Being state-educated at Durham University

Did your schooling experience influence the universities you chose to apply to?

>> I actually don't think it did for me.

>> I actually think I was over ambitious, which I never am.

>> Yeah, for me I was put in the highf flyers program. So they made me apply to

flyers program. So they made me apply to Oxbridge with >> Oh, me too.

>> You want to do >> I wasn't in the high Flyers program, but I still like went for it. Like I always thought that I always think I'm going to do worse than I am and for some reason I went for it in this situation. I don't

really know why.

>> They put me in this program but then gave me no support and so I didn't know how to do an interview.

>> I had one practice run it went terribly and then on the day I did also terribly.

So >> but yeah.

>> Yeah. We were like put in a program as well like a few of us from the school and then we went on a trip to Oxford.

Um, but for my course, I didn't I couldn't go anywhere cuz primary education isn't like Oxford or Cambridge. So, I just kind of looked at

Cambridge. So, I just kind of looked at the best courses >> and chose that way. So,

>> that's how I chose my uni.

>> Yeah. My sixth one was like smaller, so we didn't have like a program or anything, but they still like pushed like the higher students to

>> apply for like the Oxbridge in like Durham.

>> So they like basically they didn't force me to do it obviously, but they were like very like adamant like you should apply.

>> Yeah. So yeah, I was in the high achievers thing in my college, but like because I went to a different college that wasn't my connected to my school, but if I'd have gone to the one that was

connected to my school, I wouldn't have been in the high achievers program. I

already knew that from year 11 because of how I did in my SATs.

>> Oh, which is insane.

>> That's weird.

>> But then because I did well on my GCSEs and I went to a completely different college that didn't care about my stats, they put me in the high achiever as well. I think I barely passed stats, but

well. I think I barely passed stats, but it was never a problem.

>> Yeah, that's the thing. I was rubbish in my stats. That's

my stats. That's >> when you're only a kid. It's really No one's studying for stats.

>> No, >> I don't know. Have you ever been ostracized or judged due to your academic upbringing?

>> I mean, I don't feel I feel like when someone judges me, it's not cuz they know what school I went to. It's because

of loads of other factors.

>> I think it's your my accent.

>> Yeah. Accent.

>> Well, I don't feel judged. I just I have it in my head that I could be judged.

Also, there's a certain vibe that people may give off. For example,

>> remember in first year though, like when I said that I was in the state school, I was at like a social and people like, "Oh, like state school, private school."

>> And I was like, "State school." And

they're like, "What?" And I was like, "Yeah." And they're like, "Oh, well, you

"Yeah." And they're like, "Oh, well, you know, with my accent." I was just like, "Oh, >> okay."

>> okay." >> Yeah. I remember like in I think it was

>> Yeah. I remember like in I think it was like fresh last week people would be like, "What school did you go to?" And I was like, "Well, >> you're not you're not going to know my school." Like I didn't I didn't realize

school." Like I didn't I didn't realize like that was a thing that people asked.

Like cuz obviously like all the private school kids know like the other private schools >> and I was just like why is that? I

didn't even realize that was a thing like people would ask each other.

>> Yeah. I did a geography in we had geography groups on a placement and there was 10 of us. I was the only one not from London, the only one not from a private school. So, I was sat in Weather

private school. So, I was sat in Weather Spoons on a break and the whole thing going around is, "Oh, what school did you go to?" And it came around to me and I'm like, "Burnsley College and they're like, "Oh, I've never heard." I'm like, "Yeah, no shit." Like, why would you?

>> Yeah.

>> I remember in first year someone was like, "Let's guess who's got the biggest student loan. All eyes on me." Cuz I had

student loan. All eyes on me." Cuz I had a thick thicker accent.

>> But that's not my academic upbringing.

But I mean, it's all connected, isn't it? cuz the person with the biggest

it? cuz the person with the biggest student loan is not going to have gone to to private school. I mean, that would be a bad choice. That' be a bad way to spend money.

>> You know, one of our friends said to um one of our other friends once that they could have gone to private school because they could have just got a scholarship.

And that friend was just like, "That's just not how it works."

>> What? Like they were private school and they said that to someone else. Oh yeah.

Or another girl said to me, "Uh, I love your accent." Um, and then she was like,

your accent." Um, and then she was like, "Did you get into did you go to a grammar school? Did you get here all by

grammar school? Did you get here all by yourself? You must have worked so hard."

yourself? You must have worked so hard."

