Nothing at school really resonated with me. I did reasonably okay but that was as much to do with luck as it was prep for exams (as that’s what it’s all about really – being able to remember and regurgitate information in a pressured 2 or 3 hours)…
The thing that I reflect back on is that I was never given all the options – I was going to do A levels and then go to University. There was never a discussion about what I enjoyed, or where my strengths were – that is just what everyone expected me to do.
And so I started my first years of sixth form – and then dropped out! I then went back and started the year again, and dropped out again! Two years wasted because I didn’t know what I wanted to do and was being forced to choose something that I had no real interest in. Why wasn’t I told about the vocational paths I could have looked at? Business, garden design, farming, hairdressing, plumbing, etc, etc?? Or even, to travel!
I lurched from one role to another – again, doing reasonably well, but never really excited by my work.
At 53, I am beginning to understand and accept what my strengths and weaknesses are, learning more and more about myself and what I might have enjoyed doing. It’s too late for me, but I have at least been able to support my son (also being encouraged to go to Uni by his school) to find out what makes him tick and what he would enjoy doing before making any decisions.
He is going to travel and work that out – what a pity he wasn’t encouraged to discover himself a bit more in school.
