Quote: "where there's a will, there's a way"
You don't sound pushy, you sound inexperienced.
With the greatest will in the world, there are many situations in which the 'opportunities' you describe are not an option. I speak as someone who raised a family at the same time as doing my three degrees and at the same time as doing paid work in science journalism. At 22.
I personally respect your decision to seize the opportunity to work for free. But this still makes life harder for those who cannot do so. I hope the recent judgement will help create more competition on the basis of ability, instead of two tier selection on the basis of who can work unpaid.
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