What do I do?

Universities can offer financial support.Your parents can't stop you so don't let them dictate your life. I've seen you around in the Cambridge thread a lot so you're obviously something special Don't let your talent and hard work go to waste.

Okay, I'm warning you early, this will be long, but I'll try to keep it as short as possible.

Throughout my childhood and my teenage years, which I'm thankfully nearing the end of, I have been sheltered and over-protected to the complete maximum by my parents.
Put it this way, I once I asked if I could attend my friend's birthday party (she only lived a few streets away) and they immediately declined.

From that, you can only imagine how much their excessive protectiveness has affected my relationships with my friends, and in general, my life.

But I decided to stick through it during my time in secondary school, with the hope that my grades will help me get the freedom I so desperately want.

And now, I'm at the stage where I have the grades and the motivation, and want to apply to the best university in the country for my course.

They, of course, have said no.

First, it was a teary affair on how, if I get in, my mother wouldn't be able to survive without seeing me everyday, which I understood. I told her that we'll both be okay and I'll have to leave home one day anyway.

Second, my father warned me about the financial implications if I were to enter the university. I explained how the university is very wealthy and can offer support to me given my background.

They simply weren't having it, and then my mother finally told me what was really on their minds.

They said that, as I am a girl, I would give them a 'bad name' to other people if I were to move out for university. They also said that women are not supposed to have high ambitions in life.

Lately, I've been very upset over the whole situation and have began to do things that I never thought I'd do.

What are your thoughts? What should I do?

And yes, before you ask, my parents are South Asian and Muslim.

tl;dr: sheltering and overprotecting by parents has badly affected my life. But now I want to get a high-class education to fulfil my ambitions, and rebuild my life. My parents have outdated, sexist views on this and constantly decline

If it is Cambridge you aspire to go to then I would just be adamant and still go!
I find it hard to comprehend how your parents won't let you go to one of the top universities in the world!

ah my parents didn't let me leave either - achieved ok results, settled for a local institution. The only answer to your problem is.. if you really want to go, just do it! apply for the uni and your finance. then break it to them on results day haha x

Not gonna lie, that's probably the most dangerous thing I can do lol

Can you give us a tl;dr?

Honestly, it's not that long. It just looks longer than most spiels because she uses paragraph breaks. Which is a good thing!