to talk to about personal and emotional difficulties. Free on-campus counselling is imperative for students.

Students were found to use on and off-campus services to aid their mental health, and the student union made 35 percent of students aware of support services. 

The study had a large response of 3,340 students, but the findings may not be a full picture of the student population.

Employment during college was also found to affect students' ability to socialise with their classmates, and those involved in activities outside of coursework had improved mental health.

USI president Lorna Fitzpatrick in Trinity College Dublin said students had provided a vast amount of vital data which would be used to improve mental health services at third level for everyone.

Numerous institutions were found to be problematic in terms of the quality of care offered to students, and a quality assurance tool must be made to ensure consistency between institutions.

Transitioning from secondary school to college is a huge step for all students, and comes at a time when they are most at risk of developing mental health difficulties.

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Tomorrow is the big day for Leaving Cert students: The results are officially IN and their time in fresh hell of exams is soon to be over.

With CAO offers coming in on Tuesday, the nerves are bound to be fully shredded by the end of the week. 

What can one do to distract oneself from the horror of exam results? Have a cheeky Nando's, of course, but on the house.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Celebrate or commiserate with Nando's for free, if you bring your results (via paper, email or text) and a valid form of ID into one of their restaurants you can get your Peri-Peri reward.

The free lunch is available for students in the UK and Ireland on the relevant exam results day.

The special Nando's offer is a free quarter chicken or fire-starter menu item, so you don't want to miss it.

The offer runs on Tuesday, August 13 for Leaving Cert students, as well as a September date for the Junior Cert kids.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Who doesn't want free food in exchange for the pain of examinations? The only catch is that yoou have to make a minimum spend of €7 to get the free delicious chicken.

That's definitely manageable. A whole Nando's meal with sides and a drink is normally around €20, so €7 seems like a steal.

Check a full list of all the chain's restaurants here, as well as the offer's terms and conditions. Good luck to everyone getting their results tomorrow, you'll have forgotten them in a few months!

Feature image: Instagram/@NandosUK

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Ah, the Gaeltacht. Remember the days? Busloads of mid-teen adolescents would head down to the depths of the Wesht for three weeks (costing a bomb) to try and shove Irish into our mouths…

Most of the time we came back with less of the mother tongue than when we left, and had some interesting experiences at the céilí with some lad you've probably seen in Coppers seven years later and almost died of mortification.

The jealousy of the other kids who managed to get a bean an tí who could actually cook was too real. News has now hit us that a scheme similar to the Erasmus programme will allow up to 175 students to study in the Gaeltacht for a semester.

College students will be offered the chance to spend three months in Connemara under the new language immersion scheme announced today by the Department of the Gaeltacht.

New government funding worth €250,000 will allow students to live with families while attending third-level courses for the entire summer.

Minister of State for the Irish language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands Seán Kyne made the announcement in Ionad Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge in Carna, an off-site part of the NUI Galway campus.  

Image: Flickr/janmennens

The Minister said the scheme “will be of benefit both to the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht”, and is aimed both at students with Irish as a core subject in their university, and at those who need the language to work in certain jobs and the public service.

The subsidy is worth up to €1,428 per student, and is payable to families qualified under the department’s Irish Language Learner’s Scheme.

Minister Kyne commented:

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to announce this new funding in further supporting third level students across Ireland to further enrich their Irish through spending three months living with Gaeltacht families while they are attending a qualification course in the Gaeltacht."

Image: Flickr/Will

"For many years, students learning languages have had the opportunity to spend time immersed in a target language while studying abroad on Erasmus. A fund will now be available for the first time which will help students to spend an entire semester in the Gaeltacht.” 

Students studying primary school teaching often visit the Gaeltacht as part of their course, as a proficiency in Irish is required.

We've all got some hilarious teenaged memories from our time in the Gaeltacht, be the recollections good or bad, so this should be interesting…

Feature image: Flickr/Dora Meulman

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Shit's goin' down in Hollywood.

