When I compare myself to the person I was 12 months ago, we're polar opposites and all I can say about to this is: thank fuck.
12 months ago I just finished 2 years at a sixth form that was definitely not for me but I didn't want to admit it at the time, I thought I could just make it work but I certainly could not.
I attended a sixth form where all I was to the establishment was a statistic that contributed towards their percentage pass rate that they paraded around on open days for prospective students in an attempt to draw in the brightest of the bright.
I hate to sound big headed but I smashed my GCSE's and pretty well in my A Levels too, but the annoying thing is, is that I predicted my A Level out come from the start, which was sub par to the expectations I had of myself, but still I did nothing of worth to change this when I had the chance.
I was expected to take 5 A Levels, from the off set I knew that I could not handle the workload. I protested for a short while to only take on 3 A Levels but to no avail. Long story short: I was pressured into choosing quantity rather than quality.
Fast forward 2 years of stress that my heart just wasn't in and I left with good grades but not in the subjects I needed to progress to university, this is because I was pressured into taking easier subjects so I could take on more. (Rather than fewer harder subjects that I actually had a passion for).
As one may imagine, applying to universities became rather problematic as I did not have the relevant qualifications for the area I wanted to study. I have to admit this is definitely partly my fault but it also highlights how my sixth form was churning out students who achieved high grades but not in the subjects they wanted as they felt pressured, like me, to pick the easy subjects to lessen the workload.
Now, after completing a foundation year to get me back on track, I can happily say that I am studying towards a degree that I have put my heart and soul into, in a city I love with people who have become my second family.
If there's one key message in my experiences, it is that in terms of your education, no-one can force you to do anything. (In hindsight I wish I just moved sixth form that allowed me to get what I wanted out of my education rather than struggle for 2 years). Education should not feel restrictive like it felt to me, anyone can achieve anything with the right resources and people around you.
The bottom line is, you do you.
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