Many Degrees Of Success

(I have a very hard time as a child, and I feel it difficult to be in a school environment. Even so, I try hard and academically am well above average. Still, by the time final exams came around I am sure that I don’t want to continue in education. We are discussing what we want to do next.)

Classmate #1: “I’m applying to [University]. That is a great university; they don’t let anyone in.”

Classmate #2: “What are you going to do [My Name]?”

Me: “I… don’t know. I’m not going to university, though.”

Classmate #1: “Pfft, if you don’t go to University you won’t get a good job.”

Me: “Lots of people get good jobs without a degree, and lots of people get a degree and still get good jobs.”

Classmate #1: “You’ll see. I’m going to get my degree and you will be working in [Fast Food Place].”

(I never bothered keeping in touch with him. Ten years later I bumped into him by chance. By that point I was an engineer working with high performance cars and he sold me a new mobile phone contract!)