BoxRec

10 GSCE's 2 a Levels and an AS level. Sacked Uni off to get a Job and do a modern apprentiship, best move I ever made as the guys that went to Uni now work for me Mind you I did do courses for 4 years while working and got a NVQ lvls 2,3,4, in 2 subjects and completed ONC, OND, HNC, during the time they spent at Uni, and all while earning a wage too.

I think Uni is over rated for certian people, my sister took a degree in Social Science (or some shite like that) now she's an estate agent ffs.

Mick the Mechanic wrote:7 o levals,1 grade 1 cse
Never guess what i became....
Mick.

A spelling teacher?

swotty barstard league table

O' Level/GCSE A level BA/Bsc MA PHD


Carlos-Wigan 1* 1
Coco 10 1
Kevo 4
Gomez
Mick 7
Mowgli
Riddick Blowe 10
Banjo
OBI
AdamWillan 14
States 9
Podmore 10 5 1
Eddie S 10
Grilling Machine
Gareth 10 3


Got a 'B' in English in 1995

Edit: My table furcked up - I told you I was a thick twat!

Grilling Machine wrote:I'm another without qualifications (left school at 14). I didn't realise it wasn't rare.

I've been thinking about returning to education with a university degree for a while now, but none of the subjects really appeal. I suppose that's pretty common though; you just take a vague gamble on something which might pay well in the end.

I went back college a couple of years ago, got some NVQ's after leaving school with nothing, but i still found sitting in a classroom incredibly hard for myself, there's something in my head that i can't pick up on information being put to me in a school/college enviroment.
I class myself as being intelligent, and do well in whatever job i've done, but in a classroom it just doesn't compute in my head.

I also had 3 A'levels, an I.B, a degree and a plumbing city and guilds!

Coco wrote:I also had 3 A'levels, an I.B, a degree and a plumbing city and guilds!

I put down your degree as you went to the greatest university on the planet
like my goodself! Whats an IB?

Haha, deffo, I learnt a lot in Swansea, dunno bout the acedemia tho!
An I.B(International Baccalaurette) is similar to a french form of A'Level, more like an A'S

as well as the gcses got 4 alevels A-Maths, A in IT, A in Geography and B in Biology. Then went to uni of shef and got 2.1 in Software engineering. After 3 years of doing the course decided i hated programming and went back to the maths.

Uni was all about the drinking tho still miss the banter of living with 5 other lads getting up in the afternoon and playing darts/poker/playstation all day.

Passed my 11 plus but couldnt go to grammer school because my parents couldnt afford to send me there. There would have been extra expenses such as school uniform, sports gear, text books etc and I would have been at school until I was 16 at least. In those days only grammer school kids sat GCEs as they were known then, so I wasnt eligeable. I left school at 15 which was the normal school leaving age and earned approx £3.50 for 48 hours work, giving my parents £1.50 for my keep. I signed up for night school and got 5, 0 levels. Pretty tough working and doing nightschool as well but if you wanted to get anywhere it was the only way. Lots of us working class kids did it the hard way, we had to. I think my 0 levels were more advanced than A levels are today, the standard has dropped drastically. I think its a joke how almost anyone can go to Uni these days. I remember a headline in our local paper when I was a lad "Local boy gets a place at university". I then went on to college but had to sit a prelim exam to get on the course because I didnt have any A levels, but I could have done an ONC had I wanted to. My education was a long tough journey spanning 20 years from 5 to 25. I got an HND in business studies and a degree in history. I was 21 when I got my first 1,000 a year job, just under £20 a week, which was a good wage, few my age enjoyed. Most of my mates were only earning £14 to £16 gross with overtime. After work I was either at college or at home with a pile of books on the kitchen table. I often studied while feeding my baby daughter at the same time, who was born when I was 20 in 1966 just before my 21st. My mother used to say I burned the candle at both ends and I did but I paid for it when I was 25. I had a massive breakdown, the first of two in my life. After that for years I had little money but loads of fun until I finally settled into a career which was totally unrelated to my qualifications.

About 7 or 8 but I didn't get any higher than a D.

Didn't bother with school as much when I broke down mentally In the GCSE years though after being fed up of bullying and teachers not sorting anything out so I walked out of classes and did a few rampages.

Wish I did well In school though too late to get the GCSE"s now, don't want to waste most of my 20's getting them and spend more years In a Uni.

Only reason I want to go to college Is to meet new people since I have no luck meeting people elsewhere.

8 gcse 3 a levels b law, b econmics, e Maths, 2.2 in accounting and finance

Qualifications are no real judge of a person though. After my GCSE's, I did my A level's, got the grades, went to University in Sheffield, it was the done thing...... and then I sacked it off after 2 years, because I was learning nothing, and was sick of having no money. I've done well enough since then.

I went to University in 1996, the last year of free higher education, and it was clearly a waste of time to let everyone gain a 'higher education' even back then. It wasn't a chance to improve yourself, it was just a glorified piss-up. My brothers best mate went to University after getting 2 E's at A level, had a laugh for 3 years, then joined his Dad's company, which he could have done when he was 18.

