University

Let’s imagine ourselves, ten years ago, looking forward to the future of technology. In 2023, could we see an autonomous robot that cuts the grass for us? Probably. I bet some people wished for gadgets like that. We could probably predict the future of driving, too. Robotic cars that require minimal human effort to get from A to B. But I wonder, would we have predicted a writer’s strike in Hollywood would take place, effectively announcing a war between humans and robots, as the advancement of AI threatens to devalue the work and purpose of writers and creators?

AI is the stuff of sci-fi dreams. No doubt a tremendous feat of technological advancement and human creativity, artificial intelligence is a paramount marker of the modern age and is set to change the world as we know it. From the viral image of the Pope in a bubble coat to robotic postal workers and a lucrative market of computer-generated art, AI is on a course to permeate every corner of human life. The dawn of automation can be thrilling; to some a gift that simply keeps on giving. But to others, the progression of AI is nightmarish and signals to technology becoming humanity’s next biggest threat.

Artificial intelligence has a foreboding capacity to replace most human functions and efforts. The world seems to be falling down a pernicious path, coasting towards automation in the name of efficiency and productiveness. As our lives become more demanding, self-powered shops and lawnmowers will soon become the new norm. A new-found privilege that allows us more time to dive into a carefully curated Netflix list that some algorithm has cooked up for us. To those of us who feel time slithering away with each glance at our Apple watches, AI is exciting, and perhaps, will become a necessity for getting things done.

But as gadgets become more autonomous and uncannily human-like, I can’t help but be worried about the future of the qualities, the quirks, and the very essence of what AI seeks to replace: what happens to humanity?

> Being exposed to situations that are not easy allows us to grow; this evolution will be gravely hindered if we continuously rely on a computer to fix our problems.

As much as relinquishing complete control to a self-driving car frightens me, I am most worried about tools like Chat-GPT. The bot that seems to be on everyone’s lips was created in late 2022 by the company OpenAI. Only a quick Google search away lies a constant flow of open communication with an AI-generated bot that can respond to various commands and prompts, answering in a matter of seconds. Chat-GPT can produce English essays, cover letters, poems, and emails. Your wish is AI’s command. Chat-GPT will even edit a draft that you submit and enhance your arguments, perspective, and style to create a refined copy of your work.

The responses generated are eerily human-like, too. Armed with an endless encyclopaedia and quick, elegant responses, The Atlantic argues that [‘what GPT can produce right now is better than the large majority of writing seen by your average teacher or professor.’](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/openai-chatgpt-writing-high-school-english-essay/672412/#:~:text=What%20GPT%20can%20produce%20right%20now%20is%20better%20than%20the%20large%20majority%20of%20writing%20seen%20by%20your%20average%20teacher%20or%20professor) With a million signed up to Chat-GPT in the first five days of its release, the bot seeks to be the new calculator for writing-based tasks.

So, if we now have the technological capabilities to write essays on Shakespeare and to skilfully craft the fiftieth cover letter submitted this month, why wouldn’t we grab it with both hands? Why bother when a bot can do it in seconds?

Although tools like Chat-GPT significantly decrease the time and effort spent on a task for the average overly stimulated and busy human, it is a startling cop-out. The rise in the popularity of Chat-GPT presents a stark threat to the future of education and the development of skills like writing and critical thinking.

![A screenshot of OpenAI's Chat-GPT being used to write an essay|3402x1857](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1685567988/post/chat_gpt_2_comp_ltpyx8.jpg "The rise in the popularity of Chat-GPT presents a stark threat to the future of education and the development of skills like writing and critical thinking.")

Anxieties of teachers have cropped up everywhere in the news, with article headlines like [‘Chat-GPT will end high school English’](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/openai-chatgpt-writing-high-school-english-essay/672412/) gloomily announcing the discernible threat of AI to devalue the importance of writing, analysis, and creativity. Not to mention the complete unfairness of one student labouring over a final-year essay whilst others score high grades with a computer-generated response. But cheating will happen in every school, and most teachers have to acclimate to becoming hyper-aware of the difference between an AI-crafted essay and a human one. With intelligent software and hawk-eyed teachers, this problem can be somewhat avoided, reliant on extra funding and resources, that is. What alarms me the most is the loss of skill that this ‘advancement’ in technology will inevitably lead to.

Writing – whether it be a journal entry, an email, or a dissertation – is a salient skill. Writing is an important communicative agent that helps us to not only express ourselves but to connect, profoundly, with the world around us. It is the tool of philosophers, artists, activists, and diplomats that is centrifugal to social and political change. The function of writing is not just to meet a deadline or to get a good grade. Writing is a vehicle in which critical thinking, creativity, nuance, and perception can flow through and excel. It is critical to humanity.

I understand that not everyone feels they are a good writer and that to some students who struggle in essay-based subjects, Chat-GPT is a godsend. But, especially for those students, taking the time to work on their writing and approach to language and communication is even more important than for those who ‘get it.’ The dependency on AI that will inevitably build up is only going to drive students away from understanding how significant it is to develop an ability to construct their thoughts into expressive responses, use communication as a bridge, or keep flexing the critical thinking muscle so that we stay aware of the systems and institutions that surround us. Writing is an imperative strength that lasts way longer than the classroom does.

::post[floatRight;Linden imagines a bleak future where your first appearance in your new job finds you sitting down for a talk with “Chatbot AI”.]{#why-will-nobody-interview-me}

The future for creators is somewhat bleak with the rise of AI. The recent Writers Guild Strike in Hollywood is, amongst other things, to protest against the devaluation and replacement of writers in favour of AI. For the future of creativity to be in the hands of emotionless machines is scary: great art relies on the human behind it. I’m sure we’ve all rang up a helpline once or twice to be annoyingly met with a robotic voice. Familiar with the wish that we ‘could speak to a real person’ rather than a programme made up of binary answers, which skips over the nuances and subtleties unique to the human experience. Is that the road the arts and culture are destined to go down?

![OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, warning about the risks AI poses to humanity|1440x960](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1685563723/post/sam_altman_comp_gs4z54.jpg "In a recent development on May 30th, 2023, a coalition of AI experts, including Sam Altman, CEO of Chat-GPT maker OpenAI, [united via a statement](https://www.safe.ai/statement-on-ai-risk) to emphasise the urgent need in mitigating the existential risks posed by artificial intelligence, comparing them to the scale of pandemics and nuclear war. From: Win McNamee/Getty Images.")

One approach to the problem is to work with AI: an ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ technique. This is inevitable. No one can stop AI, and to look at technology as a complete blight on our future is too pessimistic to deal with. But, like everything, there needs to be a balance. One preferably more heavily weighted on developing and advancing skills without a robot doing it for us in 10 seconds. I’ve known people to ask Chat-GPT to help them to write an email response to a colleague. An easy fix, sure, but what happens if the problem were to arise in real life without the crutch of a bot? How will we communicate then? Being exposed to situations that are not easy allows us to grow; this evolution will be gravely hindered if we continuously rely on a computer to fix our problems.

Maybe there is a compromise that can be forged between humans and robots. Although Chat-GPT can cook up a quick poem or essay, there is a noticeable absence present in its responses. Chat-GPT can create stylistic and sophisticated work but cannot (*yet*) match up to having a human produce it; that *je ne sais quoi* rooted in human emotion and experience. Calls for synergy, to use AI as help rather than to oppose it, could be another hurdle we inevitably step over as we evolve in the digital age. But the threats stay ever-present and loom over like a dark cloud. With jobs such as journalism and copywriting at risk, we’re looking at making a significant section of our society obsolete. We look toward a future where robots and computers are prioritised over humans as they carry the job out quicker to maximise profit for the big dogs.

I think that a collaborative effort is fated. I just hope that the further we slip into automation, those things which enrich our lives, rather than make them more efficient, are not irrevocably lost to the passing of time. As a writer in a BBC Future article astutely put it: [‘we’re not uniform, mass-produced goods condemned to reductive, bland, and uninspiring conversations.’](https://cacm.acm.org/opinion/articles/182441-will-autocomplete-make-you-too-predictable) Humans are natural born storytellers and communicators - no matter how much you hate your English homework. We have something monumental to gain from focusing on the skills of critical thinking, imagination, creativity, and the ability to express ourselves. AI is unavoidable, and if we are guaranteed to join fleshy hands with metal arms (metaphorically, for *now*), then let us not forget the power that lies in having the freedom to think, to speak, to write. To be human.

I can’t help but be worried about the future of the qualities, the quirks, and the very essence of what AI seeks to replace.

Is A.I. making us stupid?

A modest media sensation erupted earlier last week when a question in Eton College's 2011 King's Scholarship entrance exam emerged, which asked [students to write a speech as Prime Minister in the year 2040 against the backdrop of military intervention to curb civil unrest](https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/eton-scholarship-exam-asks-boys-to-justify-army-shooting-protesters-dead-8561204/). It isn't the first time this exam question has surfaced in our tabloids, but it serves as a healthy reminder that at the top institutions, students are being bred for leadership and public office.

:::legal
*The King's Scholarship*

The King's Scholarship is a prestigious academic scholarship offered by Eton College, and is awarded to boys who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and potential. Candidates are typically between the ages of 13 and 14 and are assessed through a rigorous selection process that includes academic tests, interviews, and assessments of their intellectual curiosity and potential.

King's Scholars receive a full fee remission for their education at Eton, as well as additional financial support for books and other expenses. They also receive special privileges and opportunities within the school, such as priority access to certain courses and activities, and the opportunity to represent Eton in academic competitions and events.
:::

In what seems to be a trend we’ve borrowed from a bygone era, Britain is still governed by an elite ruling class who share one defining characteristic: their education. [Founded by King Henry VI in 1440, Eton College is the alma mater of not one, two, but 20 British Prime Ministers - including our recently ousted First Lord, Boris Johnson](https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/eton-college-history-facts-fees-prime-ministers-school/). So-called '[the school that runs Britain](https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210413-the-school-that-rules-britain)', Eton is drenched in mythology as many writers have tried to identify what gives this 600-year-old institution its leadership monopoly.

Just like any other organisation, every school has a culture. And despite all the talk, there must be one thing that distinguishes Eton from your average local comp, beyond just the outfits, the buildings and its famous alumni. Word on the street is that Eton is a place where the UK's entitled go to receive even more entitlement, and with [fees of £26,490 a year for tuition and accommodation](https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/guides-advice/why-eton-is-so-special-37639), you'd be forgiven for thinking that the college's culture is one of prestige. This is without talking about the Victorian uniforms and the ancient rulebook, which has led to some people's impressions of Eton viewing it as [a rigid, conformist institution for the wealthy](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8622933.stm) - where students are taught how to navigate the corridors of power before they even hit puberty.

