Grade your life so far
Discussion
Gary29 said:
It depends from what perspective you're looking at it from. If you're the wrong end of the scale, then yeah I'd probably be viewed as doing pretty well. But from further up the ladder then I'm mediocre.
I've got that classic British trait of being so self-deprecating, that I actually fail to afford myself any feelings of pride in my achievements.
I'd probably give myself a 6.5/10 if I had to put a number on it. Definitely some potential I have failed to fulfil, and time wasted that I'll never catch up on.
I can relate to that.I've got that classic British trait of being so self-deprecating, that I actually fail to afford myself any feelings of pride in my achievements.
I'd probably give myself a 6.5/10 if I had to put a number on it. Definitely some potential I have failed to fulfil, and time wasted that I'll never catch up on.
I've always been fairly intelligent but relatively lazy. Exams at school were a cakewalk but I could have done better. Most (if not all) of my achievements i can put down to my parents (and then partners) pushing and encouraging me (also greed and envy are great motivators
) .I'd give myself a C-. My dad and granddad achieved far more without all the advantages I had
Difficult to judge. I did well at school but didn’t put in any effort and that tripped me up at university and I got thrown out. I had no money, no girlfriend, no degree and a crap life (living at home on a council estate and working for a pittance at a local company doing quality control).
I met my wife and managed to turn it around completely: two degrees, two professional qualifications, successful career, lived and worked in 6 countries, 9 languages, strong relationships with wife and daughter, financial security and overall I’ve been relatively healthy (some problems through hobby related accidents).
I think from my lowest point an A+. I certainly didn’t foresee my life panning out as it has when I was 21.
I met my wife and managed to turn it around completely: two degrees, two professional qualifications, successful career, lived and worked in 6 countries, 9 languages, strong relationships with wife and daughter, financial security and overall I’ve been relatively healthy (some problems through hobby related accidents).
I think from my lowest point an A+. I certainly didn’t foresee my life panning out as it has when I was 21.
Hmmm,
At school, lot of hassle with bullying until last year. C's and B's, couldn't really concentrate at school.
I guess most on here would put me at a D- for career etc. Few years off 50 and doing the same job for 26 years. So maybe an E. Never had a day off sick in my life. Including paper round started at age 11. That included 2 x Sunday rounds!
As a person I hope a B+.
Overall I feel like a B. Good family, although no kids myself. Cars I want, live out of the way of towns. Enjoy life for the most
At school, lot of hassle with bullying until last year. C's and B's, couldn't really concentrate at school.
I guess most on here would put me at a D- for career etc. Few years off 50 and doing the same job for 26 years. So maybe an E. Never had a day off sick in my life. Including paper round started at age 11. That included 2 x Sunday rounds!
As a person I hope a B+.
Overall I feel like a B. Good family, although no kids myself. Cars I want, live out of the way of towns. Enjoy life for the most
Wolfer said:
Hmmm,
At school, lot of hassle with bullying until last year. C's and B's, couldn't really concentrate at school.
I guess most on here would put me at a D- for career etc. Few years off 50 and doing the same job for 26 years. So maybe an E. Never had a day off sick in my life. Including paper round started at age 11. That included 2 x Sunday rounds!
As a person I hope a B+.
Overall I feel like a B. Good family, although no kids myself. Cars I want, live out of the way of towns. Enjoy life for the most
You were at school until last year ?At school, lot of hassle with bullying until last year. C's and B's, couldn't really concentrate at school.
I guess most on here would put me at a D- for career etc. Few years off 50 and doing the same job for 26 years. So maybe an E. Never had a day off sick in my life. Including paper round started at age 11. That included 2 x Sunday rounds!
As a person I hope a B+.
Overall I feel like a B. Good family, although no kids myself. Cars I want, live out of the way of towns. Enjoy life for the most
Countdown said:
Gary29 said:
It depends from what perspective you're looking at it from. If you're the wrong end of the scale, then yeah I'd probably be viewed as doing pretty well. But from further up the ladder then I'm mediocre.
I've got that classic British trait of being so self-deprecating, that I actually fail to afford myself any feelings of pride in my achievements.
I'd probably give myself a 6.5/10 if I had to put a number on it. Definitely some potential I have failed to fulfil, and time wasted that I'll never catch up on.
I can relate to that.I've got that classic British trait of being so self-deprecating, that I actually fail to afford myself any feelings of pride in my achievements.
I'd probably give myself a 6.5/10 if I had to put a number on it. Definitely some potential I have failed to fulfil, and time wasted that I'll never catch up on.
I've always been fairly intelligent but relatively lazy. Exams at school were a cakewalk but I could have done better. Most (if not all) of my achievements i can put down to my parents (and then partners) pushing and encouraging me (also greed and envy are great motivators
) .I'd give myself a C-. My dad and granddad achieved far more without all the advantages I had
ETA not bothered by that and very happy with my personal life so win win.
