They're a grumpy bunch, those arts students. And things don't get much better when they graduate: they just make being brooding tortured souls, always broke and constantly misunderstood, into a full-time profession.
An unfair stereotype? Maybe not, especially when it comes to the arts students at universities.
The results of today's National Student Survey paint (excuse the pun) an interesting picture of arts students. Some 80% of final-year university students may be satisfied with their higher education courses, but the individual breakdown of institutions shows that arts colleges are languishing down the bottom of the popularity tables.
According to the second annual survey, the least satisfied students are those at the University College for the Creative Arts, Cumbria Institute of the Arts and Wimbledon School of Arts.
Yes, you guessed it. Arts students, and only about 65% seem happy with university life. Their biggest gripe appears to be the organisation and management of their institutions.
It was the same story last year when University of the Arts London came bottom of the tables in terms of overall student satisfaction. The university is absent from this year's survey but this was only because too few students responded to the survey to make them eligible.
The university's explanation is that the type of students that are attracted to arts colleges- highly critical creative thinkers- means it is inevitable that they will voice their views loudly and clearly- good or bad.
Being located in congested London doesn't help. No Olympic-size swimming pools on campus, concedes the University of the Arts- although they are quick to add they do have access to some of the best galleries in the world.
So, are arts students simply whingers or do they have really have it tougher than their counterparts in other courses?