![Students from Eton College dressed in their finery and surrounded by hallowed halls.|1500x1000](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1683099922/post/eton_comp_mfwxkq.jpg "Students from Eton College dressed in their finery and surrounded by hallowed halls. Image from [etoncollege.com](https://www.etoncollege.com/admissions/scholarships-and-awards/kings-scholarships/).")

However, former Etonians themselves have come out and struck back at the rumours, and have tried to paint a coherent image of why being educated at Eton is so valuable. One has it down to [the amount of freedom given to students](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8622933.stm). Many of the societies, activities and extracurriculars at Eton are run by the students themselves, and so in order to rise to a leadership position in one of these societies, an Etonian must be elected by his peers. Already, in his pre-teens, the Etonian must make himself electable - albeit, to other Etonians - but this is a skill that even seasoned politicians fail to develop in their careers, let alone when they were at school.

Others talk of an ['Etonian level of ambition'](https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210413-the-school-that-rules-britain), and that the most successful students at the school - the elite of the elite - foster a culture of [determination which is helped by the school's premium on individualism](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8622933.stm). The 600-year-old doors to Eton are also revolving ones, with a succession of industry and political speakers visiting Eton and [telling the boys that they are the future leaders of the world](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8622933.stm). All this and it is unsurprising that the school has had a monopoly on the keys to 10 Downing Street for centuries.

This cannot continue, however. We have seen time and time again how elitism and classism in British politics leads to detrimental impacts on the nation itself. Impacts that have led one Guardian columnist to describe the success of elitist institutions in cultivating our future leaders as centring ['on an ancient system that trains a narrow caste of people to run our affairs'](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/02/westminster-eton-schoolboys-boris-johnson-david-cameron). This is not how 21st-century government should be done. Rather, we should look forward to a government that is for the people, by the people, but, most crucially, *of the people*. In order for politics to be truly representative we need politicians to be, first and foremost, citizens. Neighbours, friends, family members; human beings. Not members of a bygone ruling class, or the 'Old Guard'. So, what can we do to make this happen?

::post{#ignorance-is-not-bliss-take-back-your-political-ownership}

Well, before we have a complete reform of the way we 'do' education in this country - my favourite thing to talk about as you may well have noticed - we need to start right at the bottom, in each and every locality and every school in the land. We need to encourage schools to develop cultures that foster students' confidence in the same way [the Etonians exude it](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8622933.stm#:~:text=Ticky%20Hedley%2DDent%20of%20Tatler%20Magazine%2C%20believes%20that%20Etonians%27%20distinctive%20ability%20is%20to%20exude%20confidence%2C%20without%20appearing%20haughty%20or%20conceited.). We need a cultural change.

The importance of school culture cannot be underestimated: [educators have obvious impacts not just on students' learning, but on their lives and careers, and a positive culture influences educators' desire to advance student-teacher relationships and achievement.](https://iaspireapp.com/resources/the-importance-of-school-culture) The necessity to create a culture of excellence, however, must be approached [with a focus that extends beyond just grades and more in creating lifelong passions for learning.](https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2017/aug/02/create-culture-excellence-schools-students-teachers#:~:text=What%20is%20needed%20instead%20is%20a%20culture%20of%20excellence%20that%20permeates%20every%20classroom%2C%20department%20and%20school%3B%20a%20focus%20not%20on%20simply%20getting%20the%20best%20grade%2C%20but%20on%20getting%20the%20best%20education%20and%20creating%20a%20lifelong%20passion%20for%20learning.) But as well as this, we must ensure every student in the country has access to that Etonian level of ambition and determination.

> People were astounded that one of their own had their eyes on an Ivy League, yet when I asked them why they didn't consider it, they dismissed it as being 'unrealistic'.

Students at the very bottom of the ladder are befallen by a lack of real ambition in their education, and even those who have aspirations are often told to be 'realistic'. [Even those under the guise of championing the cause of working people secretly nurture hushed doubts about whether those people can, in fact, rise to the top.](https://www.bigissue.com/news/employment/uk-social-mobility-tsar-tells-working-class-people-to-lower-their-ambitions/) Well, they can, they just need to be shown it’s possible.

At Eton, students are constantly reminded that they are the 'next generation of leaders', yet why is this not said to schools up and down the country? Students from low-income or working-class backgrounds [need to be given a sense of opportunity in order to feel like university is a realistic option](https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/working-class-students-school-opportunity-attend-university/146712/), and so schools need to be driven to motivate and inspire students, not just teach them their core subjects. Coming from an ordinary background myself, it wasn't until just before I sat my GCSE exams that I found true motivation and true passion. I took this with me into A-Levels and it has served me well academically. I applied for internships, work experience, lectures, and conferences, and managed to make a wealth of connections.

But I found that my own motivation to be a better person than I was yesterday was the only source as such. Teachers and students alike laughed off my ambition of one day wanting to be Prime Minister, yet, if at Eton, it would be a perfectly reasonable ambition. I think this is probably because my obsession with all things political weirded them out a bit, but still, it's not enough to dismiss the ambitions of students just because they are at the bottom of the educational ladder.

Before the reforms I have talked about in other articles can be implemented, we must have a huge overhaul of school culture. Indeed, when I was making my application to Harvard, it wasn't a stretch to say that I had been alienated from the rest of my Sixth Form. People were astounded that one of their own had their eyes on an Ivy League, yet when I asked them why they didn't consider it, they dismissed it as being 'unrealistic'. I was also notably disappointed in the lack of effort my leadership team put into making this option available to other students, all academically brilliant in their respective ways and subjects.

I digress…

Behind the tailcoats, Grade I listed buildings and the prestigious speaker events, Eton has a monopoly on high office for one main reason: Etonians believe they can. Students at the Downing Street boot camp are constantly reminded that the world is their oyster and they can go on to achieve anything they set their minds to. We need to start doing this for all students, not just those whose parents can cough up a year's salary to pay tuition.

Teachers and students alike laughed off my ambition of one day wanting to be Prime Minister, yet, if at Eton, it would be a perfectly reasonable ambition.

Don’t complain about Etonian prestige - learn from it

Don’t complain about Etonian prestige - learn from it.

I’ve been to three picket lines, four protests and witnessed two occupations in the eighteen months I’ve been at university. I’ve heard chanting and music, I’ve seen the same banners and faces time and time again, and I’ve listened to MPs talk and Students Union representatives argue. I’ve stood in the freezing cold and pouring rain with lecturers complaining about their pensions, leafleted with students protesting arms agreements, and marched with members of the public about the cost of living crisis.

There is a part of me, I suppose, that can’t help but wonder if it’s to do with the teenage desire to fight back, to look at the regime and object more vocally than the older generations. It could of course be to do with my new location or the people I surround myself with. And yet, the factor that I always seem to come back to is the very fact that I am at university itself.

I had never experienced any of these things before going to university: perhaps this was the nature of the sleepy village I grew up in, but even with decent transport links to the big cities, I was very far out of my comfort zone when I witnessed my first protest in Lancaster, as it was unlike anything I had seen or experienced before. It took friends dragging me along (and, I suppose, the fact that on several occasions I was writing about them for student publications, so I was interviewing people) for me to be entirely comfortable, purely because it was so radically different.

## What happened in Manchester?

To sum up several years of ongoing discontent succinctly, the UoM Rent Strike group occupied the Simon building, a large mixed-use academic building, amongst others (including the John Owens building, which contained senior staff offices) in The University of Manchester for six weeks in protest over the lack of any cost of living support and standard of accommodation. This ultimately ended when, after the university failed to meet with the group, they instead chose to take them to court to gain a possession order and [use bailiffs to evict the group at 5.20 AM](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-65037590).

![A student being carried out of the Simon building at The University of Manchester by bailiffs.|1080x1350|floatLeft](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1681245098/post/uom_bailiffs_qtrirh.jpg "A student is carried out of the Simon building at The University of Manchester by bailiffs. Image from [@rentstrikeUoM](https://twitter.com/rentstrikeUoM/status/1638451005493764097).")

One of my friends was inside the occupation during the eviction, and we woke up to a message on a group chat saying that they had been evicted at 6 AM. It’s a sad reality of the situation that none of us were particularly concerned. We were more resigned to the fact that it doesn’t seem like the university particularly cared that the bailiffs physically carried the occupiers out, something that was well documented on phones and has been played on news channels across the country.

## It’s not just Manchester

Occupations of this nature have happened at universities in many other places across the last academic year. There have been unprecedented actions taken by universities in response in some instances: the [use of private investigators](https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/13/sheffield-university-criticised-over-handling-of-protest-investigation#:~:text=Sheffield%20University%20criticised%20for%20hiring%20private%20investigator%20after%20protest,-Private%20investigator%20hired&text=Sheffield%20University%20has%20been%20criticised,in%20one%20of%20its%20buildings.) at Sheffield University has been well documented, and in [Dundee](https://twitter.com/dundeeoccupy/status/1638217082494935041/photo/3), university security went as far as to call the police on occupiers, an escalation not previously seen before in Scotland. However, for the large part, these actions go ignored.

So forgive me if I suspect that the main reason for the number of strikes and protests I’ve been to since going to uni has been to do with the fact that I’ve quite simply gone to university. It’s not just us: it’s everywhere. There’s a growing pattern of discontent across the country, and students aren’t afraid of letting it out and being vocal. For many people, Manchester has been the final straw. They were there for six weeks, and university management still wouldn’t meet with them. Some of the students attended the court date and [attested](https://thetab.com/uk/manchester/2023/03/21/manchester-university-takes-students-to-high-court-over-occupation-of-simon-building-56906) to the fact that the senior member of staff from the university disappeared through a back exit rather than facing them in person. The occupiers themselves were defended in court by a second-year law student, but failed to fight the possession order. It’s strange to think we live in a world where the only place that students are seeing their senior university staff is in a courtroom.

Maybe the reason strikes have become such a huge part of so many young people’s lives when we go to university is that there are now massive things that affect us personally, and that we want to fight for. I’m not at Manchester University, but if I was, I’d be on rent strike along with the [97% of students](https://twitter.com/rentstrikeUoM/status/1640334633287012353/photo/1) at the university who voted on 24th March to support the action.

![A joint cost of living and support strikes demonstration at The Queen Victoria Memorial in Dalton Square, Lancaster.|1600x720](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1681245098/post/lancaster_demo_hg2tkx.jpg "One of the first protests I went to this academic year: a joint cost of living and support strikes demonstration in Lancaster.")

