‘Built not bought’

[danglingcarrots]

I keep seeing posts on social media (TikTok, Instagram etc) with someone celebrating graduating uni with lots of pictures and captions about the fact they are the first generation to do so, that they managed to get good GCSEs and A levels despite going to a bad state school and being on pupil premium, some also with difficult family dynamics.

These posts about their achievements are often accompanied by the title and hashtag ‘built not bought’ with others commenting messages along the lines of ‘same here, just graduated with a first, state school, FSM, single mum, first in the family to go to uni #builtnotbought’

I understand celebrating achievements, especially if there has been extra hardship, but is this a bit diminishing towards others who have gained degrees etc whilst not coming from a disadvantaged background? The ‘not bought’ bit just makes it sound like others are handed everything.

I'm sure no-one gives a shit really once they've got the degree they've studied hard for.

Besides there'll be a different hashtag and phrase soon enough.

That's a bit silly tbh, they're showing their lack of knowledge in assuming that people who aren't from a disadvantaged background 'bought' their education. Nope. You have to submit the exact same assignments, sit the same essays, as everyone else. Even if someone has the resources to pay for private tuition or has family in the industry they're studying, they still have to do the work.

Ironically it just makes them look a bit stupid.

Most of these folk get a degree and end up stacking shelves at Asda.

Thick as fuck. Passing an exam doesn't mean you are intelligent.

What? How in the hell do you come to that conclusion? That’s some snobbery.

#builtnotbought right next to #free palestine or whatever. Fashionable stuff for peer approval. Young people post stuff that they'll cringe about down the line.

Scroll on.

I took it to mean they hadn't had a private (paid for) education so got to university on their own. Yes public school students work hard but let's not pretend it's the same as going to a comp on a sink hole estate

It’s well recognised that it’s much easier to do well academically if you have more resources - it’s much harder if you’re financially strapped and things like a hot meal, appropriate clothes, a warm home are a struggle or even out of reach. It’s ok to acknowledge you’ve done well despite the odds. As an adult I can see that many kids have to overcome a lot to achieve what’s taken for granted by many others.

I don’t think anyone is saying that people who had lots of privilege (like a private education) didn’t also have to work hard. But people who did well having not had all that privilege have every right to celebrate that they did it despite not having all the extra help.

If a private education, tutoring etc didn’t make things much easier, nobody would pay for them, would they?

Sure, but claiming someone in that position BOUGHT their education is pretty offensive imo. Surely there are other ways of saying you're proud of your own hard work against the odds?

(I say that as someone that definitely would be classed as 'built' to these people, council estate, addicted dead parent, bankrupt young, criminal siblings, nobody else had been to uni in my family, and so forth, never would have thought to try and put someone else down to elevate myself. That's one thing about a degree that's so cool, it's an equaliser, you all walk across the stage just the same)

Well they’ve paid a fortune for their degree, haven’t they? Mine was free.

It does make them look a bit thick.

Most people from wealthy backgrounds can just buy everything, including qualifications. They can afford additional tutoring at the very least, and often are in more stable environments due to the money so don't have to work half as hard to learn and pass. They can afford to attend uni rather than leave school to go straight into the first job that will have them, to survive.

Then you of course have the ones who are entirely useless but managed to come out shining anyway due to family connections and money.

It is harder if you're from a poor background and disadvantaged.

Which "folk" are you referring to?

It’s an expression from the car scene, been around for years.

Maybe missing the point, but I think it's a really weird use of that hashtag - It's usually associated with the modified car scene!

It's not as if it's a dichotomy between free school meals/first in family to go to uni on one hand and private education or tutoring on the other. The majority of graduates are neither and it's pretty insulting to people from middle-income two-parent families who went to ordinary state schools to imply they "bought" their degree success.

I’m all for celebrating your child’s achievements but within your family, not on social media and not as a way to point score against other people. It’s distasteful and makes them look bitter and nasty.

The work still needs to be done unless they are insinuating people are somehow paying other people to sit the exams for them?

With that level of maturity they are unlikely to get decent jobs.

The work does need to be done, it it’s much easier if you’re able to focus on your studies and not worry about having enough food, or needing to get a job at 15 to supplement the family income. These kids will see the advantages their peers have and will live the hardships in trying to complete their education.

But if a young person went to private school without a full bursary someone did buy their education, in the sense that they paid for it? Obviously not saying that private school students don't work hard - I'm sure some do and some don't, like state school kids - but it's not wrong that someone paid money for their education.

Unfortunately, degrees really aren't equalizers and nor is university. The experience of a student who doesn't have to work, or does eight hours a week, is vastly different to the students working full time or almost, or caring for families, or parenting. The former aren't handed everything but they are given a substantial head start - if only in the time they have to study. And that time is often bought by their parents' money.

It also used to be true that degree students from under performing schools or with other indicators of deprivation outperformed students from more privileged backgrounds and private schools with the same entry A level grades. I don't know if that's still true with CoL pressures.

Oh get over it OP. I'm 'advantaged' and well aware of it. Of course I faced challenges but let's not pretend the fact it was assumed I would go to university and have a professional career didn't make it more likely. Let them bloody crow, good on them!

The people you are talking about here are a tiny minority. Not having enough food and having to work at 15 to support every day family expenses is an exception. Yes, it is a major achievement for someone in these circumstances to do well academically. It’s still not really ok to use it as a means to devalue other people’s achievements. It doesn’t come across well and isn’t an attitude I would want on my team in the workplace either.

They’re proud of themselves for overcoming the odds and working so hard to achieve what some others have had a much easier time achieving.

Not sure what the issue is with that, scroll on if it bothers you.

The last week or so there’s been a lot of threads criticising young people, it’s very odd.

There’s some really nasty comments on this thread. Presumably from people worried their privilege is showing? Do they feel threatened or personally insulted by this hashtag maybe? It reminds me of the men who feel threatened by women gaining more equality and agency. I’m sure there’s still plenty of advantages in having a privileged background.

I haven’t heard the #builtnotbought but I think it’s quite interesting and I applaud anyone who calls out privilege like this and makes those with privilege think about it more critically.

But some students have - literally - had their education BOUGHT for them.

Money also buys you all the extra curriculars like some Unis want to see - music, sports etc. Money buys hot meals and not having to look after younger siblings. Money buys not having to work part time while you study.

Built not bought just shows that some people have managed the same achievements without the privilege. They’ve generally had to work much harder than someone with private education, financial support, good connections.

That is nonsense. Sure, you can buy tutoring but all that gets you is the tutor's time. The student still needs to work hard in order to achieve.

My ds had tutoring in Spanish as he had the worst teacher known to mankind. The tutor had a really long waiting list and would only take students who were willing to work hard. She would call the parents if the student didn't do their homework or wasn't putting in the effort. The 3rd phonecall was to tell you she no longer had a place for your child. While his top grade in Spanish was aided by money, it was definitely not bought.

Sure, coming from money makes it easier to achieve but nobody will achieve a decent degree without putting in lots of hard work. Referring to that as buying your degree is utterly offensive.

As a university lecturer, I also find it your claim that the qualifications we award our students are bought. You will not achieve good marks in my subjects without a lot of hard work