Working Class at University?

Do you really want to hang around with people who take the piss because of where you come from? Stick with the people who appreciate you for who you are, not who others think you should be.

I've had a similar experience. I'm not sure whether I'd class myself as working or middle class (I'm not really bothered so I don't think about it that often!) but I come from Lincolnshire and people seem to have a problem with that because it's north (apparently - last time I checked it was in the Midlands, but anyway!). A couple of days ago a girl said to me "do you say 'bath' and 'grass' in the posh way or the chavvy way?"... And when I told her I said "baath" she looked surprised. I asked her why and she said "well, you're from Lincolnshire." Eh yes, have you got a problem with that? (I wasn't even aware using short vowels is chavvy but there we are!).

So I don't think it's uncommon to be judged on where you come from but at the same time, I don't think it's particularly acceptable for people to judge you on something so superficial either.

That's completely irrelevant.

The point I am making is, if you think of yourself as working class and as 'them' as middle class then you are automatically judging yourself, judging them and comparing and contrasting.

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I know i already said it but I feel out of place. Even if I go out to lunch with some people I dont feel like I am being myself and I am holding back the real me to impress people at Uni and that I can never really be great friends with them. I didnt move out for Uni so I find it strange going to Uni and coming back home to see my friends who finished college a couple of hours earlier. It feels weird being at Uni while most of my friends are at College or different Unis.

That's completely irrelevant.

The point I am making is, if you think of yourself as working class and as 'them' as middle class then you are automatically judging yourself, judging them and comparing and contrasting.

Do you really want to hang around with people who take the piss because of where you come from? Stick with the people who appreciate you for who you are, not who others think you should be.

I've had a similar experience. I'm not sure whether I'd class myself as working or middle class (I'm not really bothered so I don't think about it that often!) but I come from Lincolnshire and people seem to have a problem with that because it's north (apparently - last time I checked it was in the Midlands, but anyway!). A couple of days ago a girl said to me "do you say 'bath' and 'grass' in the posh way or the chavvy way?"... And when I told her I said "baath" she looked surprised. I asked her why and she said "well, you're from Lincolnshire." Eh yes, have you got a problem with that? (I wasn't even aware using short vowels is chavvy but there we are!).

So I don't think it's uncommon to be judged on where you come from but at the same time, I don't think it's particularly acceptable for people to judge you on something so superficial either.

No, you said that you wouldn't notice the class divide without actively thinking about it, and that is bull****. From the clothes we wear to the way we speak to the words we use to the foods we eat our class is as influential as our ethnic background, hometown, or any other environmental factors, and you can definitely tell. Your sentiment is nice and everything but if I go round somewhere greeting people with 'safe fam what you saying' people know I ain't been on many skiing holidays without approaching the conversation thinking 'let's try and glean what this guy's parents earn'.

You're really generalising, by the earnings of my parents I'd be classed as 'working class' but the only thing you listed which may 'betray' me would be clothes, as I find brand names obnoxious and refuse to wear them. Obviously you're more likely to fit stereotypes if you grow up with family and friends who match them but it's not always the case and I doubt anyone would be able to tell what the earnings of my parents are by how I speak or the type of food I eat

There's such a thing as individuality, and with most people growing up with the internet there's no reason at all to think that people will mirror their parents, even if their parents do match class stereotypes.

No, you said that you wouldn't notice the class divide without actively thinking about it, and that is bull****.
From the clothes we wear

to the way we speak to the words we use

to the foods we eat

our class is as influential as our ethnic background, hometown, or any other environmental factors, and you can definitely tell. Your sentiment is nice and everything but if I go round somewhere greeting people with 'safe fam what you saying' people know I ain't been on many skiing holidays without approaching the conversation thinking 'let's try and glean what this guy's parents earn'.

What clothes do you expect me to wear then? How will my dress sense differ from that of a middle class person? please tell me, this shall be interesting. What is my dress sense like?


So am I less literate then? Do I have a different accent even though I live in a mixed area of middle class/ working class people? Do I have a less 'worldly' appeal?
Oh! Oh yes, that is very true, I live on a diet of KFC and turkey twizzlers. What is humus? Because I am labelled as working class I must certainly be wrong in only eating free-range meat and I certainly mustn't enjoy oven roasted vegetables drizzled in olive oil. If I were to eat that green and orange stuff, I must take note, and fry it, in the oil I earlier fried my chips in.


Well let me tell you something darling, you must have a very stereotypical view and your opinion of people from working class backgrounds must definitely have been from glimpses of ITV programmes and Eastenders.

Excuse me while I press my hands into my eyes. I am tired, and incredibly agitated.