More people are protesting now than ever, especially more young people. There’s a cost of living crisis, and it seems like there’s a new strike every week. Even in our places of learning, people’s voices are being heard, some for the first time. Yet it feels like more than ever our voices remain unheard. If a building is closed whilst we to get the authorities to listen? Well, I’m all for it.

It’s strange to think we live in a world where the only place that students are seeing their senior university staff is in a courtroom.

Protests happen at Unis everywhere. It took bailiffs in Manchester for people to notice

Protests happen at Unis everywhere. It took bailiffs in Manchester for people to notice.

Applying to university (or college) is one of the most exciting and most stressful parts of being a young adult - it certainly has been for me. This stress and excitement is largely caused by one thing: the wait. After submitting your application, it could be months before you hear back from your dream college or university, and so the admissions process is probably one of the most stress-inducing processes you'll have to go through as a student - behind exams, of course.

Both the UK and the US are renowned for having some of the finest institutions of higher learning on the planet, known for cultivating the minds of future leaders and citizen-leaders with programs and courses ranging from African Studies and Anthropology to Physics and PoliSci. Yet, the admissions process for these could not be more different.

In the UK, the application process is relatively simple. After choosing what courses you want to apply for and having filled out your information on your UCAS application, you can begin writing a personal statement. This is an opportunity for you to [explain why you want to study your chosen degree, and why you think you should be given the opportunity to do so](https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/ucas-application/6-steps-you-need-to-take-to-apply-to-university#:~:text=Your%20personal%20statement%20is%20a%20really%20important%20part%20of%20your%20application%20%E2%80%93%20it%E2%80%99s%20your%20opportunity%20to%20show%20what%20makes%20you%20a%20great%20applicant%20and%20could%20end%20up%20being%20the%20deciding%20factor%20between%20you%20and%20someone%20else%20with%20similar%20qualifications.). What you write about is up to you, but many choose to write about extracurriculars, coursework, or anything that relates to their chosen course of study - which can be very little, I mean, how can you demonstrate your interest in biochem at the age of 17? The prime considerations for UK admissions officers, however, are candidates' academic achievements and grades.

![The UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) logo.|2015x1374](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1681080014/post/holistic_ucas_kobbkm.jpg "UCAS is a UK centralised service for applying to undergraduate courses at universities and colleges.")

Across the Atlantic, however, the story is different. Selective colleges practise what is known as 'holistic admissions' - where they take into account a broad range of factors, [not just grades and academics](https://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/what-does-holistic-college-admission-really-mean/#:~:text=In%20reality%2C%20a%20%E2%80%9Cholistic%E2%80%9D%20admissions%20process%20is%20simply%20one%20that%20tries%20to%20look%20at%20the%20whole%20applicant%20and%20not%20reduce%20them%20a%20mere%20test%20score%20or%20GPA). Some of these factors can be anything from socioeconomic background, volunteer history, extracurricular leadership positions, sports team membership and, controversially, race. Universities that practise this form of admissions claim that it allows them to choose between pools of highly qualified applicants, build diverse campus communities and, as Harvard Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzimmons says ['apply a more expansive view of excellence'](https://prepory.com/blog/holistic-admissions-process/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhile%20we%20value%20objective%20criteria%2C%20we%20apply%20a%20more%20expansive%20view%20of%20excellence.). Applying to an elite college in the US does not simply mean having perfect test scores and an outstanding GPA, it means building a candidacy on the back of your passions, commitments and character.

This is what most surprised me when I was making my application to Harvard. Having experienced both the UK and US application processes first-hand - here is a cringe warning - the latter made me feel like I was being valued for more than just my grades and my GPA. It made me feel I was being appreciated more for what I enjoy, what I'm passionate about and what I want to do. And that's what makes me unique right? That's what distinguishes me from my fellow applicants - all 60,000+ of them.

One of the key parts of my application was my essay. This was nothing like the UCAS personal statement I had written just weeks before. Through the Common App Portal (from which students can apply to as many colleges as they want, another massive difference to the UK), [applicants have to submit an essay in response to a prompt. This essay is more an exercise of personal expression than any academic work](https://www.williamclarence.com/about/resources/us-vs-uk-universities-deciding-whats-right-you#:~:text=US%20common%20app%20essay%20is%20an%20exercise%20in%20personal%20expression%20that%20can%20be%20totally%20unrelated%20to%20school%20experience.), and allows students to fully celebrate what they think makes them great. My prompt was '[Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realisation that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others](https://www.commonapp.org/blog/2022-2023-common-app-essay-prompts#:~:text=Discuss%20an%20accomplishment%2C%20event%2C%20or%20realization%20that%20sparked%20a%20period%20of%20personal%20growth%20and%20a%20new%20understanding%20of%20yourself%20or%20others.)', where I talked about the pandemic, my bibliophilic passions, philosophy, and my ambitions for politics. These essays provide a snapshot into the emphasis that holistic admissions processes place on a broad range of factors, such as what applicants think their future will look like.

::post{#how-one-internship-changed-my-whole-outlook-on-university}

So, what are the advantages?

Well, it creates [a more equitable system for assessing the worth of each applicant](https://blog.submittable.com/holistic-review/#:~:text=more%20equitable%20system), because, let's face it, we'd all rather be valued for something more than test papers and essays. [The US Supreme Court has](https://blog.submittable.com/holistic-review/#:~:text=The%20US%20Supreme%20Court%20officially%20described%20the%20review%20process%20as%20%E2%80%9Ca%20highly%20individualized%20review%20of%20each%20applicant%E2%80%99s%20file%2C%20giving%20serious%20consideration%20to%20all%20the%20ways%20an%20applicant%20might%20contribute%20to%20a%20diverse%20educational%20environment%E2%80%9D.) said that such a process appreciates 'all the ways an applicant might contribute to a diverse educational environment', and that may not be just by pushing class averages up, it may be that your character makes you a valuable member of a campus community, or that your passion for the environment can help the college's efforts to become greener. Regardless of what it is, there is no room to be green with envy of someone else under holistic admissions, because such a process allows everyone to appreciate and capitalise on their unique qualities. Additionally, how do schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and Princeton distinguish between equally dazzling applicants? Because A* grades and 4.0 GPAs are just assumed of applicants to Ivy League and other selective institutions, these colleges need a way to assess different aspects of applicants - perhaps you have an amazing pot plant collection that represents your love for biodiversity?

![Five plants and a blue watering can placed on a windowsill.|687x1030|floatRight](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1681080013/post/holistic_plant_pots_ttiizw.jpg "Holistic admissions is a comprehensive evaluation process used by some colleges that considers multiple aspects of an applicant's background and experiences, beyond just grades and test scores.")

By taking such an individualistic approach, colleges are also considering diversity. This is a controversial issue, however, as [racial quotas - setting aside a proportion of spaces for ethnic minorities - are unconstitutional](https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-harberson-asian-american-admission-rates-20150609-story.html#:~:text=Private%20schools%20and%20many%20public%20universities%20can%20include%20race%20among%20the%20characteristics%20they%20consider%2C%20as%20long%20as%20they%20don%E2%80%99t%20apply%20racial%20quotas.). Universities, however, are still allowed to consider race in their admissions process, as long as this isn't the sole deciding factor. Many of you may think this absurd. Why on earth would someone's race or ethnicity influence where they study? You'd be right, but remember, we're not on earth, we're in the United States, an inequality basket case where if things like race were not considered, then institutions such as Harvard would look just as they did in their founding nearly 400 years ago - scarily out of touch with the reality of the rest of the world.

An ongoing lawsuit brought against Harvard, however, alleging that the university practises something called 'racial balancing, threatens to make race-conscious admissions unconstitutional in the US. *Students for Fair Admissions* (SFFA), a right-wing legal advocacy group behind the lawsuit, represents Asian American plaintiffs who were rejected from the university and believe that this was on the grounds of 'racial balancing', i.e., deliberately keeping the proportion of Asian Americans at the college down to ensure space for other ethnicities and groups. Whether Harvard does this or not will be realised when the Court makes its decision later this year. But their reason for perhaps doing so would be because [there is an expectation that Asian American applicants will be high test scorers](https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-harberson-asian-american-admission-rates-20150609-story.html#:~:text=there%E2%80%99s%20an%20expectation%20that%20Asian%20Americans%20will%20be%20the%20highest%20test%20scorers%20and%20at%20the%20top%20of%20their%20class%3B), due, in part, to the [Asian culture that holds education as being the path to success - an idea perpetuated through the parental pressure](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/04/asian-students-carry-high-expectations-for-success/2615483/#:~:text=Throughout%20much%20of%20Asia%2C%20education%20is%20seen%20as%20the%20only%20path%20to%20success.%20Parental%20demands%2C%20fear%20of%20failure%2C%20competition%20and%20pride%20are%20fueling%20Asia%27s%20academic%20ascension.) put on children.

Harvard argues that this is a good thing, as it allows them to build a diverse campus community from which all students benefit. Indeed, President Lawrence Bacow holds that '[each student's learning experience is enriched by encountering classmates who grew up in different circumstances](https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2022/admissions-at-harvard-college-3/#:~:text=student%E2%80%99s%20learning%20experience%20is%20enriched%20by%20encountering%20classmates%20who%20grew%20up%20in%20different%20circumstances.%C2%A0)'. The world-renowned, Ivy League institution believes that campus diversity is not an accidental phenomenon and without factors such as race being considered in a holistic admissions process - which it calls a 'whole person review' - it would not exist at all.

> Admissions processes should encourage students to take on higher education that suits their passions and what they actually enjoy.

For me, however, the most important thing is not race, but ECs, or, extracurriculars. Holistic admissions takes an interest in your really riveting experience as chair of your school's knitting society, that you have an investment portfolio that outperforms billion-dollar hedge funds, or that you write for this really amazing publication called *The Fledger*. Whatever it is, holistic admissions want to know, and so that's why they are so much better than the evaluation methods of UK universities. Focusing solely on test scores and classroom performance, in my opinion, is a massive blunder. UK admissions take no, if very little, interest in how extracurricular, creative and elective pursuits can contribute to a student's academic career. I mean sure, they consider your role in school clubs and all that, but they don't take a look at the really amazing things students may be doing outside of the school halls. William R. Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions at Harvard, shared my sentiment when he [wrote for the Irish Times back in 2013](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/the-benefits-of-a-holistic-approach-to-university-entry-1.961485#:~:text=Every%20country%20must%20do%20everything%20in%20its%20power%20to%20make%20the%20most%20of%20the%20talents%20of%20all%20its%20young%20people.): *Every country must do everything in its power to make the most of the talents of all its young people*. Right now the UK is not doing that.