Edited by Bill on Wednesday 3rd July 18:47
At school (local grammar via 11+), I did pretty well:
O levels - 11xA, 3xB
A levels - 3xA 1xB + S level grade 1
Failed 1st year at uni (Physics at Oxford) due to weakness in maths.
Switched to another uni on a 4 year thin sandwich course in Applied Physics. Came top in years 1 and 2, then failed year 3 (lost interest in physics, and found the computing irrelevant and out-dated compared to the IT work placements I'd done at the likes of ICI, IBM etc).
Got a job in IT, and met my future wife, who worked in the office next door. Loved it, did several professional qualifications, and had a decent career, preferring to work in local government/NHS than chasing the much higher pay in the city/private sector. Several colleagues became close friends and I still see them socially.
Retired 4 years ago at 52 - don't have loads of money, but just enough to do the relatively modest stuff I want to (pinball, kayaking, photography, table tennis).
Now been married just over 30 years - we've been through a lot of external challenges, but faced them all together. No children (despite trying), but whilst that is a disappointment, there is always an up-side (mortgage paid, debt free, and early retirement).
Teachers when I left school would have predicted an A+, and in terms of career would probably rate it as "C - achieved below potential", but I'm pretty happy with life, and just hope my wife's and my health hold out, as that's the main thing that could throw a massive spanner in the works.
O levels - 11xA, 3xB
A levels - 3xA 1xB + S level grade 1
Failed 1st year at uni (Physics at Oxford) due to weakness in maths.
Switched to another uni on a 4 year thin sandwich course in Applied Physics. Came top in years 1 and 2, then failed year 3 (lost interest in physics, and found the computing irrelevant and out-dated compared to the IT work placements I'd done at the likes of ICI, IBM etc).
Got a job in IT, and met my future wife, who worked in the office next door. Loved it, did several professional qualifications, and had a decent career, preferring to work in local government/NHS than chasing the much higher pay in the city/private sector. Several colleagues became close friends and I still see them socially.
Retired 4 years ago at 52 - don't have loads of money, but just enough to do the relatively modest stuff I want to (pinball, kayaking, photography, table tennis).
Now been married just over 30 years - we've been through a lot of external challenges, but faced them all together. No children (despite trying), but whilst that is a disappointment, there is always an up-side (mortgage paid, debt free, and early retirement).
Teachers when I left school would have predicted an A+, and in terms of career would probably rate it as "C - achieved below potential", but I'm pretty happy with life, and just hope my wife's and my health hold out, as that's the main thing that could throw a massive spanner in the works.
Edited by C n C on Wednesday 3rd July 21:10
A- I would say. Having an attention disorder it was always hard for me to concentrate at school so I got into trouble a lot. Was in all the top groups for maths and science but lacked any real interest and couldn't wait to leave. My brother and sister were both high achievers so I was a grave disappointment to my parents as it appeared as if I just couldn't be bothered.
At the age of 25 I was earning more than they were put together so it worked out ok. Happy family life in my 60's, comfortably off and settled although health is now an issue.
Oddly enough when my father passed away I was sifting through some stuff in the loft and found my last school report from the 1970's before I went to high school which said at the end "I have taught this boy for 4 years and have come to the conclusion that he is just not interested" . I remember my father laughing and my mother being mortified.
Making a success of your life doesn't just revolve around pounds, shillings and pence, happiness and enjoyment are high on the agenda, being a decent person and helping out where you can make for a more rounded and contented existence.
At the age of 25 I was earning more than they were put together so it worked out ok. Happy family life in my 60's, comfortably off and settled although health is now an issue.
Oddly enough when my father passed away I was sifting through some stuff in the loft and found my last school report from the 1970's before I went to high school which said at the end "I have taught this boy for 4 years and have come to the conclusion that he is just not interested" . I remember my father laughing and my mother being mortified.
Making a success of your life doesn't just revolve around pounds, shillings and pence, happiness and enjoyment are high on the agenda, being a decent person and helping out where you can make for a more rounded and contented existence.
What a fascinating thread.....For me, academically I was an under-achiever; I still have my reports from secondary (grammar) school and the resounding comment was 'could do better', but when the chips were down I pulled out the stops. Ended up with a reasonable number of good O' levels and went on to do 3 A' levels.
My plan was to do electrical engineering at uni but I dropped a grade at maths A' level and failed to get on my preferred course. Long story short ended up doing a degree in Physics which I look back on as being the best outcome in the end.
Had a very busy career in telecomms and whilst I never attained the heady heights of senior management I did enjoy the rather less stressful life of someone who got on with the job and didn't have to worry about the politics (or staff issues that management brings).
