An interesting question: Ask MetaFilter: How do I resolve social mobility?:

Any anecdotes about fitting in with a new class that’s not the one you grew up with? This isn’t so much “selling out” versus “keeping it real,” but just the ways that people adapt to the change.

I’ve found the people I meet and spend time with are more and more from a higher social class than the one I’ve grown up in (we’re college-age, here). Further, the more ambitious I get, the more I notice the effect. So how does one resolve the issue of living in “two worlds?” It’s started to feel like I need to make a choice between alienating all my old friends/family, or giving up on whatever big, important things I want to do with my life. Obviously, that just ain’t gonna work, so I’m looking for advice from people who have felt the same way at some point.

One other thing to note: at least into the forseeable future (next 5 years), I’ll be in the same socioeconomic class, in that I’ll still a college/professional student, without some new level of income. It’s not that I’m nouveu riche all of a sudden, I’m just socially conflicted.