>> Really?

>> Like complimentally.

>> Yeah.

>> Like you must have come from filth.

You've done you're you're amazing. Like

>> you defied all odds. Not really

>> like a pity almost, isn't it? Yeah. I

felt like that as well. I think it is like accents. I think are quite a big

like accents. I think are quite a big determiner sometimes of people like judging you before they really speak to you.

>> I've met plenty of people here that are apparently from like the same area as me, but clearly they've >> gone to a private school or something.

They don't sound like I was in my school known for being like known for having a posh accent, but like compared to them, I probably sound like crazy.

>> Yeah.

>> Do you feel at all disadvantaged socially or academically due to your academic upbringing? disadvantaged

academic upbringing? disadvantaged socially like what like like networking >> I think now that we're all in Dorham.

No.

>> All right.

>> I don't know. I have this theory that people who have had a private school bring in and have got these networks and know all these possibilities have like they think they can aim higher and they do all this networking cuz they they

know like they can get somewhere.

>> Yeah. They got the contacts.

>> Whereas me, I've got no idea what I want to do next. I don't feel like the possibilities are really all that endless. I don't have high ambitions and

endless. I don't have high ambitions and I'm wondering if I don't have a high ambitions because >> I don't know anyone who's got like a job anything higher than an electrician or a receptionist or something.

>> I don't not have high ambitions but I don't know what my ambitions are but that's just a me problem. I think like I don't know what I want to do with my life.

>> Yeah.

>> I don't know.

>> Even though I'm here I did well. I've

done well so far.

I don't feel like I'm going to be one of these like savvy CEO or >> I do always worry about my accent in an interview.

>> Really?

>> Yeah. Genuinely

>> genuinely the same.

>> I used to put mine on >> really make it thicker cuz I would think that >> they foundation like um for global opportunities programs at uni stuff. I'm

like oh >> but that's different.

>> They're going to love this. I'm so poor.

probably feel like with my Disney interview or something because it wasn't like I don't know if I was just interviewing for a job in Warrington like you know I would I wouldn't mind my accent but you know when you're

interviewing for something that's not in your area >> you feel like your accent's going to like affect you.

>> That's how I felt when I was interviewing for Durham. I was like oh >> it was fine I got here.

>> So >> did the hierarchy of private vers state schools at Durham ever make you question your self-esteem? No,

your self-esteem? No, >> I just I think anyone who would look down on someone, >> but not being born into money, >> not worth my time. Not worth my time.

>> I don't know.

>> Feel like you hear stereotypes and things, don't you? But no, I agree with you.

>> There's people who do it 100%.

>> Yeah, there isn't. But I'm sure we've all heard it, but no, that didn't make me feel.

>> Yeah. Sometimes I do wonder though whether people act like it doesn't affect them when it does.

>> Like I have a friend that she literally cannot stop talking about private school people and how many opportunity how much opportunities they've got and all that.

And I feel like the way she goes on and on and on about it like it doesn't I feel like it doesn't concern me that much but she goes on about it so much that I'm like clearly something's bothering you here.

>> Do you know what I mean? I mean

undeniable they will have more opportunities.

>> Yeah. But like it always comes up in conversation.

>> What? Like the quality of education or just like experiences that they get to do on like trips or just in general just the >> And she she always goes on about how yeah they have all the connections and

how they've got like this confidence that everyone else like doesn't have because they went to private school. And

I don't know she just goes on about it like a lot. I don't feel like it does make me think are you insecure that you didn't go to private school because of how much you go on about it.

>> I mean I mean I feel like self-esteem though like it doesn't make it doesn't affect my self-esteem but it obviously will affect job prospects and things like that.

>> Yeah. Yeah. But you know what I'm saying though like why do you need to bring it up so much? is self-esteem cuz it's like what I feel I'm able to achieve has been cemented into me from a young age

where and like I don't know like my parents just amazed that I've got my like GCSEs cuz they don't >> actually that's a good point. I don't

think it's ever affected my self-esteem like as a person but in terms of like I don't know if this is self-esteem but like what yeah what I think I can achieve like

you know I feel like it's funny how like my cousin who went to private school she just thought she was going to I think her top choice was Dorham and her second choice was York she just thought she was

going to get into Durham and then she ended up in clearing and it was like this massive shock whereas like for me I was expecting to go into clearing and I had all the numbers written mindset

>> and then obviously I didn't. But like

it's interesting that she just like probably just thought like that's never going to happen to me.