In fact, such a narrow, or, dare I say it *boring*, view of applicants is exactly the reason why students end up studying for degrees they wish they hadn't, and land in careers that they don't enjoy. The focus of UK admissions processes on grades pushes students into thinking that they must play to their strengths in order to succeed at uni, and not follow their passions. This is far from what we ought to be doing. Instead, admissions processes should encourage students to take on higher education that suits their passions and what they actually enjoy. Creative, passionate and excited students can be cultivated into diverse, versatile and thriving citizens later on. We have yet to recognise this.

This is why holistic admissions are the way forward for us. We must appreciate the full diversity of talent that is on offer in our country - that which we are not exploiting through our current admissions processes. We must see students as not just that, but people with a broad range of interests, passions, experiences and futures. After all, they are our future, and they will lead us into a greener, more progressive and brighter world. Here's to them, the future.

Such a boring view of applicants is exactly the reason why students end up studying for degrees they wish they hadn't.

Knitting Societies and Pot Plants: Why UK university admissions are holding us back

:color[Knitting Societies and Pot Plants:]{color=lighter} Why UK university admissions are holding us back

As the bells of a new year ring, I often reflect and ask myself many questions. Usually typical musings about what the incoming year will bring and whether this will finally be the year I stick to my resolutions. I didn’t expect to ruminate on whether mandated maths can fix the [broken education system in the UK](https://news.sky.com/story/uks-education-system-is-failing-on-every-measure-with-shocking-regional-disparities-uncovered-12634175).

We all entered 2023 a little whip-lashed from the political tornado of 2022. Still struggling to go a week or two without a political scandal making the headlines, we stared bleary-eyed into the future of this new year. Rishi Sunak (our current PM, in case you missed it) meanwhile was setting his sights on his “*[priorities for the new year](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-ambition-of-maths-to-18-in-speech)*”. We had barely taken down the last of the tinsel and shrugged off the last of the festive hangovers when the PM announced his *ambitious* plans for a “*[better future for Britain](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-making-2023-the-first-year-of-a-new-and-better-future-4-january-2023)*”. One of those announcements was to introduce the studying of maths until 18 for all pupils in England.

## What did the PM propose?

If you didn’t see a headline about this, I’d be astounded. The mainstream media ran with this one for days and the responses across [opinion pieces](https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/maths-until-18-will-traumatise-children-invest-in-teachers-2064090), [talk shows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejyhOgNVaw4) and social media were mixed. Naturally, I waited a few weeks, simmered on the news and then decided to come to you with my own ‘hot take’.

This announcement by the PM on the position of maths in the curriculum applies to England **only**. This is because education is a devolved matter in the UK. Maths is [currently mandatory](https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/01/04/studying-maths-to-18-what-you-need-to-know/) until the age of 16 in England. Rishi Sunak thinks this leaves them ‘less equipped’ for the jobs of the future and an extra two years of study will fix that.

I’m Scottish, I live in Scotland and I’m past school age (thankfully!). This announcement won’t affect me directly but I have an opinion on it nonetheless, like most people on the internet these days. The reason is that, whilst I’m past school age, I have spent the past ten years since I left school reminiscing with friends on the memories of school life. I’ve pondered and reflected on the lessons we learned (socially and educationally). The resounding conclusion has most often been that we learnt too much that didn’t apply to our adult lives - Pythagorean Theorem, I had to Google the *proper* name, for example. Meanwhile, there have often been grumblings about lost opportunities to prepare us for the practicalities of being a grown-up. Why did nobody sit us down and explain mortgages or taxes or proper email etiquette? Instead of that repeat viewing of Saving Private Ryan in History, we could’ve been learning how to budget or how to properly prepare avocado on toast.

![Math calculations written on a piece of paper by hand. A triangle is drawn and the calculations show the use of trigonometric functions to calculate a length of the triangle's side|900x600](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1678282194/post/math_trigonometry_xvjdzd.jpg "Who uses complex mathematics in our daily adult lives? How will we be “more equipped” for life by learning things that we won’t use?")

The irony of this is that the Government points to managing personal finances as evidence of our need for “*[a decent level of maths](https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/01/04/studying-maths-to-18-what-you-need-to-know/)*”. How the volume of a cylinder helps with understanding what the increase to your mortgage repayments will be following the [mini-budget fiasco](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/20/the-mini-budget-that-broke-britain-and-liz-truss) is beyond me. Despite my satire, I do understand that my ability to manage my finances comes from a percentage of the math education I received. I *am* sceptical about how high that percentage is in reality. Even with 11 years of math lessons, I still didn’t know what porting a mortgage meant.

The government state that this maths to 18 plan will equip future generations with skills to “*[feel confident with finances in later life](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-ambition-of-maths-to-18-in-speech)*” with specific examples of mortgage deals and savings. An extra two years of long division won’t help, Prime Minister. It also begs the question of why you need an extra two years to teach young people these skills. Surely they should be armed with these skills long before their National Insurance number gets issued and they start to earn money? Let’s scrap maths until 18 and look into adapting the curriculum model or invest in skills for life classes instead.

## Is maths relevant to the students of today?

Sunak is concerned that, currently, only fifty per cent of 16-19-year-olds study any maths. He believes this to be disappointing because we are in a “*[…world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job, our children’s jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-ambition-of-maths-to-18-in-speech)*”. From a personal perspective, I find this reasoning interesting. I’m a lawyer and I didn’t study any maths or maths-based subject at Higher level; A-Level equivalent in Scotland. I have rarely needed maths in my career. I have needed skills such as communication, creativity, research and critical thinking. That’ll be why I got into university with all my English-based Highers, I’d reckon. I make this point because I think Sunak is being too simplistic by suggesting that the current and future working world that today’s children, and those yet to come, will enter *requires* it.

> Trusting a partner to catch me during a dance production taught me valuable team-building skills I rely on every working day

By 18 most ‘kids’ are seen as young adults. They might have part-time jobs in the school holidays or on weekends. They may drive to school in their own car or skip to a waiting driving instructor when the bell rings. They will be making major life decisions, maybe for the first time. Is it appropriate for the government to dictate what these young people should study for their final school/college years? Autonomy is so empowering and I’d like to think the kid behind me at the McDonald’s drive-thru can pick the courses they study just as freely as they can order 20 chicken nuggets. I don’t mean to be blasé about education choices. I know how important these years are for charting the course of a person's life. I also know I watched fellow students who had been coerced to go to university by pushy parents drop out en masse. Adolescent autonomy in educational choices is vital. When we dictate to these young minds what they must study we run the risk of infantilising them and creating disengagement with the school system.

Sunak’s speech was particularly lacking in explaining how this mandated studying would be assessed and graded. I’ll take a wild guess and bet that the old reliable timed exams in stuffy halls are the furthest his imagination can stretch to. I was mediocre at maths, preferring the flexibility of English and the creativity of Art and Drama. Maths was so rigid and dull. What was most frustrating however was that I could grasp the concepts and get the answers right in the classroom and yet collapsed under the pressure of exams. My teacher couldn’t understand it, all of my other assessments showed a general grasp of the topic but under the sound of that ticking clock and scuffling of invigilators’ feet, I couldn’t calm my nerves and take the time to get the right answer. What nobody ever considered in my education was mixing the arts with traditional subjects. For example, [The Times Education Commission Report 2022](https://nuk-tnl-editorial-prod-staticassets.s3.amazonaws.com/2022/education-commission/Times%20Education%20Commission%20final%20report.pdf) reported on the “astonishing” results achieved from teaching maths to girls through dance by a US after-school club.

![School children sit in an exam hall whilst an exam invigilator walks by|900x600](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1678282194/post/math_exam_hall_n2jqu3.jpg "Grown men and women will be stuck in a stuffy hall taking timed exams they are not interested in for grades they don’t want.")

We know that [private schools are prioritising and investing in arts provisions](https://pec.ac.uk/blog/class-inequality-in-the-creative-industries-is-rooted-in-unequal-access-to-arts-and-cultural-education). They clearly understand the importance of creativity and the ability to participate in the arts for children. Personally, they were an outlet for a shy kid who was a little lost. My participation in arts subjects at school and extracurriculars have formed the adult I am today. I’m able to address a boardroom full of people because I spent my high school years on a stage. Trusting a partner to catch me during a dance production taught me valuable team-building skills I rely on every working day. Imagine what investing in the arts *and* combining that with traditional subjects could achieve. It’s plausible the future generation could pirouette away from school with better math grades. If only I had been given the same opportunities!

## Are the resources available to implement this change?

In response to this announcement, The Independent [reported](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/rishi-sunak-maths-plan-teachers-b2256104.html) that there aren’t enough maths teachers to meet the demand this would create. They quote Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders as commenting:

:::quote
“The education system doesn’t need more policy gimmicks or random targets, but serious and sustained investment in schools and colleges after a decade of chronic underfunding, and a strategy to address teacher shortages which are at crisis point.”
:::

There are [reports](https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/teacher-recruitment-concern-maths-18-pledge) of PE and Geography teachers taking maths lessons because of the lack of availability of qualified maths teachers. If the current curriculum can’t be achieved because of a desperate lack of teachers in this area, how will an extension of additional two years help? No disrespect to PE teachers but I reckon the kids would be better off without an extra two years of maths from someone who is not a specialist in that subject. This shortage of teachers is also not helped by the constant under-representation of women within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers and professions, which stifles the engagement of women as would-be teachers in these subjects. The government haven’t commented on where the additional resource will come from. It’s pretty clear that the resource barely exists for the existing curriculum.

Call me a pessimist but I struggle to accept that throwing kids in math for another two years will solve the teacher shortage or help break the social biases that block women from STEM subjects.

Rishi Sunak needs to engage in critical thinking and think outside the box. I’m sure he’s got an abundance of people around him more than qualified (on paper, at least) to brainstorm some creative proposals. I can’t accept that mandated maths for every pupil in England until the age of 18 is the best he’s got. I’m not here to argue for the downfall of math. Math and numeracy skills are essential but, are they so important to all kids that they should be mandatory until 18? Is this the best option our government can conjure up rather than revisit the *way* math is taught, or the relevance of the current math curriculum and/or course options? Even better, why not take a leaf out of the private sector books and invest in the arts? It can’t be that radical a thought for Rishi Sunak considering he and his political pals are all private school alumni.

Ultimately, this is a headline-grabbing announcement that got people talking. Perhaps digging down into helpful resolutions to the current numeracy skills gap, such as more teachers with better pay, a more practical curriculum or alternative personal financial skills courses, isn’t as snappy as “maths until 18”. Snappy headlines don’t plug the skills gap either, though.

