KernKätzchen
Well-known member
swears said:Sort of. Rich kids are going to do better because of their background,
but it's not just pounds and pence. It's that feeling of confidence in yourself or simply just realising the value of an education. It's having "middle class" attitudes even if the money isn't there.
Of course it is. It's spending the money on books and piano lessons and second-hand meccano sets for your kids when you can't afford a car or a video player or new clothes for yourself (my parents did - and I am immensely grateful for it). Having said that, money makes everything so much easier on the most practical level - that should be obvious to anyone who's ever gone without it. That's why poor kids who live in cramped, noisy council houses and have to share their bedrooms with two other siblings simply don't do as well: imagine trying to get your homework done in that environment.
Also, the other big practical money thing that nobody seems to want to address: once you get to university, it is actually impossible to live on a student loan in Britain. I knew someone who tried and he ended up skipping lunch every day just to save pennies. You either have to sponge off your parents (which is where the wealth factor comes in), take out another loan and get into more debt, or work during term-time (which obviously compromises your studying time and therefore your results). Interestingly, Oxford University bans people from doing part-time work during term: not a massive problem as most of its students fall into the sponging category and therefore don't have to.