As someone from south america, i can assure you, academia is romanticized because there is a chunk of the population who can only dream to achieve to get into those studies. If you are not already working a 9-6 job at age 18-19, then you will be in the streets at the end of the month. Humanities studies can only be afforded if you have a strong backbone of a family to support you in all the years it take to finish one of those careers, and most probably you will just end up being a highschool teacher, which in here only let you earn a minimum wage if not less. So being an academic, a scholar, etc, its only the stuff of dreams for us at least, but seeing the state of the world i can see that story repeats in the rest of the world.

I also study as a hobby. It’s strange how academia is aestheticized while being highly under valued. Capitalism is full of paradoxes.

Dark Academia aesthetics vs actually attending university: Shop windows vs actually opening and stocking an actual store.

I personally believe that interest in classics and English literature is not declining as rapidly as the numbers show, but students are being dissuaded from studying English at university because of the lack of job opportunities and the unemployment stigma surrounding the field. I would have loooved to study English in university, but my parents convinced me into another department because of career concerns. Thank you for keeping the study, pursuit, and admiration of classic literature alive!

Read an article today about why young women in Korea are not getting married or wanting children. They gave a myriad of reasons, and one woman's comment stuck with me. She detested her culture which pushed her away from the subjects she loved and was good at into an education that would get her a job to live a mediocre life.

I'm from Italy! Classics, arts and humanities are still the most prevalent fields of study in high schools and universities. Despite the Italian job market requiring more STEM graduates, a high percentage of Italian students still prefer majoring in Humanities (including Classics, Modern Literature, Philosophy, History, Law, etc), and this has made the Italian Humanities academic and job market saturated over the past decades. I am not sure about why this happens here. Me personally, I have always wanted to be an archaeologist since I was a little kid, so here I am, majoring in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, specifically focusing on the Mediterranean

If I had the money, I’d collect history degrees like they were Pokémon, I’d go into six figure debt for a Fashion History degree, but they don’t offer those in the U.S. and I think having a media/literature analysis degree would be so cool too.

The closing of the Sheffield Archeology department was such a massive heartbreak, especially considering how renowned the department was

We have it backwards. The art, literature and music are ends, not means.

Intersting. I went to Bristol is the 70s. There a number of us adopted "Dark Academia" aesthetic, we dressed like we'd stepped out of the pages of "Brideshead Revisited" and in our tweediness called ourselves The Young Fogey or Fogeies. Most of my collegues gave up the look, I'm glad the look come back.

I have two good friends who went to Oxford and studied literature back in the 1980s and both come from relatively humble backgrounds. Both got a full grant. One is now a famous professor at Oxford and the other works for the university as an editor. I love going into their homes because they are crammed full of interesting things. I mentioned Dark Academia to my fiend this week. She had never heard of it despite being the embodiment of the aesthetic, albeit applied to a modern house, not an historic mansion. Her son studied the classics and is now, predictably, unemployed at 26.

losing all those departments is how a dystopia happens. do you want dystopia? because this is how you get dystopia

A few years back, I chose to study something other than what I actually loved (classics and literature), hoping that I would eventually fall in love with my chosen field of study. Aftell all, choosing international studies with a dash of economics and philosophy was a compromise: it wasn't a STEM subject, or Economics, which my family would have loved for me to get into, but it was not something they would have disapproved of either. Plus, it still had crumbs of Humanities thrown in there, but with none of the societal pressures and bias surrounding those subjects! It looked like a perfect compromise indeed. And yet, after a semester I started feeling so sad, and hopeless, and incomplete. There was something missing and it felt like I was drowning. And now, six years later and looking for a good ol' socially acceptable job, I still feel that way. And it hurts, it really does. It's like I'm living someone else's life, like I took all my dreams and all my potential and just stomped on them until there was nothing left. I feel so bitter and remorseful and it SUCKS. So, I have decided that I will just start studying what I am actually passionate about as soon as I'm able to find a job and gain some money. I refuse to let this terrible capitalistic reality I live in drain me more than it already has. I just hope my experience can resonate with others, as well, and help them make their own decisions.

As someone who's trying to finish off a PhD in a STEM field, it's kind of funny to see this perception of academia's aesthetic as this kind of arcane, almost reverential thing. My experience has been an aesthetic of drab, sometimes brutalist architecture, maybe glass and steel if it's a newer building, huge lecture halls that somehow look twice as big when you're the one giving the lecture, fluorescent lights, lab benches, white boards and computer monitors. Sometimes it feels so soul-crushingly mundane that you kind of forget why you decided to do a PhD in the first place. But then every once in a while, you get a good result from an experiment, or a bit of code you've written works the first time you run it, or you get a small eureka moment and figure out a problem you've been working on for months, and then you almost feel like you've actually accomplished something.

