Reality

I was watching the BBC Breakfast show yesterday and they were covering the kids getting their results.

As part of the Show they had a playwright that had a successful show on in London.

He said he failed his English Literature O Level.

Got me thinking.

I failed my Computer Science O Level (must have been one of the first people to actually sit it) and today I find myself making a not un-reasonable living out of confusers and it's allowed me to travel to all sorts of places round the globe.

With NL's "Deferred success" strategies etc I got to wondering if there were any other Snetters with exam failures in subjects now paying their bills ?

NorthDave

I reckon exams do help the majority of people as they enable youto get your foot in the door. At the end of the day though if you have the drive and ability you will do well.

i dont have a degree but most of my colleagues assume I do. Dont know why , they just assume.

I also fluffed my a-levels and am now more than comfortable in IT, it all comes down to personalty and attitude IMO.

Just my 2p worth.

Dave

ajm

I wouldn't know... never failed anything

(Actually that's not strictly true .... when I was about 12 I failed 4th form Religous Education on purpose out of protest! )

davegtt

No its not, if you fail your exams your more likely to earn decent money for the rest of your life by becoming a plumber or something..... all the idiots who pass and go onto higher education will spend the next 10 years doing nothing and pissing what money they have up the wall whilst the person who failed would have earnt a good 15k a year for the last 10 years (I say 15k because probablt only earning 4-6k for the first couple of years and getting 20k+ maybe in the later part of them 10 years

They had people on Radio 1 ringing in last week saying what they got in their exams and what are they going to do next with a few people fretting and 1 guy rang in and said I failed all my exams but now Im earning £600 a week window cleaning... I dont know if what he was saying was true but it puts it into perspective.....

Reality

Yet

ajm

Exam taking is long behind me... my record is safe!

Don't feel bad about failing yours though, the world needs ditch diggers too!

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Left school at 16 with fairly mediocer(sp) CSE results, went to college and got a C&G in Electrical Installation, No A levels, No Degree or HNx and curently working for Hewlett Pakard In Germany as R&D Support (Not Helpdesk) proper infrastructure support direct to the R&D Teams. I have mates with degrees that are not doing aswell as me or even managed to get a job in the field thattheyy did their degree in. Personally I think FE is a waste of time unless you want to be a Lawyer/Doctor etc.

Just my opinion.

ajm

LOL! We wouldn't want any misunderstandings there, would we Steve!

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Absolutely not

BlkKnight

I don't think it's a problem at all.

Failed english twice, really bummed out on my A-levels.

Went on to study catering, then a degree in Hospitality management (got a 2.2 with hons).

In hindsight, it points out weaknesses to a subject / style of learning.

At the time I was fairly pissed off.

I came to believe my brain wasn't tuned in to the monkey say monkey do aproach that schools use - but preferred open loop learning - which "adult" learning establishments adopt.

Just my 2c

Reality

I was gonna be kind - gloves are off

Haven't you taken a personality test

Suresh

Decent qualifications to degree level will open doors, as they demonstrate a willingness and ability to learn, but not necessarily apply what was learned to a real-life situation.

Personally, my O levels were pretty good (exception pure maths) but A levels were shocking to say the least. There was no degree.
However, I was earning 6 figures in Banking at the age of 30 with only experience and the above O levels behind me, until I quite my job and went and did an MBA - self-funded of course. Now living very comfortably indeed with a good feeling of job security thanks to the Masters.

Suresh

davegtt

To be honest it depends on what it is your learning, I do agree that it shows a willingness to learn but I feel in this day and ages its becoming more of a unwillingness to work hence FE is the way for losers lol

Huxley Chick

The only problem with education is that it can't teach commen sense, which I believe is far more valuable than any exam you can take


The only exam I have failed was geography O level - I've never got lost yet

Reffro

My sister failed her maths GCSE first time round, and is now a Bank Manager.

kammy

the only x'am ive failed iz enlish, b'coz im gud at maths. a mean ho needs gud enlish in dis day n' age wen u hav wurd an' spel cheker an that.

Kam

Reality

is you a engleesh teecha Kam ?

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

The only use for GCSE's is to get to take A-levels, then go on to University. A lot of UK companies seem to now only offer management jobs to graduates, even in fairly crappy jobs.

