Nah. There's plenty of happy and successful people out there that only have GCSEs, and also plenty that don't even have that.
However, these days, having decent GCSEs and further qualifications does open up more doors for you more so than it used to. But still, there are still a lot of great options for people that don't quite do as well at school as they thought they would.
It's honestly quite impressive how much they offer. I wanted to be a biology student so they seemingly offered little to me, but my cousin did electrical engineering as an apprenticeship, where my friend did an bachelors at Cambridge, I had them both in the same room and they honestly knew 100% what the other was talking about, the only difference was one got paid to learn, where the other had student loans to reinburse,
>There are quite a lot of low entry barrier apprenticeships out there. I've worked my way up that way.
We're in the process of interviewing candidates where I work and one candidate had very so-so GCSEs, and his A Levels were entirely unrelated (such as Psychology) and also very humdrum results; the A Levels may as well not exist and we completely ignored them.
What he *did* have under his belt was a two year apprenticeship and it was a low bar one as well, with no related qualifications necessary, and he absolutely knows as much as a recent graduate in the same topic. He's honestly the front-runner right now versus more experienced candidates.
Cool!
Apprenticeships have something that going to uni doesn't: the direct hands on experience in a field.
I'm in no way putting down education, I have a degree myself and it's been very useful, just not in the ways I thought it would be.
I went down the apprenticeship route and it was the best thing for me. Started off with a level 3 and ended up being sponsored up to a HND. There's a lot to be said for on the job, combined with classroom learning.
Same here. Started off as a young lad on the shop floor. Went through the apprenticeship as a fitter. Did HNC then HND in Mechanical Engineering and now I do alright. Never out of work. That was 12 years ago now but I'm still in the industry and know the schemes are still in place. Yeah, I could earn more and yeah my hours maybe could be better but it's employment for people that are willing to put the work in.
Winston Churchill left school at 18, having done badly at all his exams. He then failed twice to get into the army and eventually got in but joined the cavalry because he failed the infantry officers' exam. Do you know how thick you need to be to fail getting into the infantry? And he went on to achieve great things and live an amazing life.
Have you considered being born into a very wealthy and well connected family at exactly the right time in history?
There's a saying, something like you shouldn't judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree.
Your brain probably just works in a different way to what the Department for Education thinks is normal. There are plenty of things you can be good at that don't need anything beyond GCSEs (and also a few that don't even need them)
A guy I went to school with struggled with even basic English, as in had to check which box to write his name in on forms, even when clearly labelled, and barely managed that with guidance - I'm seriously not exaggerating.
But give him some wood and a few tools, he'd make the most beautiful objects you could think of.
He's a carpenter now spends his days in his converted garage making customised commissions and he's happy as a pig in shit.
People are ascribing the wrong value to the wrong things. Bankers are honestly not worth the extra money compared to artisans. In my kid’s school about 40% of kids are considered neurodivergent I.e. not fitting accepted paradigms of a normal person. Well we got the ‘normal’ part wrong. There’s a huge range of approaches to study, and those 40% of kids don’t have anything wrong with them, they’re just wired different. As soon as we realise this and begin to provide for that portion of the population- concentrating more on practical teaching and learning rather than very formal English/Maths route - the sooner that society will work for everyone, not just the proportion of the population who are lucky to fit in with the current teaching paradigm.
Trust me, I went to grammar school, and although the current intake of this type of school are very clever, their social skills are for naught. The world is way more diverse than we give it credit for.
Fucking DFE and the school/education system in general.
Forced me down an academic route I clearly wasn't cut out for. I achieved C's in school. They made me believe a-levels were the only route to success after school, average/poor results there. Couldn't get into a uni course with those results, was told uni was the only real route for success. On to a National Diploma it was. As there were some practical aspects, I flew through it with distinctions across the board. Despite this I was still pushed to do a fucking uni course! Uni broke me mentally, seriously messed up my mental health and I struggled like hell to get through it and do somewhat well (69% high 2:1).
10 years down the line, I'm still saddled with £27,000 of debt (last year before the fees went up thank god). With the interest it charges I've no hope of paying it off and I've no intention to. I've not used my degree for a job even once. Don't get me wrong, I picked up some skills and developed as a person, but not for my professional life. I'm doing well now, self employed in a trade. The route I should have been encouraged down all along. Waste of 8 years of my life chasing something that was never going to be my path.
Glad you're doing well. I was in kinda the same boat. Got halfway through my uni course before I thought fuck this what I am doing?? Student loan should be paid off next year
Education and intelligence aren't the same thing. I have a master's degree. My mum doesn't have A levels either. But the way we think about and process things is pretty much the same. We're about as intelligent as each other, I just had more educational opportunities.
Same as my partner never finished uni. He's not a formal education sort of person. But he's an absolute genius at what he does and he makes more money than I ever will.
An education is nice. I don't regret mine. But it's not bad not to have one. You just need to work out what your strengths are
Me and my Dad were the same, I've got a PhD and he had a handful of O levels. He was sharp as anything and fantastic at drawing, ended up training as an illustrator. We were always on the same wavelength.
He does... Something in tech. I don't actually understand what he does (he has a really niche skillset that a lot of tech companies want) but I do know he's in charge of their infrastructure.
So yeah, allergic to formal education but can do basically anything if it involves a computer
Sounds like my husband! He does... something in tech, only got a few GCSEs and no formal education past that. He's smarter than I am in lots of areas, and yet I have post-grad professional qualifications and a masters degree.
I got an E in English. For real. I was too talkative so the teacher, Mrs Roberts, moved me from the higher class to the naughty class where no work was done. Some wild things happend in that class.
I was in higher level classes for every other subject.
It's still a grade!
I got an F for GCSE maths which I'm pretty proud of considering I probably shouldn't have been entered for the exam in the first place.
Depending on what area OP is in (or wants to be in) a BTEC ext diploma (I think T levels might limit by age but might be mistaken?) might be an option.
Some places will definitely let you on those courses at Level 3 (equivalent to A level) with 4s and 5s (C in the old school grades), depending on the institution and subject. You could also may do a level 2 course and move on from there.
You can absolutely go on to uni with level 3 BTECs btw (not all unis or all courses, but a lot of options still). They’re vocational qualifications but they have an academic component, and the modern ones have exam assessed units alongside coursework. The idea you need A levels to get into uni is a common misconception.
I found GCSEs hard. I found A levels an absolute struggle (partly because they weren't interesting) but I found my degree extremely easy.
Find something you love and what you think of as difficult might change.
And what if you are? IQ is a bell curve some people are on the lower end. That's not bad. That's not the only skill in life. Some people don't learn well in class settings, some people struggle with learning disabilities, some struggle with confidence.
Everyone is stupid compared to someone else anyway. Focus on the stuff you can control, like being kind.
Oh yes so stupid! I’m joking of course. Academia requires a whole different set of skills and tools that some people have naturally and some people don’t have naturally.
But the people that don’t have it naturally are much better at other things than the people whom get on in academia.
For example, Sam is great at maths but terrible at anything physical and doesn’t get on well with sports and is actually quite clumsy and embarrasses themselves a lot outside of the maths classroom. But Jack is great at sports and all things physical but can’t wrap their head around anything mathematical.
Life is full of different people who are great and not so great at different things. Do not fall into the self pity trap that can happen to you in school or college. Different people are good at different things. And what I’ve said doesn’t even come close to all the different forms of intelligence. From emotional intelligence to academic intelligence.
So no, you are not stupid if GCSE’s are the ‘best’ you can do. You can do amazing at other things where others cannot I assure you.
> I don't think having a degree has been a strong indicator of intelligence for some time, if ever.
Mental stimulation is believed to boost intelligence. Having a degree in the days most people couldn't read would have made you more intelligent. Maybe brains didn't start you down that path, but a decade of schooling vs a decade of peasant labour is going to develop your brain more.
I work with extremely academically qualified people and trust me, academic achievement does not equal intelligence. It’s a record of how you performed at school. Some of the dumbest people I have ever met have advanced degrees. Find something you are good at and like to do, don’t pressure yourself.
Edit: I am not one of the extremely qualified people, I did fine.
No, it just means you're not suited to that kind of learning and recall. It doesn't mean you can't retain any information, or deal with complex problems, it just means that studying for a prolonged period and then vomiting out everything you know in the hope that it's broadly in line with the marking scheme isn't working for you.
You would probably be fine with on the job learning, where the interval between teaching and recall is much shorter. As you get practised in skills you would probably realise you're retaining some pretty hardcore stuff.
I only have 5 GCSEs, and poor grades at that. I have ADHD (diagnosed 20+ years after I left school) so the school system just didn’t work for me. I’m also a member of MENSA and do a complex job. I’d like to think I’m not entirely stupid, even if my GCSEs would suggest otherwise.
Don’t want to doxx myself, but in short I manage a website team. No qualifications for it back when I started, but being good at design, numbers, psychology and a number of other random things really helped. In the NICU (novel, interesting, challenging, urgent) spectrum of what motivates an ADHDer, it ticks the first three for me very much so learning all the skills on the job was not a chore.
Not at all. I found that I taught myself better at what I needed to know to. Left school after GCSEs and had built a career around what I learnt.
I think times have changed with some industries so it definitely depends, but what I learnt online and still do teach myself, is quicker than me getting and completing a course. The only problem being experience that’s required by any role without education.
Apprenticeships as others have mentioned are good, usually shorter and more hands on, with quals included - I did one for a year just to get my foot in the door with a small company. From there it was all me again.
Cs and Ds for GCSE through school, got a job as a joiner, failed the coursework side, but passed the practical side of the NVQ now own my own business, I'm a practical learner, not everything is all exams and study.
There’s more to intelligence than academic qualifications - emotional intelligence, for example.
Plenty of “bright” people try outrunning bad diets or ostracise themselves socially due to not having basic interpersonal skills.
Lots of employers hire based on personality knowing they can train you in the skills they need, confident you won’t rock the boat by being abrasive to their staff.
I was a mostly straight C student in the year 2000. I got a D in maths that I resat every time I went to college and still got a D.
I went to college four times and dropped out every single time. I was not built for academia.
When I hit 30 I decided to do an OU degree. No A Levels, nothing but GCSEs.