At 20 years old I made the mistake of choosing the wrong major because I wanted to "fit in" - and I thoroughly regret this choice. I am a literature person through and through. I've loved reading since a young age, and will continue to do so for life. But I majored in communications because I believed it was expected of me to do something practical, something "employable", something "sensible". I also did not have the courage to embrace the fact that I was a nerd and an idealistic person to the core, and in choosing my major, I unconsciously desired to prove to the world and myself that I was "normal" like everyone else. I will never stop regretting this decision and telling young people about my story and experience because I want to see those who come after me get the opportunity to study the thing that truly matters to them - an opportunity I foolishly passed up and won't get again. I am not bitter and jaded because of my experiences, my life is currently good and I have much to be grateful for even if I never had the opportunity to study the thing that I loved, which I know deep down is what I've desired and dreamed of since I was a child. But I cherish the hard lesson that this mistake taught me and hold it close to my heart in all decisions I make in the future. Be a good person, a responsible person, but do not compromise on what you know to be important to you - do not sell yourself out in exchange for things as fleeting as the comfort and security that societal validation will temporarily bring. Be brave and be honest with yourself about who you are and what matters to you.

Once again, I'm reminded that the human race, especially the US, who, in my estimation, is currently leading the pack, is running headlong into an idiocracy! But what do I know? I'm jus a ol truck driver from the rocky mountain west!! Greetings from the mile high city! Well done, Cinzia!!❤❤

Heard many decades back: "Why are we studying this book [of literature] when it never happened." The unfortunate student who said this was an undergraduate, likely a computer science major or a physical education major.

I am a medieval studies major watching this at 4 am while finishing an essay. Thank you for this video ♡♡♡♡

As someone who never wanted to go to university and still wanted to study the classics; my story may be a little different. Ever since I've entered school, I knew there was absolutely no chance of learning anything in the official academic places. So I've always studied on my own. I didn't want to join university, but in Brazil, there is no choice in this. Brazil has a fetishist for college certificates, and you can not even breathe without one here. So I'm getting a degree to have a license to teach, basically. But it is an online university, and all I want is the certificate. Because reality demands it. Particularly, I don't care if people think "less" of me because I'm in an online college. I know that what I'm pursuing is worth it; even if I fail and fall many times. Oxford may be beautiful. I love the dark academia aesthetic, and I don't care if the majority of people on the internet do it in a shallow way. I've filtered information my whole life, I'll just keep doing it. Even if I'm alone. It takes a living thing to stand firm against the wind.

I wish I had seen this video about ten years ago, before I let myself be bullied out of studying history and literature by...basically everyone that I know. "You'll be poor!" They said. I live in Appalachia, and anti-intellectualism is very real here. Everyone told me to start working right away and skip college entirely. So that's what I did, and it turned out terribly. I'm still poor, and my life was never enriched in that way. At least if I'd have gone, even if I never got a job through that degree, *I* as a human being, would be a more complete and well rounded person. We have the Pell grant here, which basically pays for college for low income people. I could have gone basically for free (not counting housing etc). You know what? I'm 33 years old, would I be crazy to try to go now? Maybe that's what I need to do.

As someone who works in IT, yes, I’m the person who tells you to turn it off and back on again, as well as being a fan of science fiction and fantasy. I’ve found myself in the last year being drawn to reading philosophy and classic literature as I’ve wanted to get expand my horizons and push myself. There is a part of me that would love to go back to education, I did start a Computer Science degree with the Open University many years ago but dropped out as I realised I was doing it for the wrong reasons. Maybe one day I’ll go back and study something that I want to study rather than study something that I was expected to study.

As a history/poli sci drop out, I'm finding myself better equipped than older "professionals" in our world. I appreciate your works and thank you for your entertaining spirit!

My father used to call me a professional student, always with a negative connotation. I like your concept of study as a hobby, which I find quite liberating❤

Thank you for saying this. As someone who has pivoted into digital humanities only to get better job prospects, I mourn how little value our society places on the humanities. I am from a country where university is completely free but thanks to economic insecurity and capitalist values humanities are being pushed aside while STEM and entrepreneurship are being glorified. Also, regarding aestheticism, a lot of the aesthetics of dark academia hinges on elitism, when university is more democratic it loses a lot of the "dark academia vibe".

With such a decline in students wishing to study classics, it’s scary to imagine what fate awaits these subjects which once were the foundation of education. Today, more than ever, it’s important to have someone to preserve the knowledge and genuine interest in arts and humanities majors and not let them completely ‘die’ in years ahead. My huge respect to you Cinzia for studying what you love despite difficulties and trends.