The largest college cheating scam in US history continues.

Desperate Housewives' star Felicity Huffman and her husband William H. Macy were taken to court where Felicity was charged with federal mail fraud.

Now star of Full House and later the 90210 reboot, Lori Loughlin has turned herself in to the FBI nad set her release bond at 1 million dollars.

The 54-year-old is mum to two daughters – 20-year-old Isabella Rose and 19-year-old Olivia Jade, with her husband Mossimo Gianulli.

Lori Loughlin turned herself into authorities on Wednesday and has been set a $1million (£751,365) release bond by a judge. Loughlin is one of up to 40 influential figures who have been charged in connection with alleged payments of up to $6 million used to get children into schools including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and USC. Both she and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were indicted for their alleged involvement in the college admissions scam. Giannulli was arrested on Tuesday morning and taken into custody. He was later released after being set a $1million bond and forced to surrender his passport. Lori hadn’t been arrested as she had been in Vancouver, Canada working.

 

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/13/lori-loughlin-turns-fbi-set-1million-release-bond-amid-investigation-college-admissions-bribes-8899571/?ito=cbshare

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/

Lori Loughlin turned herself into authorities on Wednesday and has been set a $1million (£751,365) release bond by a judge. Loughlin is one of up to 40 influential figures who have been charged in connection with alleged payments of up to $6 million used to get children into schools including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and USC. Both she and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were indicted for their alleged involvement in the college admissions scam. Giannulli was arrested on Tuesday morning and taken into custody. He was later released after being set a $1million bond and forced to surrender his passport. Lori hadn’t been arrested as she had been in Vancouver, Canada working.

 

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/13/lori-loughlin-turns-fbi-set-1million-release-bond-amid-investigation-college-admissions-bribes-8899571/?ito=cbshare

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Metro

Lori and Mossimo allegedly agreed to pay bribes totalling $500,000 to get their two daughters onto the USC crew team.

Mossimo was arrested this week and taken into custody while Lori hadn’t been arrested as she had been in Vancouver, working.

Lori then surrendered herself to teh FBI, set a  $1million bond and ‘put her home up as collateral’ to secure the bond.

Lori reportedly can honour her working commitments with the Hallmark Channel in Vancouver, but she has to surrender her passport in December once her contracted work has come to an end.

Lori has since deleted all of her social media accounts and is expected to appear in court alongside Mossimo and Felicity on March 29.

The scam centres around a Californian man running a business helping students to get into their chosen college by paying off exam administrators or sports coaches.

In most cases, students reportedly had no knowledge of the scam or their parents’ involvement.

Lori's younger daughter, Olivia Jade, was reportedly on a USC yacht when the news broke and social media are NOT happy with her.

One said, ''Thanks for taking space in college to do nothing.''

While another wrote, ''How about giving up your space in College for someone that's working hard to get in? And while you're at it ask your Mom to help pay for the kids that can't afford it!!''

Stay tuned for whatever the hell is gonna happen next.

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With CAO Results out today, soon comes the panic that comes with looking for student accommodation – let's be real, it's a hellish situation. CAO offers are made on 20th August leading to a scramble (to put it mildly!) for any living arrangements that might be half-decent – given that securing accommodation in Dublin at the moment is akin to the search for the Holy Grail. Rents are high and choices are few, so it's a source of worry for many. 

Finding the right place presents many hurdles and problems for students and their families. With this in mind, and should you be lucky to nab a place before college starts up, leading student accommodation provider Hazelwood Student Village shares their top do’s and don’ts when searching for student accommodation so that even the little things aren't forgotten before you sign any dotted lines.

