Gallons of beer, unwashed dishes, and all-nighters after a week of parties – all cornerstones of the student lifestyle. But in 2016, the stereotype is increasingly out of date. Students are drinking less, working more and paying more. How does it affect the way they see their time at university?

Why pay thousands each year for your degree, when €20 per month will do the job? French edtech start-up OpenClassrooms – Europe’s leader in digital learning solutions – has received a cash injection of €6 million to increase the number of certified diplomas available on its platform.

Rising university fees – and in turn, debts – are making the higher education system in the UK feel increasingly American. And the jobs awarded after graduating often don’t pay enough to justify the degree. Could the circumvention of traditional systems breed a richer, happier workforce?

Gen Yers came of age during one of the worst global financial crises, got saddled with a record amount of student debt, and are worse off than their parents were at the same age. So how are they managing the money they owe? And how have attitudes towards borrowing changed for this cohort?