I go to a decently ranked university in the US and I’m a STEM major but I’m getting a minor in literature and history. On my campus there is a large gothic building that’s locally famous and was built during the early 20th century. I’m taking a medieval literature class right now in this building and at the beginning of the semester my professor asked us why our institution would put so much money into building a large gothic style structure reminiscent of the ones built at places like Oxford or Cambridge during the medieval period. Then she went on to explain to the class just how powerful “aesthetic” is and how way before the internet and social media existed people were following “trends” to make themselves appear more legitimate and sophisticated. My institution erected a large gothic building over 100 years ago precisely to mimic the aesthetic given off by the most prestigious universities in the world at that time. Gothic architecture became a symbol not only of individual intelligence, but also of the wisdom of old age as the gothic buildings built during the medieval period are still standing and have given rise to numerous discoveries and achievements over the course of hundreds of years. But as you pointed out, the actual work and struggles of the students often go ignored when trying to appeal to an aesthetic. Tourist come to this building to take pictures and videos but I’ve seen people cry in this building, I’ve seen people get violently ill in the building, people have been assaulted and harmed in this building. But I’ve also had some amazing discussions and lectures in this building and I’ve learned a lot. But what happens in this building is never talked about, just its appearance and “aesthetic”. I think it’s the same for all prestigious universities or ones that have a certain defining landmark or building. If you look at the difference in average views between an Oxford vlog and an Oxford lecture on thermodynamics or 19th century literature that’s been posted online, that really tells you all you need to know about what outsiders truly care about. And of course I don’t blame them (I too watch those vlogs lol), I think that it’s in our nature to crave the aesthetic. But I also think that the aesthetic can distract from arguably more important things such as cultivation of the self and not some superficial character people force on to themselves in order to be perceived a certain way.

Thank you for all of your recent videos about academic pursuit and adjacent issues. Though life threw me on a different path, I always wanted to be an archaeologist as a child and that is indeed what I studied in university, back when I was 17. I don't understand why people insist on saying your efforts and PASSION amount to nothing because you WILL come out of it jobless. I remember a teacher tutting a book I was reading because the research was old, but that's what our library had. I remember seeing the archaeology department director blatantly invite a classmate of mine to a field project, and while he was a smart cookie, guess what, his dad is a known archaeologist. I was so young to see just how long the tentacles of the octopus went, you get my drift. I'm 32 now and a pharmacy tech and constantly looking for more courses. No one gives a crap about it, but I love to learn, even if studying is a different matter. Recently you talked about this imposter syndrome feeling and I feel it because while I can lay things in terms my clients understand, I feel I'd be crushed in a debate or a thesis... I want to go study pharmacy at university but am so scared.

I did not study art for fear of not being able to find work afterwards. I also struggle with imposter syndrome and feel like my art would never be good enough for me to do anything with in my life. I took the occasional class if I could afford it but I never made it my career choice. ☹️ I would be a career student if money wasn’t an issue honestly. I love learning, making art and going to school.

I'm from Germany, a country with a really accessible university system. (Not perfect, but pretty dang good) What I find interesting is that dark academia is still really popular in online spaces here, too, even though it is accessible to most people. Old, pretty cities aren't exactly rare here, and student loans (Bafög) don't have a percentage on them, and you can even half the sum of payback if you pay it back within a certain time after you finish your studies. So, really, rather accessible for most. I wonder why it's still so popular here then, with the "I'll never be able to study that" removed from the equation. Completely unsupported by any data, I feel like it's a way for younger people to seem more grown up and smarter.

Thank you for making this video. I have so much to say about it that this comment could have ran into the thousands of words but I will just say that I agree very strongly with essentially everything you have said. More than anything else, I am extremely grateful for your willingness to be candid, authentic, and to display vulnerability in these videos. Educational culture in the UK is designed to drive its keenest students into fits of self-loathing, anxiety, and despair and it is horrendous. Even those of us who appear to be making it within the system face grisly external and internal struggles that are essentially hidden from view by the Disneyland image of academia that the internet has helped create. Appreciation and kudos 👏

It's interesting to me that "academia" has become an aesthetic. I did undergrad in an almost laughably aesthetic-looking college in the northeastern US. Maybe it was just the circles that I ran in, but there was a phenomenon where the richer a particular student was, the more shabbily they would dress--as though fitting the stereotype of the "privileged academic" was a dirty secret to be hidden. I thought it was a quirk of my particular college, until I found out that it was quite common at the time (early to mid-2000s). Everyone wanted to be perceived as self-made back then. But now, people want to look the part of the "privileged academic" whether they truly are or not. I have no conclusions to draw from this at the moment, but it's an observation from a certifiable Old Person.

