"I was what adults liked to call a hypochondriac, and what I like to call doing my goddamn best." That is going somewhere in my inspirational quotes list oh my god XD
It took me 7 years to finish a 4year degree program because i went through 2 life threatening surgeries and then had to deal with PTSD and depression..
Have you ever heard of a therapy tool called EMDR? I’m starting it on Monday for my depression and anxiety do to many health and mental “issues” like DV. I’ve heard that it helps but who knows.
Claudia's story about the career advisor at the school telling her she couldn't pursue Architecture if she didn't do maths reminded me so much of my own story. The careers advisor basically told me that I couldn't study what I wanted because I was bad at one specific subject (I wasn't bad, by the way, I just needed to work much harder on that subject to get good results, which I actually did get). I was so disheartened that I abandoned my plans and applied for a completely different course at university. I ended up becoming depressed, dreaded going to lectures, and generally felt like I had lost control over where my life was headed. I wanted to drop out, but by the time I managed to express that sentiment out loud, 2 years had already passed. I was persuaded to finish my course, and I did manage to graduate (with ok grades), but I needed a lot of support from the university and my family and friends. But, my story has a happy ending because I actually managed to go back and study the course that I initially wanted, and I'm on my chosen career path and finally doing something that fulfills me. So 1) don't listen to people who tell you you can't do something, 2) it's never too late. I actually had people in my course that were in their 40s and have managed to graduate succesfully and start careers in a new field, all while juggling a marriage and family.
My career advisor told me that I couldn't take the basic science GCSE class because my brother was taking Chemistry, Physics and Biology so I must be smarter than basic science. I ended up having to take Chemistry and got a D. I excelled at Art and Music, while my brother excelled at Sciences and Math.
It is *NEVER* too late to study for a degree in something that interests you or that you are passionate about. A lot of students at my University are mature students and have families, marriages etc.
My mum passed away while I was doing my A-levels so they weren't as good as I was predicted and didn't get into the Uni I wanted. BUT things have gotten better; I love the Uni I'm in and finally feel that I am reaching my potential.
I think it's really unfair how we're taught to base our entire lives on a set of exams, like...anything could happen. Absolutely anything. And it feels like the worst thing ever when the results come back. But it always works out somehow. Glad you're doing better. WIN ALL THE THINGS!
and you can tell, easily, that Jessica is SMART, articulate, creative and generous. A lot of young people have their education stirred up and it suffers. I have a story that is just one small example, not as complicated as Jessica's. I feel ya. I must say, I would be utterly lost in school now. I dearly hope you get what you want, whether it involves exams or not.
I do feel better having seen this. I was a top student who burned up and dropped out mid senior year and then tried college 3 x before giving up. Anxiety, undiagnosed lupus and a soupcon of PTSD got in the way, and yet here I am
Elena Christian exact same here! I suffered a burn out in the first year or high school instead of the last year. So glad with this comment section that we’re not alone
I was always a smart kid at school and was in all the top classes. Both sets of my SATS were all top marks, despite chronic pain (I was diagnosed with EDS at age 12). Then towards the end of year 10, my EDS became worse and I started to miss more and more school. Work was sent home for me but I found it hard to concentrate because of pain. Then came my GCSEs. I did my first one sat on a tiled floor at home as I’d sat down to put my shoes on then couldn’t get up 🤦🏼♀️ I failed most of them but passed English, English Literature, maths and art. At 16, I decided to go into work instead of going to college and became self employed, restoring antique mirror frames. Then the recession hit and the work wasn’t coming in so at 18, I got a job in a care home, looking after elderly dementia residents. Whilst working there, I was able to take NVQs and got to level 3, as well as passing other exams for dementia care, palliative care, first aid, diabetes, and lots more. I worked in care for 6 years and I absolutely loved it. Now I am unable to work due to my EDS as I have a lot of bed bound days. However, my point is, if your results are bad and you don’t want to go to college, there are lots of opportunities to further your education while you’re working. Bad results don’t mean you are not smart and they do not define you. You can still make something of your life with bad results and most importantly, you can still be happy 😃❤️
As someone who was only recently diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 27, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this video. I've been in uni on and off for the past 4 years and so far have no degree to show for it, and it's so rare to hear of others who are struggling but still trying very hard to succeed. I'm hoping to go back to uni for the 3rd time soon, and now knowing about my disorder (and working with a therapist to develop skills and habits to cope with it) I'm hoping to finally make significant progress and be well on my way to my degree.
@Gena Westberry Knowledge is key ( cliche I know) but now that you're armed with that information, it appears you are ready to chart a more suitable course for your journey. I wish you all the best in striving to accomplish the goals you set, and remember...third times a charm 😊👍
@@richardvelez3151 Thank you! I've seen a lot of "why am I like this" memes and always found them relatable... Now I know why! I already find that just being aware has made a massive difference in how I handle things outside of acadamia, so given that knowledge and the support system that I have now I'm confident that I'll have more success than I have in the past. And even if I do fall behind, I'll know why and to not be so hard on myself. I always just thought I was hopelessly lazy, but thankfully now I'm learning that I'm not lazy, just differently motivated, and knowing that you have a hurdle is the most important step in getting past it. Third time is the charm, after all!
