At 16 years old, did you know what you wanted to do when you left school? Did you have a plan? Or did your parents have aspirations set in place for you? I certainly didn’t..
When I was at school I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, I looked at studying health and social care and had my heart set on doing the course. I did it for 2 years and applied for an apprenticeship in theatre work at the local hospital in hope that one day I would get myself onto a maternity course but life clearly knew what I wanted way before I did and has blessed me with 2 beautiful girls, one in which is due to arrive very soon.
I also loved catering at school, the coursework was the hardest part and I’ve never been good at the nutritional side of it all but I’m pretty good at whacking a family meal together and by doing the course at GCSE, I gained basic life skills which helps me on a day to day basis e.g cooking dinners for my little family, basic hygiene etc.
Alongside Health & Social care and Catering, I also looked into studying Law at one point, Ive always been really interested in anything to do with law especially after reading an article in the paper once about criminal defence solicitors. I love watching all the programmes on the TV and solving all the problems so I thought it would be a good route to go down. I once wanted to be a police woman!
But having my children young was definetely the best thing to have ever happened to me. I might not have been able to gain the qualifications I wanted to get onto the higher courses but I don’t regret it one little bit. Don’t get me wrong I do sometimes wonder what life would be like if I had stayed at college but I really can’t imagine my life any other way now.
I feel like despite ‘dropping out’ at the last minute, I have still achieved quite a lot over the past few years. Since leaving school I’ve moved into my own home, had my first daughter, learnt to drive, built up a business being self employed and am currently very pregnant with my second baby girl. I think sometimes life just knows what you need before you do and I feel so lucky and grateful for my little family.
If I’m completely honest, at 16 years old I don’t think anybody really has a clue what they want to do with their lives which is why I hate that schools push it on you to make such a final decision when 2 years down the line you might completely change your mind. My advice would be to always follow your heart and just go with the flow, you never know where life is going to take you / what lifes going to throw at you next. Live for the now.