Your ending hit even more powerfully because this evening I was just discussing Brave New World (by Aldous Huxley) in a banned book club meeting. When you mentioned the capitalists pushing people further away from books, art, philosophy, literature, and history and people becoming more removed from discussions about what it means to be human, etc. - ooph! I think those fancy universities are cool because of their architecture and history, but firmly believe a fine education may be acquired in many other places. I went to a community college for two years then a state university for two years, living at home all four years. I remember one day walking down a hall at the community college when I passed a little office in which every wall was covered in shelves spilling over with books. It looked so interesting! Simply because of that I stopped and talked with the professor in the room - turns out he was a humanities teacher. I would have liked to take some of those classes, but my degree took me elsewhere and there was only so much loan money to cover so many classes. (I also would love to have taken more anthropology classes!) However, it's my continued education since college that has been more exciting. When I heard about "dark academia" I related because it had to do with things I already liked: the actual reading, learning, and classical music. I like the aesthetic, too, though it's not a major part of my life. Anyway, thanks for this video! I love your research and aesthetic (and I'm also a hermit, haha). =)

I have degrees in multiple disciplines, scientific and humanities. I have found and experienced two things miss understood and its loss will affect society going forward. 1. A single subject area is limiting for critical thought. Experience in divergent subjects and of differing environments helps to develop a fuller understanding of not only the subjects themselves but to expand beyond that, both academically, and personally. 2. With the financial boundaries etc. now holding greater value, in combination with status, connections etc, it has lead to a reduction in the applicants pool with the intellectual average intake lower than in a merit based system. Simply, some students getting places where their academic merits alone would not. Yale and others have become businesses first and foremost but consequently, and in real terms, losing out on the very real potential to justify elite status and societal benefits beyond. However, I still feel it’s best to choose universities based on the lecturers skill and knowledge of their field. If I am investing in education, I want the best I can get, regardless of what they are called, not just the one that only has a famous name.

Patrick J. Deneen covers this topic in his books 'Why Liberalism failed' (2018) and 'Regime Change' (2023). These books are in general a critical analysis of liberalism as political philosophy and societal project, but contain chapters on state of universities in a society which has no longer any use for Humanities.

NYT just published an opinion piece on how aesthetics are not subcultures (as they used to be). Great piece. Talks about Gen Z will never truly understand subcultures because they consider an online aesthetic a “subculture” but actual subcultures used to require participation IRL, in specific places at specific times with specific people. If I remember the author I will leave it here

Arts and humanities has been slashed in Australia over time, but was then turbo-charged as the costs went up.

So many good points, I have only done a 4 year degree in Psychology with the aim of helping people. But found myself instead staying in Finance related work to pay bills, prepare for retirement, medical coverage, among other "practical" concerns. The choices one makes and the interests they pursue and careers are so highly personal. I salute you Cinzia for keeping your pursuit of classics going and for sharing your journey and insights.

Thank you so much for this. It made me cry, but it's good to hear from someone who has had similar experiences to my own. Please keep sharing!

As a dyslexic with a BA in history and an MA in Libby information Science I wish I had the patience to study the way you do. I also find it sad that our society is moving away from academia because that is how we loose our history and forget our past.

As a past litterature student who chose to not have a PhD after my master degree, I feel so well your words, and cry a little x) I studied in France and I think the situation in our universities are not quite well also.... I start working a part-time job in a library and hearing my coworkers said that my choice of studies was not clever or some comments like : "oh yes, they are still kids who study these things". In a library, for god fucking sake ! But yes, I was in a public university (who help me a lot, no whame abou that) and so I didn't want to talk about that experience, because that's was not pretty enough... But sharing your experience is crucial I will dare say as your work online. Because that's will maybe make these studies more like a dream that cannot be reach, which scared me for the next generations... There is hope maybe, but right now, kind of depressing....

Hi Cinzia, my KZfaq channel here is a nerdy gaming one, but as a former student at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge too I altogether confirm what you rightly stresses about the Dark Accademia aesthetics, and why some people might be attracted to it despite their real potential attendance/enrolment. Great subject for a video in my opinion !

I find your content so refreshing. You have a lot of grit and perseverance.

I completely understand the desire to research as a hobby, as I sit here surrounded by books. Academia is expensive- presenting research at conferences costs to attend.

Fascinating topic and information. Thanks for your perspective

One friend majored in the classics. He had a long career with the IRS. My teachers from high school through college encouraged me to get a degree in English lit, change my science major to English lit, but the best career they could offer was teaching which I didn't want to do. A friend got a degree in Library science, but she had to move several provinces to try to find a job. People who go that direction cannot do anything with an undergrad, they have to get advanced degrees, and then the job market is so small, that most people who get into such positions, hold onto them until they die. So there is no movement in them for new people to join.

