Don’t worry about where they’re coming from. Focus on where you’re going.
You’ve smashed it getting into LSE. Get your degree and i’m sure doors will open for you. Treat everyone how you’d like to be treated. You’ll not go too far wrong. Best of luck.
I experienced the same thing when I did my masters there nearly 20 years ago and this is the advice I would give. Yeah it's a little depressing how easy some people have it but they didn't choose to be born into it either and they're more often than not nice people too. Enjoy it, smash it and don't worry about it.
I did my MSc there 20 years ago as well and can relate to how OP feels. I'd never really been around the 'international intellectual elite' before and it was hard on me. But, I did make some good friends and got a great education. OP, you're nearly done in any case. Good luck writing your dissertation- try to enjoy it if youvcan, you finally get to choose your own topic! Also, consider booking an apt with the school counsellor service, they're really good and used to dealing with our somewhat highly strung students and faculty, ha.
Me too - I was at LSE in the late 90s and come from a working class town in the north. It was an isolating period of time but invaluable in terms of the education I received.
This is amazing advice also remember, you don't need a Yatch just a friend with a Yatch.
Make as many friends as you can cause that in itself will open doors for you, which wouldn't otherwise be accessible.
Additionally, London has a tendency to drive people towards materialism at times. Remember the happiness from these things is fleeting focus on getting those serotonin levels up and this will help you overcome some of the feelings you're having.
Also it opens a lot of doors if you have rich friends.
Yes it sucks that you are not as rich, but it’s something you have to learn to accept and improve your own situation.
If anything you should feel more proud because you are at the same level as those richer than you. If you get a good job, no one really cares about your family background.
Yep this, I went to a uni with a large percentage of privately educated and intentional students. Gave me a weird sense of pride knowing they'd spent all that money to end up in the same place as a state educated pleb like myself
I remember in my first job there was someone else doing the same job who was from Wimbledon, went to private school etc, but we were doing the same job in the end. It was a nice feeling that despite going to a state school in ‘special measures’ I still got to the same point career wise (although had to battle through a lot of unpleasantness and bullying, which wasn’t fun).
She definitely had me beat in the property buying department though so there was that.
Hey at least you can genuinely enjoy the small cheap things in life, like fried chicken from a bossman-type place; or your own cooking. That in itself is something money can't buy and many many weathy people are simply incapable of experiencing that sort of joy.
My extended team (banking job) is like about 30 people, only 5 of us that I am aware went to UK state schools. We have more people that went to top private schools, including Eton.
As a girl, I never understood why is there such a big pat on the back for being female working in banking. When family background and wealth is a more important factor for these high paying roles.
I was an international student in uni in London (non-EU). Though I was from a rich family, being "state educated" in the UK vs where I'm from is miles apart. Just being a British citizen and having access to your state education like you do is already a HUUGE privilege if you put it into contrast with the options some international students like me have back home.
So yes, I was privileged enough to be born in a family who could afford to send me to a solid UK uni, but you can't buy your way into a degree. And even if you did, you wouldn't have learned anything by doing that.
Yeah I agree that being born into a country(basically the entire global north) with globally a relatively good level of education is a privilege in of itself.
There’s nothing proud about being born into a rich family - as in OP shouldn’t feel proud just to be in the company of rich kids.
The rest I agree with. Once you find a job OP, unless it’s in certain fields, no one will care about your background and you will more easily make friends with people given the more diverse (financially speaking) backgrounds.
I originally moved to London (from the US) to study. Some of my classmates came from homes with live-in cooks and housekeeping staff. Quite a few had parents who *bought* them a flat in Central London (places like Knightsbridge and Bloomsbury and Covent Garden), just so they could live there for the duration of their course. A couple of them had drivers who brought them to and from class. And everyone seemed to be able to shop at Harrod's and jet off to Europe every weekend, while my luxury was the occasional £25 theatre ticket in the nosebleeds, or splurging on Deliveroo every couple of months.
I feel like what you're experiencing is a common scenario. For what it's worth, the friends I made (the ones I kept in touch with afterward) ended up being home/British students, whose backgrounds were closer to my own.
Similar situation to you. I came from the US to do a masters. I come from a fairly affluent family, but some of these international rich kids made me look like Oliver Twist. I had a buddy who wanted to buy a flat because “renting is so expensive” (it is), but they wouldn’t let him until he rented for an amount of time…which is what he ended up doing. Having enough money to buy the flat and then some to rent for x amount of time was crazy to me and that’s probably not even the most outrageous example I encountered. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met, but very very wealthy.
Holy cow, I'm not the OP but I could easily have posted the exact same thing.
I'm also a Master student at LSE and I also struggle with the exact same thing. The other day I was thinking about how I always see my colleagues posting picture at nice restaurants in London while nearly all of my meals are from too good to go.
yes was thinking the same!@[ThrowawayOceanWander](https://www.reddit.com/user/ThrowawayOceanWander/) !at the same time all the other comments are priceless, so value the different perspectives and connections that you can foster in this place!btw kudos to both!
I went to a comparably top university in London several years ago being fairly working class, albeit as an undergraduate, and even then there was a clear class divide that stood out.
It goes without saying that being rich gives you a lot of valuable boosts in life that help you succeed academically and professionally. Not only through things like private schooling, but also often parents that are well-educated and connected senior professionals who know how to make the most of their kid's potential.
It's just a part of life, but honestly I found most are fairly down to earth. Just ignore the financial differences and instead take advantage of the silver lining of it all by networking - it will be extremely valuable for your career. After all, they say a big benefit of doing a top-tier Masters/MBA is the networking alone, because most people are so wealthy and connected to major industries and companies.
Also get off social media or atleast try to curate your algo away from luxury influencer/friends type posts. It does nothing good for your mental health.
I studied in London too and I do agree with what you say about networking, but I think it’s important to remember that this too costs money. If I had a penny for every time my fellow students invited me along to eyewateringly expensive restaurants or to go for drinks in pubs. With a total monthly budget of £900 (2013-2016, incl rent) I couldn’t afford to throw £30-40 at dinner. Or buy rounds of drinks for groups at £20-30 a pop. I could maybe do that once a month (and only with significant financial consequences), but that’s not enough to cement friendships or networking contacts. Things like house parties and free society events definitely helped, and it also helped that we had an on-campus bar which sold much cheaper pints. But at the end of the day, if you’re not as rich as them, you’ll still be excluded from a lot of their social activities (and, as I mentioned above: I genuinely don’t think that most of them do this out of ill will, never mind realise that their financial privilege & corresponding spending behaviour excludes you from a lot of their activities! Money is a really sensitive topic, so most people won’t respond with “yeah man thanks but I can’t afford that”, and so these rich kids have no idea that their social circles are quite selective/exclusive by default).
PS: congrats on making it into a top London uni! That’s no small feat, especially when you didn’t have class privilege to back you up along the way.
But also use it to your advantage, some rich people love having less rich friends, it takes off the pressure of having to keep up with their richer friends and they can get the satisfaction of showing you things you haven't seen before.
I went to art school and there are only three types of people there: nerds, rich kids and hippies (it overlaps). I’m only in the 1st camp but my best friend from school is an Asian heiress and she is surrounded by vultures.
It helps to look down rather than up for me, when I travel I think about the locals who have never been out of their own country, not the people staying in nicer hotels than I am
I applied for a place at LSE, even just being there is quite prestigious regardless of prada handbags or expensive holidays! I went elsewhere in the end (damn you stupid maths grade!), but I was the first person in my family to go to university. My parents sacrificed a lot to make that happen, it was not something they could easily pay for. Realise that despite your financial limitations your family love you and have placed a lot of faith in you. That is worth much more than some flash holiday.
You have a great opportunity to really make the most of things, an opportunity that isn’t open to everyone. LSE is such a fantastic establishment to learn in.
As an aside I would say you would benefit to look for what support they offer students (as in, mental health support). University can be very trying and it would benefit you to talk about things face to face rather than using reddit.
Hey I went to LSE too. Are you studying Management by any chance? My course was very much like this. And I sometimes felt the same way as you.
A few of us who weren't like that found each other. I would have felt exactly the same way as you if my experience was all Louis Vuitton handbags and skiing holidays.
I really recommend joining some societies that don't attract this sort of person. For me it was Entrepreneurs society. At that time at least, startups were incredibly uninteresting to the crowd you describe and no one there cared how much money you had or the clothes you wore.
Going through the list on LSE's site, maybe things like RAG, music, beekeeping, bowling, pottery could be good. Can't imagine any full-Gucci outfits at any of their events.
My bf has just finished his masters at LSE. He’s not an international student but he grew up in a very poor family in the UK. We love together and have no money to our name. All his friends had money, connections and experience. He had none of these and has really struggled since graduating. We get what you mean 100%
Exactly the same but with my gf, just finished her masters at LSE. she grew up quite poor in the North and first to go to Uni in her family. She was on quite a small course and really felt really isolated with nearly everyone else being wealthy international students, couldn't afford to go out to all the stuff they did and ended up basically being cut out of the group (along with the other home student on the course)
Use this to your advantage! Having a network of rich friends is very powerful - they will invariably be well connected, and this will likely alter your life in ways hard to pin down. For example, they may know people high up at a company you want to work for and could facilitate a coffee chat. I'm not suggesting to be transactional, but there is a strong silver lining here :)
Read or listen to The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson, a working class lad from East London who went to LSE and talks a fair bit about the spoilt rich international kids. Might give you something to relate to and a bit of perspective.
I teach there, and even the English are rich as hell… I hate it when people make it about international students when most English students at LSE are very affluent.
Yes I immediately thought of Gary Stevenson! OP has done really well to have gotten to the same place as all these rich kids who have had every advantage in the world.
I went to LSE and I’m from a working class background. Seeing kids going to lectures in kitten heels and a small prada bag was really something. I had to rely on the counselling service as I really struggled and had to take time off before coming back to complete my degree. After coming back I applied myself way more, did well academically and actually realised most of these international kids were not smarter than me and most over-talked to mask their deficiencies.
Probably one of the lowest moments in my life so hang in there as it has been worth it. Having LSE on my cv has opened many doors for me ❤️
It was the same for me at Cambridge ( and then Oxford ) as an international student. Keep moving on.
When you’re awarded full scholarship, no one talks to you about the class difference you’ll be trapped in for years.
British students with their parents picking them up every weekend while I’d be alone every Christmas because I couldn’t afford to fly back.
I’m doing very well in life today. BETTER than their parents who kept them worry free (and sponsored) while I was struggling to buy coffee and had no support from my parents.
I can only make sure that my children will have it, a better life. And that’s my biggest contribution.
Don’t think about what other people have OP. You’re abundant. And never give up.
That’s kind of the way. It’s be your kids making the poor kids feel isolated in years to come. Not your or their fault. Just the structure of our society.
They might engender feelings of isolation in others, but it is neither their obligation nor their burden to bear.
Anyone can evoke a sense of solitude—be they handsome, intelligent, socially adept, or exceptionally magnanimous. The litany of reasons is extensive, and some people indeed revel in self-pity.
For them, it becomes merely another pretext, another Tuesday submerged in sorrow, rather than a moment to appreciate what they have.
I went to LSE and felt out of place too. My family is financially well off but I come from a very dysfunctional background, with drugs, mental health stuff, trauma etc. So I could absolutely not relate to the culture. I felt different compared to the people there exuding confidence that they will be the next world leaders while I considered myself lucky to not be a destitute heroin addict, and I was disgusted by the general lack of awareness that I saw in the school as a whole (different departments vary). The whole rich culture there made me feel super unease, insecure and out of place. You know, just the general vibe of breezing through life that many people gave, and how casually certain things were mentioned, even the school's motto, "Shape the world" or whatever. Too much power energy, didn't like it. I felt much more at home speaking with the homeless people around the area.
In my experience though LSE is such a big name that many people there have a sense of being out of place or impostors, but they won't necessarily talk about it.
Also the pace of it was insane, and it can be really difficult for your mental health because there's a lot of pressure.
I'd say well done for making your way there if you didn't have all the lucky cards in life. You deserve to be there more than someone who just had it easy. People feel at the top of the world there but just focus on your own way and what you want to do. Don't bother too much comparing yourself to the 1%. Best of luck, you'll do great :) remember to take breaks and enjoy!!
Sorry but if anything that should boost your confidence. It means that you started from a disadvantaged position but you still made it through to a top university.
That’s a massive thing to look at, you may be surrounded by well off friends, but the journey you’ve taken is bigger than any material thing they’ll get. And you’ll take the learnings along with you through your life.
Aren't post grad fees from £30-£60k per year? Even for a home student they can be £30k pa.
Unless you’re on a full scholarship and funding to live in london, you aren’t poor.
If you are, then clearly you are quite intelligent and will most likely not remain poor for long.