The announcement of mandatory maths until 18 is a headline-grabbing gimmick. Why not invest in the arts?

Forcing 18-year-olds to study maths is a bad idea

Hello, it's me again. And yes, I'm talking about education. But this time it's positive. This time it's all about solutions. Despite what my previous work might suggest, I actually think the government should step back from education - at least, to some extent. Here's why.

In the UK, there is a great discrepancy between 'private schools' and 'state schools', often with the former delivering better educational attainment and contributing more to their students' futures. Indeed, research by *YouGov* certainly suggests that, as [people who went to comprehensive schools were less likely to rate their education as 'very good'](https://yougov.co.uk/topics/society/articles-reports/2021/04/16/state-vs-private-education-how-much-difference-do-) compared to those who attended private schools. But it doesn't have to be like this.

The Adam Smith Institute (ASI), along with the rest of the free-market gaggle, have a wonderful solution; behold… school vouchers. This is where the state doesn't necessarily *produce* education at all, and, instead, it just provides students with a voucher for money that guarantees an education. This publicly-funded 'voucher', can then be used to send children to schools either in the public or private sector, removing the vast discrepancy between the two, and thus, 'levelling the playing field' for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. A blog from the ASI calls this the ['Third Way'](https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/a-third-way-for-education), as opposed to just abolishing private schools or buggering on with the current system - which clearly isn't working.

There is always much staff room talk about misbehaving children, a lack of discipline and melancholy attitudes to education. Have they ever stopped to ask why? Being in school is definitely not the same as learning, but our youth aren't even doing that. And why should they? Instead of being prepared for a modern, equitable, progressive 21st century, they are being drilled in [memorization and standardisation](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/our-education-system-is-losing-relevance-heres-how-to-update-it/). While these things may have been useful for a nineteenth-century factory worker, they are not what is needed in the creative and innovative workplaces of tomorrow.

School vouchers would provide parents and students with choice, and with funding that follows the student to whatever school they choose. Critically, lower-income parents would be able to take their children out of school, should they be displeased with the education currently being provided, and send them to another school of their choice. This school could be part of either state or private provision and provide parents with the means to make [free decisions](https://iea.org.uk/the-education-voucher-a-proposal-for-excellence/#:~:text=The%20way%20the,in%20both%20systems) that were previously only reserved for those on higher incomes. And [to attract such income, schools will differentiate themselves to remain competitive, raising the standard and diversity of education on offer](https://iea.org.uk/the-education-voucher-a-proposal-for-excellence/#:~:text=Finally%2C%20if%20the,options%20on%20offer) to the children of this country.

Such reforms would not only change *how* we provide education but also *what* we provide. Opening what has ordinarily been seen as a state responsibility to competitive tender would allow innovation and the development of [USPs](https://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/unique-selling-proposition-usp), meaning competition on both quality and specialisation. Accompanied by the abolition of the National Curriculum - another bit of ASI [magic](https://www.adamsmith.org/policy#:~:text=Scrap%20the%20national%20curriculum%20and%20allow%20schools%20to%20experiment%20with%20different%20subjects%20and%20approaches%20to%20teaching). - then we arrive at a school system that allows passions and interests to be factored in. Schools, colleges and centres will be able to not only play to their particular organisational strengths, but offer education that focuses on different demands. I'm talking about STEM-intensive colleges, schools with reputations in the humanities, excellent sports academies, and centres that provide liberal arts and sciences education not usually seen until university.

One of the greatest blunders of the system - and there are plenty to choose from - is that we leave our flawed 'National Curriculum' in the hands of bureaucrats and politicians. How can they possibly know what matters to families and students across the UK? You're right, they can't. In fact, the person we once had in charge of the whole system has now been found to be a [playground bully](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/who-is-gavin-williamson-texts-b2219570.html), after [being as much use in the Department of Education as a chocolate kettle.](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/nov/07/leaks-grades-and-texts-gavin-williamson-political-blunders#:~:text=A%2Dlevels%20fiasco,player%20Maro%20Itoje). If this doesn't call for immediate reform, then I don't know what does.

By doing away with the National Curriculum, we may hope to breathe life into the teaching profession, recognising the role each individual teacher plays. This is because high-quality schools will look to recruit teachers that can deliver and contribute to that high quality, and therefore attract and retain students. This may incentivize teachers to search for ways in which to develop their careers and thus spur a renaissance in teaching and the high regard in which we should hold our educators.

So, we'd have teachers and students in the classroom - which always helps - and they actually would want to be there. It's a long shot, but we could eventually get to the stage where both teacher and student are passionate about what's being discussed in the classroom, and who knows, maybe students will stop counting the tiles on the ceiling during exams. But I understand there are a few sceptical empiricists amongst us, but fear not, I have come prepared. One of the most attractive aspects of a school voucher system is that we have compelling evidence to suggest that it enhances learning and attainment.

> Children need an education that helps them explore, discover, create and innovate; not just memorise and standardise

Sweden has been operating a choice-focused system since the '90s, and it has proved to be very popular among teachers and parents alike. [Swedish independent schools approved by the National Agency of Education are entitled to receive funding from the state on a per student basis, provided that they meet certain criteria such as the ability to run a school and financial viability](https://www.adamsmith.org/s/Road_Map_Education.pdf). This is regardless of who owns the school and who runs it. In a recommendation to the UK, the ASI highlights the competition that a voucher system introduces, [allowing funding to take place based on the number of students these schools attract](https://www.adamsmith.org/research/the-right-to-choose-yes-prime-minister-1#:~:text=(2)%20public%20finance%20would%20be%20available%20to%20all%20schools%20on%20the%20basis%20of%20the%20number%20of%20students%20they%20could%20attract%3B).

However, critics have cited that schools that have incentives to expand and enhance the quality they offer, will take the resources and best students away from those schools still managed by the state. This is known as the *[depletion argument](https://www.adamsmith.org/s/Road_Map_Education.pdf)*, in that successful independent schools will further deplete the quality in the public sector. So, what they're saying is, some state-run schools will fail and we will only be left with high-quality, popular schools? If funding is going from the state-run schools to the incentivised independent schools then doesn't that indicate where our students are getting a better education?

Again, those voucher-sceptics may also highlight that profit-making in education is distasteful, even immoral. The same logic could arguably be applied to the fees students pay to apply for university, or the companies that profit from selling school resources etc. But competition will introduce some degree of cost control and market-based mechanisms to ensure efficiency in the way education is provided. Currently, [state-run schools have no incentive to cut costs](https://www.adamsmith.org/s/Road_Map_Education.pdf), and thus, our schools tend to be run rather inefficiently compared to those who face clear incentives to work towards more profitable, competitive positions.

But, I digress…

I regularly dish up reminders of my liberty-loving nature, and one of them is the fallacy that is generalisation. Some children develop earlier, others later, yet the National Curriculum and the bureaucrats that run the system will tell you that there is some 'deficiency' in the latter's learning if they have not met certain standards by a certain stage. That is untrue. Children's development cannot be categorised into KS1, 2 or 3, and neither can their competency in the classroom be measured by SAT, GCSE or, dare I say it, A-level exams.

John Abbott, president of the 21st Century Learning Initiative and respected British educator, asked what kind of thinkers our education should be producing: [battery hens or free-range chickens?](https://educhatter.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/lost-in-education-futureworld-whatever-happened-to-the-free-range-chickens/#:~:text=On%20the%20eve,Kind%20of%20World%3F%E2%80%9D) Children need an education that helps them explore, discover, create and innovate; not just memorise and standardise. Having a choice in their education might encourage such qualities, and kick-start a renaissance in both the production and consumption of education. Maybe now we have found a voucher for the future.

Children need an education that helps them explore, discover, create and innovate; not just memorise and standardise.

Are secondary schools second-rate? Let’s privatise them

Beethoven playing in the background, classical texts everywhere, group peer pressure - no, you're not in the 1810s, you're pulling an all-nighter with your "Classical" study playlist on repeat.

Despite the aesthetic Instagram posts, matching highlighter sets and… TOTE BAGS, life as a student is pretty difficult. I know what you're thinking, bloody teenagers moaning again, but I make a serious point - just bear with me. Being a student is not just about turning up to school (with your tote bag in hand), guzzling coffee and writing essays - despite what my profile may suggest - it is about having your life reduced to one mere moment.

We all await the day when that brown envelope tells us whether we can move forward with our lives or not. And with that, we can liken students to regency-era debutantes. Once young, aristocratic girls had thrown off the shackles of childhood, they were commodified in fine frocks and [brought to the marriage market](https://anhistorianabouttown.com/the-ins-and-outs-of-being-a-regency-debutante/#:~:text=What%20a%20debutante%20could%20expect,was%20where%20this%20might%20happen) - regardless of how they felt about it. Students today are dressed up in grades and UCAS points ready for the higher education and job markets. Whilst being reduced to an object and receiving your A-level results are two different things, debutantes and students have one major similarity - they are both failed by politics.

Student wellbeing has come to the foreground of university policy in recent years, but our failure to take serious action has meant that stress, anxiety, imposter syndrome and depression disproportionately affect younger people - especially those in further or higher education. Despite a few psychologists, psychiatrists and professionals debunking what was believed to be madness up until the early 20th century, for much of history, mental health issues have just been dismissed. What is madness is that only recently universities and schools have realised that for students to succeed in their studies, they need the right support and the right environment that fosters that success.

> On the cusp of adulthood and freedom, students should be able to look forward to the adventure that awaits them.

Education is an inherently political issue, and so it is only right that we should expect substantial action from the top, from the government. But the turnover at the Department of Education is as volatile as Truss' premiership has been, with the department's buildings barely having enough room to hang the portraits of all the Education Secretaries gone by. Indeed, it is right that we should expect some sort of action on mental health, but our expectations are too high for a government department with a history of catastrophe and a litany of bad decision-making. As schools, sixth forms and universities were disrupted by the pandemic, an algorithm was used to replace exams and teacher-assessed grades, and the consequences were missed university offers, grades that weren't representative of the students and pressure to adapt to such rapid change. As if proud of their incompetence, the government decided to award the culprit, then Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, [a knighthood](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/03/gavin-williamson-his-blunders-in-full).

![Students protesting in London in 2020 against the enforced A-level algorithm-altered results](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1667318071/post/student_health_protest_comp_ntzyey.webp "Students protested in 2020 against the enforced A-level algorithm-altered results, calling on education secretary Gavin Williamson to resign. Source: [The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/a-level-protest-london-student-hyde-park-grades-university-a9671916.html).")

