If school is not for you
True life story of a young person who left school early.
How do you know if school is not for you? Through my own experience, I found that I just wasn't interested in what we were doing in the school. One thing led to another and I found myself acting like a pure d!*k and disrupting classes with my excessive messing, talking, and arguing in class.
Of course this meant that the rest of the class were being held back as well. Because I had no interest in what we were learning I could not and would not study. At the end of the day I knew I could not pass my leaving cert without studying.
It was then that I decided to leave school but of course I did not leave with a plan. I had 3 options at this stage in total, (Well 4 but I didn't want to be a bum for the rest of my life!!) I could have gathered myself to stay for a few extra months and pulled through my exams, but I couldn't do that. The advantage of this would have meant I could have stayed with my friends for the rest of the school year and looked for a college course I had interest in.
Another option I had was to do a trade, but I had no interest in this either. If you were to choose a trade, I think FÁS is the direction to go as they offer a lot of courses such as building, carpentry, and plumbing and you get a weekly allowance. Nowadays an apprenticeship is important for whatever trade you are thinking of doing. After this you will be qualified in the trade you have chosen. You will meet new people, some you like and some you don't like, but that's all part of personal development and stuff.
Another option is to do a Youthreach course. This is what I have chosen and I love it. I started last January and I am now starting a part-time course in Derry in Music Technology. In Youthreach you will do some modules like food, cookery and maths. There are no exams but you will be assessed throughout the year and your final product will be corrected. For your work you will get a small wage at the end of the week, which is nice.
Now, I am not telling you to leave school, but if you do make that choice: try and have a plan. When I left school people thought I was going to be a waster and that really made me feel bad. Now that I'm doing something for myself I feel I've made the right move.
Anonymous
Find out more about education options.
This article is part of the SpunOut.ie true life stories section – a space for young people to share their experiences of tough times and encourage others to seek help. This story is just one person's experience and it may be different for you. Remember that no matter what you are going through, there is help and support available. See the Find help section for more information: http://www.spunout.ie/help/
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