Gary Abbott (International Politics, 2021) was the first in his family to attend University. He was discouraged to apply due to “past misbehaviour and low grades” but felt driven to understand the world around him better and be socially mobile. Gary completed his degree at City last year and is now studying for his postgraduate degree at Cambridge.
“I lacked any sense of academic confidence at the start of university,” Gary explains. “I was also specifically advised not to apply to City, but eventually got in through clearing. All of this culminated in a lot of self-doubt, so I felt I had to work exceptionally hard to stand a chance of graduating. Eventually, I realised I could offer my field something unique. Even if it was infinitesimally small, I felt my voice mattered and I was somewhat empowered by that realisation.”
Gary grew up in an environment that didn’t promote higher education as an option after school.
“It’s easy for apparent spatial closeness to mask immense distances in social outlook,” Gary says.
“For instance, growing up, the only time I’d interact with ‘professionals’ would be teachers at school or whenever I went to the doctors. That’s hardly a situation that’s conducive to social cohesivity, and possibly signals the reason why so many children from disadvantaged backgrounds doubt their ability and lack the inspiration to even consider higher education. In practice, my family struggled to see why I was continuing education, instead of working. Though we all live in the same country, the reality is different social groups tend to have completely different expectations, and this is something that can and should be challenged.”
Despite the lack of encouragement, Gary knew he wanted the option of something different and allowed it to spur him on.
“I was driven to better understand the world around me and to be socially mobile. University seemed to offer the best chance of a higher income, so I ensured I gave it my all. I’m also the first in my family to attend university, so there’s a lot of motivation that comes with that.”
Gary chose to study International Politics as it covers subjects he’d been interested in from a young age.
“I’ve loved world history since I was very young, and as I got older this interest spilled over into politics, leading me to study politics at A-level. I felt its scope was too limited and international politics appeared more diverse,” says Gary. “I also felt that since it’s an area I’m fascinated by it would improve my chances of graduating and would make studying more enjoyable.”
At the start of his course, Gary struggled with a sense of not fitting in but found support from the City community.
“I was quite stressed initially as I was unsure what was expected academically and wasn’t confident I knew how to even study properly, let alone write a university-level essay. Due to my socio-economic background, I also had issues with belonging until I spoke to a personal tutor who relayed similar experiences to my own, which made me more at ease in an environment that was initially intimidating.”
Living in inter-collegiate halls helped Gary realise how diverse the student body at City is, and he also attributes much of his success to the academics.
“Specifically in the International Relations department, I found all my lecturers to be hugely inspiring and supportive. I don’t think I could have done nearly as well without academics who have a passion for both their field and teaching others.”
Although the external support was helpful, Gary still felt like he needed to work extra hard to improve his confidence and do well on his assignments.
“I researched science-backed study techniques and found out about strategies such as ‘memory recall’, there’s a lot of great videos on YouTube detailing it. I realised I focused more on the hours of study than the efficacy of what I was actually doing. This had to change, so I became more disciplined and ensured that when I was studying, I had zero distractions; turning off my phone and working in a library was essential in this regard. Example essays were also instrumental in detailing general issues of structure, content, and style. I also read beyond the course material, using Google Scholar, JSTOR, and getting new journal suggestions from journal rankings, which I think helped me develop a more academic writing style in tandem with increasing my knowledge of the field. Changing my attitude to criticism also helped, rather than taking it personally I viewed any negative feedback as a roadmap to improve.”
Gary firmly believes that one of the best ways to help young people is to make them feel like they belong.
“It’s unlikely that finances will be a concern until considering postgraduate education. At undergraduate level funding is ensured, and many universities have schemes and funding for low-income students and there are charities too. Any financial concerns should be directed to teachers, who may be able to offer advice. On having a lack of role models, it relates to my above point: If you’re from a disadvantaged background it’s likely what you think is possible has been shaped and restricted,” he says, and continues: “Universities could offer a more active outreach programme and invite children from disadvantaged backgrounds to see what is possible for them. It may make the environment more familiar and less intimidating. For the students already at university, I think they’d benefit from a more intensive personal tutor system. It took me a very long time to feel comfortable with the thought of applying for work in a professional environment or even applying for postgraduate education,” he says.
“It was one of my personal tutors that convinced me to apply for a Masters degree, but I can’t help but wonder how many students who should have [applied], didn’t?”
Looking back, what has been the biggest challenge?
“Prior to university, the largest challenge was studying in an environment that wasn’t conducive to effective study. I didn’t have a desk in my room and sometimes we only had a coffee table so I’d either study on the floor or on my bed, which made concentrating hard. Once at university though, the largest challenge became learning how to actually study properly.”
And favourite accomplishment?
“Without a doubt, my biggest success was getting a scholarship from the University of Cambridge and Pembroke College awarded on academic merit. It’s not something I thought would ever be possible.”
Gary is now in his second semester at Pembroke College and once again finding his feet in a new environment.
“I’ve chosen to continue my love for international politics further, I’m doing the MPhil in Politics and International studies. I’ve found it more intense than at undergraduate [level] since it is much more independent as it’s seminar-based. Unlike undergrad, we don’t get lectures and I found that quite daunting at first, but it just takes a little effort to believe in yourself.”
Gary makes it very clear that he doesn’t want this story to make him out as someone who is special or wants to show off. He simply hopes to help others consider their options.
“Sometimes barriers to higher education are internal; if it was me reading this during my GCSEs, 6th form, or even third year of undergrad I’d think ‘good for him but it couldn’t be me’. These attitudes should be challenged as you never know where you could end up and sometimes it’s about getting out of your own way.”
Big thank you to Gary Abbott for sharing his story. We wish him the best of luck in his studies and future career!