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Survey : SECTION 1 – WHERE I STARTED

The context you began with, before choices and opportunities appeared

Before we begin – this matter…

Everyone’s journey starts somewhere, but not everyone starts from the same place.

This section is not about labels, privilege, or disadvantage.

It exists to understand the starting conditions—social, economic, geographic, and personal - that quietly shape access, confidence, pace, and risk-taking.

Nothing here is used to judge you.

It is used to read your journey fairly.

Answer honestly. Complexity is allowed.

1.1 Personal & Living Context - at the start of adulthood.

Question: Which description best reflects your living and family context during your late school or early college years?

Why we are asking this; Living arrangements and family responsibilities often influence time, mobility, and emotional bandwidth. Choose one:

Option A: Lived with family with stable support

Option B: Lived with family but carried responsibilities or constraints

Option C: Lived away from family - hostel, rented accommodation, relatives.

Option D: Frequently moved or lived in unstable arrangements

1.2 Financial Environment While Growing Up

Question; How would you describe the financial environment you grew up in?

Why this matter; Financial stability or instability shapes risk appetite, career choices, and early independence. Choose one:

Option A: Generally stable with basic needs comfortably met

Option B: Stable but with frequent budgeting or constraints

Option C: Uncertain, required careful financial planning

Option D: Highly uncertain, often stressful or limiting

1.3 Early Responsibilities Beyond Self

Question; Did you carry responsibilities beyond your own studies or personal needs at an early age?

Why we ask; Early responsibility often accelerates maturity but limits exploration. Choose one:

Option A: No major responsibilities beyond myself

Option B: Occasional responsibilities (helping family, part-time support)

Option C: Regular responsibilities (financial, caregiving, household)

Option D: Heavy responsibilities that strongly influenced choices

1.4 Geographic & Environmental Exposure

Question; Which environment best describes where you grew up or spent most formative years?

Why this matter; Geography affects exposure, networks, and aspirations more than we admit. Choose one:

Option A: Urban or metro environment

Option B: Semi-urban or small-town environment

Option C: Rural or remote environment

Option D: Moved across different environments

1.5 Language, Culture & Social Environment

Question; How would you describe your early language and cultural environment?

Why we are asking this; Language and culture influence expression, confidence, and social navigation. Choose one:

Option A: Single dominant language and culture

Option B: Bilingual or multilingual environment

Option C: Frequently shifting languages or cultural settings

Option D: Felt culturally or linguistically out of place

1.6 Exposure to Role Models & Guidance

Question; During your early years, what kind of guidance or role models were available to you?

Why this matter; Access to guidance often substitutes for access to opportunity. Choose one:

Option A: Had clear role models or mentors

Option B: Had some guidance but largely self-navigated

Option C: Limited guidance, learned mostly through observation

Option D: Very little guidance or direction available

1.7 Early Constraints That Shaped Choices

Q: Question; Which constraints influenced your early decisions the most? You may select more than one. Why we ask;
Constraints are context, not excuses. Select all that apply:

Option A: Financial limitations

Option B: Family expectations or obligations

Option C: Health-related factors

Option D: Geographic or mobility constraints

Option E: Social or cultural expectations

Option F: No major constraints felt

1.8 Sense of Safety & Stability While Growing Up

Question; How safe and stable did your environment generally feel while growing up?

Why this matter; Stability affects confidence, trust, and openness to risk. Choose one:

Option A: Mostly safe and stable

Option B: Generally stable with occasional disruptions

Option C: Frequently uncertain or stressful

Option D: Highly unstable or unpredictable

1.9 How You Viewed Opportunities Early On

Question; When you were younger, how did you perceive opportunities available to you?

Why we ask; Perception of opportunity influences ambition and effort. Choose one:

Option A: Felt many opportunities were available

Option B: Felt opportunities existed but were limited

Option C: Felt opportunities were difficult to access

Option D: Rarely thought about opportunities at all

1.10 Quiet Reflection – Optional, but grounding

Q: In 2–3 lines, reflect honestly:

One starting condition that helped me early in life was

1.11 Quiet Reflection – Optional, but grounding

Q: In 2–3 lines, reflect honestly:

One starting condition that made things harder was

Closing note for this section;

Thank you for sharing where you started.

This section helps place everything else in context.

You can revisit this section anytime.

Beginnings matter—but they do not define endings.

Note; You can save and return to this section anytime.”

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