Finding the chase and cutting to it

From quite early, you are asked what you want to be when you grow up.  I knew I’d go to university from when I was very small but as I grew up that changed from being a medical doctor to a masters in business administration to something with maths and computers.

I basically didn’t know and there wasn’t an obvious thing I could see: I always enjoyed maths but didn’t want to do that for a living and computers were things seriously clever people did otherwise it wasn’t interesting.  I found languages interesting, I did French and German at GCSE, and loved history and geography especially the practical.  I did physics and chemistry because they were interesting at GCSE but again couldn’t see a future for me doing those (though my Chemistry teacher did cry when I didn’t do Chemistry A level, I think my physics teacher cheered!).

So for A levels I choose double Maths and German at school and promptly left to do Economics, Pure Maths and German at college (long story), with still no clue.  I wanted to do computer science but there didn’t seem to be a quick way in – all my programmes had been done at home (let’s face it, the home computer was way better than the green terminals at college and school).

At 18 I left home, travelled 256 miles to do an interview for an apprenticeship with the MOD.  This was no easy option: we had 9 week blocks alternating between placements (in the first year these were highly practical engineering techniques) and academic.  If you failed one of the modules (and there were typically 4-6 subjects from GCSE in the first year to A level standard in the 2 and 3 years) you had one chance to resit otherwise you were asked to leave the job.  I didn’t resit any subject.

It was hard and interesting, on top of our wages we were given money to rent accommodation but we were completely responsible for everything.  I was 18 when I start but some of my colleagues were only just 16.  By the end of the first year, 3 people had dropped out.

I didn’t complete the four years: I sat an extra A level at the end of my third year so I could leave for university.  By comparison, university was a breeze 🙂  I did joint honours computer science and mathematics.  I did OK, although a friend at university complained that it didn’t look like I was working hard because everything was in on time and I didn’t revise like a loon during exam week.

But my apprenticeship was fun, really interesting and I would encourage any one who does not know exactly what they want to be at 16 to consider one.  It’s not a soft option, but a real opportunity.