In S4 I achieved Intermediate 2 (SCQF level 5) in English and Standard Grade Credit (SCQF level 5) in Maths, French, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Home Economics and PE.
In S5 I achieved Higher (SCQF level 6) in Maths, English, French, Geography and PE
In S6 I achieved Intermediate 2 (SCQF level 5) in Hospitality, Higher (SCQF level 6) in Business Management and Advanced Higher (SCQF level 7) in French.
When deciding what to do after school, I spoke to a range of people including friends, family, and teachers. It helped to get different perspectives on the courses I could choose and university I might like to attend. Choosing what to do after university was a lot more difficult! Again I sought advice from close friends and family and applied for various jobs and used any interviews/assessments I had as a way to get to know the company/organisation better and decide if it was a good fit for me.
Extra Curricular & Work Experience
I worked for a local business during the summers towards the end of my time at SHS, and throughout my time at university. I took part in Young Enterprise in my final year at school. I also did lots of sport at both school and university, including running, football, and rowing. During my degree I did a year abroad where I paused my studies and spent a year working full time in France. These experiences gave me lots to talk about in uni and job applications, and perhaps more importantly they helped me grow my confidence and skills, and gave me the chance to find out what I enjoyed doing (and didn’t).
My experiences with sport over the years have really grown my confidence, as well as my communication and teamwork skills. The different work experiences I had at school and uni have given me a great foundation of skills that I use everyday in my work life now, particularly: collaboration, communication, organisation, problem solving, planning.
Make plenty of time to try out different things outside of studying - sport, music... whatever you’re interested in. Make the most of the different experiences on offer to you. Try to enjoy learning for the sake of learning. Enjoy all the time you get to spend with your friends! Don’t be afraid to take an unconventional path. Get out of your comfort zone and do the things that scare you.
You have plenty of time to try different things - don’t get too stressed about whether or not the path you’re choosing post school is the “right one”. You can always try something different later, and spending time doing something and then finding out you don’t enjoy it is not a waste of time - and you’ll probably learn lots of skills and gain useful experiences along the way. Think about what you’d most enjoy doing or studying, and do that!
