As I’m typing this my dad is downstairs proceeding to set up the new Virgin box. Amidst the swearing and frustration I can hear the dreaded seven words any sane person would never say: “I don’t need to read the instructions”.

If you’ve ever said those words you’ve likely spent the next hour setting something up only to realise afterwards, that maybe those drawers look a little wonky or should it be flashing like that? You’ve then decided to drop your pride and look at the instructions and found that the mistake you made was step 1 or maybe, if you’re lucky, step 2.

This excessive pride of thinking you’re above reading instructions on something you don’t know how to do is just pure lunacy. And yet people still do think that, even though it’s incredibly more time consuming. Worse than that is that it’s like an epidemic. If Steve from down the pub tells you he set up his new TV “well easily mate” without reading the instructions he’s just lying. He struggled and gave in like you will.

So here’s my proposition: next time you go to set something up just read the instructions. Stop the epidemic of excessive pride and extreme stupidity. Because sure enough, it’s half an hour later and my parents are downstairs arguing about which light is meant to show on the Wi-Fi.

Grace Cullen - Coopers School