I'm not middle class so don't try and talk down to me like I'm some trust fund ****.

Yeah, I guess you're right. Most of the time I dont get worked up on it. I just sometimes feel disappointed that Uni isnt what I expected it to be. I feel out of my comfort zone and although I tried at first, I have given up trying to talk to all different types of people. I would feel insulted if someone said "do you say it the chavvy way"! The word "chavvy" pisses me off. You should try and pick up on something that they say differently and be like psht wtf, why are you saying it like that lol

I wanted to ask if any other Working Class students feel this way.

So i'm a couple of months into Uni. Everyone always talks about the different people you meet and the unlikely friendships you make. I come from a working class background and the majority of my life have been around people like me. Put it this way, about 90 percent of people at my Sixth form recieved EMA. Now I've come to Uni and most people seem to be middle class. I had no problem with this and was looking forward to meeting people of all different backgrounds.
The thing is that I feel out of place at times. The only friends I have are like me. When I talk to people I feel like I have to walk on eggshells. I dont feel like I can relate to people as they seem to be so different. I cant understand their sense of humour and they cant understand mine. I feel like I have to change the way I talk and hold back on any opinions. I don't really want to change who I am to impress other people. I am glad I have made a few friends but I dont want to limit myself to a small group. At the same time, I find it difficult talking to alot of the other people. I am not shy and have always been quite outgoing and relatively popular. I feel like people at Uni look down on me. I've had comments like "you have a ghetto accent" Or people taking the piss by finishing a sentence with "init". I don't even use much slang at all btw. I can take harmless jokes but it feels like I am judged and i just can't get along with them unless I change. I feel like I have to fake laugh and think before I say anything at all.

I don't feel like I did, but you certainly insinuated that I must be an ignorant, illiterate chav with high cholesterol...

What clothes do you expect me to wear then? How will my dress sense differ from that of a middle class person? please tell me, this shall be interesting. What is my dress sense like?

So am I less literate then? Do I have a different accent even though I live in a mixed area of middle class/ working class people? Do I have a less 'worldly' appeal?

Oh! Oh yes, that is very true, I live on a diet of KFC and turkey twizzlers. What is humus? Because I am labelled as working class I must certainly be wrong in only eating free-range meat and I certainly mustn't enjoy oven roasted vegetables drizzled in olive oil. If I were to eat that green and orange stuff, I must take note, and fry it, in the oil I earlier fried my chips in.

Well let me tell you something darling, you must have a very stereotypical view and your opinion of people from working class backgrounds must definitely have been from glimpses of ITV programmes and Eastenders.

Excuse me while I press my hands into my eyes. I am tired, and incredibly agitated.


And just to add, I never said that at all, you, yet again, completely misunderstood me. The point I was making was I chose not to limit myself to class stereotypes and generalizations. If someone were to ask me what my class is, I wouldn't answer them.
I'd happily say what occupation band I am in, but I would never give an answer as to what social class I am.

I wanted to ask if any other Working Class students feel this way.

So i'm a couple of months into Uni. Everyone always talks about the different people you meet and the unlikely friendships you make. I come from a working class background and the majority of my life have been around people like me. Put it this way, about 90 percent of people at my Sixth form recieved EMA. Now I've come to Uni and most people seem to be middle class. I had no problem with this and was looking forward to meeting people of all different backgrounds.
The thing is that I feel out of place at times. The only friends I have are like me. When I talk to people I feel like I have to walk on eggshells. I dont feel like I can relate to people as they seem to be so different. I cant understand their sense of humour and they cant understand mine. I feel like I have to change the way I talk and hold back on any opinions. I don't really want to change who I am to impress other people. I am glad I have made a few friends but I dont want to limit myself to a small group. At the same time, I find it difficult talking to alot of the other people. I am not shy and have always been quite outgoing and relatively popular. I feel like people at Uni look down on me. I've had comments like "you have a ghetto accent" Or people taking the piss by finishing a sentence with "init". I don't even use much slang at all btw. I can take harmless jokes but it feels like I am judged and i just can't get along with them unless I change. I feel like I have to fake laugh and think before I say anything at all.

Bruv if you want to read that from what I said then that's your perogative but it's not what I meant and you look like a speng getting a chip on your shoulder over something which hasn't even been said.

It was very blatant and couldn't be mistaken in any other way so don't go down that route. It's annoying when people make blatant insinuations then step back and say 'woah you thought of it like that, I didn't say it'
You knew what you meant.

And I haven't got a chip on my shoulder, your initial response to a post I made in this thread wasn't particularly nice, nor have your subsequent ones, so I'm just responding to that.