Very true, other student youtubers show their “normal days” starting with £5 a bag of so and so tea, working in their massive, latest, bees-knees, apple laptops, i-pads, pens, pads, etc., etc. proceed to make their coffee in their £2000+ coffee machine, just to finish with them reading a book in a quirky cafe in Paris… trying to make it look like that’s a thing that veryone do and can do. Not sitting comfortably with me.

I'm one of about 10 people in The Netherlands on the Brazil track of Latin-American Studies at the only university in the country where you can study the Portuguese language 🥲 It's frankly a miracle my department still exists. Likely even more alarming: the field of Dutch language & culture is dying out. Universities around the country are shutting down their Dutch language departments... the Humanities are strugglingggg

I simply loved the fact that you took the courage to share your experience. Thank you for that, I relate to pretty much everything you said, and I admire your inescapable honesty in everything you say around here.

I live in the States, and you hit the nail on the head regarding cost of higher education here. I yearned to study languages and history in uni, but was forbidden by parents bc “I’d never get a job.” Only science was an acceptable area of study. I do not love it. But the cost of an undergraduate degree that won’t translate into a well-paying career is so terrifying here if you don’t have family money to fall back on for safety (which I do not).

I wanted to go to school for the arts, and took lots of literature and history classes because they're what I would have enjoyed more as a job, but I was pushed to go into the sciences instead as it was "more practical". Now, I'm not doing anything with my current degree, and only doing the other things as hobbies when I can eek out time and energy. If I didn't have to spend a ton of time at work for others, I would be so productive at other, more right for me, pursuits.

As someone with a PhD and who works in academia, most academics are totally unaware of the whole discussion of academic aesthetics. This trend exists on the internet mainly amongst "readers" and Gen Z. I think most academics (e.g. professors) are more concerned with ergonomics, hiding coffee stains, and keeping that mountain of library books stacked in front of their bookcase from toppling over. Keep doing your own thing. Love your content.

Making education a commodity & an investment, means people educate themselves to make money

Personally, Dark Academia appeals to me because i wanted to study archaeology, and even started to, but had to break it off for health reasons and am unlikely to ever be able to return. a somewhat bitter sweet what might have been

I started my English Lit degree (undergrad) in 1989 and stopped in 1990. When I went back in 1994, I couldn't go back because the university had axed all the Humanities programs. By "went back" I mean "moved back". Was a 6000 mile trip I didn't need to make. I should have called first.

I studied my English BA and MA at uni of Gloucestershire and it breaks my heart knowing what's happening to the humanities department. The lecturers were amazing, the uni campus is stunning (francis close hall), and the humanities department is in the heart of Cheltenham which is world famous for its literature, poetry, and jazz festivals (among others). Cheltenham also has a lot of publishers based there and an interesting literary history. It was such an amazing place to study with with strong links to the local publishing and festival industries. It's sad that people care more about studying at a Russell Group than going somewhere they can become connected to the world they are trying to enter into through their degree. (I also highly doubt you get the same level of support from lecturers and pastoral team at a russell group than a smaller uni.) People don't apply to smaller unis and the courses at these unis suffer for it. The closing of humanities departments just makes me think of the adage, "Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it."

Loved this video ! Thank you for the hard work

What a wonderful video. You talking about your path in academia with such honesty is so inspiring and reassuring. I too spent my twenties mostly working and never travelling and trying to fund my "useless" humanities degree, and after all that I still feel bad about myself for not going to one of those old gorgeous prestigious universities in the UK or the US. The way you talk about your pessimism regarding your future is so relatable. People keep telling me I'll never get a well-paid job with my degree, but it's a conscious choice. I'd rather be poor than suicidal working a job that I hate (which happened before).