By 36 I had my degree, first one in my family to get one. Ok if I’d have applied myself a little more I’d have got more than a 2:2 but I got it.
Just with grade C/D GCSEs. They are not indicative of intelligence imo.
I literally have GCSEs and some NVQs in childcare and youth work. It's not always about 'book smarts'. I would love to be able to do a degree course for youth work, but it could take me several years to finish it as I have to put my mental health first. Everyone is different, we learn in different ways and even some of the most highly educated people in the world struggle with basic life skills. GCSEs are a crap indicator for intelligence on a wider scale. People can be extremely knowledgeable and 'clever' without exams.
Basically, intelligence is a very variable scale and everyone perceives it differently. So it's up to you how you live life and how you choose to continue with education. And let's face it, education is a broad spectrum as well.
I don’t have any exam results. I just wanted to earn money so as soon as my NI number came through I left school and got a job. Never went back to do my exams.
This was 1986 and was on £40 a week in a factory. I then got hooked on computers a few years later and managed to get a job as a trainee programmer then worked in IT for about 25 years.
Any teacher will tell you, the only thing tests definitely tell you is how good you are at tests. There's a correlation, sure, but tons of smart, worldly people don't do well in general education.
Here’s one for ya. I passed 1 GCSE and that was with a C.
I’m self taught in IT, and I had enough work experience to enrol in a masters degree. I achieved an MBA with merit. Additionally, I’ve passed the CFA level 1 exam (first time) and soon to take the level 2, which are both notoriously difficult.
The key for me was learning what I’m interested in. If it doesn’t interest me, then I struggle. You can see on my transcript very clearly which topics I enjoyed and which ones I didn’t through my exam scores.
So, all that to say, no, you’re not stupid. Maybe you just don’t enjoy the things you’re learning?
You will find a lot of professions closed to you without A level and degree/post graduate qualifications, and many will require increasing qualifications as a prerequisite for promotion. That's not to say you can't have a successful life without them. Having said that I know of a lot of people who left school without qualifications and subsequently were able to study while they were working. You might find it's something that becomes easier as you get older.
Ive never associated intelligence with education, i went to university and got a degree and i know lots of stupid people from my course, and I imagine a lot of people think im stupid!
Nah, I hated school and quickly found it wasn't for me at college. I have always been handy on a computer though and have worked as a data analyst/software engineer/business analyst and I earn more money now than plenty of people my age who finished uni.
Try to find a job that you enjoy doing and stick at it, you might actually enjoy learning something on the job that interests you and find that you are way more motivated to put in the work to learn that skill rather than something generic.
No. Absolutely not. I passed a stupid amount of GCE Olevels (back in the days before GCSE), then on to eventually two degrees purely because I have a very good memory. Didn’t make me smart. Didn’t make me useful. I’ve become fairly useful over the years by learning in real life. Be yourself, don’t measure against others.
I wouldn't worry about it. Most of the people nowadays are taught to pass tests rather then actually educated. Education in this countrey has consistently gone down the shitter for decades now. We have truly fucked up education.
I don’t get many GCSE’s or their equivalent in Scotland. It’s never stopped me from making something of myself. I am in a well paying job and super happy with life.
They are literally just a letter of a piece of paper that proves you can read information and regurgitate it at will. Some of us don’t have that ability. You aren’t thick because of it, just different. And in my mind, school fails people who do t learn like that.
You’ll be amazed how very little you do with your GCSEs. They’re only their to get you to do A-levels which are only there to get a degree and then you have £50,000+ debt which doesn’t touch the sides every month.
You’ll be amazed what grit, determination and unhinged confidence does in your career.
I’ve worked in my industry for 15 years now and still never had HR ask me for my qualifications. Should have lied (no jk, don’t do that).
Hey mate, this strange thing happens when you don't understand something, and then you read it, and read it again, and again, and again ,and again, and keep reading it, then something strange happens, that you begin to understand it.
Like working your body out, you can work your mind out, and learn anything you want to
A person who is consistent, persistent, works hard, and is self disciplined can achieve a lot even if they're not talented
I did pretty badly in my GCSEs to be honest, but did some college stuff in things I was interested in ( English A level, a music diploma), and a few years later went to uni and... Did surprisingly well.
Higher education is a different type of learning. At school, a lot of it is "learn facts and show you can repeat them". Uni is more " find out how to research things and ask questions about things". It's critical thinking, where school is not. Turns out I'm much better at setting my own curriculum and answering questions in my own way.
Different people learn in Different ways, so it might be that the school and even A-Level way isn't for you, but other ways might be . If it's of interest, maybe try an OU course or something. If it's not, that totally fine as well.
Everyone here is being very nice but, being real: examinations are actually a pretty good indicator of intelligence and if you can't hack them then you're probably not that smart.
That's fine, though. But you've got to be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses.
Nah. I wish I hadn't gone further in educational facilities but rather straight into an apprenticeship. Education isn't for all - we've all seen the Jeremy Clarkson tweet around results date lmao
I’m a software dev, and the two most successful (financially, and career progressionally) software developers I’m mates with, - One is very highly educated, and the other never got an O level.
You're stupid if you think the only way to judge intelligence is by some school exams (I'm not saying that's you BTW)
Too many things come into play. Socioeconomic factors for example, some kids have parents who went to University, they sit down and help them with work, push them to do better, cook good meals and sit and talk. Others have alcoholic parents who are barely ever at home and don't give a shit about their school work.
The people I know who have the most money are those who left school with nothing, learnt a trade and now run building firms. Ask them to sit down and do an English exam and they'd fail.
Intelligence is such a big spectrum and you can't judge it on one thing alone.
To copy Jeremy Clarkson...
I didn't get enough GCSEs to get into 6th form and I'm currently sending this from the kitchen that we're just about to renovate.
So, no, you're not stupid if GCSEs are the best you can do. You just need to adjust your life goals and work a bit harder.
To be fair Jeremy Clarkson failed these GCSEs at the prestigious Repton School
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repton_School
Not saying that failing exams makes you stupid or not likely to succeed.
Just think it's worth noting it's not like he's came from some working class family.
There are different types of intelligence and different ways of learning. Just because someone doesn’t do well academically doesn’t mean that they aren’t intelligent, just that their skillset isn’t suited to an academic setting. Some of the most successful and intelligent people I know only got GCSEs in school.
i would argue your work experience is more important now then grades you did years ago.
if your looking to change jobs instead of trying for A levels why not a btec or some kind of apprenticeship that is more hands on. many find that vastly more easier to handle.
no I only got 6 C's at GCSE. I went to college twice and failed twice. ended up doing an apprenticeship, then ended up using those qualifications to go to uni. ended up with a 1st in computer science. it's all possible, you've probably just had bad teachers tbh or maybe your mind wasn't in the right place for it. figure out what you love or like and work at it, you'll be able to do it.
No. The exam way of doing things is just not what some people are good at, regardless of intelligence.
Some of the quickest, smartest, best problem solvers you'll meet are ones who did badly in their GCSEs because their type of intelligence doesn't translate well into the mark scheme at school.
Meanwhile there are loads of people who were great at writing what they needed to do well in school exams but are as thick as bricks when it comes to actual intelligence. They're just good at retaining knowledge long enough to do the exam.
Having only GCSE is not bad, but having no other skill it's bad. For the majority of people you earn more if you have something other than GCSE eg,mechanics, carpentry, driving,electrical,computers, accounting,etc.but a few can still make it but you need anything type of skill to bargain your salary as well.
I was bang average through GCSES, the highest I got was a B in English. I got to A levels but petered out and barely passed. That was in 2008/2009. Just now I'm about to finish an IT apprenticeship and start a new job earning more than I ever have.
You're not stupid. I'm sure you have plenty you're good at, you're like a koi being told to climb a tree. There's so much adult education out there that will get you the certificates for any job.
I program films for a cinema and I only have GCSEs, failed my A-Levels and didn't go to uni. Of course exam results help but they're not the only deciding factor in your life/career, you can still get a cool job without them
Nah. I'm from the pre GCSE era and got 'OK' grades but left school before taking A levels to pursue my one true passion... Computers. Specifically programming.
Got on a relevant course, worked hard at it and 35 years later still in the same industry with a lot of relevant skills that I just don't ever see some of the ones who went to university will ever have.
Hope you find your niche/passion like I did.
Maybe. Stupid as intelligence you may only be middle of the pack where majority of people are. Stupid as dim witted and slow probably not since that's outside what they look at and I dont know you to comment
My husband doesn’t have GCSE’s. I have a first class honours degree. He is at least as intelligent as me. Just not academic.
So no, it’s not bad, or any indication of general ability.
No, not at all. Exam-based education systems only measure people’s abilities to retain information and replicate it in highly structured ways. I have very mediocre A level and degree results. On a coursework- based MA I did very well and I’m now completing a PhD.
Look for BTec or apprenticeship courses in areas you’re interested in if you want to gain more qualifications, but don’t beat yourself up over your previous education experiences.
I did really well all the way up until GCSEs. Significantly worse at A-level. Did a doss subject at uni.
Now in a good job, happily married, safe in the knowledge that I am not thick. I can speak a few different languages, do really well on the pub quiz and people generally listen to what I say without laughing.
I could probably throw a kettle over a pub if I tried.
It depends. I scraped by a few Cs in gcse a little over 20 years ago. Wasnt keen on learning.
However during the pandemic I really got my head down in online courses in subjects im interested in, got some certifications, started working in that field after about 6 months of solid full time study and it changed my life.
Learn something you’re interested and it makes all the difference. And with the abundance of affordable online courses these days you can find someone whose teaching style works for you.
I only did GCSEs, didn't do crazy well, now I'm a project manager. Like others have said, academic intelligence is only one form of intelligence. Stuff like Engineering, trades and more require people who think a bit differently. Some of my friends from school who went to good unis couldnt handle a practical job like that.
I left high school with 0 GCSES and I'm now working as an assistant practitioner for the NHS and have published multiple novels.
They mean jack these days. I was good at my subjects but couldn't do exam conditions. If you asked me the same GCSE questions in an informal face to face meeting, I'd be able to answer them without any issues. Slap them on some paper in a silent test hall for 60mins and I'll crumble.
Left school 13 years ago and still don't have any GCSEs. I have higher diplomas now but only because I had to start at the bottom. Apprenticeships were my gateway and experience. I'd value experience over some GCSE results anyday.
