British education

My report as I came 1st in all subjects says ... "Could have done better if she tried harder" I graduated at age 14 with 8 O Levels took 9 but failed History as I hated it) and entered college in the US at 15 in 1963. Guess I should have tried harder.

I don't understand the questions either.

 

Years ago when I was at college, I still remember the words of my lecturer.

He said the minimum percentage to get a distinction (the highest possible grade) was 80% Then he went on to say, of course if you make a mistake one in five times in industry, you'll either get sacked or promoted.

 

Everyone will rise to their own level of incompetence, or something like that.
The usual approach to the management to where I used to work.

 

I was involved with recruitment at one of my last jobs before retirement, have to say I was surprised at the general lack of knowledge, I had graduates with degrees that really were worthless, I felt there had been a general dumbing down to hit targets and percentages of passes, I tended to employ older people with some experience and common sense rather than the go getting graduates, most had very narrow fields of learning that was often not applicable to the work they had applied for and more worryingly, they couldn't see that. Wanting to start higher up the ladder, not work their way up with actual results.

 

When i left school i didn't past any exam's but i still got through life and had a good-ish life, ok i wouldn't have been PM but i managed things i wanted to do, i'm still thick (no bits of paper to my name) but when i was at school i just couldn't learn thing's, as being tone deaf which i didn't know about till late secoundry school (as it was normal for me) hearing the teatcher was hard, then i had to go to hospial for an op and when i went back to school i couldn't spell words i even asked the teacher how to spell "it" and she gave me a slap on the back side so it put me off asking again, then one teacher started asking things and i was then given one to one teaching for a while which was with a very good person, she showed me a way to spell words which was to break the word down ie yesturday would be broken down to yes tur day then things started to get better, but even at home being number 2 i didn't get much help so didn't bother much when i was young and lost my confidence

 

That's another education related bugbear of mine.

I'm only just old enough that when I was 18, university was still largely considered to be for posh swots. I only went part time, one day a week while working the rest of the week for next to nothing, learning from people who actually knew the subject I wanted to learn. I never got a degree. Only a HNC. It's never held me back because I could demonstrate good industry experience.

Then gradually, university started to became an expectation. Then the brainwashing started. Or as I see it, the farming of kids. People became convinced that unless they get a degree, they'll never achieve anything. Worse, the flip side was if they DID get a degree, they could expect a starting salary of 40+ grand. I feel so sorry for all those that fell for the brainwashing, gave up four or five years of their earning potential, a debt the size of a small mortgage, only to find they struggle to get an offer for a 20k salary because people with actual industry experience know that a graduate is typically worse than useless for the first year. By worse than useless I mean not only can they not make a significant contribution yet, but they also take significant amount of time from the more experienced folks that have to coach and mentor them until they start getting up to speed.

 

You should try the wood work industries.
I the last 20 yrs of my working we only seemed to get the ones that were told they had to get a job, regardless of what it was.
Result, we only really got applicants that were no good at anything and mostly time wasters.

They were never really interested in the job or the subject just a pay packet, until that became boring as well.

 

I worked in Personnel for Hozelock in the 70s and this was their ethos. We had very few youngsters in Corporate, mostly over 40..

@ clueless I am 100% with your thinking.

@ Jiffy I think you are a great contribution to our society.

 

I always remember getting a report from the Technical instructor at Nautical College (the class was equipment fault finding and repair) which said, "John has little or no practical aptitude".
I spent almost my entire working life as a Maintenance Engineer in High Vacuum equipment and the Semiconductor industry. Fake it till you make it!

 

That's why its stuck in my mind.

 

They teach that at school, how to be enthusiastic during an interview, after that you dont have to bother.