Such a disruption, due to the pandemic, has inflicted a permanent 'loss of learning' on the groups of children affected, so much so that [the Department of Education is hosting sessions to address this](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3694516-department-of-education-hosting-series-to-address-pandemic-learning-loss/). For A-level students, this has meant mounting pressure to perform in the exam halls to try and make up for this shortfall in learning, and ensure that they can take their 'next steps' as teachers and education workers like to call it. Anxiety as students face exam papers and university applications distorts what should be one of the most exciting times of their lives. On the cusp of adulthood and freedom, students should be able to look forward to the adventure that awaits them at university, apprenticeships or the world of work. But no, the pressure to ensure that they get the top grades means that the future is clouded. Students are so focused on handling their exams and the stress and anxiety that comes along with them that they find themselves unable to appreciate the excitement that should be. We need to take action to prevent a future where more students feel overcome by stress and worry.

After all, shouldn't education be a priority? Is it not beneficial to society as a whole to have an educated public, which, by extension, leads to a healthier economy and a flourishing democracy? I would've thought so, but inaction on student stress, health and wellbeing precludes students from tapping into their vast potential. This has led us to be fixated on the here and now, not the there and then. Our future leaders and citizens are currently in lecture halls, apprenticeships, classrooms and libraries, and we are failing to see that. Among the benefits of good, strong, healthy education, we can count tolerance to immigration, increasing civic engagement and economic growth. The effects of education are even felt at the ballot box. In the 2015 general election, turnout was 79.6% among those with higher education, [versus 73.1% for this without](https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/210994949.pdf).

![Voting intention in the UK 2019 election by age. It shows the majority of conservative voters tend to be older in age, compared to labour voters being younger in age.](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1667318071/post/student_health_poll_jxnhrh.webp "Voting intention in the UK 2019 election by age. Source: [YouGov](https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/12/17/how-britain-voted-2019-general-election).")

So if education is beneficial for all of us, why does the government neglect student mental health and wellbeing? It probably has something to do with the fact that, overall, the incumbent Conservative Party finds it electorally prudent to direct their campaigns and policies to the older generations. According to a poll by *YouGov*, for every 10 years older a voter is, their chance of voting Tory increases by around 10% and in 2019, 56% of 18-24 year-olds voted Labour, [whilst 67% of people over 70 voted Conservative](https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/12/17/how-britain-voted-2019-general-election). This data perhaps gives us a reason as to why young people's mental health is not prioritised by those in power. Yet, this may change when they realise that solutions to mental health leads to better standards and improvements in education, which in turn leads to more political participation amongst young people. I have no doubt that the party who acts on this, will surely be rewarded with the votes.

When will we realise that education policy is not just for teachers, students, examining boards and universities, but it is for us all? In the same way that society still has a long way to go before reaching gender equality, precious little has been done to ensure education and young people are high up on the political to-do list. Education should be regarded as a public good. But that means treating student health as a priority, because, after all, the health of our students is the health of our nation's future. Don't believe me? - Talk to this guy:

> The foundation of every state is the education of its youth

 ~ Diogenes

Like debutantes, students are reduced to commodified objects by the state.

What do A-level results and Bridgerton have in common?

The Michaela Community School in Wembley – Britain’s strictest school, according to headlines – is no stranger to criticism. Nor is its headmistress, Katharine Birbalsingh. The social mobility tsar shot to fame after speaking at the Conservative Party conference in 2010, where she claimed that ‘the system is broken because it keeps poor children poor’. Since then, she has become known for her outspoken views on how modern culture negatively impacts education, and indeed society at large. These opinions have gained her some influential friends, but numerous enemies too. In January, Birbalsingh came under fire for suggesting that parents ought to be taking an [active role](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/katharine-birbalsingh-teach-at-home-every-day-strictest-head-tells-parents-t755hfllz) in their children’s learning, and more recently, her vision of social mobility sparked outrage in the press and on social media.

A teacher who found the current education system deficient enough to have started up her own free school is never going to be popular with everyone, especially if she styles herself as a ‘small c conservative’ (the Tories aren’t traditional enough, she says) and endorses methods that wouldn’t have been out of place in the classrooms of 1872. There is something of Charlotte Bronte’s Mr Brocklehurst, the tyrannical headmaster who chokes all warmth and happiness out of his own establishment, Lowood school, in the idea of giving a pupil detention for forgetting their second pencil.

And yet Michaela is no Lowood. The school was rated [outstanding](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/23/140862) by Ofsted in all areas, from effectiveness of leadership and management to outcomes for pupils. Strikingly, the report notes that students are strongly supported by staff in their ‘personal, social and emotional development’: they become keen readers, confident speakers, and ambitious achievers, participating with energy in their academic and extracurricular activities alike. The only issue flagged for improvement was the school’s provision of physical education, which has recently been limited due to reduced access to external sporting facilities.

![Katharine Birbalsingh speaks to her students at The Michaela Community School in Wembley|1200x801](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1664475053/post/birbalsingh_students_comp_zbar79.webp "Katharine Birbalsingh places enormous importance on the role of individuals in overcoming systemic disadvantages in their own lives – an attitude profoundly shaped by her own experiences teaching underprivileged pupils over the years. Source: [The New Statesmen](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2021/02/be-honest-about-how-bad-things-are-our-kids-katharine-birbalsingh-why).")

None of the students in the recent ITV documentary, *Britain’s Strictest Headmistress*, seemed unhappy. They responded to interview questions with a spirited defence of Birbalsingh’s outlook. As they cheerfully queued up to hand in their smartphones as part of the school’s voluntary ‘digital detox’ scheme, there was a real sense of understanding among them that the rules were put in place to help them thrive – not to hold them back.

Gratitude is another key part of education at Michaela. Five minutes are reserved at every lunchtime for students to express an ‘appreciation’, which encourages them to think positively about what they are given in their daily lives: encouragement from their parents, a particularly good lesson from a teacher, or even a detention. Outlandish as these methods might be, they clearly foster results. As the Ofsted report and multiple visitors to the school have noted, students at Michaela are joyful, polite, and perhaps most impressively, kind to one another.

A disciplined environment, with strict regulations and limited access to technology is, according to Michaela’s teachers, the best recipe for a safe environment. I know from my own experience that this is true: I went to a similar school myself between the ages of twelve and sixteen. Although its location was quite different from Michaela’s (it was in rural France as opposed to central London), we handed in our phones upon arrival, set the tables at mealtimes, and were required to stand up when our teachers arrived. I can now admit to whispering in the corridors when I knew I could get away with it, but I still look back on my years there as among the happiest of my life. Of all the different schools I attended, it was the only one where I knew that bullying, for example, or losing another one of my toenails in the daily stampede towards the cafeteria, weren’t things that I needed to worry about. There is much to be said for dealing with these kinds of problems by making sure that there isn’t any room for them to occur in the first place.

> To admit that she is right would mean recognising that there is something amiss with our education system and the principles shaping it.

However, criticisms of Birbalsingh and her methods go far beyond the issue of choosing one set of classroom management techniques over another. They are, rather, related to the matter of what discipline means within an educational setting, and of the purpose it serves. Birbalsingh’s approach tackles the formation of each student’s character within a wider social context. She places enormous importance on the role of individuals in overcoming systemic disadvantages in their own lives – an attitude profoundly shaped by her own experiences teaching underprivileged pupils over the years. [99.2%](https://www.schooldash.com/school/140862/) of Michaela students come from ethnic minority backgrounds (5% higher than the average across the ten closest surrounding schools), and almost a quarter of them are eligible for free school meals. 

Though recognising these drawbacks and how they affect her students, Birbalsingh insists that modern discourse focuses upon them too heavily, removing any hope that these can be surmounted on an individual level, and serving in the end only to ease the guilt of the privileged whilst creating a “victim mentality” which discourages disadvantaged students from even attempting to excel. In this area too, Birbalsingh’s outlook appears to have brought about astounding success: [The Schools Guide](https://www.theschoolsguide.com/schools/secondary/michaela-community-school-140862/) awarded Michaela a score of 100% in its ‘progress’ category, which considers the levels of academic improvement made by students between joining the school and sitting their GCSEs and A-levels. The schools rated highest in this category are those that take on low-achieving pupils and succeed in helping them to obtain excellent results. The accomplishments of Michaela students, compared to other schools in the area and indeed considered on their own, seem to vindicate their headmistress’ conservative attitudes in the world of education.

It is the paradox of Katharine Birbalsingh that makes her so controversial: she achieves the results coveted by progressives through espousing traditional values with a rigour that initially makes you flinch. A simple overview of her school’s consistently stellar achievements indicates that there must be something to this approach, but to admit that she is right would mean recognising that there is something amiss with our education system and the principles shaping it.

![Jordan Peterson sits down with students at The Michaela Community School, whilst Katharine Birbalsingh stands behind him.|1200x900](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1664475053/post/perterson_school_comp_i3eq2j.webp "To this day, Katharine Birbalsingh continues to receive backlash for her conservative teaching methods, with the latest development occurring after a visit by commentator Jordan Peterson.")

After all, education is a matter that touches all other areas of social and cultural policy: the question of what students learn, how they learn it, and the environments in which they do so encompasses issues from the philosophical to the political. So, what can we learn from Birbalsingh’s success?

For one thing, we might learn not to be afraid of tradition. Since the ’60s, we have been a culture obsessed with the new, to the point where ‘old-fashioned’ is almost synonymous with ‘bad’ or ‘ineffective’. To lose some of this obsession wouldn’t mean idealising the past, but instead learning to treasure what works whilst remaining flexible enough to recognise problems and implement change where it is needed. This is particularly important when working with children and teenagers, who by nature require consistency blended carefully with adaptability. Although education is shaped by ideologies to a certain extent, the unbending need to prove a political point within it hampers the possibility of being able to provide this blend – with effects that then feed into every aspect of life. Birbalsingh has been criticised for adhering too austerely to the precepts of the past, but it is possible that in abandoning them, we have moved too far in the opposite direction, and thus become far truer examples of the very rigidity of which she is frequently accused. This would account for [the torrents of abuse](https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/05/katharine-birbalsingh-regret-telling-tories-education-system-broken) that she faced in the years following her speech at the Conservative Party conference, and that she and her staff [continue to experience](https://twitter.com/Miss_Snuffy/status/1556964770451902464) over a decade later.

Michaela’s results since its earliest days have shown that traditional values and firm discipline can play an important role in helping to narrow the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their more privileged counterparts. Now more than ever, it is critical to pay careful attention to how these results have been achieved. To dismiss Katharine Birbalsingh and the methods she has used to provide hundreds of young people with an excellent education, or worse, to simply to label them as tyrannical, would mean denying countless other students the chance to benefit from similar opportunities.

