I think for a 32 year to be talking about their grade of degree is a bit sad. It suggests since then, there are no other notable professional achievements. My degree features way down on my CV because I talk about my experience. I’m a year older than lily for reference.
im generally not a fan of saying X or Y uni is better or worse or that kind of thing. I think there is still a big snobbery in this country towards where people went to uni but outside of london centric bubbles, in normal workplaces, people don’t tend to give a shit. I’m no more impressed by someone just because they went to oxford or got a first. The point of making polys into unis was to broaden the opportunity to higher education for ordinary people and whether it’s worked or not is a whole debate itself. I do agree that not all degrees are equal and a first in an arts is not equivalent to a first in a science, engineering, law or medical degree putting the uni itself aside. So in a nutshell I am not impressed because she has a first, its just not something you should brag about as well to try come across superior.
I think the biggest bugbear with lily is privilege. We know she never tried hard at school or whatever, uni was probably the option because everyone else was going. You can generally only be like that when you come from a position of money because you know you can fall back on to your parents no problem. Whereas many students have to work hard at their studies and balance jobs and other pressures to get through their degree, even if they haven’t gone to a top uni. I have more respect for that. I just don’t see what hardships or struggles she has had in her life. I remember reading an interview from her years ago which said something like she knew she was always going to have a non typical job, and I remember thinking ugh so arrogant to just assume you’d never have to work in retail or an office at some point like you’re too important for that.
and on it goes, like the BLM stuff. She acting like she’s opened her eyes for the first time and seen these issues on race. I’d love her to do some reading on poverty, educational attainment, working parents, social care for elderly people, underfunding of the criminal justice system and realise there are issues everywhere. Wouldn’t it be nice to see an influencer pick up a cause like kids who don’t get fed in the school holidays and raise awareness continually? I can only assume it’s because of privilege and that they don’t move in the circles where those kind of issues happen so they just don’t even see it’s happening until there’s a bandwagon to jump on. That’s what makes me really mad.
TL;DR: Lily no one cares or is impressed by your fucking first.