Anyone else feel like their A levels were worthless?
I put in so much work to pass 5 A levels along with various extra qualifications/CV fodder. (AABCD, a B in an EPQ and 2 passed language courses if you're wondering).
A year on and the majority of people on my degree course breezed through 3 A levels, got 3 C's and are in the exact same position as me.
They haven't even helped me career wise. I have multiple supervisors at work who have less working experience and haven't even finished their A levels yet.
I can't help but feel that the only way to get ahead in life is to be the extrovert who goes to the grotty pub after work/uni every day with their professors/colleagues, and that education as a whole is useless unless you go all the way to PHD.
I feel lied to, and I surely can't be the only one.
A year on and the majority of people on my degree course breezed through 3 A levels, got 3 C's and are in the exact same position as me.
They haven't even helped me career wise. I have multiple supervisors at work who have less working experience and haven't even finished their A levels yet.
I can't help but feel that the only way to get ahead in life is to be the extrovert who goes to the grotty pub after work/uni every day with their professors/colleagues, and that education as a whole is useless unless you go all the way to PHD.
I feel lied to, and I surely can't be the only one.
Original post by Blear
I put in so much work to pass 5 A levels along with various extra qualifications/CV fodder. (AABCD, a B in an EPQ and 2 passed language courses if you're wondering).
A year on and the majority of people on my degree course breezed through 3 A levels, got 3 C's and are in the exact same position as me.
They haven't even helped me career wise. I have multiple supervisors at work who have less working experience and haven't even finished their A levels yet.
I can't help but feel that the only way to get ahead in life is to be the extrovert who goes to the grotty pub after work/uni every day with their professors/colleagues, and that education as a whole is useless unless you go all the way to PHD.
I feel lied to, and I surely can't be the only one.
A year on and the majority of people on my degree course breezed through 3 A levels, got 3 C's and are in the exact same position as me.
They haven't even helped me career wise. I have multiple supervisors at work who have less working experience and haven't even finished their A levels yet.
I can't help but feel that the only way to get ahead in life is to be the extrovert who goes to the grotty pub after work/uni every day with their professors/colleagues, and that education as a whole is useless unless you go all the way to PHD.
I feel lied to, and I surely can't be the only one.
Welcome to real life
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"It's not what you know, it's who you know" - pretty much this. Who you know is more important than the latter, although you can't get by knowing nothing.
Original post by Blear
I have multiple supervisors at work who have less working experience and haven't even finished their A levels yet.
Just wait, later on you'll have people who are your managers who are younger than you.
Such is life.
Of course they'll be worthless if you're just going to be doing some menial office job or otherwise low skill work
I think compulsory A levels were a bad idea and a waste of taxpayer money.
I think compulsory A levels were a bad idea and a waste of taxpayer money.
Education is one thing, work experience is another. You could be a genius but completely fail in a workplace or be completely stupid but be a massive success in a workplace- the latter gets you further, that's life
Original post by Princepieman
That's more or less the response I expected.
How do you not become depressed upon realizing you're condemned to be a minimum wage slave for the rest of your working life, when all you've been told up until this point is that you're 'gifted' and need to 'push yourself'?
As an introvert trying to socialize more but becoming extremely worn out from any kind of social interaction, I can't see myself doing well in life at all, regardless of education. Even 2 hours of talking to my grandma makes me genuinely droopy eyed and lethargic. I've even cried in private over my failed attempts to become extroverted before.
The illusion is wearing off that I can go anywhere in life without winning the lottery, starting my own business or becoming a lecturer.
I wish I was an idiot so I could at least be happy with this.
Original post by B_9710
Can A-levels even do anything for you unless it's to get you to university?
Not at all, which is why I feel lied to.
I was in an 'honours' program at my sixth form that encouraged taking on higher workloads than necessary for so called 'gifted' students. There was a big focus on making yourself more appealing to future employers and more prestigious universities.
Had I been encouraged instead to take 3 subjects like normal, I'm almost certain I'd have had higher final grades, far less stress and not have drifted so far from so many of my friends back home (granted I have new friends at university, but when visiting home I do regret how few of the people I grew up with are still wanting to be in touch).