To dismiss Katharine Birbalsingh and her methods, would mean denying countless students the chance to benefit from an outstanding education.

Why I'm glad I went to a school with strict rules

Life as an A-Level politics student is pretty simple. I scout the news headlines for Boris Johnson’s latest hairstyles, updates on Vladimir Putin’s self-proclaimed righteous battle for liberty against “fascism” in Ukraine, and whether households in the UK will be able to survive the winter. As I said, simple.

However, the future that students are facing is not at all simple. Ever since Tony Blair launched his ambition to send at least half of Britain’s youth to university, many are now blindly heading there, despite the [eye-watering cost](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/colossal-student-debt-tax-opportunity-many-not-worth/). And while more people achieving a higher standard of education is a good thing, it has inevitably meant that a degree is no longer as valuable as it once was. So, what should students do?

There is no doubt, in my mind, that a degree is definitely worth anyone’s time, and many people come out of university with the knowledge needed to take them to their careers, even if that knowledge is where to go for the cheapest drinks. But is it worth the money? Those living away from home in London can borrow a maximum of £12,667 to help with their living costs. Had such a figure risen in line with inflation, it would stand at a [maximum of £13,632, a £965 gap](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/new-uni-students-sleepwalking-financial-crisis-loans-fail-cover/) – not something you can get from just selling a few textbooks, or cutting back on pot noodles.

Usually, a student would seek help from the bank of mum and dad, but with the rising cost of living, propelled by the main CPI ([*Consumer Price Index*](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices)) components of food and energy, households are facing an even greater squeeze. The energy price cap is expected to rise to £3549 in October, and [inflation is forecasted to hit 18%](https://www.ft.com/content/778e65e1-6ec5-4fd7-98d5-9d701eb29567). So wherever students turn, they are met with financial pressure that has been compared to that of 2008. A [survey by Nationwide](https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/money/bills/cost-of-living-crisis-students-struggling-bills-homelessness-1796506) shows that two-thirds of students are struggling to pay bills, prompting borrowing and overdrafts.

![A-Level students opening their results|1200x798](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1662408185/post/students_results_voqvje.webp "Students that have just received their A-Level results will be heading to university at a time when they cannot even afford books, let alone balance them. Image from [The Sun](https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12384073/what-time-a-level-results-released-today/).")

Students that have just received their A-Level results will be heading to university at a time when energy bills will claim more than 11% of a household’s median disposable income, [according to the ONS](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-25/uk-energy-crisis-risks-squeezing-households-more-than-2008-crash). After years of ruined education thanks to the pandemic, not helped by tragic tory planning and response, students will have to endure mounting costs, both at home and at university.

*Well, what are we doing about it?!* I hear you ask. A fine question indeed, but many universities have found it more prudent to [remove ‘sensitive’ and ‘challenging’ books](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/08/09/universities-admit-purge-challenging-books-protect-students/), rather than helping students financially. *Okay, so what about our politicians?* Not much better I’m afraid, the latest in Tory genius is to [‘phase out degrees that do not improve students’ earning potential’](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/07/rishi-sunak-vows-to-end-low-earning-degrees-in-post-16-education-shake-up). Although this may seem well-meaning, is it really the role of the state to decide what courses individuals take?

If you wanted to go and study philosophy, the classics or creative writing, many Tories would tell you that it is a waste of time as it doesn’t improve your career prospects (despite their former leader studying the classics and making it to the office of the Queen’s First Minister - doesn’t improve career prospects, eh?). Remember when Plato argued that the best form of governance is when philosophers ruled? Yes, not going to happen. Of course, the students of the future won’t know who Plato was; they won’t be able to study philosophy.

I am all the more happy for a government and our political leaders to be taking an interest in our current students, the here and now, but, when our political attention succumbs to short-termism, then we must be worried. After all, how can we secure the nation’s future without securing the quality education that those who will inhabit that future need and want? - Not what the government needs and wants.

Parliamentary action to support students is unlikely to be seen. With the legislature currently in recess, and [Labour calling for MPs to be recalled to Westminster](https://uk.yahoo.com/finance/news/uk-labour-demands-recall-parliament-213000576.html), the country is in recession whilst our politicians are in recess - did they ever actually start working?

> As we continue our conflict with inflation, young citizens will feel their ambition of home ownership slipping even further away

The educational standards of the UK may see a dramatic fall in the coming years, especially as the cost-of-living crisis deters people away from the debt-ridden path of university, favouring vocational qualifications or venturing straight into the workplace. Tony Blair’s ambition of sending half of the nation’s young people into lecture halls and libraries may not be realised in the future.

Despite this forecast, record numbers of students are making their applications to university, with [44% of 18-year-olds applying in England alone](https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/feb/17/rise-in-university-applications-from-uk-18-year-olds-figures-show). Richard Adams, Education Editor at The Guardian, says that “the appetite for higher education remains undimmed, despite the government’s efforts to talk up the benefits of alternatives such as apprenticeships or other training”. So despite the noise that the nation’s financial woes are creating, and political efforts to direct interest to vocational paths, the university has not lost its hold on young people, and sixth formers still feel an academic education is the best choice for them.

That being said, students will need to master their budgeting skills and find the extra money to get by whilst studying for their degree. Once they graduate, the situation doesn’t look even better. The Bank of England is looking to [raise interest rates to 4%](https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-11146501/Interest-rates-set-hit-4-Bank-England-battles-inflation.html) as we continue our conflict with inflation, which means that young citizens will feel their ambition of home ownership slipping even further away.

Despite all this nonsense, I for one am going to university, not just because I’m an essay-writing, book-devouring, coffee-guzzling bibliophile, but because university really represents the future for me. There are few places that can offer the social, cultural and political experiences that university campuses do, and I am confident I will be prepared for a fruitful career as well as an intriguing life.

However, the effect of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and soaring inflation will rest on the shoulders of our students for years to come, and leaving aside whether they decide to go to university or not, one thing is certain: life as a student is not simple.

From the cost-of-living crisis to soaring inflation, students need to find a way through a labyrinth of challenges.

How will we study at university when we can't afford to live?

In my previous article we talked about how hard, but entirely necessary it is to find your start while enrolled at university. So, let's assume you found one, a real step up for you and your career prospects. A job so good in fact that you'd be a fool not accept it. Well, now you're in a predicament, one that's left you not only juggling coursework but important professional work too. Work that, if done wrong or not given the appropriate time and effort, can wind up costing you potential employment in the future. So, what do you do? Well, for me, I quit.

::post{#the-corporate-cog-has-crushed-my-soul-why-i-mentally-resigned}

I remember when I got the job offer back in November. A firm I was in contact with since August had recommended me to one of Bristol's most prestigious copywriting agencies, which needed freelancers to help with what they described as a "high-volume writing project". What surprised me the most was that I had already tried approaching them once before - one of those unfortunate encounters wherein I didn't receive so much as an automated response. Which, to be completely fair, wasn't a practice entirely exclusive to them. And yet here they were, a year later, coming to me and offering me work! At the time, there really were no words to describe just how exciting it was to be approached like that.

Obviously, I accepted. I mean of course I did, who wouldn't, right? In my head, this was going to be my big break, a chance to really make my name in the industry. So, a few weeks later, after all the admin was processed, I was given the brief, and on paper it didn't seem all that bad. It was a four-week appointment that asked for writers to draft and submit numerous holiday destination pages per week for a travel site. Each week, depending on the amount of work you were happy to receive, you were emailed a pre-approved list of destinations. How each page was laid out would adhere to a very regimented structure of up to eight headlines, with the total word count coming to around 1,500 words.

Writing out the first page, a sample they requested to be done over the course of a day, I found that it wasn't necessarily a very taxing brief - just extremely time-consuming - with my submission of the page coming uncomfortably close to the deadline. So, with that in mind, I let them know I could probably get around two to three pages done a week. Before the weekend, I received an email with feedback, a completely normal if slightly nauseating process with copywriting. Overall they were happy with it, but there were a few minor problems that could be fixed; such as tone of voice (TOV) and search engine optimisation (SEO). A practice that, unfortunately, hadn't really been touched on all that much during my three years at university.

With my fixes submitted, I was given my first real batch - three destinations that had to be drafted by the end of the week. Again not entirely difficult, just time-consuming. It was around this time that course assignments were beginning to rear their ugly heads. This was when things started to get a little testy.

Alongside the work I had to do per week, which often took me upwards of around twelve hours to complete, I also had to maintain a presence at university, making sure I went to classes and handed in the necessary homework that was due. *Okay,* I thought, *I can handle this. Do you want to get into the big leagues? This is how you do it.* But with that, as I imagine a lot of you can guess, came zero sleep, barely enough time to eat, and not to mention a fractured hand that I'd sustained a few weeks before that I was unable to have seen. It was all starting to get a little much, but for the sake of such an incredible opportunity, I persevered.

> When work begins to affect not only the quality of your coursework but also your daily wellbeing, then it's safe to assume that your overall effectiveness in this business will come into question.

The thing I enjoy most about copywriting is the chance to dive into a subject previously unknown to me and really figure out how that thing works. But with this job, I never really got to feel that same sense of discovery as I had before. Since every new page followed the same 8 topics. It became an exercise in monotony. As week in week out, I recently worked out, I would end up writing 36 different ways to sell a beach, and that wasn't even including the other 8 headings I had to write. The terms "sugary white", and "golden brown sands" are forever burned into my mind.

I remember one time, I had just finished a day of university and, naively believing I was owed the night off, I decided to enjoy a couple of drinks with my friends. Of course, at the very peak of my drunkenness, I was hit with a sudden stab of panic at the thought of trudging through another page, which was already so time-consuming, while trapped under the weight of a swelling hangover. So, with no other option, I stumbled home and proceeded to write out another page. While not the only sour moment linked to the whole ordeal, it was definitely one of the more egregious memories that geared me towards the mindset that maybe this job just wasn't for me.

As mentioned in my previous article, I like the intensity that comes with this line of work, having to figure out the puzzle of how best to communicate the brief's call to action. But when that work begins to affect not only the quality of your coursework, during your final year of university no less, but also your daily wellbeing, then it's safe to assume that your overall effectiveness in this business will come into question. After all, this is just one of many different briefs I'm eager to receive in my career. A sentiment I can totally get behind now that I'm free of it, but at the time, I remember thinking that the only problem with that mindset was landing a career in the first place, and more importantly, that this job was likely to get me there. So, without pause for thought, I continued to stick with it.