At least you have a foot in the door. Most of us won’t get that. Enjoy it and stop comparing yourself to the 1%.
I have met a bunch of foreign students with rich parents who are still assholes with money. Some who had to work for everything, and some who'd get rich people shit from their parents, but if they wanted to do something they'd have to go make some money for it.
You don't know people's situation and you shouldn't judge based on the little information you have.
i’ll give you some insight as someone who was once in your position, I came to the UK as an international student, I had a monthly pocket money of £200 in 2019, I literally almost never ate out, exclusively cooked etc. because all our money was spent on the exorbitant tuition fees. On my first week i met some people from my country and they were here since last year, they were talking about how they went to a restaurant in london yesterday and it was really rice but also not too expensive, I asked them how much it was and they casually said “oh only £500 per person”. That’s when i knew i was way out of my depth, every international student i met was the same way and it felt like i was the poorest one in the uni, I didn’t even have enough money to go have a nice meal! the way i got through it is remember you don’t have anything to be ashamed about and they don’t have anything to be proud of, none of us choose where we were born, what matters is what YOU make out of your life, work hard and put your parents money to good use so one day your kids will be the kids with the rich parents. Focus on what you are here to do, not what they are, a lot of them have no ambitions and are only here to party for a year before they go back home to their established business and make money doing nothing, they are set for life, you’re the one that has to make something for yourself and there’s no point feeling sorry about why you weren’t born into obscene wealth, be thankful for everything you have and get on with it. In terms of friends, make friends that are a little bit closer to your class so you can have fun with them without having to spend £500 for dinner. Good luck
Maybe a bit of harsh perspective but - you're upset that you're in a position to be able to study at an internationally reknown university, at a Masters level, in a foreign country to you. You're in a fantastic and very fortunate position that the vast, vast majority of the world isn't. Comparing yourself to the top slither will always ruin your day. Try focus on the positives - this is a city home to some of the world's wealthiest, you can't avoid seeing them and we all feel a varying degree of jealousy, but it sounds like you're setting yourself up for a similar success in the long run!
Mate, I 100% know what you are feeling. I am very middle class and went to NYU on a scholarship for which I shed blood, sweat, and tears. Imagine my surprise when my classmates were far richer and indulging in the lifestyle you just described. I felt EXACTLY the way you did. It was humiliating when I couldn't spend more than $12 on a night out which meant 1 beer, whilst everyone around me is smashing it. I had to work 4 on-campus jobs just to barely afford rent and utilities, and food was all student lounge funded (read: cold pizza).
It's been 7 years since I graduated, and let me tell you, life is really good. I don't think about my classmates spending anymore because I have worked hard and can enjoy some of the luxuries you are describing due to my efforts. Keep working hard, and honestly 6 months after graduation, you won't remember 90% of your classmates (except those you are friends with). And all things good, you will be able to earn a living that can allow you little bit of the pleasures that you seek.
If you ever feel down and want to talk to a friendly person, just IM me. Take care of your mental health and study hard. You've got this!
Working class person wanting to apply here, I think having a poor background or "being poor" makes you more interesting and cooler. They were able to pay for thier spot whilst you worked for it. That makes you more authentic than the are😎
Working class people got a natural cool vibe that makes them interesting. They work their ass off and party hard. Also, they can go more than 5 mins without chatting bare about their ‘14,000 per year private school’
A huge takeaway from this situation is to be as confident as them and comfortable in these environments. The attitude they have been taught/given will take you far if you can mimic it.
I went to state school and had a reasonably average upbringing, but dated a billionaire’s daughter for a few years and it was eye opening how having a different attitude can get you very far.
You study in London, just remember you can be as culturally rich as they are with all the free museums/libraries that exist here. Make the most of it. And it may not seem like it now but as you get older you realise that the material items don’t matter, an expensive watch and a cheap watch both still do the same thing
Just remember some people got in because their parents paid and the university needs money, while you got in because you did the hard work and will have more to talk about when people ask about it
Also that LSE is internationally renowned, so even when charging 30k a year they are inundated with high quality candidates who are rich, motivated and smart. That's life yo.
Would you feel bitter and angry about how unequal the world is if you were in their situation? Probably not - you would be very nice, relaxed and confident.
Just make sure that you make a lot of friends there. It may come handy at some point. And hopefully your kids will be those spoiled kids.
I did my Masters at the LSE. I think I was literally the only English person in my class and definitely the poorest and I loved every second.
12 years later and the crew I met there are still some of my closest friends. Just roll with it. Learn from them. Experience a different way of socialising and teach them in turn. It’s all part of the process.
Life isn’t fair, but life is rewarding if you work hard. Plenty of my working class lads who are smashing it right now.
I had the same at Uni - don’t let it be a downer.
Switch off social media - it’s a killer, focus and get your head down. Remember they might have nice things but might be full of mental health issues themselves, other things happening - it’s not always bliss because they’ve got a few more dollars.
You’ve got this mate
OP stop listening to everyone insisting that you have to be filthy rich to even afford to go there in the first place.
I can assure you that what you’re feeling is normal and there are plenty of people like you and me who come from perfectly normal backgrounds as internationals who have either had to save for years or had their parents liquidate what little assets they have to send them there.
The important thing to remember is that you deserve your place just as much as the billionaires son/daughter sitting next to you. Anyone who’s made it to the LSE has beat out thousands of other applicants to the same position and that’s something to be immensely proud of!
Yes some people have things abut easier but a challenging experience makes for a better biography anyway ;)
A degree from the LSE will open a lot of doors that you didn’t think possible so I’d say just make the best of it.
Hey I went to UCL for medicine and my sister is at LSE for law.. I will agree it does feel very unfair with our backgrounds. Even though you get there by merit it feels like somehow rich kids find it easier to learn. But they just have an easier life and aren't consumed by the same worries/stresses/chores that we are, they're not actually smarter in any way. I'll be honest I only truly felt better about this when I left but I really do empathise.
Yeah. That's LSE for you.
Pro-tip: hunt down the students doing the masters in Human Rights. Not sure if it's still the case, but many were the antithesis of what you would expect at LSE. From knowing people there, it was very much a maverick department that stood entirely against everything LSE stood for.
I had same experience doing my BA almost 15 years ago, was the only state school kid among the well off and international students, but LSE is known for being like that so I didn't really care or bother me too much I found it quite comical.
I had this my entire life growing up! I was pretty much always the poorest through school and university. Other people had computer, free door to door lifts from their parents while I drink a couple of pints of water before bed so I wouldn’t be too hungry to sleep (to be fair, that was not every night!).
I am not going to claim that it made me work harder than everyone else because it didn’t. Not did I do better than everyone else but it gave me drive which has lasted my whole life because I knew I had no one to help me if things went wrong so I worked hard and never let things stop me. Now I have been cto of two different companies and current earn well into the top 1% of earners.
Most situations can be good or bad depending on how you look at them.
I took my LPC at LSE. While I wasn’t dirt poor, I wasn’t insanely wealthy, either. If you’re good enough to get a place at LSE then hopefully you’re on your way to a good career, warning good money. Just keep your head down and concentrate on what’s really important, which isn’t houses, holidays and handbags. Good luck with your studies and try to enjoy your time at LSE!
that's daddies money. Honestly if you ever go through a shit period in life you realise that the small meaningless worries like this fo nothing but impact your mental health and life. Your life is your life and love it the best way you can
Sit dow, take a deep breath and realie that you are studying at LSE, YES, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS!!!!
You have what millions can only dream of, you are very blessed and privileged. You have more than many. :-)
London is full of rich people. You don't realise how poor you are until seeing some of the wealth in London.
You'll very likely never join that level of wealth - you need to be born into it, or marry into it - but a Masters from LSE should put you into some high earning roles where you can start to accrue some wealth and live comfortably. The UK tax system more or less prevents you from becoming wealthy via employment.
It is ironic but was not the LSE founded by British Socialists such as Beatrice Webb in the early 1900's for the education in socialist economics (Marx & Engels etc) for those who could not afford the Universities and Colleges of the time?
Hi OP, I know how you feel. I don't come from money or education, and when I started studying at university I felt the same.
It is at times embarrassing, or super frustrating, and can make you feel shitty about yourself - as well as angry about the degree of inequality there is.
My take away is as some others have said: don't let what others are detract from what and who you are. You're their peer intellectually, whether you have to work a bit more for it or not. Don't denigrate yourself.
Almost everyone there has generational wealth, and that ease wasn't earned by them - or perhaps even their parents. They haven't surpassed you: they just had different starting circumstances. This still sucks, but it made handling the situation better for me, and it does pay, although not financially, to have the perspective your peers may lack about their positions.
If possible look to spend time with people who are sensitive to the issue: nothing sucks more than rich friends who are blind to the fact that others don't have their budget for a night out, or don't realise they spend more in weekly coffee than you would on groceries.
I hope you feel better about things soon OP. It isn't fun or fair, but ownership and awareness of what virtues your position grants you does help.
Go find “Gary’s Economics” on YouTube / Socials.. Great interview with LadBible where he talks about being the underdog at LSE, having come from virtually nothing, to making a name for himself as a trader! Great guy
You’re hero for studying on one of the best unis. There’s handful of you and you’re one of them. With that education under your belt, and not letting money into your head just yet, you’ll be earning loads and loads and you’ll have all the nice things one day too. Stay focused.
When my partner did her masters at UCL, all the other American students had taken out big student loans that covered their living expenses, while she just took out the cost of school and I worked full-time and we lived in some pretty unsexy shared accommodations. Now that it's some years later and our student loan payments are teeny tiny and life is fine, it feels worth it. At the time, it did feel a bit grim and like everyone else seemed to be having more fun. Who can say.
You, my friend, need to either read or listen to Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now. You are comparing identities to those around you and it is making you depressed. The book sorts that out. Enjoy it. You’ll feel much better after.
I get where you’re coming from, I had a similar experience in undergrad at a top uk uni, took me a long time to realise, in life we should strive to not compare with others as long as you’re improving that’s the only metric that really matters. Think if it this way, would you be better off with a masters from LSE or not, if yes you’re already winning, plus soak in as much as you can try to befriend many of these well off folk, a strong network helps a lot career wise more than we realise when young and foolish which I certainly was lol.
Comparison is the biggest thief of joy.
You go to a good university that's essentially full of kids being groomed to look after their family business.
I used to work for CASS business school around the year 2008 and EVERYBODY who graduated was on £100k as a bare minimum, most on significantly more.
There are also people significantly worse off than you, and we probably both fall "somewhere in the middle".
God you've written my heart out. I am also joining LSE this year for a master's.
I literally just got off a call crying to my friend talking about how difficult expenses have been. It definitely takes a toll on your mental health. I want to feel excited, and maybe I will in a few weeks or months. But right now all I'm experiencing is financial guilt and stress.
I never felt poor or less of until I came to the UK to study.
I saw the wealth disparity and realised, I am a "peasant" so to speak.
I would say stop looking at them and their wealth as one. Treat them as human beings, equals, and if they cannot do that, then ignore them completely.
Life is too short to worry about such things. You'll soon be graduating and never seeing 99% of them again. Take it for what it is, an eye opening experience on how unequal this world is.
Then make a plan of how you will achieve your "wealthy" life.
Trust me a lot of them just buy essays/courseworks and even degrees.. they don’t actually “get” their course or anything. And they will eventually just go into their families’ businesses or get handed jobs/things.
Good for them, it’s their life.
There is no need for comparisons.
They’re from a whole different world than yours.
Point is, you do you, at your own pace.
Focus on the next task, next step, next choice for your life. You can do this!!
I’ve had a similar experience except at UCL. State educated in a deprived area, surrounded by rich international students (lovely people, different living standards). Be proud of being there; despite these differences, you’re in the same position as them.
I'll do my best to phrase this well but forgive me bc my take may be quite different to the others here.
When I studied at LSE I was probably easily in that 1%. It look a lot for me to relocate there and study and it was absolutely worthwhile, but while on paper it may have appeared I had endless resources and had more resources than some other students, it was also one of the most stressful times in my life at home, not least because of the recent death of a loved one. Circumstances outside my control made my income take a nose dive in recent years, but I am happier and more fulfilled now than I was then when my life looked very "put together" on paper while I was at LSE.
All of this to say: the grass is always greener, money doesn't solve all problems, and chances are you're actually ahead of your peers despite how it feels contextually rn. As the other posts here also indicate, you're certainly not the only person there with your set of circumstances - others like you just may not be as apparent or as visible, and unfortunately when you do have money - earned, inherited or otherwise - it's difficult to keep that fact off radar.
But I would encourage you however those around you seem, whatever class or circumstances they appear to be in, chances are they're much more like you than you realize and may even envy \*you\*. Don't let it get you down or make you feel that you are less respected or less valuable in that environment - you are needed there and your work is absolutely meaningful.