Since I never studied at any of the universities with prestige in my country, I never really got into that aestheticism. Not much anyway. Also, studying archaeology in the then northernmost university in Sweden meant we had a rather different identity too student in other subjects. A few in my class actually dress in way that was in line with classical academics, but they were few. The style we adopted was one of field archaeology, dress for treeking in the north swedish forests mapping new sites. We looked apart, looked like we were ready to face the outdoors and it set us apart from students of many other subjects. Most of our teachers also hade a more outdoor down to earth look. Some hade a somewhat more academic look but it looked as if it was shallow outer layed they could drop at a moments notice, gearing up to go out with pistol and whip to dig up another stone age site located far from civilisations. When I first meet archaeologist coming from other swedish universtities I was a bit stunned. They dressed so formally, so... academical. Sure, you saw pictures of them having been out on big excavations in appropriate clothes. But that was totally invisible otherwise. They did not look, to me, as archaeologists. I learned in time that the style of the Umeå archaeology department, while not unique, really the outlier. We and our teachers took pride in not always being stuck indoors but happily going out into the forests, sometimes far from civilisations, to search for or dig out sites that had been unknown. In a way we felt more like "Indiana Jones" when he is out and about but not of when he has to be indoors working and teaching. Most of our teachers saw no point in changing fashion just because they were not out in the field, because it was the actvitiy out in the fields that made us special! Now this was a long rambling, but I have never really droped that style. I have had better halfs that have sort of groomed me to look as an academic, that have felt I should take pride in being Master of Art and dress like that. I have accomodated that but have gone back to a more relaxed style since that is more me. I am proud over what I have done and learned, but it is the knowledge that is important to me, not any titles. If people dismiss me because I do not dress the part, well, that is their problem. Living with my wife in a small apartment there is seriously no room for useless furniture and books I do not read, or that I do not feel are good to have around as reference litterature. But that is quite a lot of books anyway. The perfect home can look in many ways, as long as there are lots of books. Books that lie about here and there with notes sticking out, or that show that they have been loved and read, as books should be. By the way, I love your bookshelves. They look like mine. Chaotic with a structure

Nice one Cinzia, well said. Everyone flails through life. Keep flailing; you do it with elegance.

I just adore you 🫶🏽🥲 thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. You are valued ♥️☺️

So much of what you said rings true! I have not one, but two art degrees. One Bachelor in Fine (Studio) Art, and the other an Associate in Graphic Design. When I went to college the first time people asked my major....and I also got many uninvited comments about how I would never make any money. And oh, I planned to teach, of course, because no one hires artists? Well, no. I did not plan to teach. I didn't think I would make a living as an artist, either, but I did have faith that I would find something to do with it. The prospect of a corporate job, focused on profit and the heedless destruction of the environment and pursuit of status did not interest in me, because I feel the removal of my soul in exchange for money should be avoided at all costs. True, I did end up not making much money, but I did reach a point where I was supporting myself, bought a house, and even could afford the occasional vacation with intense saving of money. It wasn't easy to get there and sometimes I had multiple jobs. My jobs included: children's summer camp, assistant art instructor, portrait photographer, framing shop, freelance graphic designer and florist. Still doing the last one, and I love it. You know what? I can even take floral design classes and have letters after my name for it. Which I intend to do. I will never be rich. But I am happy.

Interesting. Very thought provoking. Apologies in advance for the long comment, but this dredged up a lot of thoughts for me. 🧐 Hello from Australia, where Arts/Humanities were stripped of funding and support by the previous disastrous Morrison government. There’s a whole saga there about the fact that Arts/Humanities in Australia tended to be where women and marginalised people were more likely to find a supported university place, and a decent paid career afterwards (despite the stereotypes), and the men of that government not comprehending the value of training creative thinkers in a changing world. In a country where a recent former Prime Minister referred to the housewives of Australia doing the ironing, and male politicians of all stripes cosplayed as if they were tradesmen or athletes, typically feminised careers are massively devalued. As an elder millennial in my early 40s, I would’ve loved that dark academia style and imagery when I was a teenager. Instead, I had Goth and heavy metal subcultures, and I still engage in those spaces. I have a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) (Sociology) from one of the top universities here. I grew up in a rural Australian town and was very fortunate to escape small-town dramas to get an education beyond high school. It was the sort of small town where intellectualism without a clear career orientation was viewed with suspicion, at best, and at worst, seen as being a traitor to the ‘salt of the earth’ farmer mentality of that community. I was lucky to have my grandfather - a retired school principal - who encouraged me to love learning for learning’s sake, and who secretly helped me to apply for university (against my parents’ wishes who wanted me to work at the milk factory like everyone else). I was a bookish kid who survived the brutal high school years by hiding in the library, school band and art class. My sociology degree has not opened the career doors I’d hoped for. It is simply not a field that Australian society sees as valuable, despite the fact that doing good sociology could improve quality of life for just about everyone. People here fiercely debate politics but rarely from an expert level (more of a Murdoch media level), and there are real-world consequences as various societal crises worsen here (housing, access to healthcare, environmental disasters, etc). But Sociology has deeply enriched my life in ways that it’s hard to express to folks who only see value in pure economics. I think my degree helped me to be a better human. It took my small rural worldview and helped me better appreciate other humans who I was taught to see as ‘Other’. It helped me a better mother to my kids, too - who are both now pursuing different STEM disciplines at their respective universities and have a much better chance of getting jobs in their chosen academic pathways. I hadn’t really pondered the dark academia aesthetic as anything more than a pretty romanticising of Gothic literature. At the end of the day, my own university experience looked nothing like that. It was about reading textbooks and memorising the sociological lexicon and history and exercising critical thinking skills, while raising two toddlers and living in a disgusting run-down rental property in a grey concrete suburb on the fringes of Melbourne, daily arguing with random folks as to why doing Sociology was a worthwhile practice.

