Comments on: Educate Me http://jonathandavies.org.uk/educate-me/ Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:20:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Olivier http://jonathandavies.org.uk/educate-me/comment-page-1/#comment-4291 Olivier Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:39:46 +0000 http://jonathandavies.org.uk/?p=531#comment-4291 Not knowing what to do of your life is quite normal, and think lots of other people (even adults) are still looking for there place in the world. All I know is that opportunites are offered to you many time during live, and it's up to you to see them and embrace them. and if you miss on opportunity, it's ok. I also notice that being in classroom while it's still important for you education, is not real life. You are in a closed environement where everything and everyone is focused on the same topic. I'm glad the internet exists to day, giving more opportunities to people. That's what I think this is important to have no-school related activities, a job... School is for education, activites, jobs are a way to get opportunites, tests, way to find your path into the world by testing many ways. Funily, I'm exaclty in a very weird situation for me. I left my previous job (the contract just ended). The human ressource guy just gave me a job offer which might be interesting, and actually it is. Today, after 2 weeks working for the new company, I'm worried, I think I just did a mistake working for them. But before coming to this conclusion, I just find myself in a state were I didn't know what do to, were I was going, what I will do in the next days, weeks, months. (it's quite difficult to resume my current experience as I'm right living it). All I want to tell you is today you don't know. With the different experiences you will have, you will fail and you will have success, and with these you will find yourself your way. And there are no bad experiences, because they will tell you what you like or not and what you want to do, and where you want to go. As you might see, I'm not someone who knows where I want to go very precisely. But I try to have goals and try to reach them. Here is a little a little resume of my past activites, I hope it could help you : at 18, I didn't really know what to do. I "followed" the crowed going to the University. I selected to study Computer technology, but failed. I choose to go for biology. With this, I fixed my goal to be a biology teacher. I got even involved in a school exchange, studying one whole year in Germany. Back in France, I failed at the teacher exam. Followed a huge reconsideration of my goals. I really was lost. I got the opportunity from a friend and teacher who see my disappoinment. I followed his advice and followed a special year in Information Retrieval. Not that I was into this, but this was used as my "off" year, used to rethink without "loosing" a year. After that, I decided to go for Web developpement. That was my new goal. I left the university at the end and started to look for job, and telling my friends around about my decision. 4 months later I started to work for a startup as web dev et designer. My first goal reached, I needed another one : linux sysadmin. Still while working I learn eveyrthing about linux, administration etc... all by myself. 5 years later I'm linux sysadmin in small company. My next goal was selected from my past experiences with clients, companies I met. And I wanted to be a Project Manager. Today this is what I am... I go even further and take the opportunity to work in Switzerland, 800km from my "old" place. I'm meeting new people, new cultures, new point of views, and certainly new opportunites. And yes I still don't know what tomorrow will be done, I'm always a little axious, and this makes me go forward. Not knowing what to do of your life is quite normal, and think lots of other people (even adults) are still looking for there place in the world. All I know is that opportunites are offered to you many time during live, and it’s up to you to see them and embrace them. and if you miss on opportunity, it’s ok.
I also notice that being in classroom while it’s still important for you education, is not real life. You are in a closed environement where everything and everyone is focused on the same topic. I’m glad the internet exists to day, giving more opportunities to people.
That’s what I think this is important to have no-school related activities, a job… School is for education, activites, jobs are a way to get opportunites, tests, way to find your path into the world by testing many ways.
Funily, I’m exaclty in a very weird situation for me. I left my previous job (the contract just ended). The human ressource guy just gave me a job offer which might be interesting, and actually it is. Today, after 2 weeks working for the new company, I’m worried, I think I just did a mistake working for them. But before coming to this conclusion, I just find myself in a state were I didn’t know what do to, were I was going, what I will do in the next days, weeks, months. (it’s quite difficult to resume my current experience as I’m right living it). All I want to tell you is today you don’t know. With the different experiences you will have, you will fail and you will have success, and with these you will find yourself your way. And there are no bad experiences, because they will tell you what you like or not and what you want to do, and where you want to go.
As you might see, I’m not someone who knows where I want to go very precisely. But I try to have goals and try to reach them.
Here is a little a little resume of my past activites, I hope it could help you : at 18, I didn’t really know what to do. I “followed” the crowed going to the University. I selected to study Computer technology, but failed. I choose to go for biology. With this, I fixed my goal to be a biology teacher. I got even involved in a school exchange, studying one whole year in Germany. Back in France, I failed at the teacher exam. Followed a huge reconsideration of my goals. I really was lost. I got the opportunity from a friend and teacher who see my disappoinment. I followed his advice and followed a special year in Information Retrieval. Not that I was into this, but this was used as my “off” year, used to rethink without “loosing” a year. After that, I decided to go for Web developpement. That was my new goal. I left the university at the end and started to look for job, and telling my friends around about my decision. 4 months later I started to work for a startup as web dev et designer. My first goal reached, I needed another one : linux sysadmin. Still while working I learn eveyrthing about linux, administration etc… all by myself. 5 years later I’m linux sysadmin in small company. My next goal was selected from my past experiences with clients, companies I met. And I wanted to be a Project Manager. Today this is what I am… I go even further and take the opportunity to work in Switzerland, 800km from my “old” place. I’m meeting new people, new cultures, new point of views, and certainly new opportunites. And yes I still don’t know what tomorrow will be done, I’m always a little axious, and this makes me go forward.

