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After GCSE's? (ft. the future)

Ok, where do I start?

I'm currently in the process of completing my last few GCSE exams. I feel like I've done pretty well in all of my exams, and I revised a fair bit with the mindset that I don't want to be disappointed in August / have wasted 2 years for grades I feel could have been better.

It's crazy how fast they've come and gone, and it doesn't feel like I've actually entered the GCSE period - I'm not sure how else to phrase this, really.

I'm just not sure what happens after GCSE's. I feel like for the last 16 years I've been guided into everything I want to do in life, academically wise. I guess you could say I'm a bright student; I generally get A's and A*s in my subjects and that is what I have been predicted to get on results day. Everything has been straightforward enough, not many hard decisions to make.

But now, I'm starting to realize that I need to think about my future, and I seriously have no proper idea of where I see myself in the next 2/5/10 years. I'm extremely happy and appreciative that I have a 'knack' for most things academic, and this results in most people thinking I love school and all my subjects etc.

I don't. I like going to school and seeing friends, and I'm ready to work as hard as the next guy but I really don't see myself as being smart or 'of great intellect' - it's just not me. I'm a pretty simple person and I don't see myself ever going into 'that' world of studying etc.

I have already decided to do A levels - specifically Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Economics as these were the 'least unappealing' subjects I could choose. I'm not really worrying (too much) about A levels, as I do work really hard. I just don't see myself enjoying it much because I have this creeping worrying in the back of my head that after two years, I have to make a pretty big decision as to what I want to do in life - real life.

The 'logical' thing (and the thing that most people/my friends/ family) to do after A levels, which is going to university. My family and teachers think that I am capable of going to Oxbridge / LSE/ Imperial etc. but I don't really want to go there! The people that go there are all intellectuals and very well rounded - I feel like I would just not be able to get along well with these sorts of people. I come from a rough-ish area of the UK and I'm very comfortable with what I have now, I don't want it to change.

Then after university?! I see myself owning a business of some sort (mostly because I hate taking orders and I don't like the idea of working 9-5 for 40 years; I wanna be flexible you know) but I just have no idea of how I get there.

TL;DR - I'm scared and worried about what is gonna happen to me in the next few years, I'm not a 'super learner ultimately hyped about learning yay' sort of person and I don't know what to do about it.
Original post by !GG!
Ok, where do I start?

I'm currently in the process of completing my last few GCSE exams. I feel like I've done pretty well in all of my exams, and I revised a fair bit with the mindset that I don't want to be disappointed in August / have wasted 2 years for grades I feel could have been better.

It's crazy how fast they've come and gone, and it doesn't feel like I've actually entered the GCSE period - I'm not sure how else to phrase this, really.

I'm just not sure what happens after GCSE's. I feel like for the last 16 years I've been guided into everything I want to do in life, academically wise. I guess you could say I'm a bright student; I generally get A's and A*s in my subjects and that is what I have been predicted to get on results day. Everything has been straightforward enough, not many hard decisions to make.

But now, I'm starting to realize that I need to think about my future, and I seriously have no proper idea of where I see myself in the next 2/5/10 years. I'm extremely happy and appreciative that I have a 'knack' for most things academic, and this results in most people thinking I love school and all my subjects etc.

I don't. I like going to school and seeing friends, and I'm ready to work as hard as the next guy but I really don't see myself as being smart or 'of great intellect' - it's just not me. I'm a pretty simple person and I don't see myself ever going into 'that' world of studying etc.

I have already decided to do A levels - specifically Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Economics as these were the 'least unappealing' subjects I could choose. I'm not really worrying (too much) about A levels, as I do work really hard. I just don't see myself enjoying it much because I have this creeping worrying in the back of my head that after two years, I have to make a pretty big decision as to what I want to do in life - real life.

The 'logical' thing (and the thing that most people/my friends/ family) to do after A levels, which is going to university. My family and teachers think that I am capable of going to Oxbridge / LSE/ Imperial etc. but I don't really want to go there! The people that go there are all intellectuals and very well rounded - I feel like I would just not be able to get along well with these sorts of people. I come from a rough-ish area of the UK and I'm very comfortable with what I have now, I don't want it to change.

Then after university?! I see myself owning a business of some sort (mostly because I hate taking orders and I don't like the idea of working 9-5 for 40 years; I wanna be flexible you know) but I just have no idea of how I get there.

TL;DR - I'm scared and worried about what is gonna happen to me in the next few years, I'm not a 'super learner ultimately hyped about learning yay' sort of person and I don't know what to do about it.


I'm exactly like you, I'm not an A*/A Student, (French killed that) but I wouldn't want to be surrounded by intellectual people as it would make me feel uncomfortable, but all I can say to you is that you shall be fine. There are many students who go to University not knowing what they want to do, so you have plenty of time to think about you're career options.
Don't let this dwell upon your mind, surpress it as much as you can and don't let it affect you're studies.
Hope this Help
:smile:

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