Sir – Allie Walde quoted as her reason for not going to university (Business, May 26): “I don’t want to spend £50,000 on a glorified binge only to spend the next ten years paying it back.” It is not compulsory for any student to binge their way through their degree course. Our daughter studying physics and astronomy has never touched a drop of alcohol in her entire student life. She will however have a £25,000 debt to repay.

Our son has chosen not to go to university and has worked since passing his A-levels and is progressing well in his chosen career. He likes the occasional pint when out with his mates, but then he earns his money.

Neither of them believes in the myth put out by Janet Beer, of Oxford Brookes University, that a graduate can earn at least £100,000 more over their lifetime than a non-graduate. Not all graduates get well-paid jobs; many are unemployed.

As a graduate of London University and as a recent mature student of Oxford Brookes (MSc in Spatial Planning), I can categorically say that it is the prevailing economics, politics, your age, gender and “who you know” that is more likely to secure opportunities in the work of work rather than how well you did at school or university. My best salary was £20,000 working for Oxford City Council until I had to retire early on my “gold-plated” local government pension of £4,500 at the age of 39. The lesson learnt and passed on to both my “kids” is: life’s a lottery and nothing is guaranteed! Enjoy the snowboarding Allie, just don’t “break a leg”!

Rosemary Aldgate, Kennington