By this time my university assignment deadlines were inching ever closer and it was becoming more and more difficult for me to consistently change my headspace back and forth from "efficient brief" to "creative coursework". My attendance, or lack thereof, was also becoming noticeable to say the least. I received multiple emails asking why I wasn't showing up and if I was doing okay? How was I supposed to respond to that? "Sorry, I've not been showing up; I'm just busy with real work." Doubt it would've been well received.

The last straw came when I was halfway through my second batch of destinations. I was told that my sample from weeks before was still in need of rewrites, as well as what I presumed to be a whole list of feedback for the other three pages I'd previously drafted. So, not only would I have to produce the ordered content by the end of the week, I now had to make time for a whole slew of feedback too. Suffice it to say, it was finally too much.

> When you don't enjoy the work you do, is it really worth the money and experience?

Quitting this job was not an easy decision to make for several reasons. For one, I thought my skills as a copywriter would somehow help me overcome the rising tide of work that I was becoming inundated with. The thought process was that If I couldn't handle this, what else might I have trouble with in the future? What if I just didn't have what it takes to make this into a career? And worst of all, had I already hit my ceiling? Remember, my only real experience at that point was working as an intern, which was an environment specifically geared towards educating me. This, on the other hand, was real.

Second, and by far the most important reason, was the adverse reaction I felt I was likely to get from the agency for opting out of our agreement halfway through the contract. Regardless of the direction I was leaning, either decision, at least at the time anyway, would ultimately affect any chance I might have for future employment with that agency. So, what was I to do? On the one hand, I was so severely unhappy with the brief and how it was affecting my day to day that I honestly couldn't think of any other possibility, but on the other, the potential consequences if I were to leave felt so very high.

In the end, I emailed them that very day, letting them know that the workload was getting a little too much for me. And to their credit, they offered to reduce the number of pages I was expected to draft per week. But that wasn't really the point. The work itself was tedious to perform and required every amount of effort I hadn't already spent on my coursework to work on the same subject. I simply didn't enjoy it, and when you don't enjoy the work you do, is it really worth the money and experience? Not to me, evidently.

Looking back, I feel I made the right decision, especially when I was still tasked to finish off the remaining destination pages. How my choices will affect the future are still unknown to me, but after the hit to my ego had healed I began to accept that hard-to-reach silver lining that there are still plenty of opportunities out there just waiting for me, ones that are more aligned with my skill set. Leaving me with the important lesson of recognising one's limitations, which I know sounds like such a reductive thought process to be conducting so early on in your career. But it's such a necessary learning curve to go through if you're looking to make it long term, and enjoy it at the same time.

A friend of mine put it like this; of what use is a beautifully decorated train without an engine. Essentially, what might be good for you way on down the line, might not be good for you now. And while thinking long term is a very sensible way of looking at things professionally, sometimes it can blind you to the things that matter most in the present you occupy. Namely, You! Without you, the work doesn't matter.

So, look after yourself and recognise the moments where you've perhaps drifted out a little further than you might've anticipated, beyond the buoys of your career. Your happiness, just in case you needed reminding - whether meeting your aspirations head-on or simply taking a breather from the race entirely - is far more important than a list of prospects.

Your happiness is far more important than a list of prospects.

Why I quit my job as a copywriter and learned to prioritise my happiness

I think it's fair to say that there's more than enough going on at university to keep a student distracted. What with all the coursework and near-limitless diversions on offer, it can be difficult to keep your eyes on the prize. I mean, when you think about it, why are you there to begin with? What's the end goal? To get a job, right?

I think we all know this when we first start. For others, it might be more of an opportunity to get to know yourself better in an environment that can support and inspire you. But maybe down the line, we all get a little swept up in the infamous university lifestyle. Hey, if you're going to be spending upwards of a small fortune, you may as well enjoy it. But there comes a time when the work has to begin, otherwise what was it all for?

So, enough preamble. You want to know how an internship changed everything. Well, it all started during my first year. Freshers week had just come to a close and I was ready to drop the double fists of vodka mixers and do some actual learning. My reasons for enrolling were numerous, but the one that trumped all else was becoming a screenwriter. After narrowly avoiding a retake of the foundation year, I was finally taking the course of my dreams. One of the modules we had to take during our first term was copywriting; not the law surrounding intellectual properties but, in essence, the art of persuasion. Think Mad Men, without the fancy suits.

![Stephen King|1200x675](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1638915974/post/internship_steven_king_ro9bbt.png "I had never considered the reality of life beyond university. We all want a career in fiction or journalism. But while we may be the next Stephen King, we first have to pay the bills.")

I will always remember the first thing our teacher told us as we all found our seats. He asked us to raise our hands if we wanted a career in fiction or journalism, you know, the good stuff. Naturally, I raised my hand. After all, nobody chooses to be a copywriter. Hell, I hadn't even heard the term until I saw it written on our prospectus. He followed on by telling us that, while we may be the next Stephen King, we first had to pay the bills.

Even though it sounds a little naïve in hindsight, it was the first time I had ever considered the reality of life beyond university. How could I? It seemed so far away, and I still had so much to learn. Thanks to him, I now had the ever-present image of instant unemployment looming overhead. From then on, I knew what I had to do to ensure I wouldn't become just another postgraduate loser. I was going to be a copywriter.

> I knew what I had to do to ensure I wouldn't become just another postgraduate loser.

Fast forward 12 months, and I had just begun my second year. Before I knew it, there were already whispers in the wind about the following sandwich year and how important it was to get a head start on the search. Early attempts at trawling the job market sounded reasonable —definitely good advice for a young student. Only, I had no idea where to even start, especially with something as amorphous as copywriting. After getting little help from my campus' careers office, I decided my best option was to look around various websites on offer in hopes of discovering any little tidbit that might help me. All I needed was the right direction.

I compiled a list of copywriting and advertising firms that I had found in my area, which wasn't much, and proceeded to send out the most amateur emails. You know the ones. The dreaded, "Hi there, my name is Liam. I am a student at blah blah blah, and I would like a placement at so and so." As you'd expect, I didn't get a lot of responses. The ones I did get told me that, due to it being at the height of the pandemic, there was no way of knowing if they were even allowed to run the scheme by next year, let alone guarantee me a spot. But that didn't stop me.

For the next few months, I continued to reach out to people, using the many professional platforms available to get my foot in as many doors as possible. Until finally, I got an offer. I had received an email from quite a respectable firm in the Bristol copy scene. With all the practice I'd had over the last five months, it seemed my emailing skills had significantly improved. A skill I will absolutely touch upon more in a future article.

After meeting with them on Zoom for a quick chat and a casual interview, I was locked into a four-week internship for the summer. It wasn't a placement, mind, but it was an opportunity. And as I've come to learn in this business, just say yes to everything. It might not sound great at first or is in no way relevant to your career goals, but you never know what might come of it.

You'd think that would be it. I finally had my chance. But what came next was what happens to a lot of young people in my position. The sudden realisation that I had just convinced a professional firm that I was in any way competent. Yes, imposter syndrome is a very real thing, and I had it hard. After finishing my second year, I spent the rest of my summer break studying up on what a copywriting firm actually did with their day. Thankfully, there was plenty of material to sift through, including lists of content copywriters were likely to produce. Things like white papers, blog posts, newsletters, even websites.

It was a week before I started when I received another email from the company's head to have a small introduction of my duties while there. To my relief, the atmosphere presented seemed pretty casual, and more importantly, they knew that I was there to learn. So, any mistakes I was likely to make were to be expected.

![Copywriting|1200x720](https://res.cloudinary.com/fledger/image/upload/v1638915973/post/internship_copywriting_qnnb7c.png "Copywriting is the act of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. The product, called \"copy\", is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or group to take a particular action.")

My first day was very intense. But it wasn't as though I was run ragged or anything, more that the information I was processing was unlike anything I had previously experienced. That feeling of overwhelming pressure would eventually fade. As an agency intern, the average week for me, as opposed to a freelancer, started with a group meeting. Nothing too serious. A quick rundown of how your weekend went and an update on any outstanding copy you might be working on. It all felt very warm and inviting.

After the meeting, I was introduced to my first client; a digital training platform that needed help convincing educators to transfer their systems onto their platform. This was an excellent choice, in my opinion. They made it very clear that, due to the writing samples I had sent them, I seemed prone to expressive and colourful language. So, by giving me this as my first brief, they were tempering my expectations of what I might've imagined a copywriter would spend most of their time working on. Something like a few slogans or car commercials. Again, Mad Men. I think this is a critical lesson when it comes to realising your dream job, and one that I feel is often overlooked or not properly discussed in length. That is, in the end, it's still just a job that requires a lot of time and effort. Managing expectations and deromanticising your job early on can save you from many potential disappointments later down the road. You build this idea in your head of what it will be like, and when it isn't, you can often begin to question a lot of your choices. Is this who I want to be? If not, what else can I do? Have I wasted my time?

If you're given an opportunity to work on placement or an internship at any point, I'd highly recommend taking a journal with you. Being able to see a physical record of you changing and adapting to your job, as well as recognising that rising confidence in your voice as the weeks go on, can really make you feel incredible. Not to mention coming to grips with an increasing workload without it even phasing you. By the end of my internship, I was producing content like nobody's business. I honestly felt addicted to the intensity. Waking up, getting to work, trying to figure out the puzzle that was my next brief. How do I get the intended message across as efficiently and creatively as possible? I was in love with it.

And then before I knew it, it was over. My stint in Adland, much like a fantastic holiday, was nothing more than a memory. The worst part out of all of it was just going back to waiting for the summer break to end like none of it had even happened. My deployment was over, and I was back to being a civvie. I did manage to use that excess energy to pump up my resume as well as tinker with some professional profiles.

You can perhaps see where this is going. I went back to university and all of a sudden, I felt like I was back in primary school. Nobody, aside from the teachers maybe, had experienced what I had. I felt like I was hitting the brakes hard; forced to remain at this frustratingly slow pace until everyone had sufficiently caught up with me. Copywriting classes were a breeze. I could bust out a brief in a single afternoon. But, honestly, it felt kind of lonely to have that separation, even if it was all me.

And while this all might seem a little arrogant and self-aggrandising, there is nothing wrong with feeling confident in your own skills. Least of all in a competitive industry like writing. If university has taught me anything, it's that nothing will be handed to you, apart from a diploma. There's no job hidden in your gown or underneath your cap. To be successful, you need to make the most of the time that's on offer while you still have the financial support. Because once it's over, and that university bubble finally pops, you're going to wish you made the most of it while you still had the chance.

There's no job hidden underneath your gown. Once the university bubble pops, you're going to wish you made the most of it whilst you still had the chance.