One of my best mates left school at 15, because he wanted to be he wanted to be a race car mechanic. He was earning over 30 grand, working for Williams, whilst I was scraping around for the money to buy beans on toast. Not enough people learning a trade these days, as my Grandad would say.

Got 9 GCSE's all A - C, then 3 A'Levels and a 2:1 degree in business studies from Huddersfield Uni.

Did some post grad qualifications from the Chartered Institue of Insurance and yes lads they are as boring as they sound, once fell asleep revising and made a mess of the duvet with the highlighter pen!! But got 6 days study leave per exam ad £250 every time I passed from RBS!!!

Emerso is the best example I know of, of someone who didn't go to uni, started at the bottom, progressed, took some courses and now earns a bomb doing something I still don't uderstand in IT!!

But still can't crack and burn a DVD

Podmore_Birmingham wrote:Ten GCSEs:
English Language A
History A
Science A A
English Literature B B
Maths C
French B
Resistant Materials (fancy name for woodwork/metalwork) C
I.T A

I also have five A-levels, three of which – English Language, History and Government & Politics – are at A. The other, Business Studies, was a lowly C. Oh, and I also have an A-level in General Studies (it was compulsory), getting a B.

I, after almost five years of not a great deal, finally go to university next month.

What Uni are you off to Tom??

Dirk Kelly wrote:What Uni are you off to Tom??

The same one you went to, Huddersfield.

Max Molyneux wrote:About 7 or 8 but I didn't get any higher than a D.

Didn't bother with school as much when I broke down mentally In the GCSE years though after being fed up of bullying and teachers not sorting anything out so I walked out of classes and did a few rampages.

Wish I did well In school though too late to get the GCSE"s now, don't want to waste most of my 20's getting them and spend more years In a Uni.

Only reason I want to go to college Is to meet new people since I have no luck meeting people elsewhere.

Hello Max,

I went back to education at 31 years old and now do a 22 hour week teaching English in South Korea - It is defientely not too late and I reckon you could get onto a degree scheme at LJM like my old man did when he was 70 years old. You come across as a bright lad and you would meet loads of people from all over the world on your course.

I hated school also - school and education aren't the same thing, going to university was the best thing I ever did and has totally changed my life - I would be at job club in St Helens now if it wasn't for my degree.

As it is - my life is furcking great!

Podmore_Birmingham wrote:

Dirk Kelly wrote:What Uni are you off to Tom??

The same one you went to, Huddersfield.

You lucky bugger, heard Hudderfield has changed a lot since myself and the good Captain Hook graced the dancefloors of places like Visage and the Camel Club but its still supposed to have a top night life and if you get bored Leeds and Manchester aren't far way by train.

states wrote:I went to University in 1996, the last year of free higher education, and it was clearly a waste of time to let everyone gain a 'higher education' even back then. It wasn't a chance to improve yourself, it was just a glorified piss-up.

With respect mate, it was if you were a wanker (not you personally, I mean those who simply went for a glorified piss up). So, now that it costs a fortune, it dissuades poor people from going - when it would seriously help them up the career ladder. I was the first in my family to go to uni and couldn't have done it if it wasn't free.

Formal education is not the be all and end all...but 'education' generally nearly is. And this includes, as your grandad wisely says, 'learning a trade'.

As for me: 9 GCSEs (that's all they would let me sit), 4 A levels (crap grades), 1 BA, 1 PGCE, 1 Journo cert, 1 MA. Started a PhD but simply couldn't do it as I had to work full-time to help put my missus through uni as a mature student as she left school with nowt.

I was in my rebellious stage when I was doing my GCSE's (I'm still sort of in it) and done fcuk all work for them. I got 9 or 10 GCSE's 5 at C and above Maths, English, 2 sciences and French.

I done A-levels in Maths and Physics (and studied hard in the second year of them, as I wanted to go to uni) in the 6th form and got a B and a D respectively, the D in physics meant more than the B in Maths, because it's one totally fcuked up subject. One of my life highlights was ramming the B down my Maths teachers throat who hated me (the feeling was mutual) she predicted I'd get a D if I was lucky and told my parents at Parents evening that I was the spawn of the devil (or somat like) I spent an hour searching the school for the bitch

Went to Aberystwth Uni doing a Maths degree, I must have been pissed when I chose to do maths . Realised after about 2 months that I didn't have the dedication to get a maths degree, but I managed to drag the process out for 2 years and 2 months til they finally worked out that I didn't go to any lectures or do any work. I spent those 2 years very heavily on the piss with a fair few narcotics thrown in for good measure, they were 2 excellent years and I wouldn't change them for the world even though I'm still feeling the physical effects of it, my stomach is fcuked, having half a 75cl bottle of vodka races before we went out on the piss couldn't have helped the cause. I grew from a boy to a man in those 2 years (1994-96).