Undiagnosed ADHD messed me up so many ways but I feel like half of it is the self esteem errosion of always being told how much I wasn't achieving my potential or that I needed to apply myself more (when I was doing my God Damn Best!) Diagnosis was a revelation and if you're not following the How to ADHD channel on YT you're missing out for sure.
Most of the folks in my grad school cohort were following nonstandard paths and it made for more awesome classes! (We had a grandparent in my cohort and he had really good insights.)
schools are honest to god so bad with students who have medical conditions. i loved learning, but for about six years i had reoccurring flareups of a horrible immune system condition that manifested in skin infections, so i was constantly in and out of school and on medication more or less constantly. despite having some of the best grades in the year and CONSISTENTLY providing letters from my paediatrician explaining my absences the school were ALWAYS on our ass about why i was ~mysteriously away~. but of course they were surprised when i decided to move elsewhere 🙄
I had to withdraw before my exam years and then had to withdraw again when I headed off to tertiary education. Thank you for being amazing and talking about a non linear education experience.
@@lucyaw1815 it's lucky that you have a diagnosis already, hopefully you'll have systems in place so you can have the best outcome possible. But if it doesn't, there's always other options including resitting exams. Wishing you the best of luck (from another POTsie) 😊❤
My mom got diagnosed with cancer in my last year of school and I was already struggling hard with my mental health before that. Nobody cared at all about my situation and I barely managed to get through. After that life didn't became easier and now at 26 I start a new apprenticeship because I was also diagnosed with a physical disability 3 years ago and just can't work in my old job anymore. I get treated like an outcast for this decision by a lot of people, somehow like I'm lazy for doing this and waiting around until my program starts in late October. I've been home for two years now and I just can't stand it anymore.
people need to mind their own business. I'm sorry they treat you badly, but you're doing what is best for you. If you genuinely can't work, you can't work. I can't believe some people would call others lazy for that. What's lazy about learning to live with a disability and fighting everyday to achieve something hard for you that is easy for others? That's not lazy to me. The fact that you're still trying just shows that. I'm wishing you the best of luck in your apprenticeship and hoping you don't have to feel this way ever again
"Plot twist: I was deaf" Haha, I totally get that French class. I failed out of Spanish because I sat at the back of the class and couldn't see the board (and thus couldn't follow along and totally lost). Kid next to me also couldn't see the board. We both went up saying we couldn't see- teacher didn't move us. The next year back we both came back to school with glasses. I'm a Spanish teacher now.
I had my heart set on going to Cambridge...applied, went to interview, got an offer that was exactly my predicted grades so I was pretty chuffed. Ended up getting AAB instead of the A*AA I was predicted so I was quite firmly rejected from Cambridge. This was only a couple of weeks ago so it still stings, but I hope one day I'll be able to look back on this fondly and remember that it wasn't anywhere near the end of the world.
It’s so hard to see the positives in situations like this. I hope you go to a uni that give you a great experience despite it not being your number 1. Good luck and enjoy it!!
Those are literally the exact same grades I was predicted, and the exact same grades that I got! This time last year, I found it really hard not getting the grades I wanted, and especially getting rejected from Oxford, but all I can say is over time it does get easier, and you learn that even though there was that painful experience, you and your academic career are not defined by it.
Hi Jessica and family. I have a condition called idiopathic intercranial hypertension, where I produce too much csf and have to have lumber punctures to drain the excess and relieve the pressure on my brain. This causes a lot of pain/headaches. A lot of people brush these, and migraines, off as ‘just headaches’ and don’t realise how much else it effects, like all our senses going weird, (I go blind, deaf in one ear and can’t feel/control my limbs and my speech is distorted). Thank you for raising awareness in such an approachable, friendly and stylish way From kat x
This video is perfect because my psychologist has just been talking about me dropping subjects and doing 1/2 days etc for my mental health and I was concerned about how it would effect my grades because I’m bright. But but this video really eased me and made me feel better about that. Thank you xxx
may i just say that I'm so happy I discovered your channel? like oh my gosh. thank you for blessing this world with your existence and being the most wonderful, sweetest, strongest, inspiring and kindest person i've ever met. truly. you're like a living angel. you've made me appreciate life so much more. you giving off the most positive energy contributes me with the most positive energy. you are a person to be real appreciated, so hopefully you and people around you are appreciating you the way you deserve it and are treating you with lots of love. thank you and have a wonderful day ♥
Thing a: could you do a tutorial eventually on your hair? It’s fantastic! (The updo) Thing b: this video honestly really helped me feel a LOT better about my school stuff. I can’t go back for a couple semesters because of money and also chronic illness and it’s been really messing with me. Thank you! Your videos are a godsend and you deserve the best!