]]> By: Felix Tang http://jonathandavies.org.uk/educate-me/comment-page-1/#comment-4274 Felix Tang Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:50:22 +0000 http://jonathandavies.org.uk/?p=531#comment-4274 I was just like you when I was in 5th form, didn't know what I really wanted to do. I was always car guy but always got hooked up by video games and reading PS3 magazines. I thought of computing or graphics design so I can get into this industry. This then changed when I found some info about Automotive Engineering from a Carreer book, given at the end of 5th form. I somehow felt an unexplainable spirit just filled me. Since then i started reading car mags instead (not Max power but tuning mags) that tells me bonkers of info about everything. And then I started researching Unis that offer courses, what A-level required and went straight for it. This was it really and when I got into Uni I met friends who have same interest (obviously) and all of them have got so much more experience than I do that made me feel as if I was nothing. One of my friend (who spent 3 years in college instead of Alevel and is a race car scrutinieer)can even tell a tyre tread was fit in the wrong way, in a glance! Some even has a racing licence which I drolled for ages. I could go all on about what I wanted to do and hasn't fulfilled yet because of who and what I am. But my advice is this: plan backwards. Think of want you verociously want to do(as in extremely enthusiastic about it and is not a problem to earn a living) before finding university and all that. What I wanted to do has to have a certified degree from uni so I had no choice. So you need to make sure about that. I was just like you when I was in 5th form, didn’t know what I really wanted to do. I was always car guy but always got hooked up by video games and reading PS3 magazines. I thought of computing or graphics design so I can get into this industry. This then changed when I found some info about Automotive Engineering from a Carreer book, given at the end of 5th form. I somehow felt an unexplainable spirit just filled me. Since then i started reading car mags instead (not Max power but tuning mags) that tells me bonkers of info about everything. And then I started researching Unis that offer courses, what A-level required and went straight for it. This was it really and when I got into Uni I met friends who have same interest (obviously) and all of them have got so much more experience than I do that made me feel as if I was nothing. One of my friend (who spent 3 years in college instead of Alevel and is a race car scrutinieer)can even tell a tyre tread was fit in the wrong way, in a glance! Some even has a racing licence which I drolled for ages. I could go all on about what I wanted to do and hasn’t fulfilled yet because of who and what I am. But my advice is this: plan backwards. Think of want you verociously want to do(as in extremely enthusiastic about it and is not a problem to earn a living) before finding university and all that. What I wanted to do has to have a certified degree from uni so I had no choice. So you need to make sure about that.

