My story has a little bit of the unexpected in it...
I always wanted to teach. At first the plan was to be a primary school teacher, then I had changed my mind to secondary school. In 6th form I took A Levels in English Lit, Maths and History. The question then became whether I wanted to teach Maths or History. I knew that Maths would provide much more job opportunities - but my heart was to History. So, knowing that to be a teacher I needed at least 50% of a degree in History, I also looked at what else I could study. I settled on Education studies, since I had researched the course and found myself incredibly interested.
So my intention was to apply for Education and History at the following unis: Birmingham, Cambridge, Durham, Keele, Newcastle. Small problem: got to the Cambridge open day and they told me they've stopped doing the joint honours course. Oh. Stuck with what to do now, I could either research and apply to another university (the 4 year course at Strathclyde didn't massively appeal to me) to add to my UCAS application. Or I could apply to Cambridge anyway, either for History or for Education Studies - and that is what I decided to do.
I submitted my UCAS application and within 24 hours received an offer from Newcastle's combined honours course. (I would really appraise Newcastle for being a very organised and well-coordinated uni.) To my surprise I managed to land myself an interview, and then an offer! I then had a dilemma - do I turn down Cambridge because they don't offer my preferred course? Or do I attend Cambridge because it's Cambridge (and I really liked it there)?
In the end I turned down Cambridge, and I still remember the shocked look of my teachers too. On Results Day I missed the grades I needed for Durham. Durham took an extra week considering me as a near miss before actually rejecting me and off to Keele (my insurance choice) I went in September 2017. 3 years and 1 lockdown later I finish with a 2:1 and progress to a PGCE in History at another university which I won't name. I start the PGCE in September 2021 ahead of another lockdown. Most of the university input is online, to protect my school placement which was still in person for the first term.
Then one day in February, I threw up. Feeling very very ill, I texted my parents and my girlfriend to tell them I was unwell. Thank God I did. The next day nobody is able to get in touch with me, they don't hear from me all day (this is highly unusual for me). The next thing I know I'm in hospital, waking up to staff telling me that the ICU is ready for me. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes aged 21, in the middle of my teacher training year. I spent 4 nights in hospital and went home for 2 weeks to recover further.
To add: the university refused to follow up on initial concerns on the phone from my parents and from my girlfriend, it took them 7 hours to actually act on the information being given to them. Had they left me longer it could easily have been fatal. After official complaints the university still maintained that they had done nothing wrong. I don't name this university publicly for my own privacy, but if you have health conditions and want to know which uni this is, please PM me. This is an institution who on paper is happy to leave students in a room to die.
I finished the PGCE and knew I wasn't physically ready to hit a full time teaching job. I moved to a new city, joined a supply agency and have spent a year working as a cover supervisor. Now I'm at the end of that year and am happy to do another one. The career pathway I'd had in my mind for so long had to be stalled for my health. Despite all the planning I'd done since choosing my GCSEs I could never have expected that to happen.
The point is... the best laid plans o' mice and men gang aft agley.
However much you set yourself up for success and achievement, there can always be something that comes in sideways unexpectedly. Don't fight it, embrace it, listen to what the world is telling you.
#FindYourFuture