I now adopt a 'work to live' lifestyle in IT as a computer programmer (boring as fcuk, but have got nobody breathing down my neck), I get out of bed at 08:50 to start work at 9 which is about 400 yds from my front door, home for lunch at 1 for an hour and finish at 17:30 on the dot. I could earn about 10k a year more if I was willing to travel to Brum everyday, but fcuk that for a game soldiers cuz it'll put about 2 and a half hours on my working day

Left with 10 ranging from D to B. Also got ungraded on 2 as I was stuck in Hospital.

Chris Packham gave me my certificates, now that's celebrity!

Carlos-Wigan wrote:

Max Molyneux wrote:About 7 or 8 but I didn't get any higher than a D.

Didn't bother with school as much when I broke down mentally In the GCSE years though after being fed up of bullying and teachers not sorting anything out so I walked out of classes and did a few rampages.

Wish I did well In school though too late to get the GCSE"s now, don't want to waste most of my 20's getting them and spend more years In a Uni.

Only reason I want to go to college Is to meet new people since I have no luck meeting people elsewhere.

Hello Max,

I went back to education at 31 years old and now do a 22 hour week teaching English in South Korea - It is defientely not too late and I reckon you could get onto a degree scheme at LJM like my old man did when he was 70 years old. You come across as a bright lad and you would meet loads of people from all over the world on your course.

I hated school also - school and education aren't the same thing, going to university was the best thing I ever did and has totally changed my life - I would be at job club in St Helens now if it wasn't for my degree.

As it is - my life is furcking great!

Thanks, will look up about the scheme.

Well only advice I can say is for people contimplating going to Uni to better their career prospects is to be selective on your course and Uni..... go to a Uni that offers lots of Work Experience opportunities... experience is FAR more important than qualifications.

The days when getting a basic 2:2 or above degree will walk you into practically any job have long gone. I teach 75 third year students all thinking they are going to be Psychologists... wrong, no chance.

I'm now looking into getting jobs in like a project manager type role because there seems to be loads of them... and the only way I am getting interviewed is through "over emphasising" my summer jobs I had as a kid... my double masters qualification means FA. If I get these jobs, I'll be working under people with no A levels.

Here's my list.

Welsh - A
History - B
Technology - C
English Lang - C
English Lit - C
Technology - C
Science C, C.
R/S - C.

Somehow I only sat Nine GCSE's - thats all my school catered for.

A levels;
R/S = C
Psychology = C
BTEC ND in Science (Sports Studies) - Distinction.

Bsc - in Sport Psychology - 2:1

Msc - In Sport Science

Grad Diploma In Psychology.

Mphil In Psychology

PhD in Psychology - Pending.

stujones wrote:Well only advice I can say is for people contimplating going to Uni to better their career prospects is to be selective on your course and Uni..... go to a Uni that offers lots of Work Experience opportunities... experience is FAR more important than qualifications.

The days when getting a basic 2:2 or above degree will walk you into practically any job have long gone. I teach 75 third year students all thinking they are going to be Psychologists... wrong, no chance.

I'm now looking into getting jobs in like a project manager type role because there seems to be loads of them... and the only way I am getting interviewed is through "over emphasising" my summer jobs I had as a kid... my double masters qualification means FA. If I get these jobs, I'll be working under people with no A levels.

Here's my list.

Welsh - A
History - B
Technology - C
English Lang - C
English Lit - C
Technology - C
Science C, C.
R/S - C.

Somehow I only sat Nine GCSE's - thats all my school catered for.

A levels;
R/S = C
Psychology = C
BTEC ND in Science (Sports Studies) - Distinction.

Bsc - in Sport Psychology - 2:1

Msc - In Sport Science

Grad Diploma In Psychology.

Mphil In Psychology

PhD in Psychology - Pending.

You win!

Max Molyneux wrote:

Carlos-Wigan wrote:

Max Molyneux wrote:About 7 or 8 but I didn't get any higher than a D.

Didn't bother with school as much when I broke down mentally In the GCSE years though after being fed up of bullying and teachers not sorting anything out so I walked out of classes and did a few rampages.

Wish I did well In school though too late to get the GCSE"s now, don't want to waste most of my 20's getting them and spend more years In a Uni.

Only reason I want to go to college Is to meet new people since I have no luck meeting people elsewhere.

Hello Max,

I went back to education at 31 years old and now do a 22 hour week teaching English in South Korea - It is defientely not too late and I reckon you could get onto a degree scheme at LJM like my old man did when he was 70 years old. You come across as a bright lad and you would meet loads of people from all over the world on your course.

I hated school also - school and education aren't the same thing, going to university was the best thing I ever did and has totally changed my life - I would be at job club in St Helens now if it wasn't for my degree.

As it is - my life is furcking great!

Thanks, will look up about the scheme.

http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/Mature/index.htm

Check this out Max, as you are over 21 - you will be a 'mature' student and that means you don't need any quals to get on a degree scheme!

Podmore_Birmingham wrote:

Dirk Kelly wrote:What Uni are you off to Tom??

The same one you went to, Huddersfield.

Funny thing is my wife went there when it was a poly, and the standards were high in those days.