]]> By: Ed Parry http://jonathandavies.org.uk/educate-me/comment-page-1/#comment-4253 Ed Parry Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:24:20 +0000 http://jonathandavies.org.uk/?p=531#comment-4253 I'm in a pretty similar boat as you, Jonathan. I have one more year of college then "university". I think I will go, because a degree would be highly useful. But then this afternoon, we had a presentation given about gap years. I've never really thought about them before, but they spoke about a journalism opportunity in China for a year. I don't know if thats a field you're interested in, or whether your online writing is simply an enjoyable hobby. If you're unsure what to do, or as you said want to get out into the world and explore, it might be worth considering a gap year. You could try many possibilities of your own companies, work experience, or simply touring the world, and then return for a degree afterwards if you wanted to. Just a few ideas. :) I’m in a pretty similar boat as you, Jonathan. I have one more year of college then “university”. I think I will go, because a degree would be highly useful.

But then this afternoon, we had a presentation given about gap years. I’ve never really thought about them before, but they spoke about a journalism opportunity in China for a year. I don’t know if thats a field you’re interested in, or whether your online writing is simply an enjoyable hobby.

If you’re unsure what to do, or as you said want to get out into the world and explore, it might be worth considering a gap year. You could try many possibilities of your own companies, work experience, or simply touring the world, and then return for a degree afterwards if you wanted to.

Just a few ideas. :)

]]> By: Chris Leigh http://jonathandavies.org.uk/educate-me/comment-page-1/#comment-4252 Chris Leigh Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:36:09 +0000 http://jonathandavies.org.uk/?p=531#comment-4252 I absolutely know how you feel; it's just a little worrying that you are reaching this point somewhat earlier than lots of other people - it is quite common in the upper sixth form. However, most sixth formers seem to want only to have a year out in which they accomplish very little of value. I definitely think you should do sixth form, then I think I would (if I could afford it) take a year out where I went abroad and did something truly altruistic - such as working with street kids in Mumbai - which would broaden my horizons and show me what life is like outside of a UK boarding school. Don't stick in Mumbai for the whole year, sample lots of cultures, but getting involved at street level like this will teach you a lot more about the world and about yourself than the globe-trotting hedonism which seems to be the aim of so many. Then you will know yourself and what you want to do with your life far better and will be better able to decide what you want to do and whether university furthers that aim - or simply saddles you with debt and wastes four years. If you do go to university you will then work harder and with more direction - I saw this with my son who got a proper job between school and university and was way more mature than many at uni and hence coped better with the university culture. There is no harm in applying for university, then deferring the offered place for a year, then possibly dropping it or taking it up as you feel. I went to university and look at me now (don't comment please!); my brother deliberately did not go to university but went straight into business and did extremely well financially. Of course, money isn't everything, but then neither is a university education. What do you want to do with your life - that is key. I absolutely know how you feel; it’s just a little worrying that you are reaching this point somewhat earlier than lots of other people – it is quite common in the upper sixth form. However, most sixth formers seem to want only to have a year out in which they accomplish very little of value. I definitely think you should do sixth form, then I think I would (if I could afford it) take a year out where I went abroad and did something truly altruistic – such as working with street kids in Mumbai – which would broaden my horizons and show me what life is like outside of a UK boarding school. Don’t stick in Mumbai for the whole year, sample lots of cultures, but getting involved at street level like this will teach you a lot more about the world and about yourself than the globe-trotting hedonism which seems to be the aim of so many. Then you will know yourself and what you want to do with your life far better and will be better able to decide what you want to do and whether university furthers that aim – or simply saddles you with debt and wastes four years. If you do go to university you will then work harder and with more direction – I saw this with my son who got a proper job between school and university and was way more mature than many at uni and hence coped better with the university culture. There is no harm in applying for university, then deferring the offered place for a year, then possibly dropping it or taking it up as you feel. I went to university and look at me now (don’t comment please!); my brother deliberately did not go to university but went straight into business and did extremely well financially. Of course, money isn’t everything, but then neither is a university education. What do you want to do with your life – that is key.

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