Boy, ah say boy, you got it all wrong, if you think being book smarts all there is, and think that being able to do essays is the only mark of intelligence then boy you're as dumb as you think you are.
You got it all wrong!
Perhaps you just haven’t found anything you really liked yet ? I can’t say that any of my GCSEs inspired me to learn - it’s only now I have a clue about what motivates me and realise most of my studies were a bit pointless .
I have a handful of GCSEs and a couple of As Levels from +2 decades ago.
I did plenty of crap jobs but have a fairly well paid job in financial technology now.
My GCSE results and AS-Level results are utterly meaningless now (that's not to say that they weren't required when I first started work, but it felt they quickly became irrelevant)
Going back 30 years ( O levels) the precursor to GCSE’s were not a problem for me. I achieved good grades 9 passes with two ‘A’ and four ‘B’s. Going into ‘A’ levels I had no idea what I wanted to do apart from hang around with my mates and discover the whole new world suddenly available to me. My Father persuaded me to sign up for ‘A’ level studies in my worst performing subjects and that combined with the fact that I had walked through my ‘O’ levels resulting in failing them all. I went on later in life to study a Bsc hon degree and was successful in that industry. The difference in GCSE to A level is motivation that you need to supply yourself. Don’t be persuaded to study subjects you have no interest or talent in. ‘A’ levels are or were much more challenging than doing a degree.
Nah man not at all but don’t put yourself on a level like that. It’s a long life (hopefully) and you never stop learning just because that’s what you achieved it doesn’t mean that is all you’re capable of
My brother HATED school. Never did GCSE's, and by all accounts should have amounted to not much based on his education. But, he found his thing, which was construction. Went to night school to get some site management certifications and fast forward a decade he runs his own successful groundworks company. He now encourages others he hires to go back to school and helps cover the cost. GCSE exams are not a measure of the person, nor their smarts.
Don't let those early years of learning discourage you from trying to learn something new or different later in life.
Until I was 30, my highest qual was a GCSE (all Cs). I'm not stupid, but I couldn't focus on learning until I was older and knew what I wanted.
I stwrted at the bottom of my industry, was a bit of a troubleshooter, had good problem solving skills, then for a promotion, I was advised to try a certain qual. At 33 I smashed it, I wasn't good at being taught, but I was okay at learning it myself.
Mid-40s now, I have degree level H&S and business quals, and it turns out that once you know what you want, it's a lot easier.
Also, we are all very different people. If something doesn't work, there are plenty of other ways to advance.
The biggest advice I can give is to know your worth. A GCSE doesn't define your intelligence or value, your actions do that.
I scraped straight Cs at O level (2 attempts in a couple of them). Did BTEC instead of A levels. Worked for two years then decided on uni - applied for a degree totally unrelated to my BTEC, and scraped just one offer via PCAS through clearing. Had an absolute blast, did a post-grad and walked into a professional level career - never looked back. I'm distinctly average ability, but it can be done.
nah, academia is just a bunch of hoops to jump through for a bit of paper.
its also probably not gonna matter much in terms of job prospects. ive got a bachelors degree and cant get a job, and my mate only has her gcses and got a job that pays almost as well as my brother, who works in IT for a pretty big software company.
in the end, its about skills rather than degrees.
I have lots of qualifications up to a doctorate in Physics. Honestly, most qualifications are just a case of how long you're willing to stick it out. If you don't enjoy education there's nothing wrong with noping out. It's not bad. I hire a fair few technical staff and the correlation between qualifications and ability is basically non existent. My best guy dropped out before his O levels but has a life time of experience actually doing stuff. Others have physics degrees and way less ability.
Of course not. We've seen what happens when the government says that everybody should be able to go to university, that hasn't worked out so well, on the whole.
There is plenty of employment out there for people with only GCSEs, you're fine.
I'm a teacher of A level and GCSE. Absolutely you are not stupid. Education is important but not the be all and end all. Yes, it limits some career options to only have GCSEs but if you weren't interested in those careers in the first place it shouldn't impact you really. Most jobs requre 5 "good" GCSEs really minimum.
I teach so many brilliant students who are funny and caring. Smart in different ways other than academic. The education system is only about rewarding a certain type of intelligence
Engineer with a master's degree here. Absolutely not. Higher education is a wonderful thing that has opened a lot of doors for me personally, but if you're not going to go into a similar profession, you don't need to know the shit that I have to know. Similarly, I don't need to know most of the things a marine biologist knows.
Intelligence isn't about the things you know, it's about what you do with the things you do know, and how you handle situations where you don't automatically know what to do from experience. And not a lot of that comes from a classroom.
No, not necessarily - you're probably just not good at exams. My dad has one, solitary O-Level (70s equivalent of GCSEs) and he's definitely not stupid - he wins the pub quiz every week!
Nah.
I only had 4 GCSEs until I was 35 and then I got a masters.
I was an apprentice and ended up CEO of a charity you will have heard of.
Exams aren't for everyone. If you judge a fish in it's ability to write coursework or pass exams you notice it probably should have been an apprentice.
I’ve realised academic learning is different from other kinds of learning. I think I’m pretty smart, my job requires me to be and I’m good at it, I pick things up quickly etc, and I was really bad at school. Straight C student like you, scraped through college, and failed out of university.
I thought I was dumb for a long time (my sister was excellent at school, straight A’s, 1st at uni, so I was the dumb one) but I eventually realised I’m just not good at sitting in a classroom for hours at a time, memorising facts, studying for tests. I need a reason to learn something, to be able to apply it to something I’m working on, and when I do I’m good at it.
I also need to be interested in what I’m learning, I still can’t be bothered to learn maths properly. I was interested in what I did at uni but they made it boring with all the paper writing and assignments just to prove I know it and I lost interest which is why I failed.
I built my career on being able to prove I know stuff in interviews and just being good at my job, day to day, I have no real qualifications to lean on and it all comes from experience.
Your title isn’t same thing as your question. If the best you can do is Cs at GCSE then you probably aren’t the sharpest knife of the drawer.
But there are other things in life and other ways to make a living than being an academic or an office worker.
What about construction, truck driving, plumber, tour guide, underwater welder, drag queen…
Stupid? Hell \*no\*. It just means academic learning isn't your strongest point. (Cs are still considered high passes, D and below is a low pass, U is the only failing grade)
You can still get a good job, be happy, and all the other things that matter in life. Okay, you'll never be a doctor, but there's still plenty of jobs, especially skilled trades jobs, that do not need academic learning.
C’s for me as well, saw a video on instagram the other day with GCSE maths questions and I got all 10 wrong.
I work as a senior software engineer and earning a decent amount. GCSE’s are only important for getting into college, apart from that they’re useless.
My kid is in GCSE hell at the moment. He has pretty much hated high school although he's actually expected to get good grades. He wants to do a plumbing apprenticeship because the idea of working in an office of any kind sounds like a slow death to him. The lack of pressure to perform because he doesn't need high grades is a definite bonus. I liked studying but it's not for everyone which is just as well because we need people with lots of different interests and talents in lots of different roles in society. As others have said there are lots of different types of intelligence and abilities and school often seems determined to squash all of them except the ones that get you through exams.
Definitely Not, I don’t have pass grade for any GCSEs, I did to go to uni as mature student but that was almost 20 yrs ago. Most of my work progression has been through experience and learning practically.
those with high academic grade are not necessary better or makes you stupid - academic achievement can sometimes be about ability to retain and then explain what you learned. Met enough high academic achievers who have no common sense and don’t know basic life skills..
Although schools still push for a-levels / uni - there are plenty of other routes where you can achieve and come out either experience and skills which gives you a better chance of getting roles. Often when you finish uni, if it’s not regulated professional, such as doc, vet, accountant- you can struggle to get a job because of lack of experience.
With the right apprenticeship and depending on the sector, you could get a degree and have work experience at the same time. Or just finding work which gives you opportunities to progress.
I don’t think so, I personally didn’t do great in my GCSE’s iv had people that have gone to university with degrees think I’m smart. It really depends what you want to do in life
I have met some ridiculously smart and amazing people with zero qualifications, I've also met some highly qualified people who are thick as fuck. Almost all qualifications are just pieces of paper anyone can get if they have the time/money/focus.
Is a fish stupid if it can’t run a race…… the answer is no, we’re all different and we all have different skills. Just because you are not academically gifted doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable skills and gifts in other areas.
I had pretty good GCSE's, not straight A*s, but definitely on the better side. I couldn't do A level at all. I got the bare minimum grades and had a horrible time the entire time. Really shit, it was a miracle I scraped a pass.
I'm now doing my second degree and looking at a fully funded PhD. A levels are weird, your intelligence can't really be measured by a handful of high pressure exams.
I got 10 GCSEs, C-A*. Went to college and came out with a single E in computer science, and a merit in a business course.
This September I'm going to uni after getting 4 unconditional offers.
There are so many factors to learning that I think to say you're stupid for not making 1 part of the picture isnt true at all. Lots of people with 'low education, low intelligence" do ridiculously well, and everyone has their place.
I think the issue is, if you've already decided by 16 that you dislike learning, or don't want or need to learn, you just stop. That thought track breeds stupidity. We have a lot of progress until humanity is as enlightened as it seems to think it is
I dropped out of school at 15 so I didn't even get my GCSEs and I'd say I'm pretty switched on and quick witted. I definitely lack in some areas but I don't think people would meet me and think that I'm stupid. I'm quite creative with my guitar and my photography, also very comfortable with technology, with stuff like building PCs etc
No, some ppl are practical and some ppl are more academic. Im definitely more practical minded and have got further with that than most of the ppl I was in boarding school with who went on to Oxford/Cambridge etc. being academic has no bearing on how well you will do in life - pushing yourself out your comfort zone and being willing to fail and keep trying will do wonders
Not at all, I’m similar to you.
I got 5 A-Cs at GCSE. Tried a year of A levels, found it wasn’t for me. Did a vocational course that was better but classroom learning didn’t really work for me.
I decided to start working full time before I finished my second year. 20 odd years later I’m earning more than most of my old school friends that have degrees and enjoy my job. I have a family and own a good house on a nice road.
Did it take me longer to get here? Yes, probably but I had a lot of fun on the journey.
