[shakermaker]

I got my university place by cruising through exams throughout primary school/high school/sixth form, never exerting much energy or effort. I don't think you can call that merit. In all honesty I wish there were less places, courses and universities. It's too easy to get there and achieve a lot of nothing. From my experience of the modern education system, there's far too much emphasis on obtaining qualifications and not enough on career direction.