N O N S E N S E | me

○ school ●

hi it's your friendly neighbourhood school girl, here to give you pearls of wisdom after about 14 years in the business

i just want to make a few points before i start, because i want everyone to realise things they may not know - either because you're too young or find it difficult to think about:

> there is more than 1 type of intelligence - just because you aren't what's required of school exams doesn't mean you aren't smart

> it's not the be all and end all - you are not defined by a few grades on a piece of paper (heads up, unless it's relevant they won't check most results)

> you're often just friends with people because you see them 5 days a week - don't force yourself to be around toxic people, it makes everything a lot harder

> you aren't the only one suffering - talk about it, even the really smart ones feel it, the stress is very real

okay, so now that introduction is over, i want to talk about the unnecessary pressure school puts on you, because i think many of us are familiar with that

fortunately, i didn't really feel pressure during gcse's (for those who aren't british, they happen at 16 years old), i was book smart and didn't revise - i got 9 passes (3 a*'s, 3 a's and the rest b's as a rough estimate)

i know i was one of the lucky ones, but a-levels are a different story

what i'm experiencing now at 18 is likely what many kids have to deal with for most of their school life, because school systematically ruins students

of course, it's great if you have an aspiration and you want to go for it, hell, i would kill to be in that position; to have a career in mind means you have a constant drive and if that's not good idk what is

but i think it's equally important to tell kids that's it's okay not to know what they want to do, at 18 a certainly don't, and i was rejected from university for the one thing i thought i might have a chance in

i was allocated into the top college at 6th form (probs from gcse grades and subject choice), and so there has always been intense emphasis on going to university and persuing a dream... but what of you don't have one?

certainly don't sit in your room crying because you feel so helpess, it didn't help me one bit, instead use it as the freedom to do whatever you want

i took subjects i loved, and passed the first year with pure determination, and i am ready to sit the final exams in june - i'm nervous as hell and completely broken by the process but i can't just drop 2 years of hard work

i have developed mental health issues, thankfully caused by school only, and so from such a position i can tell you i now understand

when you're studying, school is your world, no matter what your parents may think it's an awful feeling when you're forced to be absorbed into the school bubble but you just aren't good enough; it beats you down to a point you feel like you'll never feel happy again, but you will, i promise

i will finish school, regardless of if i pass or fail, and i will get a full time job

people have done it before you, maybe not under the same circumstances, but it's perfectly normal

you're not going to become some outcast just because you didn't get an a in science, and don't even get me started on maths - besides, i know an accountant who failed gcse maths and now she's earning £40,000 a year, doesn't sound bad, does it?

remember school for what it really was, endless days around friends, but make sure they aren't the nasty kind

i was with a notoriously bitchy group (so i found out by other people) for the first 6 years of secondary school/higher education, and in my final year, i have ditched them all for the sake of not having to listen to their bullshit

but having escaped those girls, i am much happier, and am more active in my friendships now than ever before (because if you don't really like people you make excuses so you don't have to hang out with them, but obviously that wasn't clear to me before)

but just for the record, being book smart isn't everything either - you can have emotional intelligence which i would consider much more valuable in a world where we should make every human interaction a pleasant one

still wondering about something?

i'm always happy to offer help, especially about school, because we've all done it