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

[LonesomeWanderer]

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.

This is pretty much why, despite getting A grades in physics, I switched to computer/software stuff. I feel that sitting in front of a computer twiddling knobs all day is completely different from sitting in a car twiddling knobs all day.

 

[midlife]

I got a "U" at O level French, a grade I am proud of to this day

Shaun

 

[vickster]

Languages main strength (degree in German and French), also English and history. I am rather rubbish at any maths beyond arithmetic (although I did somehow get a B at GCSE). Appalling at art, even my stick men drawings are crap. PE too being a big lump (height vaguely useful for netball I guess)

I wasn't allowed to do physics GCSE, not that I wanted to! Probably should have done Chemistry instead of Latin at GCSE (my other B and another lucky one, the only time I've ever rote learnt translated literature!)

 

[Lullabelle]

My maths grade was higher than child care and developement, says it all really.
I have a job in accounts and no kids

 

[Mrs M]

I was good at art, home economics, French and English (writing stories)
Absolutely useless at maths, just looked like gibberish on the page
Also rubbish at netball and was always left standing on the sidelines, until one day I scored a spectacular "goal" from one end of the court to the other, with my back to the net launching the ball over my head

 

[RoubaixCube]

I was a more a jack of all trades and master of none. Rather ten focus on what i was or wasnt good at I'll tell you what i liked or hated.

Hated: maths
Loved: music, Design Technology, PE, IT/Office Applications.

Neither of my grades were that good. I planned to join the army when i left school anyway. Didn't actually join in the end... One of my biggest regrets.

When i left school i wanted to be a musician or a carpenter but ended up doing more IT studies and not even being able to get a job in it when i finished as there was too much competition... Story of my life

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Most things seemed to come pretty easily to me at school. 1st and 2nd year saw a wide range of compulsory subjects though where I was pretty dismal at metalwork. How ironic that I went on to be a welder. From 3rd year on where it was subjects I'd chosen though it was fairly plain sailing except Higher Maths. Got an A for the O Grade but dropped the subject after prelims at Highers cos the teacher was more interested in a different kind of O grade.

5th year I was really good at bunking off and exploring practical biology with my first real girlfriend, something that affected both of our grades.

 

[ColinJ]

Good at every subject that I studied.
Not so good with people!

 

[biggs682]

Good . Geography, History and Rugby

Bad . French ( taught by a Welshman ) R E

 

[ufkacbln]

We were very lucky

I went to the St Ivo School in St Ives, Cambridgeshire and we had some inspirational teachers.

There was a group called the "St Ivo Entomology and Natural History Society" which was exactly what it said on the tin, and had a large animal collection from the usual Hamsters through Boa Constrictors, Tarantulas and Gekko. We held about 200 different species

This was the part of School that was the most important part for me. Exhibiting at London Zoo, Natural History Museum and I still remember meeting David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell. Being seen as a serious group was a superb experience at 13

We would spend most weekends and often school holidays maintaining the collection as our responsibility


I also remember the "Games" we used to play. In Geography we spent a month as Companies building mines, getting our stuff from mountain ranges to cities, engineering etc

By the time we were finished we had an understanding of why the company with good communications was likely to fare better than one wherein was difficult to move across mountains or a desert

It was an experience as a whole that I valued then and now

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I was utterly useless at maths, could not see the point of it at all. However, I then studied economics/statistics (don't ask how that happened with me having no maths qualifications!) at Uni for 2 years and found that I could look at the most complicated formulas and they "clicked" as I could see the point; whilst I packed in economics/stats after 2nd year it has stood me in good stead in previous jobs and my current job, much to the frustration of many a financial and performance analyst when I point out their errors within seconds of getting their spreadsheets/projections

 

[Lee_M]

Good at maths and physics

Rubbish at anything sporty as I was small for my age

Also crap at forming friendships and was bullied by the son of the RE teacher - so much for religion.

Regarding Physics mentioned earlier I got my degree in physics but like a lot in my era moved into IT as that was where the jobs were and the analytic mindset helped in those days

 

[Tin Pot]

What were your good and bad subjects?

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

Good
Maths, English, Sciences, French, Law, Psychology

Average
CDT

Bad
None

Of Use
Hard to say, all of them to a degree. The advanced maths, not so much. Quick mental arithmetic has impressed a few people at work, speaking rudimentary French does as well when abroad. I think a good understanding of how the universe and how people work is a good grounding for all aspects of life.

 

[Julia9054]

Good at most things academic especially maths and science.
Disliked anything involving extended writing.
Hopeless at art and PE.
Actually, I disliked school as I found it boring and constraining and tended to pursue my interest in science out of school as an avid reader.
I occasionally muse on the irony of ending up as a school teacher. I hope my lessons are more imaginitive and interesting than the ones I had to endure.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I did the absolute minimum possible at skool, a discipline I've managed to maintain throughout my working life.