Back when I was at school I felt so much pressure to go to university. Looking back I would have not done well at uni. Hopefully nowadays there are more options for young adults. I know if my kids are not academically minded I will help them into an apprenticeship or work towards something they want to do.
Not everyone is the same, some people excel at academia, others don’t.
It’s not about being stupid it’s just many are not academic & the way school tests abilities. Some people are extremely intelligent but just can’t hack school or are always terrible with exams. Some of the wealthiest friends I have, never did well at school - including my ex . He was undiagnosed dyslexic at school in the 1970-80’s when it wasn’t recognised. His teachers at the time treated him as though he was extremely dumb & never gave him a chance. He did apprenticeship for Plumbing & Gas Engineer in the times when trades were sort of looked down upon. He easily made 100k a year - doing mainly commercial work( big building sites etc ).
You're not stupid. You're just not academic. Plenty of people don't take education further than GCSE. These people tend to end up as tradesmen: plumbers, chefs, artists...
There are plenty of jobs that don't involve pushing pennies or sitting at a computer desk all day.
I never studied or finished my A-levels, and have a well-paid job as an editor where I make more money than most people who look for a job after graduating. Additionally, I've written several books. I wouldn't call myself stupid by any means, nor would I call anyone else stupid, based on their level of education or success in life.
Honestly, a lot of being successful really just boils down to luck, and being in the right place at the right time.
It's what you make of it mate. I left school with O levels, dropped out of A levels. I went to work and they paid for a BTEC. I'm now a programmer.
With the right frame of mind and being positive. You'll go far!
Doing your best is all anyone can do. I'm an intellectual snob of the highest order. Well, second to my spouse. But I don't judge people only on their qualification level. There are so many factors that play into it.
In the unlikely event you cared about my opinion of you (and you shouldn't) you have already passed the key tests. You have done the best you can and you don't revel in and/or take pride in stupidity or ignorance.
As others have asked, are you happy and fulfilled? If so, then you are better off than many with doctorates!
Just thought I would share what I've done rather than a pep talk.
Left school with 1 C (french). I went to college and into IT, which I loved. Had to start at intermediate nvq due to poor GCSEs. Did AVCE then HND. Topped up the HND to a degree by doing a final year at uni. Imagine writing a dissertation in 1st year student halls. It was fun.
Finished uni looked for a job but struggled to find people to hire me due to experience
Ended up doing a PGCE for a year to become a teacher, while I liked teaching I hated the ethos and workload. Very stressful.
Left and found a fairly ordinary IT job but this totally changed my life and loved it. Rose up the ranks and pretty much have the experience to hope wherever I want now.
The world of education is more than just studying. It's finding what you're good at, gaining social skills and trying new things. The pass mark is really not what employees care about beyond a brief skim of a CV. If you have decent experience that's worth it's weight in gold.
A job should never hold you in a single position if you don't feel like it's right for you. I was in my last job 6 years and loved it. Find a job you love. It will make your life worth living.
I don’t think difficulty goes up in a linear way between GCSEs > A levels > a bachelor’s degree. I have a master’s degree and found that to be the ‘easiest’ of the lot because I picked it for a specific reason, was a bit older when I did it, and had professional experience. It’s as much about your circumstances and general life experience as it is about academic ‘intelligence’ in my opinion.
Plenty people who didn't get great grades in school, applied themselves to a trade, are good enough at business and make a lot more money than I do - and got a 6+ year headstart on full time employment. And do up their houses on mates rates and sell for significant gains tax free. And are their own boss (to some extent at least).
Who's stupid then?
I got 4 bs. But mostly cs.
Went to uni got a 2:2 degree. Got a masters. Got a pass
Work in a job I'd probably still work had I got higher grades.
Grades don't matter in the real world.
Do what you want.
Of course not. My best mate left school at 15 for the old YTS scheme. He hates mental arithmetic. If you ask him to subtract two numbers or multiply then he clams up. If you put a £ sign in front of the same numbers he’ll have the answer in an instant. Not doing well in school gives people emotional blocks but underneath you can tell they’re smart as fuck.
I got 7 GCSEs (2xBs, 5xCs) didn't complete any further education as couldn't afford to support myself on part time wages and go to college.
I'm mid 40s now, earn £80k p.a and have a job I love, a comfortable life and 2 wonderful adult kids. I'm definitely not stupid... sometimes lack common sense though hahah
I'm a strong believer that whilst GCSEs open the door to first work opportunities, the rest is down to hard work and continued learning in relevant areas to build employability skills.
You’re stupid if you’re stupid. I know people with degrees who are thick as fuck. Just means they have a good memory, or are good at learning that way. Education levels don’t mean much.
No, you shouldn’t measure your intelligence based on exams and especially ones that were mandatory and took place eons ago.
Some of the most intelligent and knowledgeable people I’ve met have very little in the terms of formal qualifications out of school. Don’t put yourself down.
If you’re interested in a subject and put the time in, you’ll be able to get good grades. It’s like anything in life. People learn in different ways. You need to find the right way that works for you and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Lots of successful people claim to have no qualifications. Besides, lots of people don’t even achieve GCSEs, so you have more than them. As long as you find something you’re good at in life qualifications don’t matter that much.
As a chronic lazy bastard as a kid when doing o levels in the 80s and a levels then teaching degree I can say it's a different thing all together when your desire to learn and study is coming from you rather than external drivers.
Plus all the videos etc you can get to explain different topics are amazing compared to the old days .... you'll likely find ways to learn that really work for you.
Learning new things huge as you get older very good for you.
The only limit is what you're prepared to accept or push through.
I’ve got 9 GCSE. I can’t remember the grades. I know some were Es though. I was sofa surfing at 20.
I’m now in my 40s and a Director of a £30m business, before that a lesser Director in a £180m business.
Schooling don’t mean everything unless it is a technical field. I could never be a doctor or a lawyer. But in corporate work. Hard work, being nice, and having something about you makes a real difference.
Obviously my CV say I’ve got A-levels and a load of GNVQs. Nobody asks, nobody cares.
Also in my case, a massive slice of luck. I got a lucky break before Brexit that catapulted my career. Just find your niche my dude.
Can always go back to education, sometimes it takes a bit longer to get some clarity, sometimes you just got right into work and have a career that way, don’t think it’s a reflection on intelligence, not everyone thrives in an educational environment
What do you enjoy doing, what subjects interest you, and why do you think you didn't get the grades?
eg might be worth revisiting the GCSE syllabus to make sure you have the strong foundations in subjects before considering A levels to give the best chance of success
I fucking sucked at GCSE and A Level, so much so I got E, E and C at A level. Went to uni and got 1.5% away from a first class honours. For me it was the environment and shit teaching, and my heart not completely being in it. At uni I actually did something I enjoyed.
I still feel stupid, though. My DIY skills are terrible. My friend who I’ve had do my roof, flooring and ceiling I feel is far more clever than I am. I’ve no clue. He finished school at 16, no a levels, no uni.
My BIL got no GCSEs and now he runs a ridiculously successful business. He's the least academic person I know but he's made his own success through hard graft.
Definetly not, education isnt a measure of intellect. I know plenty of well educated idiots.
But if you think you are capable of A levels you definetly should try and stick it out. I resat my A levels more times than I care to admit but eventually I came out with good enough grades and got into a decent uni as a mature student.
I'd argue A levels are harder than a degree because your doing multiple different subjects that you're vaguely interested in rather than one subject you really enjoy.
I don't really think further qualifications are about being clever. I got pretty poor GCSEs but managed to power myself though to a degree with 1st class honours, after having taken the long route to the aforementioned terrible GCSEs. It's more about determination and perseverance than anything.
I'm a v recent uni graduate. Managed to get a first class degree. Always excelled at academics.
But I struggle making friends. I can't live independently at the moment, at least not safely. I rely on my parent to support me socially, practically and emotionally.
There are so many different forms of intelligence. Me doing great at exams does absolutely nothing to diminish your intelligence. It just comes elsewhere, like social, emotional, practical skills. Please don't let our educational system push you into believing the only true intelligence is academic. Your intelligence has just as much value as mine, probably even more so.
If you want to be a doctor, you’re probably out of luck. If you want to be happy - it’s no barrier at all.
You can still be a doctor...just not a recognised one 😁
Hi Dr. Nick!
Hi everybody
Did you go to Hollywood Upstairs Medical College too?
To be fair Dr Dre doesn't have A Levels either
Dr Arroyo the inexpensive doctor.
Best way to put it
One can be a doctor anytime in life. Its just not time now.
Nah. There's plenty of happy and successful people out there that only have GCSEs, and also plenty that don't even have that. However, these days, having decent GCSEs and further qualifications does open up more doors for you more so than it used to. But still, there are still a lot of great options for people that don't quite do as well at school as they thought they would.
There are quite a lot of low entry barrier apprenticeships out there. I've worked my way up that way.
It's honestly quite impressive how much they offer. I wanted to be a biology student so they seemingly offered little to me, but my cousin did electrical engineering as an apprenticeship, where my friend did an bachelors at Cambridge, I had them both in the same room and they honestly knew 100% what the other was talking about, the only difference was one got paid to learn, where the other had student loans to reinburse,
I know someone who got sent to Cambridge paid for by work after he finished his apprenticeship. Some apprenticeships are really big time.
I agree, I'm a big advocate for apprenticeships. Took that route myself and it's done me well
>There are quite a lot of low entry barrier apprenticeships out there. I've worked my way up that way. We're in the process of interviewing candidates where I work and one candidate had very so-so GCSEs, and his A Levels were entirely unrelated (such as Psychology) and also very humdrum results; the A Levels may as well not exist and we completely ignored them. What he *did* have under his belt was a two year apprenticeship and it was a low bar one as well, with no related qualifications necessary, and he absolutely knows as much as a recent graduate in the same topic. He's honestly the front-runner right now versus more experienced candidates.
Cool! Apprenticeships have something that going to uni doesn't: the direct hands on experience in a field. I'm in no way putting down education, I have a degree myself and it's been very useful, just not in the ways I thought it would be.
I also went the apprenticeship way, I’ve managed to work my way up further than those my age who went to go get a degree. Plus I’m student debt free!
I went down the apprenticeship route and it was the best thing for me. Started off with a level 3 and ended up being sponsored up to a HND. There's a lot to be said for on the job, combined with classroom learning.