I studied classical music in school, and though I don't make a lot of money, I loved learning everything I could about the subject and improving my violin skills. If I could, I would go back to school and study English and History, and take as many languages as I could. I know this wouldn't make me more money, but I just love academia.

two videos in two days? this is great! I think that people will always replicate rich to seem fashionable, and the dark academia vibe is aesthetic as fuck. I heard today that there's a will to suppress yourself in order to please the crowd more, in order to feel seen and accepted. but that only reinforces the perceived norms of what the crowd might think. So thank you for doing something that feels against the grain. I'm so envious that you have the courage to pursue your phd.

The dark academia I ordered: Charles Ryder. The academia I got: Shaun Ryder.

Thanks Cinzia!

Good Evening Cinzia

Thank you very much for this video, I really needed it. I study communication, media and advertisement in Italy and I am considering pursuing a master's degree in art and visual culture or art curating in London or in Italy (Milan, Venice or Florence). It's such a difficult decision because the job perspective seems quite tiny even in the art curating field. Students need more genuine experiences such as yours to get an overall idea of how studying humanities really is!

Your videos are such a breath of fresh air.

You rock thank you for sharing you can do it girl !!

Yeah... Living in south america, by not being from a rich family i had to chose after graduating college: work so i could afford living or continue my formal studies in humanities as i'd like to. Now i just keep studying as a hobby, out of passion, far away from the merits of academic acomplishments. Its a simple life, but its a good one, nevertheless.

I have to comment on the "incredibly talented and hard-working" students of prestigious universities... I had a pleasure of working in Cambridge University project in the secluded research facility. The management said they avoid Cambridge students because they are not good workers. On the other hand my high school friend got Master's degree there and he was a living proof that they only cafe about their very narrow area of expertise to the point of ridiculusness. The latter was stated by multiple of my friends and collegues who had an experience of working with people from those esteemed institutions. Of course this is only PART of the story. There are many, many talented people on academia, both in Ivy League and outside it.

I don't think this is only happening in the arts/academia either. I've heard of students joining nursing programs not to become nurses but to become nurse influencers. They have no interest in healthcare but want the experiences to make tiktok videos. Same with K-12 teachers too. The focus is the aesthetic for entertainment purposes.

Art theory masters student here. And working full time. Yep, studying is also my hobbie. But oh such a happy one.

I studied Classic Civ at college (mid/late 00s) with aspirations to Swansea to study Egyptology. (As a kid i wanted to be the man on time team with the crazy jumpers, then the movie The Mummy came out and Evelyn O'Connell.. you know the rest 😂) Unfortunately, life happened and i ended up straight into the work force after college (Im finally working towards my degree in my current vocation 🙌) My friend in the Classical civ class went on to Uni to study Classics but had no where to go once she graduated 🤷‍♀️ She got to use it in the travel industry for a few years in Greece and Rome in her 20s, but now she works in retail 🤷‍♀️ My bestie has a Lit degree, doesnt use it in her work either, got a different degree in her vocation. Its a shame theres no where to go job wise, other than teaching. Its become an interest people keep up online, with rather than something to study. My friends (mentioned above) who went to Uni, have mixed feelings about it, because while they loved the subject, uni life etc, ultimately they werent any better off than i was work wise and i didnt have the student debt 🤷‍♀️

I've been really looking forward to hearing your opinion on Dark Academia! Really excited to see this video! :D

Great Show!

Middle/lower class American here. I didn't go into anthropology and archeology( Or college in general) because 1) what I was told/believed about how little available jobs there would be, 2) the time it would take to get a degree to be able to make enough money in the career to support myself 3) the cost of school itself, and 4) (with undiagnosed adhd at the time) the feeling of not being able to maintain focus to finish.

Excellent commentary 👏

I haven't watched the video yet but as someone who works in professional services at a university and has many friends who are academics (and I have my own degree of course), I think the academia aesthetic has absolutely no resemblance to reality whatsoever. However, I think it looks lovely and I love that it's a style that people are enjoying and playing with! Everyone wants that academia styled home library, right? ...Right? xD

I really can't thank you enough ❤ I am preparing my masters degree in physics and I really want to pursue my happeness studying literature and living among books but I am afraid that I can't afford my hobby so I made my decision that I am going to finish my master then I will apply for a master's degree in Literature thank you for sharing your feelings and honest thought so I can be sure that I made a right decision or the one with a safe probability hope you get your degree and wish for me to end my master so soon cause I really can't wait to be a literature student like you❤

"are you familiar with…the abominable sciences?"🧐 In all seriousness this is troubling. I was a classical studies major in the late 90s, and it was a small group (took a 20+ year temporary break after my sophomore year).