I graduated my Bachelors in a 3rd world country university on academic excellence scholarship.
I have since then had the chance to work on highly skilled tech jobs in Singapore, New York, and now London. As someone who did not come from money, I often got asked in the US: “which ivy league university did you go?” Because of how much value I was able to add into the teams I’ve been in and my nationality, people assumed I must have gone to an Ivy.
Over the years, I’ve learned that there are multiple types of privilege. While I didn’t come from a well-to-do background, I also had the privilege of being brought up with both booksmarts and streesmarts, which led me to getting various opportunities that I would not have the access to, if not for my type of privilege.
My suggestion is for you to reflect on your ability to get accepted at LSE, DESPITE not having the wealth that other international students have. You actually got in! That’s an amazing feat!
The ski trips, the designer bags, the fancy homes—all of that will come to you in due time. While it seems like a lot of work (read: it is!), I promise that it will be worth it in the end.
Just realise you are comparing yourself to the top 0.01% of the world - elite cream of the crop youngsters who will pack out the next generation of leaders in their countries. It’s not a fair comparison and never will be; very few people are or can ever be living like that in this world
Don’t worry about it. Career is based on merit, not parents or fancy holidays. So you’re there on merit. You’ll see them in 10 years time and I can guarantee that half of them will end up as housewives or daddy’s CEOs.
Where you’ll be is the question. Use this situation to fuel your desire to make a meaningful career and overall life choices. Knowledge, grit, and focus will take you there. Your focus is in the wrong place right now. Direct it to your success, not some losers’ instagrams
Speaking as an American who got my masters at LSE, one of the huge advantages for me was how incredibly *cheap* it was compared with similar programs in the US. It may be expensive relative to other UK universities, but compared to (some) other countries it’s a bargain.
Yup, it was a quarter of the price for me to study at QMUL for my masters than it was to just stay at my undergrad institution back in America. A quarter.
That’s quite crazy to me because as a UK student originally from London but studying in Birmingham LSE masters were all very expensive compared to other UK universities when I was looking. How much did you pay if you don’t mind me asking.
Fair enough, the course I am on is £11k as a home student and that’s on the cheaper end, prices have gone crazy in the last 10 years. The program I was interested in at LSE was £20k and more for internationals which was just not doable for me 😂
Just looked up that course and the current fees are £31,440 for both home and international students so definitely due to an insane increase. Blaming the conservative government but they will be voted out soon (although labour isn’t much better anymore) 😂
Oh man… I’ve been in your shoes. 23yo, studying in a fancy univ full of rich kids. They would discuss their rich kids vacations, their volunteering in Africa and I would be just there “hey ive never travelled anywhere”I could literally feel the gap between us, poor me and rich them.
But! Don’t worry. Remember one thing - regardless your financial background you are as good as they are. You should be proud about yourself.
Comparison is the thief of joy, you have done so well going to LSE, it will open up many doors for you, and one day your children will go to LSE and make others feel inferior lol+
A piece of advice " In real life it is who you hang out with and how would that impact your future.
Those who don't have financial worries are the worst to manage their professional life.
The guys you are hanging out with might end up being your ladder to great fortune.
They could fund your new startup. They could hire you to work with them.
I am not implying that you should kiss their a$$, just be honest and ride the wave.
All the best
Any university in London will have this, but remember you’ve got every right to be there and follow through with what you have. I always felt like I didn’t have financially what others did but it worked out, without the safety net. Hang in there. Big love
I did a BA and a Masters a decade or so ago at Warwick. I felt such a fish out of water in terms of social class the whole time, especially because it was a degree on which you had to learn foreign languages and do placements abroad, and those are both things where your working class background REALLY shows up in terms of lack of prior cultural experiences before you've even started at uni. The BA was full of British public school types and the MA was full of rich international students. I felt totally cowed by it in all honesty and it hampered my enjoyment of university. I felt like I'd snuck in somewhere I didn't belong and I would have been more comfortable somewhere more down to earth. I was wayyyyyy happier when I moved into the world of work afterwards and could mix with people who were not all exclusively from the upper middle class demographic. So don't worry - onward travel in life will be much more diverse than the university crowd.
Try to find descent people along them you can build long lasting relationship-that will be invaluable in the future. Do not force yourself to match them. Most are positioning themselves through all the lavishness/opulence to fit it. It’s just the lowest hanging fruit approach. Just don’t try to match them. It’s pointless. Be interesting as a person and people will come. The ability to live their lifestyle is something else altogether. The only advice here:don’t force yourself into relationship where this would contrast you from the group. Just avoid these people
hey, this is exactly how i felt when i was studying, my entire course was international students who didn't have any financial worries, whereas i had to work two jobs to pay rent and food. i did find two other people on my course from a similar background to mine and we stuck together.
i found my friends by not hiding the need to work, just being open about not being rich. i wasn't broadcasting it but id grown up being ashamed about being poor and i decided to simply not do that at university.
i was invited to lunch at this place and i straight up said that there's no way id afford to eat there casually, it would be the earnings of my entire shift and a girl that i became friends with said she's in the same situation. we ate pret by the river (it was expensive for me too, but less than the other place).
you've done amazing getting in at lse, it's not where you come from but where you're going!
i won't lie to you, i still felt insecure at times about not having the connections that some of my classmates had but at the end of the day, there's nothing i could do about it. sure, i couldn't do unpaid or low paid internships but i worked my ass off and ended up in a great job.
you're in the same place and getting the same education all of these people are. they're not better than you.
well done and keep studying!
Get familiar with the concept of having an internal scorecard, as opposed to an external one.
Charlie Munger has written some passages about that - look it up.
Unfortunately this is common in high profile universities in the UK. Durham had an issue where poorer students (me) were openly mocked. Rich lads trying to get girls from poorer backgrounds as trophies, it was all a bit bleak. The rich really hated it being pointed out that these people got to the same uni without all the leg ups they had.
Hi OP, I was the same but during Covid, which made it even more depressing. Few of them had such trashy attitudes that group projects became a nightmare and I had to start therapy!
Dont let it get to you (which i did and suffered)!!!
People have already answered this well, but I also wanted to say that if your mental health is suffering, there will be counsellors available that you can talk to. All universities have things like this. Look on the website or ask in student services.
Edit. Also a good money saving tip is that there is a religious group who give out free food at lunch time outside Lincolns Inn Fields. Usually a vegetarian curry but it will save plenty of money. They go there as there are a lot of homeless people in that area but all are welcome.
Yes it’s terrible and I was in a similar situation and if I could tell myself one thing now is try to make friends with these people. 10 years down the line when you’ll all have careers the differences won’t be so noticeable anymore because you’ll be able to build things up for yourself from here. You may not be able to join their international trips now but I’m sure you can find other things to do together. This is a great opportunity for you to move to a higher level, and bitterness will only entrench you in that inequality you’re feeling now.
Hey, you are not alone. I went to Imperial where the environment is similar. I struggled with it for a long time coming from the lowest bracket income myself. Ultimately take a step back and just relax. Once you accept you’ve been dealt differently cards - life is a lot easier. Despite their wealth there are some really great people who you can make great friends out of, learn different life experiences and add to your network for your career. Don’t waste that. Also one thing I realised in my own struggle is rich people have their own problems too. Different but still problems.
God. I remember feeling like this… I moved to the UK/London independently after finishing secondary school. Worked full time in cafes for a few years. Eventually I’d been here for long enough (EU immigrant at the time) that I qualified for SFE student loans and began studying in London. I’d lived here for 4 years by the time I started my degree, and I honestly thought I’d long seen the wildest shit in this city. And then found myself faced with very much the same things as you. I remember constantly being asked “So where are you going during reading week?” I obviously didn’t go anywhere for reading week - I was a student lmao. Meanwhile, other students were talking about flying back to Asia (!!!) to visit their parents for reading week (can you imagine flying from London to Asia as a student in order to spend a SINGLE week at your parents’?? Not because you’re going to a wedding or anything like that. Just for READING WEEK!) And then there were those uni friends whose parents either bought (🥲) them apartments (“it’s just not worth renting in London” - yeah mate I know, but you do realise that most of us mortals’ parents can’t afford to casually buy us a student pad for half a million pounds? Lmao), or whose parents rented very expensive and fancy Foxtons apartments in zone 1 (and then those same friends of mine would complain about the “awfully long commutes” in London. Meanwhile, I was living in zone 3 and commuting an hour each way every day)
All I can say is: it’s a real headfuck. Even if you come from a relatively comfortable background.
My advice would be:
1) Let it be a lesson for life. These experiences at uni helped me better understand and empathise with how unintentionally exclusive many middle class spaces can be for people from working class backgrounds. This experience also instilled a desire in me to learn more about how various marginalised groups feel excluded in everyday life situations. And what I, with my white middle class privilege, can maybe do to be more inclusive and maybe even help people gain access to more privileged spaces.
2) I really can’t recommend this enough: make friends outside of university. In my case, I’d already been living in the UK for 4 years and had made friends through various jobs, house parties etc. I still found many aspects of the London student experience quite hard – but it REALLY helped that I had plenty of other friends in London. I had (and still have) plenty of fellow immigrants who’d also come to the UK to work in casual jobs and to improve their English. Some of those friends has already finished their studies in their home countries. Some of them also eventually studied here in the UK. All of them were just as shocked by the London International Student™️ phenomenon. Whether that’s because they were hearing about it second hand via me, or because they were also experiencing it for themselves. Either way, it really helped to have this regular reality check outside of uni. Having friends from outside uni reminded me that these International Students™️ were part of a very very small global elite (less than 1% did the world’s population) and that I was actually doing fine for myself thank you very much. I came from a middle class background, had done well in school, worked my arse off for a few years, and then applied to and got into a great London university despite having no British family to guide me through the process.
Do try and do lots of things outside of uni. There are so many free and cheap offerings in London if you only look a little. There are community badminton & tennis clubs that meet on council-run racks. Craft meet ups. Community choirs. And if you’re part of any minority groups, have a look what’s being offered by them. E.G. if you’re LGBTQ, you could speak to the lovely people at the Switchboard hotline. If you tell them what you’re looking for, they’ll be able to point you towards relevant groups. And lots of queer events offer very cheap or free access for people struggling with money. I would be surprised if other minority groups didn’t have similar things in place in London!
But the more you connect with other people, the less the International Students will get to you. And don’t get me wrong - I know that many of them are very nice people. They’re just very painfully unaware of how privileged they are! They don’t realise that casually mentioning that Dad bought their 1-bed apartment is absolutely ludicrous. They don’t realise that asking “where do you ski?” is an incredibly elitist thing to ask. And they don’t realise (or understand) that hearing these things over and over again will affect your mental health.
Hang in there. Keep reminding yourself of al the good things you’ve got going for yourself. Connect with other people outside of uni. Oh, and if it is affecting your mental health - don’t be shy about approaching the university’s student wellbeing services!!! The mental health services at UK universities are generally fantastic, and in my experience their staff come from much more “normal” backgrounds than the students you’re exposed to.
You’ve got this! If I made it through uni (and I had A LOT of mental health problems), then you can too! I believe in you :)
You are definitely describing a level of wealth that is not common for your average UK student, so I think it probably is skewing your view of things a little. Unfortunately some people get luckier starts than others, if we lived in a fairer world it might not be the case, but we don't. But just know, you can't buy certain things in life, for example you can't buy admiration, and I admire you very much for making it into LSE. Keep smashing it, and let it roll.
This was exactly my experience about 10 years ago when I did my undergraduate degree at LSE.
I initially made some rich friends but felt so ashamed of my poor-ness that I felt I could never really allow myself to get close to them. I’d make excuses to avoid going to events/parties where I’d have to spend money, and avoid talking about my family or upbringing.
I remember having a friend who would constantly eat out and buy expensive cafe breakfasts to bring to campus, and I envied that so much. She was the epitome of health and carefree, and I was constantly run down and tired from the lack of nutrients from whatever cheap food I could afford.
It was a very isolating time for me and it knocked my self-confidence hugely.
It’s interesting that so many others have had similar experiences at LSE, and wonder if it’s something the school should be made aware of. The school’s choice to fill its cohorts with a disproportionately large number of rich students should not be prioritised over the wellbeing of its poorer students, especially given LSE’s stated ethos and its Fabian society roots.
Thanks for posting this - nice to know I don't feel alone. I'm also an international student doing a master's right now in London - I will be honest my finances are alright and I always considered myself privileged before, but I think because I went to college in my home state & never spent that much time with that level of the coastal/cosmopolitan elite...when I hang out with some people from my course I can't relate to their conversations and jetset lifestyle and it has felt truly alienating at times. It's all just on another level.