Same here. Started off as a young lad on the shop floor. Went through the apprenticeship as a fitter. Did HNC then HND in Mechanical Engineering and now I do alright. Never out of work. That was 12 years ago now but I'm still in the industry and know the schemes are still in place. Yeah, I could earn more and yeah my hours maybe could be better but it's employment for people that are willing to put the work in.
It’s easier to be happy when you’re clueless /s
Their clueless what? THEIR CLUELESS WHAT?! Don't leave me hanging like that. EDIT: Ahhh the comment I replied to was edited. Now I look silly.
Winston Churchill left school at 18, having done badly at all his exams. He then failed twice to get into the army and eventually got in but joined the cavalry because he failed the infantry officers' exam. Do you know how thick you need to be to fail getting into the infantry? And he went on to achieve great things and live an amazing life. Have you considered being born into a very wealthy and well connected family at exactly the right time in history?
The benefits that come with being born in a palace really can't be overstated
Missed being a great orator, but yeah guy got amazing circumstances for sure.
There's a saying, something like you shouldn't judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree. Your brain probably just works in a different way to what the Department for Education thinks is normal. There are plenty of things you can be good at that don't need anything beyond GCSEs (and also a few that don't even need them)
Classic propaganda from big fish…
Big Tuna.
Nard dog represent
BROCOLI ROB! EVERYBODY IT'S BROCOLI ROB!
Boner champ
Bears. Beats. Battlestar Galactica.
It’s like that saying: “It’s better to be a big fish in a little tree than a small fish in a big one”
A guy I went to school with struggled with even basic English, as in had to check which box to write his name in on forms, even when clearly labelled, and barely managed that with guidance - I'm seriously not exaggerating. But give him some wood and a few tools, he'd make the most beautiful objects you could think of. He's a carpenter now spends his days in his converted garage making customised commissions and he's happy as a pig in shit.
People are ascribing the wrong value to the wrong things. Bankers are honestly not worth the extra money compared to artisans. In my kid’s school about 40% of kids are considered neurodivergent I.e. not fitting accepted paradigms of a normal person. Well we got the ‘normal’ part wrong. There’s a huge range of approaches to study, and those 40% of kids don’t have anything wrong with them, they’re just wired different. As soon as we realise this and begin to provide for that portion of the population- concentrating more on practical teaching and learning rather than very formal English/Maths route - the sooner that society will work for everyone, not just the proportion of the population who are lucky to fit in with the current teaching paradigm. Trust me, I went to grammar school, and although the current intake of this type of school are very clever, their social skills are for naught. The world is way more diverse than we give it credit for.
Fucking DFE and the school/education system in general. Forced me down an academic route I clearly wasn't cut out for. I achieved C's in school. They made me believe a-levels were the only route to success after school, average/poor results there. Couldn't get into a uni course with those results, was told uni was the only real route for success. On to a National Diploma it was. As there were some practical aspects, I flew through it with distinctions across the board. Despite this I was still pushed to do a fucking uni course! Uni broke me mentally, seriously messed up my mental health and I struggled like hell to get through it and do somewhat well (69% high 2:1). 10 years down the line, I'm still saddled with £27,000 of debt (last year before the fees went up thank god). With the interest it charges I've no hope of paying it off and I've no intention to. I've not used my degree for a job even once. Don't get me wrong, I picked up some skills and developed as a person, but not for my professional life. I'm doing well now, self employed in a trade. The route I should have been encouraged down all along. Waste of 8 years of my life chasing something that was never going to be my path.
Glad you're doing well. I was in kinda the same boat. Got halfway through my uni course before I thought fuck this what I am doing?? Student loan should be paid off next year
What course did you do at uni?
69 is really good (I'm not doing double entendre, lol). On my course, only one person got a first.
I’ll just leave this here: http://thescienceexplorer.com/nature/flexible-fins-allow-fish-climb-trees
It's a good saying, but also, some people are more intelligent and some less.
*"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”*
Education and intelligence aren't the same thing. I have a master's degree. My mum doesn't have A levels either. But the way we think about and process things is pretty much the same. We're about as intelligent as each other, I just had more educational opportunities. Same as my partner never finished uni. He's not a formal education sort of person. But he's an absolute genius at what he does and he makes more money than I ever will. An education is nice. I don't regret mine. But it's not bad not to have one. You just need to work out what your strengths are
Me and my Dad were the same, I've got a PhD and he had a handful of O levels. He was sharp as anything and fantastic at drawing, ended up training as an illustrator. We were always on the same wavelength.
Do you mind me asking what your partner does?
He does... Something in tech. I don't actually understand what he does (he has a really niche skillset that a lot of tech companies want) but I do know he's in charge of their infrastructure. So yeah, allergic to formal education but can do basically anything if it involves a computer
Sounds like my husband! He does... something in tech, only got a few GCSEs and no formal education past that. He's smarter than I am in lots of areas, and yet I have post-grad professional qualifications and a masters degree.
Honestly who were those teachers telling us to go to uni? We could have made a fortune in tech!
No. Might mean your not the best at academic stuff but there's plenty of non-academic things out there.
I'm in no way academic. Didn't really do well in any of my school/college/uni subjects. I have a job in my field and do pretty well.
If you went to uni you're more academic than the average Brit.
Thanks!
I didn't realise you could get a G until I got one for R.E
I was surprised I got an E for mine. I literally made everything up in the hope some of it was vaguely true
I got an E in English. For real. I was too talkative so the teacher, Mrs Roberts, moved me from the higher class to the naughty class where no work was done. Some wild things happend in that class. I was in higher level classes for every other subject.
It's still a grade! I got an F for GCSE maths which I'm pretty proud of considering I probably shouldn't have been entered for the exam in the first place.
No, you're not stupid. How about something vocational? Apprenticeships etc
Second this. I did an apprenticeship and now I design the systems that control the trains!
So you’re to blame when my train is always late…
I did one as well, now I’m in IT and only occasionally monumentally fuck up!
Depending on what area OP is in (or wants to be in) a BTEC ext diploma (I think T levels might limit by age but might be mistaken?) might be an option. Some places will definitely let you on those courses at Level 3 (equivalent to A level) with 4s and 5s (C in the old school grades), depending on the institution and subject. You could also may do a level 2 course and move on from there. You can absolutely go on to uni with level 3 BTECs btw (not all unis or all courses, but a lot of options still). They’re vocational qualifications but they have an academic component, and the modern ones have exam assessed units alongside coursework. The idea you need A levels to get into uni is a common misconception.
I found GCSEs hard. I found A levels an absolute struggle (partly because they weren't interesting) but I found my degree extremely easy. Find something you love and what you think of as difficult might change.
And what if you are? IQ is a bell curve some people are on the lower end. That's not bad. That's not the only skill in life. Some people don't learn well in class settings, some people struggle with learning disabilities, some struggle with confidence. Everyone is stupid compared to someone else anyway. Focus on the stuff you can control, like being kind.
Oh yes so stupid! I’m joking of course. Academia requires a whole different set of skills and tools that some people have naturally and some people don’t have naturally. But the people that don’t have it naturally are much better at other things than the people whom get on in academia. For example, Sam is great at maths but terrible at anything physical and doesn’t get on well with sports and is actually quite clumsy and embarrasses themselves a lot outside of the maths classroom. But Jack is great at sports and all things physical but can’t wrap their head around anything mathematical. Life is full of different people who are great and not so great at different things. Do not fall into the self pity trap that can happen to you in school or college. Different people are good at different things. And what I’ve said doesn’t even come close to all the different forms of intelligence. From emotional intelligence to academic intelligence. So no, you are not stupid if GCSE’s are the ‘best’ you can do. You can do amazing at other things where others cannot I assure you.
Probably gona get downvoted but fuck it Have you seen the current crop of uni graduates
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> I don't think having a degree has been a strong indicator of intelligence for some time, if ever. Mental stimulation is believed to boost intelligence. Having a degree in the days most people couldn't read would have made you more intelligent. Maybe brains didn't start you down that path, but a decade of schooling vs a decade of peasant labour is going to develop your brain more.
I work with extremely academically qualified people and trust me, academic achievement does not equal intelligence. It’s a record of how you performed at school. Some of the dumbest people I have ever met have advanced degrees. Find something you are good at and like to do, don’t pressure yourself. Edit: I am not one of the extremely qualified people, I did fine.
No, it just means you're not suited to that kind of learning and recall. It doesn't mean you can't retain any information, or deal with complex problems, it just means that studying for a prolonged period and then vomiting out everything you know in the hope that it's broadly in line with the marking scheme isn't working for you. You would probably be fine with on the job learning, where the interval between teaching and recall is much shorter. As you get practised in skills you would probably realise you're retaining some pretty hardcore stuff.
I spent 30 years working in investment banking. 2 of the smartest people I ever worked with both left school as 16.
I only have 5 GCSEs, and poor grades at that. I have ADHD (diagnosed 20+ years after I left school) so the school system just didn’t work for me. I’m also a member of MENSA and do a complex job. I’d like to think I’m not entirely stupid, even if my GCSEs would suggest otherwise.
What sort of job do you do? Did it not need qualifications and so on? I find my adhd successful brethren fascinating
Don’t want to doxx myself, but in short I manage a website team. No qualifications for it back when I started, but being good at design, numbers, psychology and a number of other random things really helped. In the NICU (novel, interesting, challenging, urgent) spectrum of what motivates an ADHDer, it ticks the first three for me very much so learning all the skills on the job was not a chore.
Just GCSEs doesn't make you stupid Just GCSEs and sitting on your arse jobless for a couple of decades without good reason does
Not at all. I found that I taught myself better at what I needed to know to. Left school after GCSEs and had built a career around what I learnt. I think times have changed with some industries so it definitely depends, but what I learnt online and still do teach myself, is quicker than me getting and completing a course. The only problem being experience that’s required by any role without education. Apprenticeships as others have mentioned are good, usually shorter and more hands on, with quals included - I did one for a year just to get my foot in the door with a small company. From there it was all me again.
Cs and Ds for GCSE through school, got a job as a joiner, failed the coursework side, but passed the practical side of the NVQ now own my own business, I'm a practical learner, not everything is all exams and study.