Original post by Blear
That's more or less the response I expected.
How do you not become depressed upon realizing you're condemned to be a minimum wage slave for the rest of your working life, when all you've been told up until this point is that you're 'gifted' and need to 'push yourself'?
As an introvert trying to socialize more but becoming extremely worn out from any kind of social interaction, I can't see myself doing well in life at all, regardless of education. Even 2 hours of talking to my grandma makes me genuinely droopy eyed and lethargic. I've even cried in private over my failed attempts to become extroverted before.
The illusion is wearing off that I can go anywhere in life without winning the lottery, starting my own business or becoming a lecturer.
I wish I was an idiot so I could at least be happy with this.
How do you not become depressed upon realizing you're condemned to be a minimum wage slave for the rest of your working life, when all you've been told up until this point is that you're 'gifted' and need to 'push yourself'?
As an introvert trying to socialize more but becoming extremely worn out from any kind of social interaction, I can't see myself doing well in life at all, regardless of education. Even 2 hours of talking to my grandma makes me genuinely droopy eyed and lethargic. I've even cried in private over my failed attempts to become extroverted before.
The illusion is wearing off that I can go anywhere in life without winning the lottery, starting my own business or becoming a lecturer.
I wish I was an idiot so I could at least be happy with this.
Eh, my motto is to roll with it. If you analyze too much into how the world works you'll never be happy in your career or in yourself.
Just because you're an introvert (I'm one as well), doesn't mean you can't reach out to people and make connections. At the end of the day, most of this relationship stuff is about listening to others worries (intros are great at this) and trying to soothe their worries or share in mutual worrying. Don't try to be something you're not but do try to come out of your shell and push your comfort zone as wide as possible.
Nah, you just need hard work, confidence and a modicum of luck to get through - emphasis on the confidence.
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That's the real world. Out of all of my friends, the most extroverted, smooth-talking ones are the ones who have had the most job opportunities, apprenticeship offers and earn more than myself even though I am more qualified by them by a mile. At the end of the day, grades help, but if you're uncomfortable being fake and having small talk like I am, you'll always be at a disadvantage, which is why I make up for that by being academic because I'm a quiet perosn.
That's just the way it is, but of course it's annoying to see people who never worked as hard as you in the same position as you at university for example. I have a girl on my course who missed her grades and still got in to an extremely competitive course, while I worked my butt off to exceed my grades and it hasn't made a lick of difference between us - it can be infuriating at times to know just how many things I've sacrificed for my grades but nothing can be done honestly. She's more talkative than myself. If I'd had to beg my way into the course like her, I would have probably struggled since I refuse to take handouts, have people pity me or have to kiss up to people to get where I am.
I can at least say I've earned everything in my life that I have, while I know others who were just lucky enough to get lucky.
I always say this to people on the matter: the smartest, most academic individual I ever met got A*'s in literally everything but she was completely inept when it came to holding just a basic conversation. She had an amazing memory, for academics, but no social skills. It was to her own benefit that she was so well suited to a school environment because she was never any good at anything else, she was awful. No common sense, no charm, no ability to stand out in a crowd - and these things matter to an interviewer, potential work partner etc.
That's just the way it is, but of course it's annoying to see people who never worked as hard as you in the same position as you at university for example. I have a girl on my course who missed her grades and still got in to an extremely competitive course, while I worked my butt off to exceed my grades and it hasn't made a lick of difference between us - it can be infuriating at times to know just how many things I've sacrificed for my grades but nothing can be done honestly. She's more talkative than myself. If I'd had to beg my way into the course like her, I would have probably struggled since I refuse to take handouts, have people pity me or have to kiss up to people to get where I am.
I can at least say I've earned everything in my life that I have, while I know others who were just lucky enough to get lucky.
I always say this to people on the matter: the smartest, most academic individual I ever met got A*'s in literally everything but she was completely inept when it came to holding just a basic conversation. She had an amazing memory, for academics, but no social skills. It was to her own benefit that she was so well suited to a school environment because she was never any good at anything else, she was awful. No common sense, no charm, no ability to stand out in a crowd - and these things matter to an interviewer, potential work partner etc.
(edited 7 years ago)
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