Internalizing Unequal Access to Higher Education in High SchoolStudents’ Perspectives on Studying for the BaccalaureateExamination in a City in Northwest Romania

The present paper investigates the differences in how meaning is ascribed to studying for the Baccalaureate examination by 12th grade students attending a technological and theoretical track high school in Northwest Romania. Building on ten semi-structured interviews with high school students preparing for the Baccalaureate examination, the present paper argues that the unequal access to high quality academic education in high schools is internalized by students through the ways in which they relate to this exam. Technological and theoretical track students both aspire to attend higher education at some point after graduating. However, whereas theoretical track students view the Baccalaureate as a necessary step that will likely validate their learning efforts already confirmed through their previous educational pathways, technical track students view the Baccalaureate as a serious potential obstacle and major event that will determine their future educational and professional pathway and that makes their aspirational horizon appear uncertain. Students internalize the different preparation received and chances for passing the examination through the ways in which they relate to learning in preparation of the exam. Whereas theoretical track students discuss preparing for the exam as a positive emotional experience, negative emotions prevail in how students from the technological track discuss the same process. Moreover, whereas the aspirational horizons of theoretical track students seem clearly delineated and are discussed as being within their reach, the opposite is true for technological track students that view their academic future as desirable, yet uncertain, and who face pressure to seek paid employment soon after graduation. Our paper seeks to contribute to the debate surrounding the subjective dimension of the reproduction of socioeducational inequalities in the Romanian educational system.