I was the first person in my family to go to university. Brainbox I was not - I just happened to be good at one particular subject (German - I lived there as a kid and picked it up without even trying).

The one thing I didn't have to worry about back then was student fees. Higher education was free back in 1979 (you can do your own maths on how old I am now). It never even occurred to me or my fellow students that we should be paying towards our degrees.

That is a freedom that today's students - and their parents - must look on with envy.

According to official government statistics there appears to be a real problem with getting northern students to go on to get a degree. Over the past 11 years there has been a 44% increase in the number of children in England going to university. Compare that with a 4% fall in the Blyth and Bedlington area.

That's why we sent actor Chris Connel back to school in Northumberland to find out why.

We also conducted a survey to see if the prospect of up to £9,000 a year fees and running up a debt for the future would put people off. You can read the details on our news pages.

And as you'll see in the show (BBC1 19:30 BST Monday, 24 October 2011), financial guru Alvin Hall has a few tips on how to make it easier to cope with. We've a sneak preview below.

What do you think about student fees and whether they are putting you or your youngsters off going to university. Why not add your comment to the blog?

We're back with a brand new series tonight (Monday, October 17 2011, 19:30 BST BBC1) and we'll be introducing you to a set of job hunters who are seeking work in these tough times.

We'll be following them over the coming months to see what life without work is really like and just how they are trying to land a new job.

Letricia from Thornaby has just 66p in her bank account and her cupboards are almost bare. As the 51-year-old unemployed barmaid says:

"I don't want a handout, I just want someone to give me a job"

We have already had some good news from two of our job seekers.

But the job hunting still continues for the rest of our group. Sharon who has an 8-year-old daughter is "sick of having no money". The 28-year-old waitress from Ashington hasn't worked since the birth of her daughter.

Stephen from Gateshead and Kath from Stockton are worried that at 52 and 53, their age is counting against them.

Kath had an autistic son who developed terminal cancer. Caring for him was a full time job in itself. She finds it strange that now as an older jobseeker with no ties employers don't seem interested at what is for her the best time in her life to be working.

At the other end of scale 20-year-old Chris from Middlesbrough is hoping to turn his life around. He got into bother and ended up homeless. With the help of Fairbridge and The Prince's Trust he's trying to make a new start and has just got a flat of his own.

We all wish them the best of luck!

If you have any stories of your own or advice on how to get work then just add them as a comment to this blog.

Also on tonight's show we look at the experiences of people who invested in overseas properties on the advice of a Teesside businessman.

Also Kirsten O'Brien returns to Middlesbrough for a loving look at the Transporter Bridge that celebrates its 100th birthday today.

A bit like the buses.... you wait for ages and then two come along at once!

The brand new series of Inside Out starts on Monday 17 October 2011 19:30 BST (more on this in my next blog), but the evening before we are bringing you a bonus documentary marking 25 years of the Gateshead Metro Centre.

Sir John Hall has taken me into his confidence to reveal exactly how he managed to convince reluctant councils, big-wig retailers and financiers to join an adventure that gave the North East the lead in Britain's shopping revolution.

It turns out Sir John even nicked the concept lock, stock and barrel from our North American cousins.

As you can see in this preview of the show, the entrepreneur and his wife weren't averse to some sneaky industrial espionage.

What's incredible is how much of the Metro Centre really is identical to the Woodbine Center - its Canadian forerunner - right down to the colour scheme, fixtures and fittings.

Kick back and relax this Sunday evening and rummage around 25 years of archive and revelation about the shopping centre that put us on the map.

Metro Man: An Inside Out Special is broadcast on Sunday, 16 October at 22:40 BST on BBC One North East & Cumbria and nationwide on BBC iPlayer.

As BOGOF (buy one - get one free) offers go, it's a real bargain!