To think today's students don't want to do any of the leg-work themselves?

[Cortina]

I am helping someone hopefully get a job after graduation. She's a lovely girl and we know her family well. She's bright and has been quite committed to her studies (or so I imagined). She expects to do well and asked if I'd help get her a job at a company I used to have some experience of working with many years ago.

Long story short, she's asked me to do lots of detailed statistic based research on her behalf - including going onto the new company website to see 'if I can find out anything new about them' and taking notes or forwarding information to her. She asked this very boldly as if she expected me to do all of this on her behalf. She's lovely, as I said, I was struck that she didn't think this was a strange request or expecting too much at all!

So is there a growing entitlement culture amongst our young (thinking of other stories I've heard recently and some posts on here)? Or is this an unusual example.

You don't know the difference between one student you know, and ALL students? Perhaps you shouldn't be helping anyone study anything.

cue lots of abusive posts

that is rather lazy of her, did she not just sit with you whilst you explained how the company changed etc, surely that would be more helpful to her

I don't think it's a recent thing. 6 months in the workplace and they are normally knocked into shape.

I remember working with a graduate who the Company thought was wonderful when they recruited her, first class degree from top uni, ex head girl etc.

She spent her entire first week asking when it was time for a tea break, didn't even attempt to hide her contempt when she was told that she didn't have her own secretary and turned down the opportunity of coming with me on training courses that I was running because she didn't want to travel.

I hear she is now living by the sea and works part time as a holistic therapist, obviously not suited to the corporate environment and I hope she is happy but jeez it was annoying especially as she was recruited on a very handsome package.

YABU, I was a student as a teen and a mature student recently. It is harder but different now, there was lots of "book learning" back in the day, but that didn't involve much skill, it was just learning off by heart. Now its a lot more applied, and IMO you leave much more qualified to WORK (if you can find it!)

My daughter managed to get herself sorted for college research her course apply for her degree course this september fill in all her course forms go to interviews , get a job and research her career all by herself , yabu not all the yoof of today are lazy ,

CallMeAL I posted when I was annoyed and puzzled. Not a good idea. Also had just read the thread where someone wanted an educational psychologist to answer lots of questions for them (without doing research themselves) which reminded me!

There is something interesting here thought I think. Graduates today coming into the workplace are much more familiar with digital technologies etc the landscape has changed and some expectations can perhaps be far too 'old school' and you get a clash between generations. Both mean well & are industrious but work in different ways and have different expectations?

Sorry, meant to write 'though I think'.

YABU as your making a judgement on an entire group of people based on your experience with one young woman.

Yes, a bit of a knee-jerk reaction see PP, sorry.

including going onto the new company website to see 'if I can find out anything new about them'

Well you worked with them, so you might spot something new about them. You sure she doesn't just want you to spend 5 mins in case anything useful jumps out?

Yes take your point but that wasn't the general tone or expectation, hence the knee-jerk reaction. I am always happy to help (as she knows), perhaps too happy sometimes.

Easy enough done sometimes!

For what it's worth you probably aren't being unreasonable in regards to this particular student as that does sound like she just expects you to do something she should be doing herself. I really don't know very many students who would expect this though!

i have been thinking as i put my chicken in the oven maybe the girls parents have done everything for her and she doesnt do coping on her own very well ? a lot of children are spoon fed everything perhaps she just doesnt have the confidence to do it by herself ?

YABU. DD2 is a 3rd year student and when looking at jobs she does all the legwork.

well now you have micro-generations anyway, and their comfort levels with digital technologies does not necessarily make them lazy or stupid.
The way people learn has changed utterly. You don't need to go to a library and search through old books when you have everything online, and you don't need to remember everything you learned by rote when you have this massive repository of information at your fingertips. Its known as open source intelligence.
Different doesn't mean bad.

I had exactly the same experience 20 years ago (boy I am old). So yes, YABU, it's nothing new just a personality thing.

I've posted on threads about this before. Many people who teach students (e.g. at university/college) have noticed this increased need for spoon-feeding/ and/or inability to rely on own resources. For example, I have a student today who emailed me to say they couldn't find the relevant references and could I send him some of them as pdfs. Despite the fact I know they are in the library, having found them there myself. Even worse, I find myself being 'helpful' and sending them, being cheeky and somewhat entitled does actually work and we are encouraged to keep the students happy now. I've several degrees at different levels and I would never, never have asked an undergraduate lecturer to do my leg work, but it is surprisingly common.

And, it is linked to people paying upfront for fees, it's a consumer mentality not always suited to furthering your academic knowledge.

But yes to some great hard-working students in amongst them, plus I tend to like mature students too as they appreciate how hard it is and tend to be good at juggling.

You get grabby, entitled individuals from all ages, it's not the reserve of the under 25's. That girl has a bloody brass neck though, I'm sure it'll only get shinier as time goes on

Sounds like she's mastered the art of delegating before even getting a job. It's a very important skill ;)

Seriously though, I think there has definitely been an effect on the internet generation with so much more information and expert advice being freely available. WRT your comment about the educational pyschologist I think that entirely defines our relative positions; I read that and thought hmm, my partner has a masters in a related subject, maybe she could help. I've always seen it as give and take because I've got some specialist knowledge on certain subjects and I'm happy to share it. IMO that resource is one of the most glorious things about the internet.