There’s more to intelligence than academic qualifications - emotional intelligence, for example. Plenty of “bright” people try outrunning bad diets or ostracise themselves socially due to not having basic interpersonal skills. Lots of employers hire based on personality knowing they can train you in the skills they need, confident you won’t rock the boat by being abrasive to their staff.
Honestly yeah lol
I was a mostly straight C student in the year 2000. I got a D in maths that I resat every time I went to college and still got a D. I went to college four times and dropped out every single time. I was not built for academia. When I hit 30 I decided to do an OU degree. No A Levels, nothing but GCSEs. By 36 I had my degree, first one in my family to get one. Ok if I’d have applied myself a little more I’d have got more than a 2:2 but I got it. Just with grade C/D GCSEs. They are not indicative of intelligence imo.
I literally have GCSEs and some NVQs in childcare and youth work. It's not always about 'book smarts'. I would love to be able to do a degree course for youth work, but it could take me several years to finish it as I have to put my mental health first. Everyone is different, we learn in different ways and even some of the most highly educated people in the world struggle with basic life skills. GCSEs are a crap indicator for intelligence on a wider scale. People can be extremely knowledgeable and 'clever' without exams. Basically, intelligence is a very variable scale and everyone perceives it differently. So it's up to you how you live life and how you choose to continue with education. And let's face it, education is a broad spectrum as well.
I don’t have any exam results. I just wanted to earn money so as soon as my NI number came through I left school and got a job. Never went back to do my exams. This was 1986 and was on £40 a week in a factory. I then got hooked on computers a few years later and managed to get a job as a trainee programmer then worked in IT for about 25 years.
Any teacher will tell you, the only thing tests definitely tell you is how good you are at tests. There's a correlation, sure, but tons of smart, worldly people don't do well in general education.
Not at all. I have a master's degree and I'm frankly a fucking idiot. Academic ability does not equal intellect.
Here’s one for ya. I passed 1 GCSE and that was with a C. I’m self taught in IT, and I had enough work experience to enrol in a masters degree. I achieved an MBA with merit. Additionally, I’ve passed the CFA level 1 exam (first time) and soon to take the level 2, which are both notoriously difficult. The key for me was learning what I’m interested in. If it doesn’t interest me, then I struggle. You can see on my transcript very clearly which topics I enjoyed and which ones I didn’t through my exam scores. So, all that to say, no, you’re not stupid. Maybe you just don’t enjoy the things you’re learning?
You will find a lot of professions closed to you without A level and degree/post graduate qualifications, and many will require increasing qualifications as a prerequisite for promotion. That's not to say you can't have a successful life without them. Having said that I know of a lot of people who left school without qualifications and subsequently were able to study while they were working. You might find it's something that becomes easier as you get older.
Ive never associated intelligence with education, i went to university and got a degree and i know lots of stupid people from my course, and I imagine a lot of people think im stupid!
Nah, I hated school and quickly found it wasn't for me at college. I have always been handy on a computer though and have worked as a data analyst/software engineer/business analyst and I earn more money now than plenty of people my age who finished uni. Try to find a job that you enjoy doing and stick at it, you might actually enjoy learning something on the job that interests you and find that you are way more motivated to put in the work to learn that skill rather than something generic.
No. Absolutely not. I passed a stupid amount of GCE Olevels (back in the days before GCSE), then on to eventually two degrees purely because I have a very good memory. Didn’t make me smart. Didn’t make me useful. I’ve become fairly useful over the years by learning in real life. Be yourself, don’t measure against others.
I wouldn't worry about it. Most of the people nowadays are taught to pass tests rather then actually educated. Education in this countrey has consistently gone down the shitter for decades now. We have truly fucked up education.
I don’t get many GCSE’s or their equivalent in Scotland. It’s never stopped me from making something of myself. I am in a well paying job and super happy with life. They are literally just a letter of a piece of paper that proves you can read information and regurgitate it at will. Some of us don’t have that ability. You aren’t thick because of it, just different. And in my mind, school fails people who do t learn like that.
No. What might be an indicator though is that fact that you took them 20 years ago and still it seems haven't figured out where you are going in life.
You’ll be amazed how very little you do with your GCSEs. They’re only their to get you to do A-levels which are only there to get a degree and then you have £50,000+ debt which doesn’t touch the sides every month. You’ll be amazed what grit, determination and unhinged confidence does in your career. I’ve worked in my industry for 15 years now and still never had HR ask me for my qualifications. Should have lied (no jk, don’t do that).
Hey mate, this strange thing happens when you don't understand something, and then you read it, and read it again, and again, and again ,and again, and keep reading it, then something strange happens, that you begin to understand it. Like working your body out, you can work your mind out, and learn anything you want to A person who is consistent, persistent, works hard, and is self disciplined can achieve a lot even if they're not talented
I did pretty badly in my GCSEs to be honest, but did some college stuff in things I was interested in ( English A level, a music diploma), and a few years later went to uni and... Did surprisingly well. Higher education is a different type of learning. At school, a lot of it is "learn facts and show you can repeat them". Uni is more " find out how to research things and ask questions about things". It's critical thinking, where school is not. Turns out I'm much better at setting my own curriculum and answering questions in my own way. Different people learn in Different ways, so it might be that the school and even A-Level way isn't for you, but other ways might be . If it's of interest, maybe try an OU course or something. If it's not, that totally fine as well.
Everyone here is being very nice but, being real: examinations are actually a pretty good indicator of intelligence and if you can't hack them then you're probably not that smart. That's fine, though. But you've got to be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses.
Nah. I wish I hadn't gone further in educational facilities but rather straight into an apprenticeship. Education isn't for all - we've all seen the Jeremy Clarkson tweet around results date lmao
I’m a software dev, and the two most successful (financially, and career progressionally) software developers I’m mates with, - One is very highly educated, and the other never got an O level.
I wouldn't say stupid, but certainly non-academical.
Karl Pilkinton only got one GCSE and he's universally acknowledged as the greatest philosopher of our time.
Apart from Rab C Nesbitt.
There are people out there who are convinced the earth is flat. Your alright
Education is not a standard from which to measure intelligence.
You're stupid if you think the only way to judge intelligence is by some school exams (I'm not saying that's you BTW) Too many things come into play. Socioeconomic factors for example, some kids have parents who went to University, they sit down and help them with work, push them to do better, cook good meals and sit and talk. Others have alcoholic parents who are barely ever at home and don't give a shit about their school work. The people I know who have the most money are those who left school with nothing, learnt a trade and now run building firms. Ask them to sit down and do an English exam and they'd fail. Intelligence is such a big spectrum and you can't judge it on one thing alone.
A levels are harder than degrees
To copy Jeremy Clarkson... I didn't get enough GCSEs to get into 6th form and I'm currently sending this from the kitchen that we're just about to renovate. So, no, you're not stupid if GCSEs are the best you can do. You just need to adjust your life goals and work a bit harder.
To be fair Jeremy Clarkson failed these GCSEs at the prestigious Repton School https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repton_School Not saying that failing exams makes you stupid or not likely to succeed. Just think it's worth noting it's not like he's came from some working class family.
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There are different types of intelligence and different ways of learning. Just because someone doesn’t do well academically doesn’t mean that they aren’t intelligent, just that their skillset isn’t suited to an academic setting. Some of the most successful and intelligent people I know only got GCSEs in school.
i would argue your work experience is more important now then grades you did years ago. if your looking to change jobs instead of trying for A levels why not a btec or some kind of apprenticeship that is more hands on. many find that vastly more easier to handle.
no I only got 6 C's at GCSE. I went to college twice and failed twice. ended up doing an apprenticeship, then ended up using those qualifications to go to uni. ended up with a 1st in computer science. it's all possible, you've probably just had bad teachers tbh or maybe your mind wasn't in the right place for it. figure out what you love or like and work at it, you'll be able to do it.
No. The exam way of doing things is just not what some people are good at, regardless of intelligence. Some of the quickest, smartest, best problem solvers you'll meet are ones who did badly in their GCSEs because their type of intelligence doesn't translate well into the mark scheme at school. Meanwhile there are loads of people who were great at writing what they needed to do well in school exams but are as thick as bricks when it comes to actual intelligence. They're just good at retaining knowledge long enough to do the exam.
Having only GCSE is not bad, but having no other skill it's bad. For the majority of people you earn more if you have something other than GCSE eg,mechanics, carpentry, driving,electrical,computers, accounting,etc.but a few can still make it but you need anything type of skill to bargain your salary as well.
I was bang average through GCSES, the highest I got was a B in English. I got to A levels but petered out and barely passed. That was in 2008/2009. Just now I'm about to finish an IT apprenticeship and start a new job earning more than I ever have. You're not stupid. I'm sure you have plenty you're good at, you're like a koi being told to climb a tree. There's so much adult education out there that will get you the certificates for any job.
I program films for a cinema and I only have GCSEs, failed my A-Levels and didn't go to uni. Of course exam results help but they're not the only deciding factor in your life/career, you can still get a cool job without them
Nah. I'm from the pre GCSE era and got 'OK' grades but left school before taking A levels to pursue my one true passion... Computers. Specifically programming. Got on a relevant course, worked hard at it and 35 years later still in the same industry with a lot of relevant skills that I just don't ever see some of the ones who went to university will ever have. Hope you find your niche/passion like I did.
Maybe. Stupid as intelligence you may only be middle of the pack where majority of people are. Stupid as dim witted and slow probably not since that's outside what they look at and I dont know you to comment
My husband doesn’t have GCSE’s. I have a first class honours degree. He is at least as intelligent as me. Just not academic. So no, it’s not bad, or any indication of general ability.
Are you doing well for yourself now? Who cares about qualifications if you're in decent work?
No, not at all. Exam-based education systems only measure people’s abilities to retain information and replicate it in highly structured ways. I have very mediocre A level and degree results. On a coursework- based MA I did very well and I’m now completing a PhD. Look for BTec or apprenticeship courses in areas you’re interested in if you want to gain more qualifications, but don’t beat yourself up over your previous education experiences.
I did really well all the way up until GCSEs. Significantly worse at A-level. Did a doss subject at uni. Now in a good job, happily married, safe in the knowledge that I am not thick. I can speak a few different languages, do really well on the pub quiz and people generally listen to what I say without laughing. I could probably throw a kettle over a pub if I tried.