Do: Start your search now – Location, Location, Location

If you have filled out your CAO form you know the location of the universities and colleges you have applied to. Start your search now. Before you receive your CAO offer know the area you’d like to live in. Create a shortlist. You would be best placed to start your search now and familiarise yourself with what is to offer. It’s important to think about the convenience of your accommodation; would you be near to the university facilities, local shops, nightlife? identify areas with good transport links so that you can widen your search. Prioritise areas where you will feel safe, check that it is close to amenities and shops. With these areas mapped out, you will be a step ahead when you receive your CAO offer.

 

Do: Work out your priorities and your non-negotiables – Safe and Sound

Think about your preferred accommodation. To share or not to share? What are your priorities? Security, Ease of Access to college, Strong reliable internet connection, bedroom size, Public transport directly into the City Centre or to your college? What can’t you live without? Once you have identified what your top priorities are, this will help narrow down your search. Safety and security should be top of the agenda when you move into a new property. Some purpose-built student accommodation has security gates, manned security personnel. Make sure these are on your list.

Do: Ask for advice

If you have any friends or family living in Dublin ask them what they know – you never know what tips they might come out with. If you know students the year ahead of you who have been through this exercise ask their advice.

Don’t: Panic and take the first accommodation you view

Once you have started searching for accommodation in or near Dublin, don’t make the rookie error of placing a deposit with the first place you view. Make sure to shop around.

Don’t: Be scammed

There are online scams and frauds. Meet the landlord or agency. If you pay in cash, get a receipt. Only sign a contract for the period you intend to stay in the accommodation, remember if you do not require the accommodation for the summer agree that you re renting for the college terms only. Take photographs of the accommodation before you move in. Note any damage, any paintwork chipped or peeling so that it doesn’t get taken out of your deposit as a penalty.

Don’t: Sign a contract without going over the small details

Different accommodation offers different packages – make sure you know exactly what is being offered to you. Are there any hidden extras, such as WIFI and Utility bills? Add these into your budget to make sure you are being as realistic as possible with what you can afford. Make sure to check the start date and end date on any contract.

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Have you even looked at the influencing industry and thought that all it takes is a bottle of tan, a browse of the Boohoo trending section and a Gucci belt to become an influencer? 

Well it turns out you may have been wrong. 

According to one one college, there is an art to having an stylish online presence, and they believe this so much that they have created a college course to train potential Instagram starlets in the art of influencing. 

 

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Students at China's Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College, and are enrolled in a course 'specifically designed to turn students into online influencers.'

The 34 young people enrolled are being taught how to become the next big internet stars, being taught how to work with photos and video and have a distinctive online presence. 

They learn skills including makeup techniques, posing and modelling, fashion and aesthetic curatability, and public relations etiquette. 

We all know there is plenty of money to be made in the social media influencing industry if you do it right, so it makes sense that the career option has been validated with a college course.

Unfortunately if you fancy yourself as the next James Kavanagh or Rosie Connolly, you'll have to head to China to check out the open day at Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College.

Who knows, maybe some Irish colleges will soon follow suit. 

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We all know that being a student in Ireland is not cheap, especially if you have to move out of home to attend your chosen course. Not including fees, you have rent to pay, books and food to buy, and you also have to have some sort of a social life, and it all adds up – pretty quickly. €11,829 to be exact. 

To help those starting third level in September, DIT has released its annual Cost of Living Guide for students 2018-19. The guide is designed to help those starting higher education this year, with tips and advice for students on how to cut costs on housing, travel and other day-to-day expenses.

According to the guide, the costs of living for students living away from home is a staggering €11K. This includes rent at €430 a month, food at €169 a month, student charge at €333 and a measly €40 on clothes and medical. 

To help families with the ever-increasing cost, Dr Brian Gormley, Head of Life at DIT, is urging all students and parents to ensure they are getting their full entitlements. 

"It's clear from talking to students and their families that it is not widely known that you can get tax relief on college fees paid," he said.

"Less than 12% of students claim back tax, and for full-time undergraduates, that figure is lower (7%). If you are paying for more than one student in full-time education, you can claim tax relief on the student charge for the second or subsequent children. Also, if you are paying tuition fees, either for a post-graduate programme, a part-time programme or for repeating the year, you may be entitled to tax back. We estimate that Irish families are missing out on millions of unclaimed tax relief."