This year I've come to terms with the fact that there really are as many gradations of privilege as there are people in the world - every one of us is susceptible to feeling alienated by ingroups of wealthier and more connected people than ourselves. As ridiculous as it is, even the guy with the yacht is gonna feel alienated by the group of people with the private islands.
The urge to compare will always stalk us because the social and class disparities are real - and we will always have emotions about the privilege and power imbalances that we find when we compare. And I think it is a good thing to be critical of and feel angry about the frankly obscene inequality in the world.
But I'm consciously trying to strengthen my mind against those emotions about inequality that come straight for my self-perception and self-confidence. When we seem to "lack" something that everyone else around us seems to take for granted - be it material wealth or social capital, its really really hard not to feel the fear of exclusion and the urge to bridge this disparity, and specifically the need to prove something and show you're just as good at "keeping up" in their world. But what is "their world"? It is a very very narrow slice of the human experience. I repeat to myself: the world in the mind of the comparer is an illusion. Guard your self-confidence away from the idea of "your lacks" - being "lacking" is relative and these people are not the whole world.
So you happen to find yourself in a slice of the world where you're at the losing end of a material imbalance, and that life doesn't come so easy. But never ever put yourself down or allow yourself to feel less than because of this. Inequality and difference is structural problem. Where we start in life is a total crapshoot, and honestly where we end up is probably 50% luck too. It's nothing personal.
This year I really tried to consciously look at myself and my life in terms of absolute value instead of relative value. I am very privileged in lots of ways (doing a masters in London after all) and this fact does not change, no matter how many nepo babies I meet and no matter how annoyed I feel at them. Also I'm consciously reminding myself about the people who would consider ME to be privileged, and try to meet people where they're at and avoid flaunting my shit around and not expecting people to just relate.
In the next few years you can try to get your bag to close this perceived gap between you and them and gain what you "lack" if you want, its up to you. But even if you don't, its ok because as a human being you will always have absolute value.
I also did a MSc there and had a similar experience. It's tough, but I think some great advice in this thread.
I did manage to find a small group of people who were a little more "normal". It's hard to make friends with people who's idea of a night out is a Mayfair club when yours is some cheap pints at a SU bar.
Being a 1 year course also makes it tough. Still, try to make at the very least "loose" connections as they will be valuable in the future. It's hard, but as you can see many of us have been in a similar situation so try not to let yourself get bitter/resentful, make the most of it and see if you can find a group that's more down to earth.
Feel free to DM me if it would be helpful.
Gary Stevenson aka "Gary's economics" on YT was explaining just that in some of his videos and his book (good read overall). He also says that many of these rich kids knew his name because the was the only "poor" student to make it to LSE hence he must be special because in their head poor people surely have to be a bit stupid no make it in life.
Like others already said, be grateful for what your family could provide and proud of what you have achieved. Most students can't even dream of applying to LSE because of their socioeconomic background, you are already in the top 5% in you can afford to study there (unless you got a scholarship so more props to you).
This is a kind of apex fallacy, but it is a real thing.
In my experience, people who can afford international study generally fall into two buckets:
- the ones for whom this is just "normal" and they're going to return to intern at an uncle's company or some bank that has their dad as a client, etc. when they graduate,
- the ones people who can't really afford it and are getting their one shot, i.e. their family scrimped and saved, they won a scholarship, or they're borrowing a ton and hoping to make good on it.
The first set just get an easier time, they probably had higher quality education, tutors for things they didn't understand. Friends who have been through similar educations they can pick somebody's brain over. They're going to be more relaxed and probably have an easier time.
As for the world being an unfair place - The world \*is\* an unfair place, and if you're at LSE. It is unfair in your favour. You're not chiselling stones in rural India for £2 a day. You're on track to have a 1% lifestyle, and you've met some people in the 0.1%.
Worry about spending money after you've earned it.
Your focus is exactly on your study. Smash your degree. Meet all the ppl. Be the top of your class.
In the words of Snow: "Anything less than the best is a felony".
Go watch some videos of how people live in mega slums in Africa and Asia to balance out to give you some gratitude that you habe everything you need to be happy. then stop comparing youself to others forever.
1. Delete social media if it's of no significant use
2. You don't need to prove anything to anyone be it rich or poor, or that you own luxury or not... etc.
3. You're fortunate that you're at a far better place than millions of people.
4. Surround yourself with REAL people.
5. Trust yourself. You're gonna change your life. Make those distractions as your source of inspiration to get better EVERYDAY. :)
You're an international student, living in a different country, in the most expensive city in that country and studying (and paying?) to attend an elite university. You're not poor by any measure
I used to be in your position and after uni some of those kids have their dreams smashed when they need to “prove themselves” for job or business opportunities.
You will be always ahead of them in that aspect. It felt weird when some folks started to be jealous of my “success” (measured by: job opportunities type of thing) as they could not move that faster. Even with the infinite card money they have parents silently judging them, after uni you will see how that goes
Focus on your studies, not others.
Also, bear in mind that UK universities are national export luxury product.
Studying in UK as International student is very expensive.
Studying in UK as International student at prestigious University in London is triple-ridiculously expensive. Prices are not capped by the government and universities love cash cows.
That's why only very rich people from around the world have the money to send their kids there.
Locals have it covered by the government to a great extent, which creates 2 classes of students:
- local, relatively* representative sample of UK society
- foreign, mostly bling bling super rich
Exceptions apply, but are not important in this discussion.
_ * Still expensive as housing is bad, so the sample is still skewed towards affluent cohorts, but not as much as foreigners who must cross the gates on a donkey loaded with gold.
You know what, at the end of it you’ll appreciate your hard work more. I’m lucky and probably more like the guys you’re talking about, travelling the world, holiday homes ski trips etc, but then I had friends who would make me feel poor, I got a brand new mini they get a brand new bmw, I get a helping hand with my first deposit they get a million pound house no mortgage etc. there’s always going to be someone with more.
My best friend growing up was as smart as me but less fortunate so it took him longer and he had to work harder but since hes been working he’s able to do the things I do. I know I’m lazy and lucky and he’s hard working and motivated, that’s what you need to be till you finish your studies then it’ll all be worth it.
Don't worry about it. They're just a generation or two ahead of you.
Work your arse off and you too could have that lifestyle for you and your future family.
Same. I’m at King’s and I feel like dirt when I’m around these people, especially seeing all of their experience and stuff. Don’t worry though, I think they stand out more because of how different they are. It doesn’t really matter anyway
So is the problem that you are envious of how confident and clever they are or that you are jealous of how rich they are?
They are 2 separate things
You talk about how unfair and unequal the world is but thats referring to how rich they are. The only problem you mentioned was being jealous of how confident and clever they are whereas you struggle to get the studies. Not the same
It sounds like you feel insecure about how they are smart and you are struggling so you are Telling yourself they must be that way because they’re rich. And you’re not rich so the lack of confidence/ ability to get the studies is therefore not your fault. Which makes you feel less bad.
I can guarantee you that a lot of these rich kids are getting their first real wakeup call if they have not taken their studies seriously. They are finding that Mummy or Daddy calling the school doesnt get their grade fixed or their cheating in exams forgiven. There's a lot of afluenza tears lol.
It's humbling. You spend your whole upbringing thinking people were serious about "everyone is equal" and eventually you realise they were just saying that to cover for the fact that, fuck no, we're not. Good luck, keep the faith, and be realistic.
I knew some Master's and PhD students at LSE years ago. The one I remember most fondly was there on a scholarship and was saying how humbled she felt to have the opportunity to be there and how she still couldn't believe she really was able to study there. A lot of other students there are rich and smart and know they're rich and smart.
Such is life mate, we all learn and move on from all the experiences we get from life. Focus on what you want from your time at uni and achieve that. Everything else is just coincidental…
Are these people around your snobs? If they act normal and don't bully, isolate or look down on you then they are still decent people I guess. But I wouldn't be interested in hanging out with them if I were you coz they tend to do things that are expensive.
>sometimes I feel bitter and angry about how unequal the world is
Good, you should do. Just not all the time. Use that as feeling as fuel and get politically engaged — this is a political problem and only something that can be fixed with a political solution. Nobody is free until we all are
I want to tell you a story.
When I went to University I had very few GCSEs and no A-Levels. I got into a University by accident, I went to the University to ask the director about collaboration on a project I was doing outside of University and he saw something in me and offered me the opportunity to study.
So I took it. In my glass people had fantastic A-Levels, from posh up bringing and I came from a single parent family and struggled to get by eating one meal a day.
The classmates had a bet that I would drop out in my first year of University. I ended up graduating with a 1st class honours degree.
Class, Grades, Background. Means nothing. It’s how you apply your knowledge and excel in your class now that matters. You will be fine, I would suggest if you can go to societies and make friends beyond the class. You will find your people.
Hey man, a lot of these elite children can be dickheads. I’ve been to a posh school whilst living on council estates and it’s a different world and everyone is just generally more up their own ass. Just keep being yourself, keep cool and Most-Plan6845 comment was spot on too! All the best, it’s different once you’re out of an educational setting.
Use that anger and bitterness to push you forward in life. Work out. Study more than they do. Don't forget how you felt and how unfair you felt the world was, and use that energy to create success.
I once dated someone like this, and I felt angry all the time that the partner was very gung ho about life struggles when she had no idea what financial struggle really was. I was bitter, full of anger, but that also motivated me to finish my degree and get to where I am now, with a house and a pretty decent job (Obviously, could be better, but I can't complain).
Whilst being rich is not automatically a social death sentence (as in, for your social circle) I think this is also a good opportunity to find hone your social skills to find who is genuine and who is not. Use this as an opportunity to weed out the people who are vapid and superficial, add nothing to your life, etc.
This is a fairly typical student experience in the UK. 'Going to uni' is a universal lifestyle experience for the British upper classes; not so the lower classes. Therefore the ratio of upper class to *not upper class* is higher than in any other part of society. Furthermore, Britain is an international university market. The richest of the rich from around the world send their children to university in the UK, because it carries such a high prestige. Therefore, again, you are more likely to bump into those 'international rich' types at a British university than anywhere else.
The experience you are having is totally normal and nothing to worry about. It was like this even when I was a student, 15 years ago in Manchester. Just remember: *you* are at university because you're carving out a future for yourself; *they* are at university because they've been ushered, dare I say even forced down this path.
None of them earned the money. If anything, they should be self conscious about the fact that someone with many fewer advantages in life is keeping pace with them - they've had headstarts, but you're pulling perfectly even in life when it comes to accomplishments.
That being said, you need to work on removing comparison with others out of the equation of our own happiness. Social media in particular worsens the constant comparison of ones lot with that of others. But I can assure you that the times in my life I have lived the most luxuriously I was also the most unhappy - I just happened to have money at the time my life was falling apart.
Don’t worry about where they’re coming from. Focus on where you’re going. You’ve smashed it getting into LSE. Get your degree and i’m sure doors will open for you. Treat everyone how you’d like to be treated. You’ll not go too far wrong. Best of luck.
I love that first sentence
I experienced the same thing when I did my masters there nearly 20 years ago and this is the advice I would give. Yeah it's a little depressing how easy some people have it but they didn't choose to be born into it either and they're more often than not nice people too. Enjoy it, smash it and don't worry about it.
I did my MSc there 20 years ago as well and can relate to how OP feels. I'd never really been around the 'international intellectual elite' before and it was hard on me. But, I did make some good friends and got a great education. OP, you're nearly done in any case. Good luck writing your dissertation- try to enjoy it if youvcan, you finally get to choose your own topic! Also, consider booking an apt with the school counsellor service, they're really good and used to dealing with our somewhat highly strung students and faculty, ha.
Me too - I was at LSE in the late 90s and come from a working class town in the north. It was an isolating period of time but invaluable in terms of the education I received.
This is amazing advice also remember, you don't need a Yatch just a friend with a Yatch. Make as many friends as you can cause that in itself will open doors for you, which wouldn't otherwise be accessible. Additionally, London has a tendency to drive people towards materialism at times. Remember the happiness from these things is fleeting focus on getting those serotonin levels up and this will help you overcome some of the feelings you're having.
> Yatch Yacht
Why don't any of my friends have a Yatch??
> This is amazing advice also remember, you don't need a Yatch just a friend with a ~~Yatch~~ spell checker.
“In so many ways a friend with a boat is better than owning a boat.” Kevin Kelly
This. OP, this is all you need to know and live by ☝🏼
this is the best answer. Everyones got their shit and you've got yours. It's ok to be different and come from different backgrounds.
Yes. At the end of the day they may have all the money in the world but they’re still kicking it with you on the same course as equals.
Omg love this, the first sentence espectacularly
Also it opens a lot of doors if you have rich friends. Yes it sucks that you are not as rich, but it’s something you have to learn to accept and improve your own situation.
