When I was 16, I had left high school with a good amount of qualifications with average grades and didn't know what I wanted to do so I followed everyone else and went into sixth form (similar to the last two years of high school for Americans). I soon realised that this wasn't for me. I was stressed so much, some of my teachers were unsupportive and down right rude and I was fed up of education and school. They were also very forceful about me going to university, even though I had made up my mind that I didn't wish to go (and I didn't feel good enough). I wanted to get out and work! I completed my first year of exams with two very low passes and one fail, unsurprisingly. However, one good thing came out of sixth form and that was an interest in Psychology.
Feeling disheartened about my academic ability, I left to start work but about a year or so later, I considered going to an animal college which didn't involve any exams. I signed up and was given a place and I enjoyed my two years in college, working with animals and experiencing new things. I also redid my Maths GCSE because I didn't complete my second exam and got a D overall (which isn't a bad grade overall when I only did one out of the two exams), but now I have a Maths GCSE. Unfortunately, my health declined near the end and I soon realised that I would be unable to work with animals.
If you're struggling with your grades or you don't know what you want to do, my advice would be to take a step back from education, get a job and simply grow as a person and learn about who you are and what you enjoy.
I continued working for a few years before I had this overwhelming feeling like I was wasting my time and I should be spending it working towards my future, otherwise I'll be stuck in a job/sector I don't enjoy working in until I retire. It was by chance that someone re-introduced me (I'd taken a look at it in the past) to the Open University, a distance learning university and I wished I had looked at it before college and sixth form, but then again, my attitude and commitment to education was simply not there when I was 16/17.
I did have the reservations people have regarding a distance learning degree: is it a real degree? Is it accepted by employers? Is it easier than a brick uni? After many days of research and with thanks to this article in particular, I dived in.
At the ripe old age of 22 (after the age of 21, you're considered a 'mature student'), I signed up to start a Psychology degree with a much better attitude to study, something I didn't have when I was a teenager. It was exciting but also really scary for me, as someone who has only ever achieved average grades, I thought I would not be clever enough but with some words of encouragement, I stuck to it. I will be finishing my first module this May and my second will finish in September, then my first year will be completed! I am currently working at distinctions in both of my modules which has given me so much more confidence in my ability, I never thought I'd be able to achieve anything like that!
I want to remind those who feel like they may never achieve the dream career they want due to their grades, that there is always a plan B... It genuinely saddens me to see young people stressing over their grades and assigning themselves to being a failure and giving up their future because of a letter on a piece of paper.
Starting this degree has opened doors for me, it's allowed me to dream bigger than I have ever done before and encouraged me to come out of my comfort zone to better my future. It also made me realise that sometimes age and the environment can hold someone back in education. Studying in my high school with the same teachers and students (bored of the environment), without support and not knowing what I even wanted to do really hindered what I could achieve. Now I am studying in a comfortable environment, with one on one support with tutors and with a more focused outlook on what I would like to do in future.
If you're struggling with your grades or you don't know what you want to do, my advice would be to take a step back from education, get a job and simply grow as a person and learn about who you are and what you enjoy. Education never ends and there is no rush to get it all done with before a certain age! I want to remind those who feel like they may never achieve the dream career they want due to their grades, that there is always a plan B and for me, that was the Open University. It allows me to get an accredited and recognised degree without the need for previous qualifications. It genuinely saddens me to see young people stressing over their grades and assigning themselves to being a failure and giving up their future because of a letter on a piece of paper.
Today, I saw a post by a man who has no GCSEs and no A levels, but he achieved a 2:1 degree and has now been accepted into medical school and is on the journey to become a doctor! Your future and capabilities do not lie on what GCSEs or A levels you have and it's not the end of the world if you don't achieve those. Sometimes choosing to do a degree when you're a little older and when you know that that is exactly what you wish to do, rather than following others into university, you will find yourself much more capable to achieve! If it's meant to be, it will be.
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