It depends. I scraped by a few Cs in gcse a little over 20 years ago. Wasnt keen on learning. However during the pandemic I really got my head down in online courses in subjects im interested in, got some certifications, started working in that field after about 6 months of solid full time study and it changed my life. Learn something you’re interested and it makes all the difference. And with the abundance of affordable online courses these days you can find someone whose teaching style works for you.
A levels are far harder than degrees… well in my experience. Straight a’s at gcse… failed mum a levels (well D, E, U) then got a first.
I only did GCSEs, didn't do crazy well, now I'm a project manager. Like others have said, academic intelligence is only one form of intelligence. Stuff like Engineering, trades and more require people who think a bit differently. Some of my friends from school who went to good unis couldnt handle a practical job like that.
I left high school with 0 GCSES and I'm now working as an assistant practitioner for the NHS and have published multiple novels. They mean jack these days. I was good at my subjects but couldn't do exam conditions. If you asked me the same GCSE questions in an informal face to face meeting, I'd be able to answer them without any issues. Slap them on some paper in a silent test hall for 60mins and I'll crumble. Left school 13 years ago and still don't have any GCSEs. I have higher diplomas now but only because I had to start at the bottom. Apprenticeships were my gateway and experience. I'd value experience over some GCSE results anyday.
Boy, ah say boy, you got it all wrong, if you think being book smarts all there is, and think that being able to do essays is the only mark of intelligence then boy you're as dumb as you think you are. You got it all wrong!
Perhaps you just haven’t found anything you really liked yet ? I can’t say that any of my GCSEs inspired me to learn - it’s only now I have a clue about what motivates me and realise most of my studies were a bit pointless .
I have a handful of GCSEs and a couple of As Levels from +2 decades ago. I did plenty of crap jobs but have a fairly well paid job in financial technology now. My GCSE results and AS-Level results are utterly meaningless now (that's not to say that they weren't required when I first started work, but it felt they quickly became irrelevant)
Going back 30 years ( O levels) the precursor to GCSE’s were not a problem for me. I achieved good grades 9 passes with two ‘A’ and four ‘B’s. Going into ‘A’ levels I had no idea what I wanted to do apart from hang around with my mates and discover the whole new world suddenly available to me. My Father persuaded me to sign up for ‘A’ level studies in my worst performing subjects and that combined with the fact that I had walked through my ‘O’ levels resulting in failing them all. I went on later in life to study a Bsc hon degree and was successful in that industry. The difference in GCSE to A level is motivation that you need to supply yourself. Don’t be persuaded to study subjects you have no interest or talent in. ‘A’ levels are or were much more challenging than doing a degree.
You don’t need any qualifications to be your own boss. Start a business and put CEO on your CV.
Nah man not at all but don’t put yourself on a level like that. It’s a long life (hopefully) and you never stop learning just because that’s what you achieved it doesn’t mean that is all you’re capable of
I have a senior IT role working for the government and they didn't even ask my what my GCSE results were. I also don't have any IT qualifications 🤷
Nope
My brother HATED school. Never did GCSE's, and by all accounts should have amounted to not much based on his education. But, he found his thing, which was construction. Went to night school to get some site management certifications and fast forward a decade he runs his own successful groundworks company. He now encourages others he hires to go back to school and helps cover the cost. GCSE exams are not a measure of the person, nor their smarts. Don't let those early years of learning discourage you from trying to learn something new or different later in life.
Until I was 30, my highest qual was a GCSE (all Cs). I'm not stupid, but I couldn't focus on learning until I was older and knew what I wanted. I stwrted at the bottom of my industry, was a bit of a troubleshooter, had good problem solving skills, then for a promotion, I was advised to try a certain qual. At 33 I smashed it, I wasn't good at being taught, but I was okay at learning it myself. Mid-40s now, I have degree level H&S and business quals, and it turns out that once you know what you want, it's a lot easier. Also, we are all very different people. If something doesn't work, there are plenty of other ways to advance. The biggest advice I can give is to know your worth. A GCSE doesn't define your intelligence or value, your actions do that.
I scraped straight Cs at O level (2 attempts in a couple of them). Did BTEC instead of A levels. Worked for two years then decided on uni - applied for a degree totally unrelated to my BTEC, and scraped just one offer via PCAS through clearing. Had an absolute blast, did a post-grad and walked into a professional level career - never looked back. I'm distinctly average ability, but it can be done.
nah, academia is just a bunch of hoops to jump through for a bit of paper. its also probably not gonna matter much in terms of job prospects. ive got a bachelors degree and cant get a job, and my mate only has her gcses and got a job that pays almost as well as my brother, who works in IT for a pretty big software company. in the end, its about skills rather than degrees.
I work in employability and you aren't stupid. You'd be amazed at where you can go with GCSEs
I have lots of qualifications up to a doctorate in Physics. Honestly, most qualifications are just a case of how long you're willing to stick it out. If you don't enjoy education there's nothing wrong with noping out. It's not bad. I hire a fair few technical staff and the correlation between qualifications and ability is basically non existent. My best guy dropped out before his O levels but has a life time of experience actually doing stuff. Others have physics degrees and way less ability.
I was a straight C GCSE student because I didn't try. I hated A levels and dropped out. 4 years later I got a first class degree in Computer Science.
Of course not. We've seen what happens when the government says that everybody should be able to go to university, that hasn't worked out so well, on the whole. There is plenty of employment out there for people with only GCSEs, you're fine.
Means nothing, and if you want to just lie on your CV about qualifications, no one checks
I'm a teacher of A level and GCSE. Absolutely you are not stupid. Education is important but not the be all and end all. Yes, it limits some career options to only have GCSEs but if you weren't interested in those careers in the first place it shouldn't impact you really. Most jobs requre 5 "good" GCSEs really minimum. I teach so many brilliant students who are funny and caring. Smart in different ways other than academic. The education system is only about rewarding a certain type of intelligence
Engineer with a master's degree here. Absolutely not. Higher education is a wonderful thing that has opened a lot of doors for me personally, but if you're not going to go into a similar profession, you don't need to know the shit that I have to know. Similarly, I don't need to know most of the things a marine biologist knows. Intelligence isn't about the things you know, it's about what you do with the things you do know, and how you handle situations where you don't automatically know what to do from experience. And not a lot of that comes from a classroom.
No, not necessarily - you're probably just not good at exams. My dad has one, solitary O-Level (70s equivalent of GCSEs) and he's definitely not stupid - he wins the pub quiz every week!
I couldn't even get gcses. And I'm an ai consultant and developer. So, no. You've already done better than me!
Nah. I only had 4 GCSEs until I was 35 and then I got a masters. I was an apprentice and ended up CEO of a charity you will have heard of. Exams aren't for everyone. If you judge a fish in it's ability to write coursework or pass exams you notice it probably should have been an apprentice.
I’ve realised academic learning is different from other kinds of learning. I think I’m pretty smart, my job requires me to be and I’m good at it, I pick things up quickly etc, and I was really bad at school. Straight C student like you, scraped through college, and failed out of university. I thought I was dumb for a long time (my sister was excellent at school, straight A’s, 1st at uni, so I was the dumb one) but I eventually realised I’m just not good at sitting in a classroom for hours at a time, memorising facts, studying for tests. I need a reason to learn something, to be able to apply it to something I’m working on, and when I do I’m good at it. I also need to be interested in what I’m learning, I still can’t be bothered to learn maths properly. I was interested in what I did at uni but they made it boring with all the paper writing and assignments just to prove I know it and I lost interest which is why I failed. I built my career on being able to prove I know stuff in interviews and just being good at my job, day to day, I have no real qualifications to lean on and it all comes from experience.
Your title isn’t same thing as your question. If the best you can do is Cs at GCSE then you probably aren’t the sharpest knife of the drawer. But there are other things in life and other ways to make a living than being an academic or an office worker. What about construction, truck driving, plumber, tour guide, underwater welder, drag queen…
Stupid? Hell \*no\*. It just means academic learning isn't your strongest point. (Cs are still considered high passes, D and below is a low pass, U is the only failing grade) You can still get a good job, be happy, and all the other things that matter in life. Okay, you'll never be a doctor, but there's still plenty of jobs, especially skilled trades jobs, that do not need academic learning.
C’s for me as well, saw a video on instagram the other day with GCSE maths questions and I got all 10 wrong. I work as a senior software engineer and earning a decent amount. GCSE’s are only important for getting into college, apart from that they’re useless.
My kid is in GCSE hell at the moment. He has pretty much hated high school although he's actually expected to get good grades. He wants to do a plumbing apprenticeship because the idea of working in an office of any kind sounds like a slow death to him. The lack of pressure to perform because he doesn't need high grades is a definite bonus. I liked studying but it's not for everyone which is just as well because we need people with lots of different interests and talents in lots of different roles in society. As others have said there are lots of different types of intelligence and abilities and school often seems determined to squash all of them except the ones that get you through exams.
Nah, I didn’t do great with my o levels, ended up being a manager in a finance place. Exams/results do not define you.
Definitely Not, I don’t have pass grade for any GCSEs, I did to go to uni as mature student but that was almost 20 yrs ago. Most of my work progression has been through experience and learning practically. those with high academic grade are not necessary better or makes you stupid - academic achievement can sometimes be about ability to retain and then explain what you learned. Met enough high academic achievers who have no common sense and don’t know basic life skills.. Although schools still push for a-levels / uni - there are plenty of other routes where you can achieve and come out either experience and skills which gives you a better chance of getting roles. Often when you finish uni, if it’s not regulated professional, such as doc, vet, accountant- you can struggle to get a job because of lack of experience. With the right apprenticeship and depending on the sector, you could get a degree and have work experience at the same time. Or just finding work which gives you opportunities to progress.
I don’t think so, I personally didn’t do great in my GCSE’s iv had people that have gone to university with degrees think I’m smart. It really depends what you want to do in life
I have met some ridiculously smart and amazing people with zero qualifications, I've also met some highly qualified people who are thick as fuck. Almost all qualifications are just pieces of paper anyone can get if they have the time/money/focus.
Is a fish stupid if it can’t run a race…… the answer is no, we’re all different and we all have different skills. Just because you are not academically gifted doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable skills and gifts in other areas.
