Education Young and Old || Monday Insights #6

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Good Monday to you! This is our last week of Monday Insights until the new year and so I will need to think up a new Monday feature! I'm finding myself speeding up in YouTube world, rushing about in home and family world but slowing a little in blog world (somethings gotta give!) so it will hopefully be something short and sweet to start the week off. Does that sound good to you?

If this is the first Monday Insights you have ever read and you don't understand what on earth is going on, click HERE for the original post explaining the whole shibang. 

This week our topic is-

Education Young and Old

When you were in secondary school what did you think you wanted to study when you got older?

I had no idea. I spent secondary school focused on my GCSE's and the social politics that goes with most schools (unfortunately). 

When you were doing your A Levels and GCSEs did you have any idea what you wanted to do when you were older? 

By A-Levels I had a bit more of an idea because I was doing Psychology as one of my choices and really enjoyed it so decided to carry it on at uni. At about 16 I decided I wanted to be a Councillor or Psychotherapist. 

How did you manage to cope with friendship breakdowns (if there were any), hormones and boys whilst trying to focus on work in exam years when at school/sixth form?

With great difficulty. I went to an all girls school so boys weren't really and issue but bitchy girls certainly were. There were about 5 girls in my class who I socialised with but were awful to me (and everyone else). They made me miserable on a daily basis and really pushed my self esteem down. Looking back I should have just walked away and been confident enough to spend lunchtimes alone but I foolishly chose crappy company over solitude. Their behaviour effected me so much during my GCSE's that I moved to a new school to do my A-Levels. 

How did you make new friends at Uni? Do you have to join lots of clubs and societies?

Making friends at Uni came really naturally because everyone was in the same boat. Everyone was new and everyone was looking to make friends. I joined clubs and societies but most of my friends came from living in Halls of Residence. 

What was Uni like for you when you just started? Was it hard to make friends and did you feel at all homesick?

Amazing. I felt an exhilarating sense of freedom and relished my new found responsibilities. I made friends with the people I lived with an although the first week was a bit tricky in terms of homesickness, I soon overcame it and settled in. My advice to have a great start would be not to say no to things because you don't feel up to them, but to push yourself out of your comfort zone a bit and go and do things. If you really hate them you can always say you feel poorly and go home.

Whilst you were at college/ uni did you ever get confused as to what you wanted to do and did you ever worry about the "big girl world" once you left? 

Yes, definitely, I think everyone did/does. It never worried me for too long though because I just thought, 'I'll cross that bridge when I get to it' and carried on enjoying what I was doing in that week. 

I had a bad time through secondary school and am now considering doing an adult learning course for GCSE's and A-Levels but most people say this is almost cheating, what are your thought on Adult learning courses to achieve A-Levels without going to college?

My thoughts are that they are fantastic. If you can stay in school and do your GCSE's or A-Levels then I would encourage you to take that route, but if you have already left the go for it. A friend of mine had a lot of home issues as a teenager and so missed a lot of her education. She has since gone on to have a daughter about Darcy's age, do her qualifications through adult learning and is now at university studying to be a midwife. 

I have also completed a few adult learning courses for recreation (they do all sorts, not just academic topics) and think they are a great option for people who want to do something extra. 

Did you enjoy university, and what were some of the best and also most challenging things about university?

I loved it. The best thing about it was the freedom to plan my own day without oppressive parents but the most challenging was budgeting and planning my money. I cut it pretty fine sometimes!

I'm in 9th grade now (I'm 15) and in 3 months I have to apply for 3 schools that I would like to go study at for 3 more years but in all honesty I'm so tired of everything that has anything to do with school that I don't know what to do. Any advice?

Firstly, you're not alone. Nobody skips through a decade or so of education and sings its praises the whole way through. There are times when it's a total slog. I'd say apply for schools and then if by the time it comes to actually going to them you really can't face it and you have made a well informed decision, don't do it. But, by then you might feel a bit better, might have spoken to more people and might decide it is the right option for you. Don't burn any bridges just yet. 

How did you decide what to study at university? What would you suggest for people like me who don't know what they want to do after school and are very anxious about finishing school because of this?

I didn't fully know what I wanted to do but I was leaning in the direction of Psychotherapist/listening to people. I really enjoyed Psychology and Biology in school so I picked those thinking they kind of fitted with my future plans. If I'm honest, I didn't give it as much thought as I should have but at 16 it's a huge task. Go with what makes you happy because you're the one that will be up at 2am finishing assignments. 

Would you recommend taking a gap year?

I'm didn't do one myself so it's hard to say. What I do know though is that if Darcy or my Sister wanted to take one in the future I would be really excited and supportive. I think if used properly they can really enrich your life and develop you as an individual. 

Do you have any tips for saving money when all you want to do is spend (how to budget during your school and uni life)??

Before I started uni my Dad and I sat down and made a spreadsheet of things I was likely to need money for. The obvious ones are food, socialising, travel, books etc but don't forget to include things like haircuts and birthday presents too. Try to stick to your budget by taking cash out each week and putting it in an envelope and only using what you have. So for example, if your £30 socialising envelope is empty by Thursday, don't be tempted to dip into your £40 food shopping envelope to cover it. You will live to regret little decisions like that! 

Now that you're out of school, do you ever find yourself missing learning and do you still find yourself learning new things each day?

When I first left I really missed learning and felt like my brain was dying a little bit. To combat this I did a couple of adult learning courses which I really enjoyed. Since then I have discovered blogging and the online world which keeps me thinking and makes me really happy. 

When does Darcy start school/nursery?

Darcy is due to start school in September 2015 and we are already looking at places we want to send her :)

Did you have a part time job when you were at Uni / would you recommend getting one to cover the living expenses? Did you have a timetable for Uni or where your lectures at different times every week?

You do get a set timetable each semester (term) and yes I did have a few little part time jobs. Have a job is great because it helps you earn a bit of money and keeps you afloat. At the time I resented missing out on a few social things but the financial benefit outweighed that and so yes, I would recommend looking for one. 

What was your most embarrassing high school memory?

Being in the changing rooms with my whole class after swimming and before I had put ANY clothes on, falling flat on my back infront of everyone. Serious cringe. 

How do you feel about the goverments new plans for education, and how this will effect Darcy?

This is absolutely a question for my Husband who is really into this sort of thing as he is a Teacher. I on the otherhand don't know enough about it to have a proper opinion but trust that the government usually want what's best for the nation. (And realise I might be the only person that thinks this haha). 

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And there ends the last Monday Insights of 2013. 

I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have. I really enjoy having a specific thing on a Monday and so will think of another soon. I think the next one will be a little less labour intensive though as I said, things are crazy town round here at the moment!

In the comments today, please do let me know what kind of blog posts you like to see the most because I can feel my inspiration dwindling and I want this to still be a fun place!

Toodlepip!

xx

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