And even if you're only entitled to a small amount back, every little helps. 

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Graduating last year felt more like a slow, sad deflation than a triumphant arrival into the working world. 

I’d worked hard for four years, pulled all nighters, been active in clubs and societies and made a boatload of friends.

Somehow, I managed to blag my way into a an entry-level position at a bank with an English degree.  

On the outside it seemed like I had no reason to be miserable, I had a decent apartment, a handful of close friends, a generous salary, a loving relationship. 

I had a good old dose of the post-graduation blues

While my co-workers were generally pleasant, I felt severely isolated. After spending four years learning about and debating literature, life and everything in between, copying and pasting an Excel spreadsheet was a shock to the system.

But in reality, I had a cheeky bathroom cry at least once a day and spent my evenings watching Gossip Girl reruns in bed. My identity as an outgoing and enthusiastic book-lover was completely shattered, I didn't know who I was or what I wanted anymore. I felt that my degree had been a waste of time, that employers didn't care about the dedication and buckets of Red Bull that went into that piece of paper. 

I lasted four months before handing in my notice, while crying of course. 

I'm not the only one. When talking about it with friends, classmates and co-workers, I was surprised that the amount of similar tales to my own. Hitting a massive slump after finishing college seems to be a fairly well-acknowledged experience.

So why is nobody talking about it? 

A study conducted by the The Independent in 2013 found that 90% of British students believed that post-graduation depression was a reality and 87% agreed that it needed more media exposure.

Despite this, there has never, I repeat NEVER, been a reputable study done on the relationship between graduating from  third level institution and depression. It is a well reported statistic that one in four students will suffer depression at some stage in their college careers, yet little is known about what happens to these students after they get handed that diploma.

“Young adulthood isn’t a population that is well studied at all. From a research perspective, it’s hard to categorise them,” Sheryl Ziegler, a professional counsellor, told The Washington Post.

“If a student’s college experience is mostly positive, college provides a cocoon of sorts: a community of friends, teachers and mentors who are mostly readily available to offer support or advice. Graduating symbolises a leap into ‘adult’ life, which is a huge transition,” she explains.

According to therapists and graduate chatrooms, symptoms of post-graduation depression  include massively decreased motivation, abnormally negative perspective, spending excessive amounts of time in bed, a sense of hopelessness and substance abuse.

“They often have trouble motivating themselves to get a job,” Ziegler said. “They are often lonely due to a lack of connection with friends. While young adults are in college, they may have been in an environment that was more accepting of alcohol and recreational drug use, and while depressed it’s possible this is being used as a coping mechanism.”

As well as employment and financial worries, graduates are often faced with the difficulties of moving back home. After the freedom and independence of living alone for college, returning to being a teenager-like state of co-habiting with parents can take it’s toll.

John, an engineering graduate from Dublin, sees no point leaving his family home, at least not in the current rental market.

“Although I appreciate my home cooked meals and other perks living it home can be a bit frustrating at times. I would love to move out to feel more independent, but I haven't come across an opportunity that would justify the cost.”

While a triumphant title in a recent Irish Independent article announced that graduate employment is back to boom-time levels, it doesn't address what type of employment they’ve found. Too often, intelligent young people end up over-qualified and under-paid, or in some cases, not paid at all. Making little to no money is not only financially stressful, but it also impacts on your self-image. 

Eva, a graphic designer, regrets taking an unpaid internship after graduation "I feel as though they definitely have a negative impact upon your self belief and confidence in your own abilities. 

"You're literally being told that your time, commitment and abilities are worth nothing." 

While taking a gap year or spending a prolonged period travelling might seem like a fantastic way to avoid the blues, it too comes with difficulties. Some graduates, such as Rachel, noted that readjusting back to life after travelling only compounded the blues. 