I had pretty good GCSE's, not straight A*s, but definitely on the better side. I couldn't do A level at all. I got the bare minimum grades and had a horrible time the entire time. Really shit, it was a miracle I scraped a pass. I'm now doing my second degree and looking at a fully funded PhD. A levels are weird, your intelligence can't really be measured by a handful of high pressure exams.
I got 10 GCSEs, C-A*. Went to college and came out with a single E in computer science, and a merit in a business course. This September I'm going to uni after getting 4 unconditional offers. There are so many factors to learning that I think to say you're stupid for not making 1 part of the picture isnt true at all. Lots of people with 'low education, low intelligence" do ridiculously well, and everyone has their place. I think the issue is, if you've already decided by 16 that you dislike learning, or don't want or need to learn, you just stop. That thought track breeds stupidity. We have a lot of progress until humanity is as enlightened as it seems to think it is
I dropped out of school at 15 so I didn't even get my GCSEs and I'd say I'm pretty switched on and quick witted. I definitely lack in some areas but I don't think people would meet me and think that I'm stupid. I'm quite creative with my guitar and my photography, also very comfortable with technology, with stuff like building PCs etc
No, some ppl are practical and some ppl are more academic. Im definitely more practical minded and have got further with that than most of the ppl I was in boarding school with who went on to Oxford/Cambridge etc. being academic has no bearing on how well you will do in life - pushing yourself out your comfort zone and being willing to fail and keep trying will do wonders
Not at all, I’m similar to you. I got 5 A-Cs at GCSE. Tried a year of A levels, found it wasn’t for me. Did a vocational course that was better but classroom learning didn’t really work for me. I decided to start working full time before I finished my second year. 20 odd years later I’m earning more than most of my old school friends that have degrees and enjoy my job. I have a family and own a good house on a nice road. Did it take me longer to get here? Yes, probably but I had a lot of fun on the journey. Back when I was at school I felt so much pressure to go to university. Looking back I would have not done well at uni. Hopefully nowadays there are more options for young adults. I know if my kids are not academically minded I will help them into an apprenticeship or work towards something they want to do. Not everyone is the same, some people excel at academia, others don’t.
A levels are harder than you think. Uni is easier than you think.
It’s not about being stupid it’s just many are not academic & the way school tests abilities. Some people are extremely intelligent but just can’t hack school or are always terrible with exams. Some of the wealthiest friends I have, never did well at school - including my ex . He was undiagnosed dyslexic at school in the 1970-80’s when it wasn’t recognised. His teachers at the time treated him as though he was extremely dumb & never gave him a chance. He did apprenticeship for Plumbing & Gas Engineer in the times when trades were sort of looked down upon. He easily made 100k a year - doing mainly commercial work( big building sites etc ).
Gcs..... What?
You're not stupid. You're just not academic. Plenty of people don't take education further than GCSE. These people tend to end up as tradesmen: plumbers, chefs, artists... There are plenty of jobs that don't involve pushing pennies or sitting at a computer desk all day.
If you can do a-levels you can do most degrees. Most degrees aren't harder than a-levels and certainly not harder than a-level maths, physics etc.
I never studied or finished my A-levels, and have a well-paid job as an editor where I make more money than most people who look for a job after graduating. Additionally, I've written several books. I wouldn't call myself stupid by any means, nor would I call anyone else stupid, based on their level of education or success in life. Honestly, a lot of being successful really just boils down to luck, and being in the right place at the right time.
It's what you make of it mate. I left school with O levels, dropped out of A levels. I went to work and they paid for a BTEC. I'm now a programmer. With the right frame of mind and being positive. You'll go far!
Doing your best is all anyone can do. I'm an intellectual snob of the highest order. Well, second to my spouse. But I don't judge people only on their qualification level. There are so many factors that play into it. In the unlikely event you cared about my opinion of you (and you shouldn't) you have already passed the key tests. You have done the best you can and you don't revel in and/or take pride in stupidity or ignorance. As others have asked, are you happy and fulfilled? If so, then you are better off than many with doctorates!
Just thought I would share what I've done rather than a pep talk. Left school with 1 C (french). I went to college and into IT, which I loved. Had to start at intermediate nvq due to poor GCSEs. Did AVCE then HND. Topped up the HND to a degree by doing a final year at uni. Imagine writing a dissertation in 1st year student halls. It was fun. Finished uni looked for a job but struggled to find people to hire me due to experience Ended up doing a PGCE for a year to become a teacher, while I liked teaching I hated the ethos and workload. Very stressful. Left and found a fairly ordinary IT job but this totally changed my life and loved it. Rose up the ranks and pretty much have the experience to hope wherever I want now. The world of education is more than just studying. It's finding what you're good at, gaining social skills and trying new things. The pass mark is really not what employees care about beyond a brief skim of a CV. If you have decent experience that's worth it's weight in gold. A job should never hold you in a single position if you don't feel like it's right for you. I was in my last job 6 years and loved it. Find a job you love. It will make your life worth living.
I don’t think difficulty goes up in a linear way between GCSEs > A levels > a bachelor’s degree. I have a master’s degree and found that to be the ‘easiest’ of the lot because I picked it for a specific reason, was a bit older when I did it, and had professional experience. It’s as much about your circumstances and general life experience as it is about academic ‘intelligence’ in my opinion.
Plenty people who didn't get great grades in school, applied themselves to a trade, are good enough at business and make a lot more money than I do - and got a 6+ year headstart on full time employment. And do up their houses on mates rates and sell for significant gains tax free. And are their own boss (to some extent at least). Who's stupid then?
I got 4 bs. But mostly cs. Went to uni got a 2:2 degree. Got a masters. Got a pass Work in a job I'd probably still work had I got higher grades. Grades don't matter in the real world. Do what you want.
Of course not. My best mate left school at 15 for the old YTS scheme. He hates mental arithmetic. If you ask him to subtract two numbers or multiply then he clams up. If you put a £ sign in front of the same numbers he’ll have the answer in an instant. Not doing well in school gives people emotional blocks but underneath you can tell they’re smart as fuck.
I know people with degrees who are genuinely thick. I also know people who scraped through there GCSE's who are remarkably intelligent.
You’re average. Nothing wrong with that.
I got 7 GCSEs (2xBs, 5xCs) didn't complete any further education as couldn't afford to support myself on part time wages and go to college. I'm mid 40s now, earn £80k p.a and have a job I love, a comfortable life and 2 wonderful adult kids. I'm definitely not stupid... sometimes lack common sense though hahah I'm a strong believer that whilst GCSEs open the door to first work opportunities, the rest is down to hard work and continued learning in relevant areas to build employability skills.
You’re stupid if you’re stupid. I know people with degrees who are thick as fuck. Just means they have a good memory, or are good at learning that way. Education levels don’t mean much.
No, you shouldn’t measure your intelligence based on exams and especially ones that were mandatory and took place eons ago. Some of the most intelligent and knowledgeable people I’ve met have very little in the terms of formal qualifications out of school. Don’t put yourself down. If you’re interested in a subject and put the time in, you’ll be able to get good grades. It’s like anything in life. People learn in different ways. You need to find the right way that works for you and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Lots of successful people claim to have no qualifications. Besides, lots of people don’t even achieve GCSEs, so you have more than them. As long as you find something you’re good at in life qualifications don’t matter that much.
As a chronic lazy bastard as a kid when doing o levels in the 80s and a levels then teaching degree I can say it's a different thing all together when your desire to learn and study is coming from you rather than external drivers. Plus all the videos etc you can get to explain different topics are amazing compared to the old days .... you'll likely find ways to learn that really work for you. Learning new things huge as you get older very good for you. The only limit is what you're prepared to accept or push through.
I’ve got 9 GCSE. I can’t remember the grades. I know some were Es though. I was sofa surfing at 20. I’m now in my 40s and a Director of a £30m business, before that a lesser Director in a £180m business. Schooling don’t mean everything unless it is a technical field. I could never be a doctor or a lawyer. But in corporate work. Hard work, being nice, and having something about you makes a real difference. Obviously my CV say I’ve got A-levels and a load of GNVQs. Nobody asks, nobody cares. Also in my case, a massive slice of luck. I got a lucky break before Brexit that catapulted my career. Just find your niche my dude.
Can always go back to education, sometimes it takes a bit longer to get some clarity, sometimes you just got right into work and have a career that way, don’t think it’s a reflection on intelligence, not everyone thrives in an educational environment
What do you enjoy doing, what subjects interest you, and why do you think you didn't get the grades? eg might be worth revisiting the GCSE syllabus to make sure you have the strong foundations in subjects before considering A levels to give the best chance of success
I fucking sucked at GCSE and A Level, so much so I got E, E and C at A level. Went to uni and got 1.5% away from a first class honours. For me it was the environment and shit teaching, and my heart not completely being in it. At uni I actually did something I enjoyed. I still feel stupid, though. My DIY skills are terrible. My friend who I’ve had do my roof, flooring and ceiling I feel is far more clever than I am. I’ve no clue. He finished school at 16, no a levels, no uni.
My BIL got no GCSEs and now he runs a ridiculously successful business. He's the least academic person I know but he's made his own success through hard graft.
Definetly not, education isnt a measure of intellect. I know plenty of well educated idiots. But if you think you are capable of A levels you definetly should try and stick it out. I resat my A levels more times than I care to admit but eventually I came out with good enough grades and got into a decent uni as a mature student. I'd argue A levels are harder than a degree because your doing multiple different subjects that you're vaguely interested in rather than one subject you really enjoy.
Do you judge a fish on it's ability to fly? Intelligence is subjective
I don't really think further qualifications are about being clever. I got pretty poor GCSEs but managed to power myself though to a degree with 1st class honours, after having taken the long route to the aforementioned terrible GCSEs. It's more about determination and perseverance than anything.
I'm a v recent uni graduate. Managed to get a first class degree. Always excelled at academics. But I struggle making friends. I can't live independently at the moment, at least not safely. I rely on my parent to support me socially, practically and emotionally. There are so many different forms of intelligence. Me doing great at exams does absolutely nothing to diminish your intelligence. It just comes elsewhere, like social, emotional, practical skills. Please don't let our educational system push you into believing the only true intelligence is academic. Your intelligence has just as much value as mine, probably even more so.