Didn’t enjoy school, probably had the ability to do better but hated it. My current job required A-Levels but gave me a firm job offer prior to the exams. I questioned this and they said “all you need to do is take the exams, we are not looking for particular grades”. I don’t regret it for one minute, granted my natural aptitude for the job has helped massively, and if I were to have to do something else I would be buggered with poor grades and no other formal education. But I am pretty happy in a job that I love and requires little effort and pays good money.

God I’m lazy. Proper epic lazy, think I’d quite happily spend my life sitting about scratching.

Every now and then going for a 40 mile run or a blast on the bike. But the rest of it, sitting and scratching.

Do you have many yourself?

No I don’t.

How does that have any bearing on things?

You trying to say that people that have done well at non accademic things are somehow non interesting? 😕

Just maybe they were out there doing thier thing instead of studying for something that gave them a peice of paper at the end of it…

Nope.
In some respects I wish I went straight into ecology work from school, but by not doing so, I’ve gained a much more diverse set of skills that benefit myself and others.
What I do wish, is that the education system works with students strengths, rather than trying to get a broader range of average learning’s.
IMO

The ability to consistently work hard is a talent, just like being highly intelligent, or having “common” sense. I have two of those three – I’m not greedy.

No I don’t.

How does that have any bearing on things?

You trying to say that people that have done well at non accademic things are somehow non interesting?

No, just saying, you know, water finds its own level.

Not really. I didn’t try particularly hard, I hated school and everything about it, including the work. I even dropped a GCSE because I literally couldn’t be bothered with the coursework. I’m glad I’m trying now. Two modules to go with the OU until I finish my Degree with hons. That I am much more proud of than some average to poor GCSEs, most of which I can’t even recall!

No, just saying, you know, water finds its own level.

😯

Let me give you an example then Charlie.

One of the posters on this thread is very well qualified and you would think an interesting fellow.

Only when you meet him he’s as dull as dishwater.

On the other hand another fellow i’ve met has no qualifications whatsoever but is a multi world champion and could entertain almost anyone.

Just saying like. 😉

Thanks for seeing the implied smilie.

Was it relevant that you had quals? I’m not sure, but I’m wondering if people of similar qualification / academic ability / type / somethng or other, would tend to find each other more interesting. Of course i mean in the general case, not on an individual basis

I would imagine on a general level that yes you do kind of have a small point there.
Of course people that are into the same stuff will have a level of interest in each other.

But you did come across as trying to imply that any interesting people i’d met weren’t very interesting and i only thought they were because i have no formal qualifications.

I try not to judge people on there lack of/abundance of qualifications myself…

Anyway.
I’m back off to the bike forum seen as this is a bike web site. 😉

But you did come across as trying to imply that any interesting people i’d met weren’t very interesting and i only thought they were because i have no formal qualifications.

I know, but i was only messing. 🙂

Of course we don’t judge people on their lack or abundance of quals, butthepoint i was getting at, this time without trying to be rude is that there is probably nomsuch thing as ‘interesting people’ only people in whom you are interested. And if you are of similar types, be it through academic experience, job, hobby etc. then you would be more likely to find them intersting. So when you say that the most interesting people you know have few qualifications, i wonder if they would be as interesting to some one who wasmorea academic or dare i say intellectual.

I can happily say I have worked hard enough to get, career-wise, to where I want to be.

I do regret not working harder at my postgraduate exams; passed both the ones that matter on the second hit and, by working harder for the first goes, could have saved myself large pots of cash and a total of a year I could have spent doing stuff for interest or CV instead of revising in my spare time. However, them’s the breaks.

My brother, who is far more intelligent than me, buggered about at uni rather than knuckling down and is a postman.

Andy

I wish I had worked harder at school. I left with no qualifications at all and became an outdoor instructor/coach, which was a great education in its own right IMO and something which I don’t regret. However, in my mid-twenties I went to university after having done an access course. I studied law at a so called ‘Russell Group’ university and got a 1st.

I’m really glad that I went to university when I was a bit older and when I knew that I was doing it for myself, rather than out of a feeling of it being expected. I gained a lot from doing it on a number of levels but I also feel that my life experience is at least, if not more, valuable

Blimey Charlie.

Your typing’s worse than mine.

You sure you’re qualified to be on here.

I bet you’re dead boring. 😉

*Dodges back to the bike side.*