The Average Student

It’s no secret most of us hated school, that we only went to college because it was expected of us and only went to university because there wasn't anything else to do. I said I’d never go to university and looking back, secretly I did mainly as a way out of my home town. I've always been an independent person and that was my chance to grab my independence and run with it.

I've never been top of the class but I like to think I tried my best in everything though it’s probably not true. I had about as much interest in school as a cat has in being told what to do. I'm not an academic I'm a creative, but sadly at my school that was rarely encouraged. An average student with a love for art, drawing was where I escaped to. I skipped classes to sit in the art room painting, spent my lunch breaks in there and most of my other classes doodling instead of the work assigned. A big part of that was the fact my art teacher never changed. My year group were usually the guinea pig year, every new thing was tested on us. So it’s safe to say my time at school wasn't consistent except in art, the only subject in which I didn't go through countless teachers and their different methods.

However by the time I finished school I was disenchanted with art, even after being accepted to one of the best art schools in the country I just didn't feel it any more. It didn't give me the same calm escape any more, it was my perfect therapy until suddenly it wasn't. Everyone was disappointed I didn't go to art school but although I loved art and still do that’s not what I wanted to do with my life. So I meekly went back to school to re-do my exams putting myself a year behind. It was in that year I figured it out, browsing through the college prospectus my eyes landed on media.

Having no interest in doing A levels I settled on a national diploma in media. In doing that I found where my passion lay, film and writing. During those two years at college I started writing my first novel — almost finished — and several short stories. Wrote my first script and made my first films. It was the first time in my education where I was encouraged to be as creative as possible and had the full support of my lecturers. They took the time to get to know me, guided me and gave me valuable advice while treating me like an adult. My confidence in my skills grew as I was recognised as a creative, again I wasn't a top student but it didn't matter. It wasn't about getting top results it was about taking the ideas from my brain and bringing them to life, being encouraged to do so and to show them off.

During that time I studied many different sectors within the media industry, I found them all interesting and would love to give them a try again. Things like radio, web design, publishing and even the things I hated at the time like animation. Don’t get me wrong I love watching animations and I'm in awe of the work that goes in, but I had a mild breakdown trying to make mine for class. Clearly I don’t have the patience required, but I got the opportunity to have a go which I wouldn't have got if I’d done A levels.

I did one a level long side my course, film studies. My issue with A levels is that they’re very specialised and it became clear to me that the second year of my A level was the first year of my degree. So imagine my disappointment during my first year of university to find myself going over the same things again. I understand it was good for those who didn't do a film A level but to those of us that did it felt like a waste of time. So like many of my fellow students I maybe only attended, on average, one lecture a week during my first year. I was only able to justify this because the university had told us ‘your first year doesn't count’. Big mistake.

I spent my first year of university drinking vodka, chain-smoking and sleeping. And given the opportunity to go back, to attend those lectures I missed, I'm not sure I would, I don’t think I would've learned anything more. I never achieved full attendance, not that I didn't want to be there but I found my intermittent lack of motivation made me question why I was there. And I found myself missing the interaction and support I had at college. You do get the sense at university, as my sister had warned me, you’re just one of a number. A small life lesson I suppose, to those we keep close we matter but to those in power and the rest of the world we are just another statistic.

I'm proud of certain parts of my education, mainly my time in college. Where it clicked with what I wanted to do, where I found my path and I feel I was lucky to do so. But just because I know what I want to do it doesn't mean I'm getting there any quicker. I know many of my friends who went to university still have no idea what to do with their lives and some have always known. But to those that don’t, I don’t think that’s a bad thing just keep being yourselves and don’t live up to anyone else expectations. Don’t be ashamed to be the average student.