The University of Edinburgh exists within a bubble, a membrane of academic excellency and seclusion that isolates the university space from the practicalities of the real world. Students, cushioned by privilege and shielded from reality beyond its walls, have become out of touch with reality.
Prestigious academic institutions have often been criticised for existing in separation from working-class realities. Over my four years at university, I’ve come to see it as an entirely different world from the lives of my friends who never attended or have since graduated. But are these bubbles impenetrable, or can they be surpassed?
As a Philosophy student, I am no stranger to this bubble. Philosophy can be seen as a highly abstract, theoretical subject that cannot be applied to real, lived experiences. The language used in academia is of a level of obscurity that can sometimes take away from understanding. Even myself, and many professors, claim after years of study, that some texts, like Hegelian literature, are indecipherable. This gives the illusion of academics being shut away in their offices, producing texts that no one else but other academics can grasp.
However, over the course of my four years, I have found that many of my courses have been applicable to real, lived experiences and have given me practical knowledge that I use daily. I have studied a diverse range of courses, not limited to the ethical implications of AI, ethical considerations and solutions to poverty, feminist theories, etc. Yet, it is important to note that opportunities to gain more practical knowledge were because of my course choices, and not every philosophy student may choose to pursue similar options. If a student only wishes to study Marxist theory and never touch on theories of decolonisation then this is a choice they are free to make.
Not only could subject choices be seen as a way of penetrating the bubble of academic institutions, but activism and social contributions could also be a way of understanding working-class realities. However, a key question emerges: how does activism translate into tangible change? Is it all performative? Does it only benefit those already in the university system?
This is not all students, don’t get me wrong. But it is the stereotype of the typical University of Edinburgh student and, after my experience, I can say it does ring true. Many working-class students are separated from this privileged bubble during their time at university, unable to get dressed as minions on a Wednesday night, instead clocking in for night shifts after a day at uni.
It is a complex, paradoxical reality. In one respect, the university engages with pressing societal issues and fosters activism that may produce tangible change. However, it remains structurally privileged, with students living lives far removed from working-class realities and knowledge being gatekept by academic jargon. Going forward, it is important to acknowledge the privilege of those within the bubble, but also to puncture its surface – disassembling the barriers that keep universities floating above the very people they aim to serve.
Illustration by Melena Orleans@mellipedes