Let's separate the thickos from the braniacs

I completed high school barely and left before taking my exams so I have no qualifications at all.

I do regret not taking my exams and furthering my education, I am considering getting into learning again but wouldn't have a clue where to start

I left school with a double GCSE in Science and then did a year at college and got a GCSE in Travel and Tourism. I is fick as shit lol

I have goodish GCSEs and then did A level geography, history and law....but I didn't do my exams as my sister died in the March, and although I intended to revise I didn't, instead I got drunk.

Im not a brainiac but I am above average intelligence wise (I get it off my dad he is brainy).....and have a very low patience level with stupid people...and that has nothing to do with how clever they are, cos some clever people are really stupid!

Knowledge wise: I am RUBBISH at current affairs as I never watch the news, and wouldn't have a clue whats going on on Egypt, i only know something is going on cos Dan was wittering on about it the other day.

Other than that though, I can learn very quickly and people often think Im nerd like

I'm rubbish with general knowledge but like to think that I'm intelligent when it comes to logic, people and life in general.

Im a smarty pants but come across as thick as shit - no common sense & waffle my way round things
Give me a min to brag, ahem....

I have 10 GCSE's = 2 A*'s, 3 A's and 5 B's & can honestly say I didnt really work that hard to get them.

At A level I have an A & B in AVCE health and social care (& 3 AS levels at CEE - I left after my granny died and went to tech to do AVCE)

Bsc hons Social Work 2:2 (not fab, but still a degree - I enjoyed the partying a tad too much.

I also have training courses such as food hygeine, ASIST suicide prevention, TCI - therapeutic crisis intervention, OCN level 2 in drug awareness...

AND still... I have no job so they are all useless atm lol

I have 11 gcse's mostly b's and c's, maths and economics as levels at c business a level c and a foundation degree in business and accounting.
I'm now studying an access course to get onto a midwifery degree.

Mara depending on what you want to study there are different ways to get info. You could look on open uni or on your local college website.
The course I'm taking is at my college and can be geared towards lots of professions not just midwifery.

I don't think people expect me to have a good education because I was a young mum and everyone just seems to write you off after that.
Unfortunatly my grades are pretty average and I worked my arse off to get them when at school, where as now I'm getting distinctions relatively easily. There's a lot to be said about leaning something your actually interested in at a time in your life that you know where you want to go, as apose to choosing something because you had to at school.

mara wrote:

Let's separate the thickos from the braniacs

I completed high school barely and left before taking my exams so I have no qualifications at all.

I do regret not taking my exams and furthering my education, I am considering getting into learning again but wouldn't have a clue where to start

Hey!

I was exactly the same as you, I left school and trained as a hairdresser, I did well and ended up with my own salon but hated hairdressing (my parents bought the business for me it was through hard work and ambition).

Anyway after I had charlottle I went to college to do business admin, I loved it and got up to level 2 and got a great job at the crown prosecution service. I left when I had Paul as we could afford for me to stay at home. When Paul went to school I went back to college as iwas bored at home. I started my level 3 qual. Whilst doing my qual the college asked me to help out in one of the offices. I ended up staying at the college and worked my way up to PA to the vice principal. I'm still at the college I cant be a PA now asI work part time but I have a great job which I enjoy.

i know loads of women who have gone back to education after their kids.

You should definitly consider it if you need any advice give me a shout I'm pretty well up on education provision at fe and he level.

Ps I consider myself to a thicko but I'm a very strong organised person as I think most of mums are!

I have a few CSE & GCE's never went to college tho, in my time it wasnt the thing to do. I got a job. I did go to night school tho and got my typewriting qual. I have worked since. I am not a thick however, I wouldn't have got into this job if I was.x

I have 11 GCSE's. I studied one year of A Level Psychology and English then gave up half way through the 2nd year because our tutor changed and I didnt like him - he was crap. I do seriously regret giving it up so near to the end

i've got my gcse's, nvq in health studies and a ba hons in health and social policy (2:1)

i dont think qualifications are an indication of how intelligent you are some people look intelligent on paper but have no common sense at all.

most colleges do access courses for mature students if you want to get back into education, i think it would be great for you!

