Do you think having ambitions to go to uni from a young age pays off?

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I just had a lot of confidence issues when I was younger. I came from a rough background, and people didn't really expect a lot from me. I was good at Maths and Physics, but other than that I never really excelled at anything at school. I didn't really apply myself either, so I guess that didn't help.

When I was 16 I started believing in myself, and became more confident. I had also been living with my foster parents who were very supportive of me, so that definitely helped. My foster dad kept pushing me, and he believed that I was capable. And so when I got to sixth form, I spent a lot of time studying, and getting good grades. I enjoyed my A-Levels because I chose to study subjects that I was interested in, as opposed to general education. The teachers at my sixth form were really enthusiastic and that really spurred me on too.

In the end, I went to Uni and had a great time. I graduated last year, and I'm doing a part-time masters now. So, anything is possible. You just have to believe in yourself, and stop caring about what other people think.

I was confident when I was younger, but since Year 10 I stopped caring about impressing people and generally slacked off hoping time will pass by where people will stop judging me. I got average GCSE's, big mistake considering I got accepted into these top grammar sixth forms and didn't put enough work. Same thing happened in Year 12 where I picked the subjects that i did well at GCSE and not for anything for enthusiasm.

Since retaking the year, I found I wanted to do CompSci at uni because I love working stuff out and being a negotiator and problem solver for coding and IT. I got so many work experience in place (did one at Uni of Kent the other week at the School of Computing) and later with an international business software firm in a few days. I hope to really push myself next year to get into my dream uni.

Thanks so much for this, its really inspired me to work hard during the summer.

Reply 21

username402722

If it means that you work at school so achieving the grades you need, then probably it does.

Reply 22

Golden State

Original post by Dnkz7

No worries!

I'm glad to hear that you're interested in Coding. I'm learning iOS through Treehouse, and it's a lot of fun. It's definitely an exciting field. Great to hear that things are working out, and that you are making the most of your opportunities.

Good luck with Uni! - I am sure that you will do well :smile:

Reply 23

DauntlessOne

Original post by TimmonaPortella

I think I just sort of assumed that I would from when I started my A levels, and before that I honestly don't remember thinking about it. :dontknow:

Who on earth is making life 'decisions' at age 10?

People with controlling parents.

Reply 24

lyra1987

Original post by barnetlad

If it means that you work at school so achieving the grades you need, then probably it does.

There are plenty of people who come into education later. I went to uni with people in their 40s who had been discouraged at school, had family issues growing up, left school to earn money for their family at a young age. Your priorities, self belief and opportunities change throughout your life. So there are people who wanted to go to uni from a very young age but may not get the chance, or not get the chance until later in life. Others will not be inspired until later in life but due to natural ability or night classes will get to where they want to go.

Reply 25

Platopus

Original post by Alisaurus Cats

What age were you when you decided to go to uni?? The BBC have published an article that looked into what motivated and deterred students when applying for selective unis. A key finding was that the age someone decides to go IS a a major influencer into their success rate, with the success rate doubling at age 10 vs age 16: The full article can be found here What do you think?

I was resolutely against it until the age of 17-18. Even now, I'm not sure despite the fact that I'm supposedly going to uni this October.

Reply 26

UWS

I don't think I "decided" to go to uni to be honest. I just followed the education system from GCSE to A-Levels to applying through UCAS. It sort of just came naturally as I grew older

Reply 27

abc:)

Original post by Alisaurus Cats

What age were you when you decided to go to uni??

The BBC have published an article that looked into what motivated and deterred students when applying for selective unis.

A key finding was that the age someone decides to go IS a a major influencer into their success rate, with the success rate doubling at age 10 vs age 16:

The full article can be found here

What do you think?

I think they're doing the classic mistaking correlation for causality.

The fact is, if you have parents who both went to uni (increasingly more common) and grow up in a fairly middle class family you will probably assume right from the age you are old enough to understand what university is, that you will go there one day. You will probably also follow this through and, having the support you do, will succeed there.

I don't, therefore, think the success is because of the age they decided to go: rather, the age and the success are both linked to their background.

(By contrast, those who make up their minds as teens or adults that they want to go to uni probably had a few options open to them as children - perhaps some family members went to university whilst others went straight into work, or perhaps they are the first family member to want to go to university).

Not that I've conducted the study, but if they haven't considered this factor then I think it's a very poor study.

That's not to say it isn't a good idea to consider university from a young age, alongside all your other options, obviously.

Reply 28

IronicalMan

How is 10 and before 40 percent lmao, all I was concerned with at that age was xbox and blt sandwiches lmao.

Reply 29

jamesthehustler

I'll be honest
I didn't consider university until about 4 years ago at 17 I had a lot of reasons to be against it
I didn't like education at this point was but one point
and that in my extended family of 50 (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) there was 1 university graduate
and that it wasn't affordable
but I then found a course that was my interests and worked towards my long term goals (even if I need £100,000 to do it )

Reply 30

math42

I never thought about it much I suppose as it was just sort of the natural progression of things. I certainly hadn't decided before age 10, that's absurd lol, but I thought I would end up going.

Reply 31

Tsrsarahhhh

Original post by jamesthehustler

What course did you decide on?

Reply 32

jamesthehustler

Original post by Tsrsarahhhh

What course did you decide on?

GIA Graduate Gemmologist
so you can appraise, certify and value all manner of gemstones and is well worth me paying £2,300 a month the 8 months for it directly plus additional costs of living and a little holiday time whilst I'm at it

Spoiler

Reply 33

username738914

It's always been expected of me to go to uni, so there hasn't ever been a day I 'realised' I wanted to go.

When you live in a family where your parents, some grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all have degrees it's pretty much a natural progression.

That said I started to do uni research when I was like 12-13.

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