What were you good - and bad - at in school?

[Pale Rider]

For some reason my thoughts turned the other day to my less than spectacular passage through a state grammar school.

English was my strongest subject, by which I mean stuff such as comprehension, grammar, and precis, rather than what we called English literature - plays and novels.

History was something else I found relatively easy.

Contrast that to modern languages - French and German - at which I was the class duffer, couldn't grasp either at all.

Being able to read, write, and spell has stood me in good stead, but I doubt the rest of it has made much difference.

What were your good and bad subjects?

And have the good ones been of use in later life?

 

[Drago]

Good - Science

Bad - French, chemistry

Good - Rugby

Bad - Badmjnton

 

[Levo-Lon]

Everything that used my feet and hands..if it needed a pen i was foooked..
Tho i loved tec drawing science and art

 

[cyberknight]

Good at science but i never really excelled as i got sweet FA support or motivation to do try hard as parents were to busy with younger brother "darling " of the family who still can do no wrong whereas i cant do any right even now .

 

[machew]

Deliberately miss-reading the instructions for Chemistry experiments. If 1 gram of the chemical can do that, what can ten times do.
Plumbing in the Chemistry lab, oh look the gas and water pipes have the same fittings, what happens if we swap them over?

 

[raleighnut]

I wasn't allowed to do Woodwork or Metalwork at school (my Father chose 'acedemic' subjects in the options) So being a bit of a rebel I have worked as

• Motor Mechanic
• Foundry Moulder (green sand)
• Cabinet Maker (after a full-time 2yr course to get my 'City and Guilds' qualification)
• Shopfitter/Exhibition Contractor.

to you dad.

 

[gavroche]

Good: French, won a first prize in essay writing. Must emphasize I had a French education.
History, won first prize in that too.
Maths, so long as it didn't involve algebra and trigonometry.


Bad: Science, English ( rather ironic really).

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Good - Maths/Physics/Chemistry/Biology/Business Studies/English/English Literature

Crap - Languages/Geography/Sociology/Woodwork/Metalwork - zero interest in any of them. Purgatory!

Refused to participate - RE. I don't think there was any official opt out back then? I used to have to go and do 'private studies' on my own. Was a right hoo-hah about it too.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I was, (and I remain) hopeless at maths. Flunked GCSE with an "E", and had to retake the subject in 6th form, finally scraping a "C" at age 17.

I was good at Geography, and chose it as an A level subject. It may be happy coincidence, but I've eventually ended up in the travel industry in a role that requires a fairly geographical mind.

What it means is that I'm at ease travelling and working with other cultures, but I'm crap at doing my expenses when I get home.

 

[nickyboy]

Good : Maths, Physics, Geography, Sport, winding up teachers, doing minimum I could get away with

Bad : Art, Woodwork/Metalwork

 

[Illaveago]

I was good at Art and I quite liked Logs, and Trigonometry but couldn't understand mattresses. Mediocre at English, was just starting to get the hang of French when they stopped it. Enjoyed History, but then it became too political, Disraeli, Gladstone, if it involved Aeroplanes or flight I did well but otherwise not so good. I enjoyed Physics but was dismissed as a "Waster" just because I was sat at the back of the room, the fact that they were the only seats left didn't count.

 

[welsh dragon]

I loved history and still do. Rubbish at just about everything else. I was bored rigid with everything. Left school at 15. Even so i managed to have a good career, reaching a managerial position before retiring years earlier than most. Totally crap at maths. It was almost like being dyslexic. Even so i was and am very good with money.

In my school everyone gravitated towards the back of the class. The only seats left were at the front.

 

[LonesomeWanderer]

Rugby, Physics, Maths and English were my strong ones (those first two might be connected :-).

French was pretty weak. Then I became Friends with a few French people at university so my French is now a lot stronger but my English is rubbish.

 

[summerdays]

Rubbish: English , French, Classical Studies

Good: Chemistry, Maths, Geography

I was buying a birthday card in a shop, I think it was £2.70 or £2.30, a week ago. I was a little surprised the shop assistant reached for the calculator to work out the change from a £10 note, but held my tongue, until she was typing it in for the third time as it kept coming up with answers such as £1.50. I just told her the answer, but I doubt she would have known if it was the correct one! But then I struggle with how to spell things all the time, she might have been better than me at spelling.

Edited to correct spelling mistakes

 

[marinyork]

Was very good at Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Geography. Good at everything else except PE where having a very weedy physique didn't help.

The good ones have been of no use whatsoever in life after school. I was on a walk last night talking about the destinations of engineering, chemistry and physics graduates and outside further study and teaching so few of them have jobs that aren't taxi driver or retail worker.