Published on 12, July, 2020
Just curious about people who slipped through the net, so to speak. How did you cope with school? I developed quite good ways of hiding how much i struggled. It helped that i was in most of the bottom sets, as no one really cared back then. I was in the top set for biology, i excelled in that area. Nothing else part from sport. I hated going in every day, i was like a zombie....i literally cant remember my last year in school. Ive blanked it out completely.
I coped very badly, constant bullying and anxiety, lashing out at the bullies which always got me into trouble. I did do very well in maths and art though (and a very early computer studies). couldn't wait to leave but I went straight into the old YTS scheme doing computer studies and all the same things happened - bullying, being the outsider etc. All this without knowing about Autism.
School sucked
Paul said: the old YTS scheme
Ah yes, that old thing.
I had an interview a well known quarrying / stone masonry company but I was told that my grades were too good, I was too intelligent, and I would get bored. Better look elsewhere.
I really wanted to work with stone, building, sculpting etc. But apparently I was too smart haha.
meh.
That sounds pretty cool tbf
Yeah, I really wanted to do it. Later on I looked at stonemasonry courses at the local tech. But they were only accessible to mature students and people already working in stone masonry, WTF
I then pursued various forms of engineering for a bit, but for that, I wasn't really smart enough or I did actually get bored hahaha.
I felt out of my depth and bored, so I walked out and went skateboarding instead, bumming about, being a delinquent etc.
Shortly after, someone steered me toward art after seeing some sketches I'd done. I applied for art A level but didn't have any work to show beyond a few pencil drawings, they gave me a summer project as an entry test. Based on that, I got in.
It was a college arts diploma including 3 A levels. I got top grades and a distinction, apart from art history. There's definitely something about history.. haha.
The rest is history, as they say. Lots of ups and downs, successes and failures. But at least I'd found my 'thing'.