For every success story for someone who failed there exams, there are the other 999 who end up working in a factory on minimum wage until they retire, living on the local sink estate, and filling their house on the never never from the Kays catalogue.

You still need intelligence and an ability to learn to be a tradesman, especially if you end up going self employed or running your own business. ( Ever tried to work out the wiring for multiple lights and light switches on a circuit ? ).

So... yes, I'd say while exams arent the be all and end all, they are the first step into saving yourself from a future life as a scally.

rr_ww

(In my experience)

All the people Ive met who have degrees have 2 traits:

1) They are all seriously in debt. Like £10K down. But they dont see it as a debt because they can pay it back fairly slowly. They fail to notice (as Dave GTT says above) that they are also effectively 4+ years behind in earnings. Thats a lot of money to have never had, considering you have a student debt as well on your sheet.

2) They all think they know everything. And they lack the ability to think outside the box. (awful soundbite!) They have 1 way of doing something and cant comprehend that the employer wants them to do it another way. And because so much of their education is cerebral, not practical, they cant apply common sense to problems. I suppose the correct phrase would be, That they arent rounded to how the world is really.

If I advertised a position. And had 2 potentials. One with a fresh 1:1 degree or someone that has risen to the same position my promotion over the last 6-8 years. I know who'd I rather employ.

As for the companies that ask for Graduate only applicants, some certainly have a decent reason for being selective. But I think the other 80% just want to pretend they are greater than they really are...

Me? - Not a graduate

carl

What, a whole month's earnings?
Carl (graduate)

rr_ww

carl

People on £120 pa are the exception though. Most graduates will never get much more than 40-50, and thats not until a long way into their career.

FASTER MIKE!!

i think that good qualifactions do count for something as said above, about getting your foot in the door so to speak. i have no gcse's to speak of (not something i'm proud of, just nieve when i was younger), and run a post office which i personally don't own but i was the one interviewed for the possition, and am reposable for. where my sister has a hon degree in business studies, and is in a job doing admin that she finds under taxing, though she is paid ok but not what you would expect from an hon degree.
a buniessman that i know one said to me that when hes interviewing people of a job, he does'nt look at there grades, just looks to see what they have studied, and tries to make his own mind up weather the person is able to do the job,though his business is in sales.....

mike

imlach

Dave Packard would be reeling in his grave

Jerome

I only have an HND. I failed almost everything at school, but made up for it at college. I hated school with a passion, but loved college. I went from being the trouble maker to the trouble sorter.

I've interviewed quite a few people over the years and am not biased by their level of education. Graduates and non-graduates both have the potential to be morons or valued members of staff.

Failing your GCSE's is not the disaster it is often made out to be. Being academic is also not the road to riches it is often made out to be either. Most of what makes someone successful - or at least good at their job - is down to the type of person you are. Lazy people rarely achieve much. People prepared to graft, with a bit of ambition, often do.

logiclee

Didn't do that well at School, left at 16 with average CSE grades.

Started an apprenticeship and loved it, did a futher 4 years and College and another 2 years at uni for B-TECH, HND and Degree in Electrical Engineering. I've always earned good money and now do a management roll for around £45k a year for an average of 42 hours a week.

Cheers
Lee

ScoobyDoo555

I would actually say that it's not FE (Further Education) that's a waste, as this is where the trade qualifications sit (C&G etc), but moreso HE (Higher Education) - degrees have been so devalued.


Shame that FE gets such awful funding and poor stigma attached with those who work in it. HE is where the sponges are :P


Dan

lightning101

I once failed a medical exam. "You'd rattle if shaken"

Reality

Interesting. Maybe University is just a way of keeping the unemployment figures down

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4172784.stm

pete1977

I failed everything at school ,because i had no interest ,i only wanted to get out in the world and earn money,eventually left just before i was 16 and was also told how my life would come to nothing because i wasnt qualified .Im 28 now and in 2 months i will be earning a 6 figure salary.I never believed i would fail in life,so i havent .It really is that simple.
Exams and degrees are there for people who need them.

rr_ww

Pete1977

Dare I ask what it is you do? And did you take other qualifications on the job?