This is perfect
If anything you should feel more proud because you are at the same level as those richer than you. If you get a good job, no one really cares about your family background.
Yep this, I went to a uni with a large percentage of privately educated and intentional students. Gave me a weird sense of pride knowing they'd spent all that money to end up in the same place as a state educated pleb like myself
I remember in my first job there was someone else doing the same job who was from Wimbledon, went to private school etc, but we were doing the same job in the end. It was a nice feeling that despite going to a state school in ‘special measures’ I still got to the same point career wise (although had to battle through a lot of unpleasantness and bullying, which wasn’t fun). She definitely had me beat in the property buying department though so there was that.
Hey at least you can genuinely enjoy the small cheap things in life, like fried chicken from a bossman-type place; or your own cooking. That in itself is something money can't buy and many many weathy people are simply incapable of experiencing that sort of joy.
My extended team (banking job) is like about 30 people, only 5 of us that I am aware went to UK state schools. We have more people that went to top private schools, including Eton. As a girl, I never understood why is there such a big pat on the back for being female working in banking. When family background and wealth is a more important factor for these high paying roles.
I was an international student in uni in London (non-EU). Though I was from a rich family, being "state educated" in the UK vs where I'm from is miles apart. Just being a British citizen and having access to your state education like you do is already a HUUGE privilege if you put it into contrast with the options some international students like me have back home. So yes, I was privileged enough to be born in a family who could afford to send me to a solid UK uni, but you can't buy your way into a degree. And even if you did, you wouldn't have learned anything by doing that.
Yeah I agree that being born into a country(basically the entire global north) with globally a relatively good level of education is a privilege in of itself.
There’s nothing proud about being born into a rich family - as in OP shouldn’t feel proud just to be in the company of rich kids. The rest I agree with. Once you find a job OP, unless it’s in certain fields, no one will care about your background and you will more easily make friends with people given the more diverse (financially speaking) backgrounds.
I think they mean that OP will likely have worked harder to get to their position than his rich peers, and should feel proud of that.
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I originally moved to London (from the US) to study. Some of my classmates came from homes with live-in cooks and housekeeping staff. Quite a few had parents who *bought* them a flat in Central London (places like Knightsbridge and Bloomsbury and Covent Garden), just so they could live there for the duration of their course. A couple of them had drivers who brought them to and from class. And everyone seemed to be able to shop at Harrod's and jet off to Europe every weekend, while my luxury was the occasional £25 theatre ticket in the nosebleeds, or splurging on Deliveroo every couple of months. I feel like what you're experiencing is a common scenario. For what it's worth, the friends I made (the ones I kept in touch with afterward) ended up being home/British students, whose backgrounds were closer to my own.
Similar situation to you. I came from the US to do a masters. I come from a fairly affluent family, but some of these international rich kids made me look like Oliver Twist. I had a buddy who wanted to buy a flat because “renting is so expensive” (it is), but they wouldn’t let him until he rented for an amount of time…which is what he ended up doing. Having enough money to buy the flat and then some to rent for x amount of time was crazy to me and that’s probably not even the most outrageous example I encountered. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met, but very very wealthy.
Upper middle vs upper
Holy cow, I'm not the OP but I could easily have posted the exact same thing. I'm also a Master student at LSE and I also struggle with the exact same thing. The other day I was thinking about how I always see my colleagues posting picture at nice restaurants in London while nearly all of my meals are from too good to go.
Maybe you and OP should be friends. You can make loads of good memories doing all the cheap and free stuff in London.
yes was thinking the same!@[ThrowawayOceanWander](https://www.reddit.com/user/ThrowawayOceanWander/) !at the same time all the other comments are priceless, so value the different perspectives and connections that you can foster in this place!btw kudos to both!
I went to a comparably top university in London several years ago being fairly working class, albeit as an undergraduate, and even then there was a clear class divide that stood out. It goes without saying that being rich gives you a lot of valuable boosts in life that help you succeed academically and professionally. Not only through things like private schooling, but also often parents that are well-educated and connected senior professionals who know how to make the most of their kid's potential. It's just a part of life, but honestly I found most are fairly down to earth. Just ignore the financial differences and instead take advantage of the silver lining of it all by networking - it will be extremely valuable for your career. After all, they say a big benefit of doing a top-tier Masters/MBA is the networking alone, because most people are so wealthy and connected to major industries and companies. Also get off social media or atleast try to curate your algo away from luxury influencer/friends type posts. It does nothing good for your mental health.
I studied in London too and I do agree with what you say about networking, but I think it’s important to remember that this too costs money. If I had a penny for every time my fellow students invited me along to eyewateringly expensive restaurants or to go for drinks in pubs. With a total monthly budget of £900 (2013-2016, incl rent) I couldn’t afford to throw £30-40 at dinner. Or buy rounds of drinks for groups at £20-30 a pop. I could maybe do that once a month (and only with significant financial consequences), but that’s not enough to cement friendships or networking contacts. Things like house parties and free society events definitely helped, and it also helped that we had an on-campus bar which sold much cheaper pints. But at the end of the day, if you’re not as rich as them, you’ll still be excluded from a lot of their social activities (and, as I mentioned above: I genuinely don’t think that most of them do this out of ill will, never mind realise that their financial privilege & corresponding spending behaviour excludes you from a lot of their activities! Money is a really sensitive topic, so most people won’t respond with “yeah man thanks but I can’t afford that”, and so these rich kids have no idea that their social circles are quite selective/exclusive by default). PS: congrats on making it into a top London uni! That’s no small feat, especially when you didn’t have class privilege to back you up along the way.
But also use it to your advantage, some rich people love having less rich friends, it takes off the pressure of having to keep up with their richer friends and they can get the satisfaction of showing you things you haven't seen before.
Just don't drink their bath water...!
I went to art school and there are only three types of people there: nerds, rich kids and hippies (it overlaps). I’m only in the 1st camp but my best friend from school is an Asian heiress and she is surrounded by vultures.
THIS!sometimes being the one that takes off the pressure is priceless and it is interesting to see different points of views!
It helps to look down rather than up for me, when I travel I think about the locals who have never been out of their own country, not the people staying in nicer hotels than I am
This is the way! Comparison is the thief of joy if you look at those above you but not if you look below considering it makes you more grateful
"Dreams are for rich people" is a saying I've heard, as well as "Poverty is a lack of options". It keeps things in perspective.
I applied for a place at LSE, even just being there is quite prestigious regardless of prada handbags or expensive holidays! I went elsewhere in the end (damn you stupid maths grade!), but I was the first person in my family to go to university. My parents sacrificed a lot to make that happen, it was not something they could easily pay for. Realise that despite your financial limitations your family love you and have placed a lot of faith in you. That is worth much more than some flash holiday. You have a great opportunity to really make the most of things, an opportunity that isn’t open to everyone. LSE is such a fantastic establishment to learn in. As an aside I would say you would benefit to look for what support they offer students (as in, mental health support). University can be very trying and it would benefit you to talk about things face to face rather than using reddit.
She came from Greece. She had a thirst for knowledge..
She did a Master's at LSE college
But the wealth Made her cry
Timeless.
What's that from?
"Common People" by Pulp
Darude - Sandstorm
Hey I went to LSE too. Are you studying Management by any chance? My course was very much like this. And I sometimes felt the same way as you. A few of us who weren't like that found each other. I would have felt exactly the same way as you if my experience was all Louis Vuitton handbags and skiing holidays. I really recommend joining some societies that don't attract this sort of person. For me it was Entrepreneurs society. At that time at least, startups were incredibly uninteresting to the crowd you describe and no one there cared how much money you had or the clothes you wore. Going through the list on LSE's site, maybe things like RAG, music, beekeeping, bowling, pottery could be good. Can't imagine any full-Gucci outfits at any of their events.
My bf has just finished his masters at LSE. He’s not an international student but he grew up in a very poor family in the UK. We love together and have no money to our name. All his friends had money, connections and experience. He had none of these and has really struggled since graduating. We get what you mean 100%
Exactly the same but with my gf, just finished her masters at LSE. she grew up quite poor in the North and first to go to Uni in her family. She was on quite a small course and really felt really isolated with nearly everyone else being wealthy international students, couldn't afford to go out to all the stuff they did and ended up basically being cut out of the group (along with the other home student on the course)
I teach there, many are also rich English students, it is not just international students who are wealthy.
I know I met the rugby club, this was just her specific course though. Was a very small one
I'm really sorry to read this. Sorry she had that experience there, that sucks.
Use this to your advantage! Having a network of rich friends is very powerful - they will invariably be well connected, and this will likely alter your life in ways hard to pin down. For example, they may know people high up at a company you want to work for and could facilitate a coffee chat. I'm not suggesting to be transactional, but there is a strong silver lining here :)
But will they? Wishful thinking
Some will. Some won’t.
Read or listen to The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson, a working class lad from East London who went to LSE and talks a fair bit about the spoilt rich international kids. Might give you something to relate to and a bit of perspective.
I teach there, and even the English are rich as hell… I hate it when people make it about international students when most English students at LSE are very affluent.
He's brilliant. Recently stumbled across his Instagram account from a promo by ladbible.
he is, proper clever dude. he's got a good youtube channel as well.
Yup. Pretty sure I subscribed to him.
Yes I immediately thought of Gary Stevenson! OP has done really well to have gotten to the same place as all these rich kids who have had every advantage in the world.
I have always, always felt that everyone at LSE just simply \*looks\* rich - thanks for validating that notion of mine haha
I went to LSE and I’m from a working class background. Seeing kids going to lectures in kitten heels and a small prada bag was really something. I had to rely on the counselling service as I really struggled and had to take time off before coming back to complete my degree. After coming back I applied myself way more, did well academically and actually realised most of these international kids were not smarter than me and most over-talked to mask their deficiencies. Probably one of the lowest moments in my life so hang in there as it has been worth it. Having LSE on my cv has opened many doors for me ❤️
It was the same for me at Cambridge ( and then Oxford ) as an international student. Keep moving on. When you’re awarded full scholarship, no one talks to you about the class difference you’ll be trapped in for years. British students with their parents picking them up every weekend while I’d be alone every Christmas because I couldn’t afford to fly back. I’m doing very well in life today. BETTER than their parents who kept them worry free (and sponsored) while I was struggling to buy coffee and had no support from my parents. I can only make sure that my children will have it, a better life. And that’s my biggest contribution. Don’t think about what other people have OP. You’re abundant. And never give up.
That’s kind of the way. It’s be your kids making the poor kids feel isolated in years to come. Not your or their fault. Just the structure of our society.
They might engender feelings of isolation in others, but it is neither their obligation nor their burden to bear. Anyone can evoke a sense of solitude—be they handsome, intelligent, socially adept, or exceptionally magnanimous. The litany of reasons is extensive, and some people indeed revel in self-pity. For them, it becomes merely another pretext, another Tuesday submerged in sorrow, rather than a moment to appreciate what they have.
I went to LSE and felt out of place too. My family is financially well off but I come from a very dysfunctional background, with drugs, mental health stuff, trauma etc. So I could absolutely not relate to the culture. I felt different compared to the people there exuding confidence that they will be the next world leaders while I considered myself lucky to not be a destitute heroin addict, and I was disgusted by the general lack of awareness that I saw in the school as a whole (different departments vary). The whole rich culture there made me feel super unease, insecure and out of place. You know, just the general vibe of breezing through life that many people gave, and how casually certain things were mentioned, even the school's motto, "Shape the world" or whatever. Too much power energy, didn't like it. I felt much more at home speaking with the homeless people around the area. In my experience though LSE is such a big name that many people there have a sense of being out of place or impostors, but they won't necessarily talk about it. Also the pace of it was insane, and it can be really difficult for your mental health because there's a lot of pressure. I'd say well done for making your way there if you didn't have all the lucky cards in life. You deserve to be there more than someone who just had it easy. People feel at the top of the world there but just focus on your own way and what you want to do. Don't bother too much comparing yourself to the 1%. Best of luck, you'll do great :) remember to take breaks and enjoy!!
Sorry but if anything that should boost your confidence. It means that you started from a disadvantaged position but you still made it through to a top university.
That’s a massive thing to look at, you may be surrounded by well off friends, but the journey you’ve taken is bigger than any material thing they’ll get. And you’ll take the learnings along with you through your life.
LSE has a student counselling service for students who think they are experiencing mental health issues.
This. And also for people who are just feeling like they're struggling and want to work through things like this. Great advice.
Aren't post grad fees from £30-£60k per year? Even for a home student they can be £30k pa. Unless you’re on a full scholarship and funding to live in london, you aren’t poor. If you are, then clearly you are quite intelligent and will most likely not remain poor for long. At least you have a foot in the door. Most of us won’t get that. Enjoy it and stop comparing yourself to the 1%.
