The Student Room Group

The NUS is irrelevant?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 20
Avatar for Airmed
Airmed
21
My uni aren't a part of the NUS and I'm kinda glad. They're far too political.
Banning it because we don't agree with it is such a student thing to do.
The NUS does things other than discount cards that you use about once per year? That's news to me.

Anyway we don't need it, students are one of the most protected, mollycoddled and voiceful groups in society. The demographic's ability to write semi-legibly, have the spare time to organise campaigns/protest and condemn opposing viewpoints means they have no problem representing themselves.
Reply 23
Avatar for Truered
Truered
1
When I was at Uni very few seemed to give a crap about it, and from an outsider looking in it seemed more like a niche group for people who either wanted some popularity or were likely on a trajectory to becoming involved in politics.

And I was a student before social media poisoned everything and no-platforming was only popping up once or twice. By and large I think the majority of students either don't care or view it as a joke, personally I usually didn't care until they did something student-uniony to piss me off.
I'd be against abolishing a national union for students as much as I might complain about them. No body as large and with such aligned interests should be without union representation, but I do feel as though NUS sometimes engages in politics where it shouldn't and in that sense goes beyond its remit - i.e. specifically targeting the Lib Dems at the 2015 election and not mentioning that tuition fee increases were a Conservative policy. Reform please, but what else would a wishy-washy centrist like me say? ^_^
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Star Light
The NUS does things other than discount cards that you use about once per year? That's news to me.

Anyway we don't need it, students are one of the most protected, mollycoddled and voiceful groups in society. The demographic's ability to write semi-legibly, have the spare time to organise campaigns/protest and condemn opposing viewpoints means they have no problem representing themselves.


I'm sorry but that patently isn't true. Politically at the moment it is not that costly to go against the interest of students, because many of them (infuriatingly) don't vote. If you want to talk mollycoddled, talk triple lock on pensions during government austerity.

'Representing themselves' and being represented are entirely different things.
Original post by neb789
But haven't students always been relatively apathetic?


It's partly apathy. It's also partly antipathy.

The student union lot are a particular (and particularly unbearable) clique that most students want absolutely nothing to do with.
Reply 27
Avatar for neb789
neb789
OP
14
Original post by TimmonaPortella
It's partly apathy. It's also partly antipathy.

The student union lot are a particular (and particularly unbearable) clique that most students want absolutely nothing to do with.


Well you're not wrong! :smile:
Reply 28
Avatar for neb789
neb789
OP
14
Original post by Airmed
My uni aren't a part of the NUS and I'm kinda glad. They're far too political.


Which uni is that?
The NUS are vastly unrepresentative of the national student body as it's all just a left-wing bunch of people playing sixth form politics. I challenged the NUS president at our latest SU AGM on the loan changes - about how actually it was a positive change for many and doesn't actually prevent people from going to uni. She just shrugged it off.

When I asked about real issues, such as halls accommodation prices being astronomical, she couldn't answer the question. I can't even remember the last time I was asked to vote for an NUS president (which I should have, at least once, in the last 5 years). :dontknow:

Saying that the NUS should be abolished because it's unrepresentative is not the same as saying we should ban it because we don't agree with it. Every uni student is automatically a member of their SU, therefore a member of the NUS (apart from those who aren't NUS-affiliated). They spout utter **** and need to be gone.

:smile:
Reply 30
Avatar for Airmed
Airmed
21
Original post by neb789
Which uni is that?


Dundee Uni. We're part of some other group which has been inactive for 5 years now I think.
They need some drastic changes based on the things I've been hearing them saying.
Reply 32
Avatar for neb789
neb789
OP
14
Original post by Airmed
Dundee Uni. We're part of some other group which has been inactive for 5 years now I think.


Fair enough, I'd assumed it was compulsory for universities!
Reply 33
Avatar for Airmed
Airmed
21
Original post by neb789
Fair enough, I'd assumed it was compulsory for universities!


Dundee held a vote and left. Then about 4 years ago another vote was held to rejoin and it was defeated.
Reply 34
Avatar for neb789
neb789
OP
14
Original post by Airmed
Dundee held a vote and left. Then about 4 years ago another vote was held to rejoin and it was defeated.


Fair play to you guys then! I don't suppose its very different than being in though anyway!
Original post by Fractite
They need some drastic changes based on the things I've been hearing them saying.


They talk like everybody can have their cake and eat it. They're not living in the real world and need to wake up.
Reply 36
Avatar for Airmed
Airmed
21
Original post by neb789
Fair play to you guys then! I don't suppose its very different than being in though anyway!


Why do I need a discount card when there's unidays? :colone:
Reply 37
Avatar for neb789
neb789
OP
14
Original post by Airmed
Why do I need a discount card when there's unidays? :colone:


Haha :colone:
Original post by Airmed
Why do I need a discount card when there's unidays? :colone:


Original post by neb789
Haha :colone:


UniDays has basically replaced the NUS card anyway. :biggrin:
Reply 39
Avatar for neb789
neb789
OP
14
Original post by Roving Fish
UniDays has basically replaced the NUS card anyway. :biggrin:


What would you do about the NUS specifically anyway?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you