No Wrong Path

With Scottish exam results received in the last week, I know there will be some people who have been left bereft because they did not gain the results they expected.

I just want to say to you, it’s not the end of the world.

Of course you will have invested a lot of hard work, emotions and time on these exams, and that’s hard to take when you haven’t got the marks you thought you would. That feeling of utter disappointment will fade over time.

There are options. I wish I had known this when I didn’t do quite so well in my high school exams.

I failed Maths 3 times and I still cannot get my head around anything other than basic mathematics, and sometimes I struggle with that. This lead me down the path of choosing a degree that didn’t have a high pass rate for maths to gain entry and also didn’t have maths in the course itself (or so I thought, but even Social Sciences has maths, cloaked in the disguise of ‘Research Methods’).

I have used my degree in some aspects of my career, but I could have ended up in the same position if I had not studied at university, but instead chose to volunteer and gain experience through working. I wish I had known this when it was important. I would have stressed less in school, enjoyed university more and not have worried about studying as much as I did.

I remember a teacher from high school saying that exams only test how good a memory you have, they do not test what you are good at or passionate about. I agree with this wholeheartedly.

None of this matters now, as I find myself down a path that I could never have imagined – jointly running an accountancy practice with my husband. I am happy, challenged and continually learning.

Every day is a learning day, you’re just not standardised tested on it!

Enjoy your journey, whichever path you choose.