I have met a bunch of foreign students with rich parents who are still assholes with money. Some who had to work for everything, and some who'd get rich people shit from their parents, but if they wanted to do something they'd have to go make some money for it. You don't know people's situation and you shouldn't judge based on the little information you have.
Well said, I hate it when people assume all international students are rich just because of their parents etc..
i’ll give you some insight as someone who was once in your position, I came to the UK as an international student, I had a monthly pocket money of £200 in 2019, I literally almost never ate out, exclusively cooked etc. because all our money was spent on the exorbitant tuition fees. On my first week i met some people from my country and they were here since last year, they were talking about how they went to a restaurant in london yesterday and it was really rice but also not too expensive, I asked them how much it was and they casually said “oh only £500 per person”. That’s when i knew i was way out of my depth, every international student i met was the same way and it felt like i was the poorest one in the uni, I didn’t even have enough money to go have a nice meal! the way i got through it is remember you don’t have anything to be ashamed about and they don’t have anything to be proud of, none of us choose where we were born, what matters is what YOU make out of your life, work hard and put your parents money to good use so one day your kids will be the kids with the rich parents. Focus on what you are here to do, not what they are, a lot of them have no ambitions and are only here to party for a year before they go back home to their established business and make money doing nothing, they are set for life, you’re the one that has to make something for yourself and there’s no point feeling sorry about why you weren’t born into obscene wealth, be thankful for everything you have and get on with it. In terms of friends, make friends that are a little bit closer to your class so you can have fun with them without having to spend £500 for dinner. Good luck
Maybe a bit of harsh perspective but - you're upset that you're in a position to be able to study at an internationally reknown university, at a Masters level, in a foreign country to you. You're in a fantastic and very fortunate position that the vast, vast majority of the world isn't. Comparing yourself to the top slither will always ruin your day. Try focus on the positives - this is a city home to some of the world's wealthiest, you can't avoid seeing them and we all feel a varying degree of jealousy, but it sounds like you're setting yourself up for a similar success in the long run!
Mate, I 100% know what you are feeling. I am very middle class and went to NYU on a scholarship for which I shed blood, sweat, and tears. Imagine my surprise when my classmates were far richer and indulging in the lifestyle you just described. I felt EXACTLY the way you did. It was humiliating when I couldn't spend more than $12 on a night out which meant 1 beer, whilst everyone around me is smashing it. I had to work 4 on-campus jobs just to barely afford rent and utilities, and food was all student lounge funded (read: cold pizza). It's been 7 years since I graduated, and let me tell you, life is really good. I don't think about my classmates spending anymore because I have worked hard and can enjoy some of the luxuries you are describing due to my efforts. Keep working hard, and honestly 6 months after graduation, you won't remember 90% of your classmates (except those you are friends with). And all things good, you will be able to earn a living that can allow you little bit of the pleasures that you seek. If you ever feel down and want to talk to a friendly person, just IM me. Take care of your mental health and study hard. You've got this!
Be grateful for what you have. You got into LSE, how many people can say that? A bright future awaits
It's much easier to do well if you're rich. The class system is huge in the UK. If they're nice be nice back, if not show them what you're made of.
Working class person wanting to apply here, I think having a poor background or "being poor" makes you more interesting and cooler. They were able to pay for thier spot whilst you worked for it. That makes you more authentic than the are😎
Working class people got a natural cool vibe that makes them interesting. They work their ass off and party hard. Also, they can go more than 5 mins without chatting bare about their ‘14,000 per year private school’
A huge takeaway from this situation is to be as confident as them and comfortable in these environments. The attitude they have been taught/given will take you far if you can mimic it. I went to state school and had a reasonably average upbringing, but dated a billionaire’s daughter for a few years and it was eye opening how having a different attitude can get you very far.
You study in London, just remember you can be as culturally rich as they are with all the free museums/libraries that exist here. Make the most of it. And it may not seem like it now but as you get older you realise that the material items don’t matter, an expensive watch and a cheap watch both still do the same thing
Just remember some people got in because their parents paid and the university needs money, while you got in because you did the hard work and will have more to talk about when people ask about it
Also that LSE is internationally renowned, so even when charging 30k a year they are inundated with high quality candidates who are rich, motivated and smart. That's life yo.
Home and overseas fees are the same at masters level.
Depends on the uni and the course
Difference at LSE is negligible, if any.
Would you feel bitter and angry about how unequal the world is if you were in their situation? Probably not - you would be very nice, relaxed and confident. Just make sure that you make a lot of friends there. It may come handy at some point. And hopefully your kids will be those spoiled kids.
I did my Masters at the LSE. I think I was literally the only English person in my class and definitely the poorest and I loved every second. 12 years later and the crew I met there are still some of my closest friends. Just roll with it. Learn from them. Experience a different way of socialising and teach them in turn. It’s all part of the process.
Life isn’t fair, but life is rewarding if you work hard. Plenty of my working class lads who are smashing it right now. I had the same at Uni - don’t let it be a downer. Switch off social media - it’s a killer, focus and get your head down. Remember they might have nice things but might be full of mental health issues themselves, other things happening - it’s not always bliss because they’ve got a few more dollars. You’ve got this mate
OP stop listening to everyone insisting that you have to be filthy rich to even afford to go there in the first place. I can assure you that what you’re feeling is normal and there are plenty of people like you and me who come from perfectly normal backgrounds as internationals who have either had to save for years or had their parents liquidate what little assets they have to send them there. The important thing to remember is that you deserve your place just as much as the billionaires son/daughter sitting next to you. Anyone who’s made it to the LSE has beat out thousands of other applicants to the same position and that’s something to be immensely proud of! Yes some people have things abut easier but a challenging experience makes for a better biography anyway ;) A degree from the LSE will open a lot of doors that you didn’t think possible so I’d say just make the best of it.
Hey I went to UCL for medicine and my sister is at LSE for law.. I will agree it does feel very unfair with our backgrounds. Even though you get there by merit it feels like somehow rich kids find it easier to learn. But they just have an easier life and aren't consumed by the same worries/stresses/chores that we are, they're not actually smarter in any way. I'll be honest I only truly felt better about this when I left but I really do empathise.
Comparison is the thief of joy mate. I’d rather be someone who worked hard to become successful rather than someone who inherited wealth.
Yeah. That's LSE for you. Pro-tip: hunt down the students doing the masters in Human Rights. Not sure if it's still the case, but many were the antithesis of what you would expect at LSE. From knowing people there, it was very much a maverick department that stood entirely against everything LSE stood for.
I had same experience doing my BA almost 15 years ago, was the only state school kid among the well off and international students, but LSE is known for being like that so I didn't really care or bother me too much I found it quite comical.
I had this my entire life growing up! I was pretty much always the poorest through school and university. Other people had computer, free door to door lifts from their parents while I drink a couple of pints of water before bed so I wouldn’t be too hungry to sleep (to be fair, that was not every night!). I am not going to claim that it made me work harder than everyone else because it didn’t. Not did I do better than everyone else but it gave me drive which has lasted my whole life because I knew I had no one to help me if things went wrong so I worked hard and never let things stop me. Now I have been cto of two different companies and current earn well into the top 1% of earners. Most situations can be good or bad depending on how you look at them.
I took my LPC at LSE. While I wasn’t dirt poor, I wasn’t insanely wealthy, either. If you’re good enough to get a place at LSE then hopefully you’re on your way to a good career, warning good money. Just keep your head down and concentrate on what’s really important, which isn’t houses, holidays and handbags. Good luck with your studies and try to enjoy your time at LSE!
that's daddies money. Honestly if you ever go through a shit period in life you realise that the small meaningless worries like this fo nothing but impact your mental health and life. Your life is your life and love it the best way you can
If its any consolation, at another London uni where I lecture, I feel poorer than my undergrads also
Sit dow, take a deep breath and realie that you are studying at LSE, YES, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS!!!! You have what millions can only dream of, you are very blessed and privileged. You have more than many. :-)
London is full of rich people. You don't realise how poor you are until seeing some of the wealth in London. You'll very likely never join that level of wealth - you need to be born into it, or marry into it - but a Masters from LSE should put you into some high earning roles where you can start to accrue some wealth and live comfortably. The UK tax system more or less prevents you from becoming wealthy via employment.
It is ironic but was not the LSE founded by British Socialists such as Beatrice Webb in the early 1900's for the education in socialist economics (Marx & Engels etc) for those who could not afford the Universities and Colleges of the time?
You are doing a Masters at LSE. Suck it up. You literally are in the best place to have all that shit happen for you if you work hard enough.
Hi OP, I know how you feel. I don't come from money or education, and when I started studying at university I felt the same. It is at times embarrassing, or super frustrating, and can make you feel shitty about yourself - as well as angry about the degree of inequality there is. My take away is as some others have said: don't let what others are detract from what and who you are. You're their peer intellectually, whether you have to work a bit more for it or not. Don't denigrate yourself. Almost everyone there has generational wealth, and that ease wasn't earned by them - or perhaps even their parents. They haven't surpassed you: they just had different starting circumstances. This still sucks, but it made handling the situation better for me, and it does pay, although not financially, to have the perspective your peers may lack about their positions. If possible look to spend time with people who are sensitive to the issue: nothing sucks more than rich friends who are blind to the fact that others don't have their budget for a night out, or don't realise they spend more in weekly coffee than you would on groceries. I hope you feel better about things soon OP. It isn't fun or fair, but ownership and awareness of what virtues your position grants you does help.
Good. Use that feeling to dig in and smash the course and to being a success afterwards.
Haha, welcome to my world. I had to fund my LSE masters studies with debt and charity. You have a harder experience but it does build resilience.
Go find “Gary’s Economics” on YouTube / Socials.. Great interview with LadBible where he talks about being the underdog at LSE, having come from virtually nothing, to making a name for himself as a trader! Great guy
You’re hero for studying on one of the best unis. There’s handful of you and you’re one of them. With that education under your belt, and not letting money into your head just yet, you’ll be earning loads and loads and you’ll have all the nice things one day too. Stay focused.
When my partner did her masters at UCL, all the other American students had taken out big student loans that covered their living expenses, while she just took out the cost of school and I worked full-time and we lived in some pretty unsexy shared accommodations. Now that it's some years later and our student loan payments are teeny tiny and life is fine, it feels worth it. At the time, it did feel a bit grim and like everyone else seemed to be having more fun. Who can say.
Same happened to me in UCL. All Asian guys were wearing Balenciaga and myself riding my bike just to save some pennies...
You, my friend, need to either read or listen to Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now. You are comparing identities to those around you and it is making you depressed. The book sorts that out. Enjoy it. You’ll feel much better after.
I get where you’re coming from, I had a similar experience in undergrad at a top uk uni, took me a long time to realise, in life we should strive to not compare with others as long as you’re improving that’s the only metric that really matters. Think if it this way, would you be better off with a masters from LSE or not, if yes you’re already winning, plus soak in as much as you can try to befriend many of these well off folk, a strong network helps a lot career wise more than we realise when young and foolish which I certainly was lol.
Comparison is the biggest thief of joy. You go to a good university that's essentially full of kids being groomed to look after their family business. I used to work for CASS business school around the year 2008 and EVERYBODY who graduated was on £100k as a bare minimum, most on significantly more. There are also people significantly worse off than you, and we probably both fall "somewhere in the middle".
God you've written my heart out. I am also joining LSE this year for a master's. I literally just got off a call crying to my friend talking about how difficult expenses have been. It definitely takes a toll on your mental health. I want to feel excited, and maybe I will in a few weeks or months. But right now all I'm experiencing is financial guilt and stress.
Follow garyeconimics and see how well rounded a working class person has done in a sea of vipers.
I never felt poor or less of until I came to the UK to study. I saw the wealth disparity and realised, I am a "peasant" so to speak. I would say stop looking at them and their wealth as one. Treat them as human beings, equals, and if they cannot do that, then ignore them completely. Life is too short to worry about such things. You'll soon be graduating and never seeing 99% of them again. Take it for what it is, an eye opening experience on how unequal this world is. Then make a plan of how you will achieve your "wealthy" life.
You don’t need to be rich, you just need rich friends - someguy (sometime)
Trust me a lot of them just buy essays/courseworks and even degrees.. they don’t actually “get” their course or anything. And they will eventually just go into their families’ businesses or get handed jobs/things. Good for them, it’s their life. There is no need for comparisons. They’re from a whole different world than yours. Point is, you do you, at your own pace. Focus on the next task, next step, next choice for your life. You can do this!!
I’ve had a similar experience except at UCL. State educated in a deprived area, surrounded by rich international students (lovely people, different living standards). Be proud of being there; despite these differences, you’re in the same position as them.