And in keeping with PH, I closed my working life as an ADI which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Overlaying all this is meeting my wife 40 years ago at my first career job and having three gorgeous girls. Overall I rate my life as A+ and I wish that for everyone
My plan was to do electrical engineering at uni but I dropped a grade at maths A' level and failed to get on my preferred course. Long story short ended up doing a degree in Physics which I look back on as being the best outcome in the end.
Had a very busy career in telecomms and whilst I never attained the heady heights of senior management I did enjoy the rather less stressful life of someone who got on with the job and didn't have to worry about the politics (or staff issues that management brings).
And in keeping with PH, I closed my working life as an ADI which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Overlaying all this is meeting my wife 40 years ago at my first career job and having three gorgeous girls. Overall I rate my life as A+ and I wish that for everyone
I left school with 2x A*, 4x A and 4x B.
By 25/26 I was in my dream job earning a six figure salary. However, the salary is nothing to do with me being outstanding in any way, shape or form, it was more luck and being in the right place at the right time.
More importantly, I'm happily married, a father and we own our home. I have hobbies but these tend to get pushed on the backburner nowadays, as parenting takes priority. As the youngster(s) grow up, I look forward to teaching them things, sharing experiences with them and reliving my childhood to some degree, just with the shoe on the other foot.
By 25/26 I was in my dream job earning a six figure salary. However, the salary is nothing to do with me being outstanding in any way, shape or form, it was more luck and being in the right place at the right time.
More importantly, I'm happily married, a father and we own our home. I have hobbies but these tend to get pushed on the backburner nowadays, as parenting takes priority. As the youngster(s) grow up, I look forward to teaching them things, sharing experiences with them and reliving my childhood to some degree, just with the shoe on the other foot.
I'd rate myself in the bottom 10% of PH 'successfullness' (albeit there's a lot of willy waving about salaries etc) however I'd rate myself in the top 10% of achievers at my school. It was a rough school. Kids would bring knives, booze, drugs etc and a lot of them wouldn't wash for a week or more.
Also, I don't rate achievements by salaries/wealth. There's more to life than money.
Also, I don't rate achievements by salaries/wealth. There's more to life than money.
One of my school reports described me as “an urgent butterfly” 
I flew through my O-levels without doing any work at all and then promptly failed my A-levels when I applied the same philosophy. Ended up with an Engineering degree and a masters in automotive design.
Successful career in Engineering for 17 years then threw the towel in when I got sick and tired of managing several hundred people who all seemed to believe I personally owed them a job. I set up my own construction business and 20 odd years later I still love it. Being your own boss is absolutely the best thing in the world, I work bloody hard but it’s very rewarding. It can be a bit stressful when you owe the bank well into 7 figures during a recession but at least when it goes well it all yours to keep. Own business has funded loads of nice cars and done Motorsport at the highest amateur level possible. Happy enough for an urgent butterfly.
I flew through my O-levels without doing any work at all and then promptly failed my A-levels when I applied the same philosophy. Ended up with an Engineering degree and a masters in automotive design.
Successful career in Engineering for 17 years then threw the towel in when I got sick and tired of managing several hundred people who all seemed to believe I personally owed them a job. I set up my own construction business and 20 odd years later I still love it. Being your own boss is absolutely the best thing in the world, I work bloody hard but it’s very rewarding. It can be a bit stressful when you owe the bank well into 7 figures during a recession but at least when it goes well it all yours to keep. Own business has funded loads of nice cars and done Motorsport at the highest amateur level possible. Happy enough for an urgent butterfly.
One thing I’ve learnt in life is how it’s a rigged system.
I couldn’t be any nicer, I’d do anything for anyone, was chipper and optimists, a hard working, law abiding good egg.
I’m now starting to think it’s got me nowhere. What have I got to show for it?
I’ve seen some horrendous personalities get promoted over me and the police in my neighbourhood decriminalise crime.
I couldn’t be any nicer, I’d do anything for anyone, was chipper and optimists, a hard working, law abiding good egg.
I’m now starting to think it’s got me nowhere. What have I got to show for it?
I’ve seen some horrendous personalities get promoted over me and the police in my neighbourhood decriminalise crime.
Report summary - thinks he knows better, unfulfilled potential 
(why would you for their benefit, i’ll use it when the time is right for me not for their ‘marking’)
Turns out i did
They found me annoying and testing and i expect they would be annoyed today, except the teachers who had the intelligence to read my behaviour and understand what i was doing.
(why would you for their benefit, i’ll use it when the time is right for me not for their ‘marking’)Turns out i did
They found me annoying and testing and i expect they would be annoyed today, except the teachers who had the intelligence to read my behaviour and understand what i was doing.
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