After returning from a year in New York, the marketing graduate doubted her decision of coming back to Dublin. 

“I was miserable; I would’ve given my right arm to get back to New York. I still would to be honest.”

Elsa, a journalism graduate, thought that 18-months travelling and life experience would give her an edge over her competitors, the opposite, in fact, was true.

“I could have kept going after my last internship and turned it into a permanent position but instead I had to justify the 18 month gap in my CV.

“Getting job interviews in journalist was very hard and no one seemed interested in what travelling taught me.”

So why is no one addressing this? Zielgar notes that this might, in part, be due to a common misconception about that final step into adulthood.

"Post-grad depression is under­reported because graduation is like motherhood: culturally seen as a seemingly joyful time, which makes it even more shameful for someone to admit that it’s not."

How can students and universities address graduation depression? Several graduates I talked to suggested improving access to work experience while still in college, to help moderate expectations of the working-environment. Another suggested that the burden should be on universities to assure students that it's okay to not be employed in their field straight away. 

But the first step is opening up to trusted friends, family members or a counsellor about how you feel. If your budget won't stretch as far as therapy fees, mental health services, such as Aware, offer free phone chatlines and support groups.

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and joining clubs, night classes, or community groups was also recommended by graduates. 

For me, it was getting back to hobbies I had neglected and finally landing a job that was right for me. When it comes to mental health, nothing is going to get better overnight, but by embracing small positive changes each day, it will get a little better. I swear. 

By Katie Meegan 

Names have been changed

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Over half of male college athletes, and 38 per cent of non-athletes have admitted to having coerced a partner into performing a sexual act. 

A study of 379 male students from an unnamed university in the US, asked a number of questions around the topics of sexually coercive behaviour and consent, in an attempt to learn more about the attitudes that exist around rape culture. 

Aside from the sheer number of men who said they had engaged in coercive behaviour, one of the more alarming findings was the mentality behind the admissions, and the apparent belief in rape myths. 

Offending participants shared the opinion that "if a woman doesn't fight back, it isn't rape", a worrying take on gender roles, such as "women should worry less about their rights and more about becoming good wives and mothers." 

Speaking to the Washington Post, Kristy McCray, an assistant professor of health and sport sciences at Otterbein Universtiy in Ohio, said: "Sports are a hypermasculine endeavor, and there's a lot that connects hypermasculinity to violence." 

While the findings are no doubt disturbing at best, many readers of the report have taken to social media to say the news doesn't come as a huge shock. 

The study proves particularly relevant at a time when the #MeToo and #IBeleiveHer movements aim to open the conversation around rape culture and provide support for the victims of sexual assault. 

 

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The number of Irish students turning to “sugar daddies” to pay their way through college has more than doubled in the past four years.

According to The Mirror, US website, SeekingArrangments.com says there are currently over 10,000 Irish students using the service.

The website works by matching young women with wealthy older men who are willing to reward a 'sugar baby' with gifts and/or money in an arrangement decided by the two parties.

Potential reasons for the increase include the rising costs of accommodation, as well as college fees and student expenses such as books, laptops and transport.

Vouge Williams recently shone a light on the concept of “sugar babies” in her TV documentary Vogue: For Love or Money?.

The model and DJ became emotional after hearing the story of a young girl who had entered an arrangement with one of her uncle's friends.

“I honestly feel upset after talking to her. She is a really young 19. She currently has a sugar daddy,” she said

 

The last episode of my series "For Love Or Money" airs tomorrow night at 10pm on @rte2

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Adding: “She is a virgin so she hasn’t slept with anyone yet. She has told me she is really worried, she does not really want to sleep with a man over twice her age for the first time and ruin something special.”

Spokeswoman for the controversial website, Alexis Germany said: “We are not surprised by the increase in student sugar babies.

“Sugar dating is a way for students to get the money they need for school without dedicating precious study hours to low-paying part-time jobs.”

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