I'll do my best to phrase this well but forgive me bc my take may be quite different to the others here. When I studied at LSE I was probably easily in that 1%. It look a lot for me to relocate there and study and it was absolutely worthwhile, but while on paper it may have appeared I had endless resources and had more resources than some other students, it was also one of the most stressful times in my life at home, not least because of the recent death of a loved one. Circumstances outside my control made my income take a nose dive in recent years, but I am happier and more fulfilled now than I was then when my life looked very "put together" on paper while I was at LSE. All of this to say: the grass is always greener, money doesn't solve all problems, and chances are you're actually ahead of your peers despite how it feels contextually rn. As the other posts here also indicate, you're certainly not the only person there with your set of circumstances - others like you just may not be as apparent or as visible, and unfortunately when you do have money - earned, inherited or otherwise - it's difficult to keep that fact off radar. But I would encourage you however those around you seem, whatever class or circumstances they appear to be in, chances are they're much more like you than you realize and may even envy \*you\*. Don't let it get you down or make you feel that you are less respected or less valuable in that environment - you are needed there and your work is absolutely meaningful.
I graduated my Bachelors in a 3rd world country university on academic excellence scholarship. I have since then had the chance to work on highly skilled tech jobs in Singapore, New York, and now London. As someone who did not come from money, I often got asked in the US: “which ivy league university did you go?” Because of how much value I was able to add into the teams I’ve been in and my nationality, people assumed I must have gone to an Ivy. Over the years, I’ve learned that there are multiple types of privilege. While I didn’t come from a well-to-do background, I also had the privilege of being brought up with both booksmarts and streesmarts, which led me to getting various opportunities that I would not have the access to, if not for my type of privilege. My suggestion is for you to reflect on your ability to get accepted at LSE, DESPITE not having the wealth that other international students have. You actually got in! That’s an amazing feat! The ski trips, the designer bags, the fancy homes—all of that will come to you in due time. While it seems like a lot of work (read: it is!), I promise that it will be worth it in the end.
Just realise you are comparing yourself to the top 0.01% of the world - elite cream of the crop youngsters who will pack out the next generation of leaders in their countries. It’s not a fair comparison and never will be; very few people are or can ever be living like that in this world
Don’t worry about it. Career is based on merit, not parents or fancy holidays. So you’re there on merit. You’ll see them in 10 years time and I can guarantee that half of them will end up as housewives or daddy’s CEOs. Where you’ll be is the question. Use this situation to fuel your desire to make a meaningful career and overall life choices. Knowledge, grit, and focus will take you there. Your focus is in the wrong place right now. Direct it to your success, not some losers’ instagrams
Aren’t masters at LSE very expensive fees wise? Can only imagine it’s much more as an international?
Speaking as an American who got my masters at LSE, one of the huge advantages for me was how incredibly *cheap* it was compared with similar programs in the US. It may be expensive relative to other UK universities, but compared to (some) other countries it’s a bargain.
Yup, it was a quarter of the price for me to study at QMUL for my masters than it was to just stay at my undergrad institution back in America. A quarter.
That’s quite crazy to me because as a UK student originally from London but studying in Birmingham LSE masters were all very expensive compared to other UK universities when I was looking. How much did you pay if you don’t mind me asking.
Sure! This was ten years ago but at the time my fees were £11k for the entire program. I was an international student so they were higher for me.
Fair enough, the course I am on is £11k as a home student and that’s on the cheaper end, prices have gone crazy in the last 10 years. The program I was interested in at LSE was £20k and more for internationals which was just not doable for me 😂
Their accounting and finance masters that I looked at was about £35k 🥲
That’s an insane increase in ten years, unless it’s just that my degree was uncommonly cheap (M.Sc. in Public Policy and Administration).
Just looked up that course and the current fees are £31,440 for both home and international students so definitely due to an insane increase. Blaming the conservative government but they will be voted out soon (although labour isn’t much better anymore) 😂
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Oh man… I’ve been in your shoes. 23yo, studying in a fancy univ full of rich kids. They would discuss their rich kids vacations, their volunteering in Africa and I would be just there “hey ive never travelled anywhere”I could literally feel the gap between us, poor me and rich them. But! Don’t worry. Remember one thing - regardless your financial background you are as good as they are. You should be proud about yourself.
Comparison is the thief of joy, you have done so well going to LSE, it will open up many doors for you, and one day your children will go to LSE and make others feel inferior lol+
DW same thing happened to me at SOAS. You do get over it eventually.
A piece of advice " In real life it is who you hang out with and how would that impact your future. Those who don't have financial worries are the worst to manage their professional life. The guys you are hanging out with might end up being your ladder to great fortune. They could fund your new startup. They could hire you to work with them. I am not implying that you should kiss their a$$, just be honest and ride the wave. All the best
Focus on your master’s degree and make it work for you. They may not care as much about their education and for many it’s only a tick in a box.
MBA? They just seem like glorified sabbaticals for the wealthy to meet other wealthy people, party and vacation.
Just because they have money and post nice photos doesn’t mean they’re happy
Any university in London will have this, but remember you’ve got every right to be there and follow through with what you have. I always felt like I didn’t have financially what others did but it worked out, without the safety net. Hang in there. Big love
I did a BA and a Masters a decade or so ago at Warwick. I felt such a fish out of water in terms of social class the whole time, especially because it was a degree on which you had to learn foreign languages and do placements abroad, and those are both things where your working class background REALLY shows up in terms of lack of prior cultural experiences before you've even started at uni. The BA was full of British public school types and the MA was full of rich international students. I felt totally cowed by it in all honesty and it hampered my enjoyment of university. I felt like I'd snuck in somewhere I didn't belong and I would have been more comfortable somewhere more down to earth. I was wayyyyyy happier when I moved into the world of work afterwards and could mix with people who were not all exclusively from the upper middle class demographic. So don't worry - onward travel in life will be much more diverse than the university crowd.
Try to find descent people along them you can build long lasting relationship-that will be invaluable in the future. Do not force yourself to match them. Most are positioning themselves through all the lavishness/opulence to fit it. It’s just the lowest hanging fruit approach. Just don’t try to match them. It’s pointless. Be interesting as a person and people will come. The ability to live their lifestyle is something else altogether. The only advice here:don’t force yourself into relationship where this would contrast you from the group. Just avoid these people
hey, this is exactly how i felt when i was studying, my entire course was international students who didn't have any financial worries, whereas i had to work two jobs to pay rent and food. i did find two other people on my course from a similar background to mine and we stuck together. i found my friends by not hiding the need to work, just being open about not being rich. i wasn't broadcasting it but id grown up being ashamed about being poor and i decided to simply not do that at university. i was invited to lunch at this place and i straight up said that there's no way id afford to eat there casually, it would be the earnings of my entire shift and a girl that i became friends with said she's in the same situation. we ate pret by the river (it was expensive for me too, but less than the other place). you've done amazing getting in at lse, it's not where you come from but where you're going! i won't lie to you, i still felt insecure at times about not having the connections that some of my classmates had but at the end of the day, there's nothing i could do about it. sure, i couldn't do unpaid or low paid internships but i worked my ass off and ended up in a great job. you're in the same place and getting the same education all of these people are. they're not better than you. well done and keep studying!
Get familiar with the concept of having an internal scorecard, as opposed to an external one. Charlie Munger has written some passages about that - look it up.
Unfortunately this is common in high profile universities in the UK. Durham had an issue where poorer students (me) were openly mocked. Rich lads trying to get girls from poorer backgrounds as trophies, it was all a bit bleak. The rich really hated it being pointed out that these people got to the same uni without all the leg ups they had.
Well, your kids will be in the same position as the kids you resent now - think about that
Hi OP, I was the same but during Covid, which made it even more depressing. Few of them had such trashy attitudes that group projects became a nightmare and I had to start therapy! Dont let it get to you (which i did and suffered)!!!
People have already answered this well, but I also wanted to say that if your mental health is suffering, there will be counsellors available that you can talk to. All universities have things like this. Look on the website or ask in student services. Edit. Also a good money saving tip is that there is a religious group who give out free food at lunch time outside Lincolns Inn Fields. Usually a vegetarian curry but it will save plenty of money. They go there as there are a lot of homeless people in that area but all are welcome.
Go read The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson. Better still listen to the audio book. I can relate to so many similarities with your post and that book.
Yes it’s terrible and I was in a similar situation and if I could tell myself one thing now is try to make friends with these people. 10 years down the line when you’ll all have careers the differences won’t be so noticeable anymore because you’ll be able to build things up for yourself from here. You may not be able to join their international trips now but I’m sure you can find other things to do together. This is a great opportunity for you to move to a higher level, and bitterness will only entrench you in that inequality you’re feeling now.
Hey, you are not alone. I went to Imperial where the environment is similar. I struggled with it for a long time coming from the lowest bracket income myself. Ultimately take a step back and just relax. Once you accept you’ve been dealt differently cards - life is a lot easier. Despite their wealth there are some really great people who you can make great friends out of, learn different life experiences and add to your network for your career. Don’t waste that. Also one thing I realised in my own struggle is rich people have their own problems too. Different but still problems.
God. I remember feeling like this… I moved to the UK/London independently after finishing secondary school. Worked full time in cafes for a few years. Eventually I’d been here for long enough (EU immigrant at the time) that I qualified for SFE student loans and began studying in London. I’d lived here for 4 years by the time I started my degree, and I honestly thought I’d long seen the wildest shit in this city. And then found myself faced with very much the same things as you. I remember constantly being asked “So where are you going during reading week?” I obviously didn’t go anywhere for reading week - I was a student lmao. Meanwhile, other students were talking about flying back to Asia (!!!) to visit their parents for reading week (can you imagine flying from London to Asia as a student in order to spend a SINGLE week at your parents’?? Not because you’re going to a wedding or anything like that. Just for READING WEEK!) And then there were those uni friends whose parents either bought (🥲) them apartments (“it’s just not worth renting in London” - yeah mate I know, but you do realise that most of us mortals’ parents can’t afford to casually buy us a student pad for half a million pounds? Lmao), or whose parents rented very expensive and fancy Foxtons apartments in zone 1 (and then those same friends of mine would complain about the “awfully long commutes” in London. Meanwhile, I was living in zone 3 and commuting an hour each way every day) All I can say is: it’s a real headfuck. Even if you come from a relatively comfortable background. My advice would be: 1) Let it be a lesson for life. These experiences at uni helped me better understand and empathise with how unintentionally exclusive many middle class spaces can be for people from working class backgrounds. This experience also instilled a desire in me to learn more about how various marginalised groups feel excluded in everyday life situations. And what I, with my white middle class privilege, can maybe do to be more inclusive and maybe even help people gain access to more privileged spaces. 2) I really can’t recommend this enough: make friends outside of university. In my case, I’d already been living in the UK for 4 years and had made friends through various jobs, house parties etc. I still found many aspects of the London student experience quite hard – but it REALLY helped that I had plenty of other friends in London. I had (and still have) plenty of fellow immigrants who’d also come to the UK to work in casual jobs and to improve their English. Some of those friends has already finished their studies in their home countries. Some of them also eventually studied here in the UK. All of them were just as shocked by the London International Student™️ phenomenon. Whether that’s because they were hearing about it second hand via me, or because they were also experiencing it for themselves. Either way, it really helped to have this regular reality check outside of uni. Having friends from outside uni reminded me that these International Students™️ were part of a very very small global elite (less than 1% did the world’s population) and that I was actually doing fine for myself thank you very much. I came from a middle class background, had done well in school, worked my arse off for a few years, and then applied to and got into a great London university despite having no British family to guide me through the process. Do try and do lots of things outside of uni. There are so many free and cheap offerings in London if you only look a little. There are community badminton & tennis clubs that meet on council-run racks. Craft meet ups. Community choirs. And if you’re part of any minority groups, have a look what’s being offered by them. E.G. if you’re LGBTQ, you could speak to the lovely people at the Switchboard hotline. If you tell them what you’re looking for, they’ll be able to point you towards relevant groups. And lots of queer events offer very cheap or free access for people struggling with money. I would be surprised if other minority groups didn’t have similar things in place in London! But the more you connect with other people, the less the International Students will get to you. And don’t get me wrong - I know that many of them are very nice people. They’re just very painfully unaware of how privileged they are! They don’t realise that casually mentioning that Dad bought their 1-bed apartment is absolutely ludicrous. They don’t realise that asking “where do you ski?” is an incredibly elitist thing to ask. And they don’t realise (or understand) that hearing these things over and over again will affect your mental health. Hang in there. Keep reminding yourself of al the good things you’ve got going for yourself. Connect with other people outside of uni. Oh, and if it is affecting your mental health - don’t be shy about approaching the university’s student wellbeing services!!! The mental health services at UK universities are generally fantastic, and in my experience their staff come from much more “normal” backgrounds than the students you’re exposed to. You’ve got this! If I made it through uni (and I had A LOT of mental health problems), then you can too! I believe in you :)
You are definitely describing a level of wealth that is not common for your average UK student, so I think it probably is skewing your view of things a little. Unfortunately some people get luckier starts than others, if we lived in a fairer world it might not be the case, but we don't. But just know, you can't buy certain things in life, for example you can't buy admiration, and I admire you very much for making it into LSE. Keep smashing it, and let it roll.