I have 11 GCSE's all B, 4 A levels all C, and a BA degree with honours in English Lit and Comparative Media ..... and I have a job as a waitress getting treated like shit by stupid people who think they are smarter than me because I'm the one pouring the coffee! I hate my job, its the one thing that makes me feel like shit (that and my weight lol). Financly I'm worse off that my sister, who did crap in her GCSEs and left school, got into a job in a bank at 17 by lying about her GCSEs and now has her own car and house etc basically through lying and being dishonest, and I've worked hard all my life to get basically nowhere in my career!!

Anyway rant over, I'm not bitter lol xx

I've got 4 GCSE's at B and 6 Cs then Ive got a B in A Level It, C in A Level Psycholody, D in AS Chemistry and E and A level Biology.

I am intelligent but absolitely useless with History, Geography and general knowledge lol but science maths and logical things im very good at

got 11 GCSE's, but only 5 at a-c(maths, double science,childcare errrm summut else lol) was only simply because i didnt try hard enough...i was predicted B's in everything, but fell pregnant so what with morning sickness and beforhand not tryinag at all on the coursework i didnt do as well as i could at all

iv since done mini courses/qualifications such as firstaid, food hygene, BSL, livivng and working with under 8's, peer education programme(i had to go round schools basically reading them my life story ) rasing self esteem, NVQ 1+2 in childcare,money management and parenting

i started access to nursing couse, but at the same time as starting my new job, i found i was spending hardley any time with leo so i quit cos he wasnt in school at the time, will probibly take it up again in a few years

im not the brightest bulb in the box, but i wouldnt say im thick...although i probibly come across like that sometimes i am quite nieve though
i am no good under pressure(why im rubbish at quizes)and am rubbish at general knowledge...give me maths or science anyday x

I would consider myself fairly dim in certain areas, but have a reasonable education:

9 GCSES, A's and B's
4 A LEVELS, C's and D's (didn't really go to my lessons)
BA in Human Geography 2:2 (ditto the above!)
MA in Spatial Planning with commendation (i was pregnant so did lots of studying!)

After working as a Planning Officer for a few years, i have just handed my notice in as i want to spend more time with the girls and do something non-academic. The best course i have done/am currently doing is in sewing. Skills are just as important, and usually more enjoyable!

Why don't you have a chat with your local college? Or have a flick through a prospectus, that is how i found my sewing course locally x x x

just thought mara, do you have a local womens center(ymca)??? the usually do mini courses like the ones me and snoopy have mentioned, just to start off small to get you back into the swing of things, and theyre usually free

failing that i think sometimes surestart centers do similar things, or can get you in touch with the right people...and they sort out childcare arrangememnts xx

umm I left school at 15 before I did any standard grades (gcses to you english ladies )

but after a few years i went to college and worked my arse off, got into st-andrews and have an Ma Psychology with Linguistics - but I didn't do my honours because I couldn't stand the place (I'm just not rich enough to fit in haha) so I will probably always regret that...

ideally I would have gained a vocational rather than academic degree, and if I had the time and money I would head towards something language based

I also have any number of certificates - applied suicide intervention skills training, loss and bereavement support, facilitating person centered planning, Scottish mental health first aid, various manual handling etc all of which have been more useful work-wise than the degree!

I do miss academia though and having conversations about things that aren't just everyday rubbish

mariheartselijah wrote:

I also have any number of certificates - applied suicide intervention skills training,

Thats what I have, couldnt for the life of me remembe what ASIST stood for lol. Thanks for stopping my head hurting thinking about it

haha i still have my little booklet in my purse cos i'm a swat

I have 10 gcse's though still haven't managwd to get a d in gcse maths despite resitting 3times. Three A levels at grades c and d. I also have a 2:1 hons degree in humanities which i know wish i hadn't completed as it is pretty worthless. I am now working as an ao in a job i don't like being spoken too like a five year old on many occasions by my boss.