❤😂 I Love You! You're so Awesome 😎

one of the things that i never see acknowledged in discussions about dark academia is the reality of daily life in an old school. i dont go to an elite school. I go to a state school in the usa but it is from the 1700s. most of my classes are in buildings from the 1840s. There is so much lead, aespestos, and black mold. We joke about it but people do get mold poisoning. These places have an elitism in you need to be able bodied to physically get into the pretty old buildings. theres no wheel chair ramps, elevators, or assessible bathrooms in the old building. If you are in a basement lab in one of the buildings you need to factor mice into your research. I wouldnt change my decision to go here for any of these reasons but i also commute and dont have to live with these issues.

Personally, I think you are wonderfully intelligent. This is shown by your ability to deep dive into so many subjects and produce structured and well researched videos. I find this channel to be educational and fascinating. Thank you for sharing your time with us.

Well said👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

At my first university I was one of 8 classics students, and they shut down the program before I could finish my undergrad so I had to transfer to a different school, only for the panini to shut down everything less than a year into my program 😅 but I loved what I DID learn! One day I’ll go back and actually get my degree, fingers crossed lol

Yes, good video. I went right in for the dark academia aesthetic.

I really loved this video, but it’s honestly a depressing subject. I teach English as a language at a college, but my dream would be to teach literature. I know that it will probably never happen, and it’s sad to think of everyone like me who would do a job like that even for basic pay, but the jobs just don’t exist. I love teaching, and it sucks that I have to not pursue anything more than I am today because I’m afraid of losing what income I do get.

I love it. Be careful telling the truth though. Some people get upset. Personally, I find it hilarious and refreshing. I love this channel in all its random subjects.

love you always

I'm a natural sciences major who took her share of literature classes due to adding a writing minor. I chose sciences because in my town everyone always said that there was no future in creativity, and all the adults I knew worked in biochemical research or production or were my teachers. I literally couldn't envision anything except for biochemistry or my hated subject of computer science paying the bills, so that's what I took. I think you hit the point well saying that fear might be driving this shallow interest. I crave stability, so I can't make academics my hobby. I can read on my own, but I can't honestly say that I will read difficult or painful things after finishing my shift. I look at myself and weep because I know I can do more and think more, but that is crushed out of me by the pursuit of stability. I'm even more horrified when I think about how many other people are like me, and how many more are even worse. The world needs thinkers, and I want to be one, yet the basic need for security comes first and I see no world in which I achieve stability and can pursue higher thought. I have no hope for that future, and it kills me.

I wonder if part of this is a way for everyone to "participate" to whatever degree they want in the humanities without having to commit to study either in a formal or informal sense. I guess that's what you were saying. I'm just slow on the uptake. Personally, I don't participate in the aesthetic bit, but I do like reading history.

Then a lot of these Oxbridge academic influencers will be supported by there parents while they do unpaid internships which will eventually lead to high paid and powerful jobs in the culture industry. And almost none of them will have a tenth of the passion for or the knowledge of their subject that our Cinzia here has.

"Excellent" 🌹💖🌹

Not that you should need to hear it from some random stranger from Canada, but I think you are brilliant. Also incredibly articulate and capable of presenting fairly dense/thorough information in an engaging and enthralling manner. Also, I like the backdrop your flat makes. I think you've decorated it very nicely. (I realize the decor of your flat is one of the least important things you mentioned in this video, but since you said it was a point of insecurity, I just wanted to let you know I think it's nice and not something you need to feel insecure about at all.) Also also, all the people who made unsolicited comments about how you're choosing to live your life need to get a life of their own instead of butting into yours.

I would like to stress the the most heavil aestheticised students I know from my campus are in physics, mathematics or programming. The former really look like they watched The Imitation Game or The Theory of Everything and loved it; and the latter look like bespoke tailors. Oh, I forgot the law students. They look like advertisements for currently fashionable formal wear. I'm not complaining. I look like a witch or a LOTR ranger most of the time.

I remember embracing this aesthetic wholeheartedly, when it became pretty much omnipresent. Finally, my interests were represented in popular culture. I learned a lot about privilege since then, triggered through essays on the aesthetic on youtube and personal experience. I'm in my last term of my teacher's education and applying for a psychology masters and more than ever I'm incredibly thankful for the privilege I have and absolutely determined to help change the education system away from the capitalist playground it is becoming (that's a Swiss perspective, for context).

I'm sorry, but you are brilliant, Cinzia.

God bless you. Hope you succeed. You certainly desrve to.