Last week, I found myself talking to the woman working at the till in co-op. The conversation had started when she told me I shouldn't cheat, implying the dodgy writing on my hand was for a test I hadn't revised for. I laughed and whispered ‘don't tell anyone’. She crossed her heart and said ‘of course’. We then continued talking for a while whilst she served other customers waiting in the queue.
Firstly, she asked me whether I was in sixth form or college to which I replied begrudgingly and I complained about the work load. Our conversation went back and forth until she told me that she went to college 4 years ago, but she dropped out. She had been skipping her lessons and not doing her assignments until the college told her that they would either kick her out of college- which would be on her record, or that she could drop out voluntarily so she chose the latter and dropped out of college. However, she did re-apply but she didn't turn up on the first day because she ‘couldn't be bothered’.
Whilst I was annoyed with her reasoning, I did feel slightly sorry for her as she had it all planned. She was taking a Travel and Tourism course to become a flight attendant. You're probably thinking that seems simple enough, why couldn't she just stick it out right? She's happy about what's she doing now though. Yes, she's working in the co-op... but she has also taken up photography and she's thriving in it, there aren't any lessons for her to skip or assignments to hand in late either. She's far happier than what she was before.
We ended our conversation there as a grouchy customer was just about to kick off. Her final words to me as I left was ‘who needs college? It's a waste of time!’. That had me thinking my whole walk back home. Why do you need to go to college or sixth form? 2 years of your life to achieve 3 or 4 A Levels? Is it worth it? I'm in the middle of my first year of sixth form, in my opinion, it's one of the best things I've done, but on the other hand, the work load overpowers any type of extra curricular you may be involved in. Sometimes I completely regret the fact I chose to go to sixth form but there's no changing now so I've got to put up with it.
The woman I met really shed light on the idea that maybe, sixth form or college isn't worth it. I want to be as happy as she is doing something I love - and if she achieved happiness not even going to college, then why do I have to go? Why does any teenager have to go to pursue their dreams?
These years are meant to be the best years of our lives… so what are doing sitting at school for 30+ hours a week? What's so great about that?
Sade Williams, Coloma Convent Girls School