Donna its not too late to go back and study and you are an intelligent lady as well as being a fab mum. Is there a local FE college near you where you could get information on courses available to you. If you want to return to studying hun do it as you will regret it further down the line if you don't.

i have 1 gcse grade c in english language.

i wanted to join the police so started college on a public services course, hated it so signed up with a yts agency, ended up working for River Island did several customer service/retail nvqs and 16 years later am still in retail and a store manager.

i wouldnt say i am thick but i do struggle to articulate myself when writing.

Ok I have 11 gcses, a btec nursery nurse qualification.

Then rich happened
Went back to college thanks to the government as a single mom
I got pre access course
Access to teaching
Ba hons in early years
Ma in social work
And that pays the bills, I also have certificates in domestic abuse, child protection etc

But if it wasn't for rich I'm not sure I'd have done it all, but then it would also been easier

i was a little shite at school , i would go for registration then walk out the doors again with older friends , in the end i was booted out of school before exams something i regret now
throughout my school years i lost 2 brothers i went a bit off the rails then , i went to college and was working in care home , was pregnant found out my mum had cancer and never finshed my course and i lost my job as i was no use to then pregnant
i spent from 98 to 2002 having my 2 older children and living at home with my parents so i was always there for my mum as my dad could not cope
once my mum passed away i should have went back to college but i went straight into work , waitressing , bar work , supervisor and then i seperated from OH and moved , met my OH and had D so now a sahm
i pick up leaflets for courses that can be done in your own time and all that but if im honest im now at that stage i do not know what i should study as i have no idea what i want to do ! , i have spent most of my life caring for ppl that i want to break out of that
sorry for book

i would not call myself thick though , when i did go to school i was good lol !

I have 7 gcse's at grades C-E. I stayed on and completed a business studies course.. I then completed a Diploma in Retail Jewellery worked in the jewellery trade for 15yrs working up to Asst manager (have letters after my name and have never used them)
I am a stay at home mummy and don't intend to have a career - I did look into OU but sooo sooo expensive
However I love studying but am not massively highly intelligent.. could tell you all day about the composition of a gemstone or how a watch works - but not particularly helpful in day to day life

I have 5 highers. left school after 6th year but didnt attend most of 6th year as it was my crazy year.

went on to do my first year of social care. completed that but hated it so dropped out after that.
had a year out getting drunk and blowing my money. then went back and now have a diploma in vet nursing.

im not the smartest cookie but Im good at what I do!

I have 10 GCSE's - 6 A's and 4 B's - I did jack shit to get them and was lucky
4 A-Levels A,B,C,D - I took the wrong courses in the C and D and was predicted higher grades but hey ho!
I gained a place at Manchester Uni to study Physiology but after taking my 1st set of exams I realised I hated it and made a mistake. I dropped out but based on the results of my 1st exams they offered me a place to study medicine which stupidly I turned down.
Since then I've worked a in a variety of different roles but have progressed in all of them quite quickly. But then I've also taken a bit of time out too in the form of working with children and then horses, neither of which I wanted to make a career of.
I've worked at the bank for the last 5.5 years and have done reasonably well. I've completed numerous training courses in things such as Presentation skills, Coaching, Interviewing, etc etc etc. I won a place on the graduate training programme even though I'm not a graduate. After having Amelia I went back part time in the contact centre and had to work my way back up again but now I'm what we call a "Guest Coach" and my teams efforts gained my department an industry award for Customer Service Excellence. So when you're whinging about contacting your bank think about leaving them and getting and credit card from Bank of America instead!!!

Not bad for a dyslexic who struggles to apply herself