December 1st 2024.
Whenever the conversation turned towards travel, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. It seemed that every time the topic came up, my classmates would share their exciting stories about their travels to different countries during summer breaks and weekends spent at their lavish vacation homes. Meanwhile, I couldn't contribute to the conversation at all. I had never been on a ski trip, let alone left the country. In fact, I didn't even have a passport. It was a harsh reminder that I was different from my peers.
This realization hit me even before classes started at university. As my classmates talked about their luxurious vacations and experiences, I couldn't help but feel like an outsider. It was then that I understood the existence of a class divide, and this was only the beginning. Growing up, I knew that I would have to work hard to achieve the life I wanted.
At the young age of 16, I was already drowning in a sea of revision cards, trying to keep my head above water. While my parents struggled to make ends meet, I was determined to succeed. Money was a constant source of stress in our household. My father was suddenly made redundant when I was just 14 years old, and my mother, a civil servant, had to take time off for child care, making it even more challenging to make ends meet.
Surviving in this environment should not have been more difficult than studying. But unfortunately, that was the reality for me. I was constantly surrounded by the fear of money and the troubles it brings. Watching my parents struggle only solidified my belief that a world without obstacles did not exist, at least not for me. Despite these challenges, I worked hard and miraculously passed my GCSEs.
As I entered my A levels, I was overwhelmed by the endless career options presented to me. I had a passion for the creative field, specifically writing and film. I dreamt of becoming a music journalist for NME or the BBC. However, it seemed that in order to succeed in this industry, one had to be based in London. Coming from the North East of England, specifically Northumberland, this was disheartening. I soon learned that I was not alone in feeling this way, as 43% of individuals in the North East believe that their location affects their ability to achieve their dreams.
My hopes were crushed once again when the topic of finances came up. While my friends were applying for their desired courses, I was busy crunching numbers on a calculator, trying to figure out how much student finance I would receive based on my parents' income. It was a daunting task, especially when I had to consider expenses such as rent, electricity, food, and textbooks. Despite the challenges, I knew that I deserved the opportunity just as much as anyone else. I had to hope that my part-time job and student loan would be enough to support me.
Finally, my hard work paid off, and I was accepted into Newcastle University in August of 2020. It was a moment of pride that I had never allowed myself to feel before. This achievement was entirely my own, and suddenly, my future seemed full of possibilities once again. However, upon arriving at university, I soon realized that a significant class culture divide existed.
Suddenly, I was surrounded by students who had attended private schools and had access to top-tier education and resources. It often felt like they had an advantage over the rest of us. Additionally, there was a stigma around having a regional accent. Those with accents closer to RP were deemed "more sophisticated," while those with regional accents often felt embarrassed and lacked representation in their desired careers, particularly in the media industry.
Talking about travel was always something I dreaded. It seemed to come up in every conversation and I always felt out of place when it did. Even before my classes began at university, I already felt like I didn't quite fit in with my peers. My classmates would share stories about their exciting trips to different countries and their relaxing weekends at their vacation homes. Meanwhile, I couldn't relate to any of it. Not only had I never been on a ski trip, but I had never even left the country. In fact, I didn't even have a passport.
Every time the topic of travel came up, I couldn't help but feel like an outsider. People would look at me with pity as if I was missing out on something important. It was then that I realized the class divide that existed at university, and this was only the beginning. Growing up, I knew that I would have to work hard for the life I wanted. At the age of 16, I was already drowning in a sea of revision cards, trying to keep up with my studies. While my parents were just trying to keep our family afloat, money was always a source of stress in our household.
My dad had suddenly lost his job in 2015 and had to become self-employed, selling vinyl records online. My mom, who worked as a civil servant, also faced difficulties in making ends meet after taking time off for child care. It shouldn't be more challenging to survive than to study. This constant fear of money and its impact on our lives was something that I grew up with. Watching my parents struggle made me realize that a world without obstacles simply did not exist, at least not for me. Despite all of this, I continued to work hard and miraculously passed my GCSEs.
When it came time to choose a career path, I was overwhelmed by the options presented to me. I had always dreamed of pursuing a creative field, such as writing or film, and my ultimate goal was to become a music journalist for NME or the BBC. However, it seemed like in order to succeed in the creative industry, one had to be based in London. As someone from the North East of England, specifically Northumberland, this was disheartening. I soon realized that I wasn't alone in feeling this way. In fact, 43% of people in the North East strongly feel that their ambitions and dreams are affected by where they live.
My hopes were once again shattered when finance became a topic of discussion. While my friends were busy applying to their courses, I was calculating how much student finance I would receive based on my parents' income. I had to figure out how much would be left for me to cover rent, food, electricity, and university supplies like textbooks. Despite all of this, I knew I deserved the opportunity just as much as anyone else, so I applied anyways. I held onto the hope that my part-time job and student loan would be enough to support me.
All of my hard work eventually paid off when I was accepted into Newcastle University in August 2020. I felt a sense of pride that I had never allowed myself to feel before. This achievement was entirely my own, and suddenly my future seemed full of endless possibilities. However, when I arrived at university, I quickly realized that there was a significant class culture divide. Suddenly, I was surrounded by students who had attended private schools and had access to top-notch teaching and resources. It felt like they had an advantage over everyone else.
There was also a lot of stigma surrounding regional accents. It seemed like those with accents closer to Received Pronunciation (RP) were viewed as more sophisticated. This made me and other students with regional accents feel embarrassed, as we didn't see much representation of ourselves in the careers we were striving for, such as in the media industry. The lack of diversity and representation only added to the already existing class divide at university.
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