Testimonials
Personal experiences stories
How do you find life as a student veggie/animal rights campaigner? Get in touch (you don't have to give your name) and tell us your story!
Here's what some current and former students have to say about their experince:
I have been into animal rights since I was ten, and was vegan when I went to uni but switched back to veggie after a few weeks. I found it hard being the only veggie, let alone vegan, in my halls. I also practically dropped out of the animal rights scene at this time.
Then into my second year I remembered that one of the reasons I went to university was to set up an animal rights/veggie group and spread the compassionate word! So I spoke to Animal Aid and they sent me a pack full of ideas and I got planning.
It was hard work to start with but at the freshers fair when students were coming over to sign up and pick up leaflets it felt great! Finally I was getting those lazy students to sit up and learn about animal rights! I held weekly meetings and SAAC was born!
Over the year we held a vivisection debate with vivisectors and anti-vivisection scientists from around the country, a Christmas food fayre, a vegfest (free food in a hall with stalls from around the country) and socials. So much fun, and I highly recommend anyone joining a group or setting one up. You're one step away from loads more friends with similar interests and giving even more chance for animals that need us to speak up for them.
My university animal rights group was a real life-line for me, it gave me meaningful and constructive purpose and focus for my frustration at animal abuse and I think it was instrumental in directing me towards a professional career in animal protection.
I have been Vegan for nearly 2 years and was vegetarian for about 12 years before that. I went vegan after my meat eating boyfriend took Animal Aid's veggie month challenge and in sympathy I took a vegan month challenge. I loved being vegan so much that after 10 days I knew I was never going back.
The more I read about veganism the more it made absolute sense. We are both vegan now and love it. I really hate it when people describe veganism as "extreme" and "restrictive". I have found veganism completely and utterly liberating and my world has just got bigger and bigger since I became involved in campaigning. I message vegans all over the world, I eat out more as a vegan than I ever did as a vegetarian, and there is nothing better than popping on the train and going to one of the big fairs like the London Vegan Festival.
If you're not sure about going veggie or going vegan I would say "just try it". Try it for a month and see you get on. There are loads of groups that will support you and send you a free information pack. Veganism is direct action, it's doing something positive everyday, every meal in fact! I don't support animal cruelty and I don't support environmental destruction or the frivolous use of our planet's resources. I am proud to be vegan; it's the best thing I have ever done.
I became vegetarian at the age of twelve. I have always been horrified that people eat animals. I see no moral difference between eating a cow or a cat or a dog and a duck - they are living creatures with their own reasons for being here and are not here for us to exploit or murder.
I had no veggie friends (although I found a lot of young teenagers give it a try but, due to lack of alternative foods and nutrition information, don't last very long) so learnt gradually about hidden ingredients. I found the majority of people supportive and understanding although, as I am sure most of us have, encountered mindless morons who are completely offended by it (guilty conscience?) or worse people who think it is funny to 'hide' meat on your plate.
As I grew older, I realised a distaste for diary products and really only ate chocolate, mozerella cheese and veggie burgers that contained egg for binding. I always wanted to be vegan and don't know why it took me so long. It has been almost a year now and it is the best thing I have EVER done for myself, the animals and the environment. My diet is healthier and more varied than ever before. I cannot recommend being vegan enough, although eating out in the mainstream still has a way to go but I know that the Vegan Society are working on that one!
I think the most likely vegans are existing vegetarians (it's a logical progression). It is best done gradually and also important to remember that there are vegan version of everything and YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO WITHOUT! 
I never set out to run a university anti-vivisection group, although I have always opposed cruelty to animals whenever I have learned of it.
When I read that slides of animal tissue were to be sent to all students on my Open University course, I wrote to the course team chair (later to become the OU's Head of Biology) to enquire about the origins of the tissue and asked for the slides not to be sent to me. (They were.)
The course team chair's reply filled me with dismay, as it included claims that I would find it difficult to avoid animal tissue in the course and should consider withdrawing from it. As it was the basic biology course that I needed to take in order to gain my coveted degree, I was left feeling that I would never be able to achieve my goals. But being a stubborn so-and-so, I continued, and joined the OU anti-vivisection society Students for Ethical Science (SES), for which I later became the secretary.
When I arrived at the summer school for the course, I read in the notes that "rats will be killed for you"! No way would I allow this to happen, and I had an interview with the summer school director where I was grilled on my views on various animal issues, including diet. To my immense relief I was given computer simulations of the unethical experiments, and was granted the full credit for attending the school - essential for passing the course.
I have since found that the OU's position is typical of educational institutions, in that they insist that alternatives are available, but they fail to publicise the fact. They are also resistant to demands to provide adequate information about animal use in courses, so that it is difficult for students to make informed choices, and they can find themselves in the very-stressful situation that I encountered - having to stand up to the system on their own.
You can read more about Vivien's experiences and tips for a humane education here.