Voice of London

In bed until midday? Drinking every night? 2pm starts? We’ve heard it all before.

Reporter: Amie Stone | Sub-editor: Jack Cummings

We all have that friend who left school and ventured straight into the grown up world of work. It’s a huge, exciting and a brave step to take. However, once those who took it have landed their 40 hour a week job, they often have demeaning perceptions of university students. Here’s what we’d like them to know.

1. 4 HOURS PER WEEK? TRY 40. We get it, you work 9-5. But our days don’t just consist of 2pm starts. If you were to add up all the hours of lectures, seminars, homework, revision, placements and trying to work a part time job you would see it comes to more than 40 hours a week!
2. WE DO WORK HARD. Just because you go into an actual work place every day does not mean we do not understand the meaning of hard work!
3. ITS NOT EASY COME EASY GO: In our spare time we do have to have a paid job too, because yes we do have bills to pay. Student finance doesn’t cover everything!
4. FUTURE PROSPECTS: Just because you are earning lots of money does not mean that in the future I won’t be!
5. CONSTANT PARTYING? Parties are not as crazy and regular as they seem. But, then again if they are we get on with it. We might moan but we still make it to the 9am lecture. It’s all part of being young.
6. WE ARE NOT LAZY. We are being pulled in more directions than you could ever imagine! The workload is constant!
7. SOCIAL LIFE? If I see you in the library I might get a chance to say hello to you!
8. YES, I AM IN DEBT. Thanks for reminding me. It doesn’t matter though because I’ll pay it back when I can afford it, and I have had the most amazing three years.
9. DO NOT JUDGE. University is hard work and requires a lot of dedication. You will not understand until you have been. I applauded your decision to dive in head first, so please do not criticise my choice.
10. REMEMBER: slow and steady wins the race! We are and will be successful in our own right.