>> She's like a cocky person cuz she's not.

She's lovely.

>> But like she just never thought that was going to happen clearly and then I thought it would and then >> it's actually kind of better for me because it but like I prepared for that and she hadn't prepared for it.

>> Do you believe your educational standard was different compared to school student?

>> I should hope so. otherwise what they paying for like >> I think that when I had teachers that just wouldn't show up like sometimes I don't think that those parents course >> I mean I had teachers during A levels

that like went on strike and like cuz my sixth one was split across two schools so like had to travel to the other school and the teacher wouldn't even be there and we knew like they wouldn't be there but the still maid would travel

over just to sit in a classroom with no teacher for an hour and literally do nothing and that was just like meant to be normal.

We had a teacher that was like scared of the students and she just like Yeah. We

just didn't get anything done.

>> Yeah. Someone got long co at my A levels. She were gone for 6 months. No

levels. She were gone for 6 months. No

one replaced her. I taught myself my geography level out of a book. Just

remembered it all to memory. I mean I got an a an A star but like no teacher was involved. So that's not that's not

was involved. So that's not that's not education. That's just me reading a

education. That's just me reading a book. Like and other kids don't have

book. Like and other kids don't have that discipline. It's not fair. I mean,

that discipline. It's not fair. I mean,

I just I think it just depends on the person. Like, you're only going to do as

person. Like, you're only going to do as well as what you push yourself to do, but I don't know. Some kids have got different harms, so you not got that support network.

>> Are you friends with people from private schools?

>> No.

>> Yeah.

>> Not not because not like if someone's like "Oh I'm >> Yeah, we're not >> Well, names. You can't

>> if someone's like, "Oh, I'm from private school." I'm not going to be like, "I'm

school." I'm not going to be like, "I'm not friends with you." It's just like >> I haven't met anyone from a private school that I've >> Yeah. Because I think we're just so

>> Yeah. Because I think we're just so different that I don't know. I just

haven't like met anyone.

>> I feel like you could though. I feel

like that's just by chance cuz I've met like obviously there is that stereotype of the people from private schools that are like >> dodgy. Not dodgy but like maybe I

>> dodgy. Not dodgy but like maybe I shouldn't say that.

>> Snobby.

>> Like snobby. Yeah. But I've met like plenty of nice private school people.

One of my friends from one of my societies.

Um she like she's from my hometown and everything and we relate in a lot of ways but she went to private school >> and she's really nice.

>> There's levels to it like private school there's it's a spectrum. You know what I'm saying? Like there's there's a

I'm saying? Like there's there's a certain like Durham stereotype that have like the classic private

school, you know? kind of that mega private school, mega rich kind of vibe that I do think there would the life lives have just been so different whereas I think private school people

who've come from an international background that's different already. I

even think it's just like upbringing and >> also I just think it's English classism in general like >> cuz like my cousins for example like they went to private school they're not international or anything but they've

been raised in a way that's not snobby and like yeah there are things that you think they wouldn't understand about my life >> you know I remember having a conversation with with them once and

they didn't they didn't know what foundation was you know when you do like foundation or higher GCSEs they didn't know about foundations obviously, but like >> yeah, I feel like they were raised well.

So, like there's nothing to stop you from getting on with people like that, even if you've got a few differences, you know?

>> Yeah.

>> I don't know.

>> And I definitely wouldn't be one of those people that's like, I'm not being friends with someone cuz they went to private school. It's not their fault

private school. It's not their fault they went to private school. I just

remember feeling like so out of place when I was on that geography trip and everyone knew each other's school and they all knew people from each other's school and it's not like I couldn't be friends with them. It's just that felt

like the way they was like the way they made friends with each other like that level of private school. It felt like they only wanted to be friends with people who were connected. Yeah.

>> A bit of like a social climbing dynamic.

>> But I think not everyone's like that.

>> Not everyone is. And like like you say, there's private schools and there's the creme daughter.

>> I think a certain someone in our flat is is like that.

>> But I've met plenty of private school people that are not like that. Like

they're so nice, you know? They just

happen to have had parents that picked for them to go and >> yeah, I guess.

>> I also just think people surround themselves with people who make them feel comfortable and accepted. And if

you take a first glance at someone, sometimes that is just the difference.

If you get to know someone on a deeper level, then it might be entirely different.

>> Yeah. But

>> it's not a selective process where I'm like private school out. Yeah. You got

to get to know them.

>> Yeah.