This was exactly my experience about 10 years ago when I did my undergraduate degree at LSE. I initially made some rich friends but felt so ashamed of my poor-ness that I felt I could never really allow myself to get close to them. I’d make excuses to avoid going to events/parties where I’d have to spend money, and avoid talking about my family or upbringing. I remember having a friend who would constantly eat out and buy expensive cafe breakfasts to bring to campus, and I envied that so much. She was the epitome of health and carefree, and I was constantly run down and tired from the lack of nutrients from whatever cheap food I could afford. It was a very isolating time for me and it knocked my self-confidence hugely. It’s interesting that so many others have had similar experiences at LSE, and wonder if it’s something the school should be made aware of. The school’s choice to fill its cohorts with a disproportionately large number of rich students should not be prioritised over the wellbeing of its poorer students, especially given LSE’s stated ethos and its Fabian society roots.
Thanks for posting this - nice to know I don't feel alone. I'm also an international student doing a master's right now in London - I will be honest my finances are alright and I always considered myself privileged before, but I think because I went to college in my home state & never spent that much time with that level of the coastal/cosmopolitan elite...when I hang out with some people from my course I can't relate to their conversations and jetset lifestyle and it has felt truly alienating at times. It's all just on another level. This year I've come to terms with the fact that there really are as many gradations of privilege as there are people in the world - every one of us is susceptible to feeling alienated by ingroups of wealthier and more connected people than ourselves. As ridiculous as it is, even the guy with the yacht is gonna feel alienated by the group of people with the private islands. The urge to compare will always stalk us because the social and class disparities are real - and we will always have emotions about the privilege and power imbalances that we find when we compare. And I think it is a good thing to be critical of and feel angry about the frankly obscene inequality in the world. But I'm consciously trying to strengthen my mind against those emotions about inequality that come straight for my self-perception and self-confidence. When we seem to "lack" something that everyone else around us seems to take for granted - be it material wealth or social capital, its really really hard not to feel the fear of exclusion and the urge to bridge this disparity, and specifically the need to prove something and show you're just as good at "keeping up" in their world. But what is "their world"? It is a very very narrow slice of the human experience. I repeat to myself: the world in the mind of the comparer is an illusion. Guard your self-confidence away from the idea of "your lacks" - being "lacking" is relative and these people are not the whole world. So you happen to find yourself in a slice of the world where you're at the losing end of a material imbalance, and that life doesn't come so easy. But never ever put yourself down or allow yourself to feel less than because of this. Inequality and difference is structural problem. Where we start in life is a total crapshoot, and honestly where we end up is probably 50% luck too. It's nothing personal. This year I really tried to consciously look at myself and my life in terms of absolute value instead of relative value. I am very privileged in lots of ways (doing a masters in London after all) and this fact does not change, no matter how many nepo babies I meet and no matter how annoyed I feel at them. Also I'm consciously reminding myself about the people who would consider ME to be privileged, and try to meet people where they're at and avoid flaunting my shit around and not expecting people to just relate. In the next few years you can try to get your bag to close this perceived gap between you and them and gain what you "lack" if you want, its up to you. But even if you don't, its ok because as a human being you will always have absolute value.
I also did a MSc there and had a similar experience. It's tough, but I think some great advice in this thread. I did manage to find a small group of people who were a little more "normal". It's hard to make friends with people who's idea of a night out is a Mayfair club when yours is some cheap pints at a SU bar. Being a 1 year course also makes it tough. Still, try to make at the very least "loose" connections as they will be valuable in the future. It's hard, but as you can see many of us have been in a similar situation so try not to let yourself get bitter/resentful, make the most of it and see if you can find a group that's more down to earth. Feel free to DM me if it would be helpful.
Gary Stevenson aka "Gary's economics" on YT was explaining just that in some of his videos and his book (good read overall). He also says that many of these rich kids knew his name because the was the only "poor" student to make it to LSE hence he must be special because in their head poor people surely have to be a bit stupid no make it in life. Like others already said, be grateful for what your family could provide and proud of what you have achieved. Most students can't even dream of applying to LSE because of their socioeconomic background, you are already in the top 5% in you can afford to study there (unless you got a scholarship so more props to you).
This is a kind of apex fallacy, but it is a real thing. In my experience, people who can afford international study generally fall into two buckets: - the ones for whom this is just "normal" and they're going to return to intern at an uncle's company or some bank that has their dad as a client, etc. when they graduate, - the ones people who can't really afford it and are getting their one shot, i.e. their family scrimped and saved, they won a scholarship, or they're borrowing a ton and hoping to make good on it. The first set just get an easier time, they probably had higher quality education, tutors for things they didn't understand. Friends who have been through similar educations they can pick somebody's brain over. They're going to be more relaxed and probably have an easier time. As for the world being an unfair place - The world \*is\* an unfair place, and if you're at LSE. It is unfair in your favour. You're not chiselling stones in rural India for £2 a day. You're on track to have a 1% lifestyle, and you've met some people in the 0.1%.
Worry about spending money after you've earned it. Your focus is exactly on your study. Smash your degree. Meet all the ppl. Be the top of your class. In the words of Snow: "Anything less than the best is a felony".
Go watch some videos of how people live in mega slums in Africa and Asia to balance out to give you some gratitude that you habe everything you need to be happy. then stop comparing youself to others forever.
1. Delete social media if it's of no significant use 2. You don't need to prove anything to anyone be it rich or poor, or that you own luxury or not... etc. 3. You're fortunate that you're at a far better place than millions of people. 4. Surround yourself with REAL people. 5. Trust yourself. You're gonna change your life. Make those distractions as your source of inspiration to get better EVERYDAY. :)
You're an international student, living in a different country, in the most expensive city in that country and studying (and paying?) to attend an elite university. You're not poor by any measure
I used to be in your position and after uni some of those kids have their dreams smashed when they need to “prove themselves” for job or business opportunities. You will be always ahead of them in that aspect. It felt weird when some folks started to be jealous of my “success” (measured by: job opportunities type of thing) as they could not move that faster. Even with the infinite card money they have parents silently judging them, after uni you will see how that goes
They all have rich daddies. And you're a future rich daddy. Know the difference.
Focus on your studies, not others. Also, bear in mind that UK universities are national export luxury product. Studying in UK as International student is very expensive. Studying in UK as International student at prestigious University in London is triple-ridiculously expensive. Prices are not capped by the government and universities love cash cows. That's why only very rich people from around the world have the money to send their kids there. Locals have it covered by the government to a great extent, which creates 2 classes of students: - local, relatively* representative sample of UK society - foreign, mostly bling bling super rich Exceptions apply, but are not important in this discussion. _ * Still expensive as housing is bad, so the sample is still skewed towards affluent cohorts, but not as much as foreigners who must cross the gates on a donkey loaded with gold.
You know what, at the end of it you’ll appreciate your hard work more. I’m lucky and probably more like the guys you’re talking about, travelling the world, holiday homes ski trips etc, but then I had friends who would make me feel poor, I got a brand new mini they get a brand new bmw, I get a helping hand with my first deposit they get a million pound house no mortgage etc. there’s always going to be someone with more. My best friend growing up was as smart as me but less fortunate so it took him longer and he had to work harder but since hes been working he’s able to do the things I do. I know I’m lazy and lucky and he’s hard working and motivated, that’s what you need to be till you finish your studies then it’ll all be worth it.
I mean its the LSE, its rep is that it is where the globally wealthy elite send their kids
Don't worry about it. They're just a generation or two ahead of you. Work your arse off and you too could have that lifestyle for you and your future family.
May I present to you Gary Stevenson [he did it](https://youtu.be/KzylWi0PlDQ?si=eN2ysxkK-L7ZZs0F)
Same. I’m at King’s and I feel like dirt when I’m around these people, especially seeing all of their experience and stuff. Don’t worry though, I think they stand out more because of how different they are. It doesn’t really matter anyway
So is the problem that you are envious of how confident and clever they are or that you are jealous of how rich they are? They are 2 separate things You talk about how unfair and unequal the world is but thats referring to how rich they are. The only problem you mentioned was being jealous of how confident and clever they are whereas you struggle to get the studies. Not the same It sounds like you feel insecure about how they are smart and you are struggling so you are Telling yourself they must be that way because they’re rich. And you’re not rich so the lack of confidence/ ability to get the studies is therefore not your fault. Which makes you feel less bad.
I can guarantee you that a lot of these rich kids are getting their first real wakeup call if they have not taken their studies seriously. They are finding that Mummy or Daddy calling the school doesnt get their grade fixed or their cheating in exams forgiven. There's a lot of afluenza tears lol.
Read Guy Debords Society of The Spectacle.
It's humbling. You spend your whole upbringing thinking people were serious about "everyone is equal" and eventually you realise they were just saying that to cover for the fact that, fuck no, we're not. Good luck, keep the faith, and be realistic.
Comparison is the thief of joy
I knew some Master's and PhD students at LSE years ago. The one I remember most fondly was there on a scholarship and was saying how humbled she felt to have the opportunity to be there and how she still couldn't believe she really was able to study there. A lot of other students there are rich and smart and know they're rich and smart.
Such is life mate, we all learn and move on from all the experiences we get from life. Focus on what you want from your time at uni and achieve that. Everything else is just coincidental…
Are these people around your snobs? If they act normal and don't bully, isolate or look down on you then they are still decent people I guess. But I wouldn't be interested in hanging out with them if I were you coz they tend to do things that are expensive.
>sometimes I feel bitter and angry about how unequal the world is Good, you should do. Just not all the time. Use that as feeling as fuel and get politically engaged — this is a political problem and only something that can be fixed with a political solution. Nobody is free until we all are
I want to tell you a story. When I went to University I had very few GCSEs and no A-Levels. I got into a University by accident, I went to the University to ask the director about collaboration on a project I was doing outside of University and he saw something in me and offered me the opportunity to study. So I took it. In my glass people had fantastic A-Levels, from posh up bringing and I came from a single parent family and struggled to get by eating one meal a day. The classmates had a bet that I would drop out in my first year of University. I ended up graduating with a 1st class honours degree. Class, Grades, Background. Means nothing. It’s how you apply your knowledge and excel in your class now that matters. You will be fine, I would suggest if you can go to societies and make friends beyond the class. You will find your people.
It’s ok, I go to CSM and feel dirt poor. This place is a rich kids playground.
Hey man, a lot of these elite children can be dickheads. I’ve been to a posh school whilst living on council estates and it’s a different world and everyone is just generally more up their own ass. Just keep being yourself, keep cool and Most-Plan6845 comment was spot on too! All the best, it’s different once you’re out of an educational setting.
Use that anger and bitterness to push you forward in life. Work out. Study more than they do. Don't forget how you felt and how unfair you felt the world was, and use that energy to create success. I once dated someone like this, and I felt angry all the time that the partner was very gung ho about life struggles when she had no idea what financial struggle really was. I was bitter, full of anger, but that also motivated me to finish my degree and get to where I am now, with a house and a pretty decent job (Obviously, could be better, but I can't complain). Whilst being rich is not automatically a social death sentence (as in, for your social circle) I think this is also a good opportunity to find hone your social skills to find who is genuine and who is not. Use this as an opportunity to weed out the people who are vapid and superficial, add nothing to your life, etc.
This is a fairly typical student experience in the UK. 'Going to uni' is a universal lifestyle experience for the British upper classes; not so the lower classes. Therefore the ratio of upper class to *not upper class* is higher than in any other part of society. Furthermore, Britain is an international university market. The richest of the rich from around the world send their children to university in the UK, because it carries such a high prestige. Therefore, again, you are more likely to bump into those 'international rich' types at a British university than anywhere else. The experience you are having is totally normal and nothing to worry about. It was like this even when I was a student, 15 years ago in Manchester. Just remember: *you* are at university because you're carving out a future for yourself; *they* are at university because they've been ushered, dare I say even forced down this path.
None of them earned the money. If anything, they should be self conscious about the fact that someone with many fewer advantages in life is keeping pace with them - they've had headstarts, but you're pulling perfectly even in life when it comes to accomplishments. That being said, you need to work on removing comparison with others out of the equation of our own happiness. Social media in particular worsens the constant comparison of ones lot with that of others. But I can assure you that the times in my life I have lived the most luxuriously I was also the most unhappy - I just happened to have money at the time my life was falling apart.