Wow Jessica, that is crazy! Wonky Education club 🙋🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ I was adopted at 8 so before that no one had bothered to teach me to read or write so I had to catch up quite quickly! I then struggled through school (spoiler I was really dyslexic but no one picked up on it- also couldn’t read the white boards because they use to write in green and red which made it hard to read for me. I got GCSE’s even though people thought I wouldn’t, I then went to college and got an unconditional to go to uni but my health started to deteriorate but again no one realised, my dad got cancer and the uni lecturer called me a drama queen (my kidneys were failing) I came home (didn’t ever finish my degree) I then joined the police but my health was worse and I was having what I thought were allergic reactions and again no one realised how ill I was getting! Long story short I was working as an art consultant at an art gallery and I ended up driving 50 miles home while my kidneys were at complete end stage renal failure and I then ended up in A and E where they told me my kidneys had failed, after a year off I retrained to work in Education and I now (after my maternity leave) will look at doing more qualifications to do a more teaching role! Never too late I’m 33!
Anony User I would have to copy from the person next to me even if I sat at the front, also I would get told off for talking but I was actually asking what the board said all my report from end of year would say need to talk less in class! 🤦🏻♀️👍🏻🤔😞
I've never got the hang of which "year". I took CE when I was 13 and that got me into my next school where we started in 3rd form, (followed by 4th, 5th, lower 6th and upper 6th for A levels.) University was an enjoyable waste of time.
Yeah, and KS3 SATs were scrapped some years back, but a lot of schools in England still use similar end of Year 9 tests which has caused some confusion (and some ignore end of KS2 SATs and just do a test at the beginning of Year 7 and use it even though they shouldn't for GCSE predictions). Keeping track of all the exam varieties and changes just in England is confusing enough before we add in the rest of the UK and as someone who wasn't raised in UK, it's all a mess to me.
Canadian Harry Potter fan: so that's like the OWL's... I was lucky in that I was not particularly sick while in school. In have ADHD but I am also hyperlexic (I laughed when you mentioned it.) But I wasnt dealing with the chronic pain and chronic fatigue that keep me from doing much these days and cause a lot of brain fog and aphasia that I struggle with now. I struggle with the fact that I can no longer do the one real thing I trained for as it's too exhausting. (Daycare). In addition to talking about education I'd love to see you talk about changing career fields as an adult. Because personally I'm stumped.
I didn't get any kind of diagnosis until my mid-20s. I didn't even think to see a doctor for most of my symptoms really. So now that I know about my various conditions it makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE why my grades after grade 6 were absolute garbage and why I graduated a year late. I went to college for cosmetology years after high school, and with my horrible untreated anxiety and a heart condition(still undiagnosed, we just know something is wrong), after working a year in a salon I went on stress leave which then turned into disability assistance. Now I'm going back to college in 2 weeks for business administration with my second year in marketing at a school that has a dedicated disability team. I get the use of an exam room that's completely quiet to help with my ADD, my instructors are very forgiving of missed classes for medical reasons as long as you work to keep up with the class (some schools, even if you have legitimate medical reasons, will fail you for missing x number of classes), and multiple different things to help various conditions (tutors, smart pens, people to dictate your texts and exams, etc) and I have the least amount of anxiety I've ever had going into something so major. I'm 29 now and finally going into something that I'm passionate about and excites me.
Hhhhh your school journey is so relatable. I’ve struggled with pretty severe depression (now managed) since... I don’t even know. Probably started as a kid. I barely graduated high school, took a year off before college/university (I’m in the US). I was enrolled in college for a fall semester and like a month of the following spring semester before I had an breakdown and withdrew and didn’t return until I was roughly 22. I’m 24 now and doing pretty well! Just applied to nursing school! So like moral of the story for anyone who needs to hear it: Take your time and take care of yourself. School will be there when you’re ready and able!
Just got my GCSEs results and I didn't pass my English language and maths which I needed to be able to do the B-tec I wanted to do but when I went in to enroll to college, expecting to have to do a level 2 instead of a level 3, they told me that if I promise to work hard they can offer me a level 3, tbh I almost cried when she said it, some times people who know that they're going to pass don't understand even when working hard some of us still don't know what our future holds with our grads. So hold on and you might just find a way
gosh you two are just so lovely, i laughed so much at how passionate claudia was with “i should have slipped another 50 quid in there” for the remarking. this was a really great video and even though my school journey has been more like claudias there could still be bumps in the future and its very comforting to see you guys at the end of the road happily
Hated school with a passion had a horrible time. Bullied by kids and teachers cos I had problems with my dyslexia (thou wasn’t diagnosed till I was 20) failed most of my GCSEs use to pray everyday my school would burn down. Had to re take my GCSES at college then got to uni to do my nursing diploma for the first 2 years then my last year got to transfer to the degree level so there was hope for me in the end xxxx
@Kathylou1 Sometimes it is not about overcoming or 'pushing through' but identifying, managing, and accepting. Once you achieve that, your goals will be within reach and anything is possible....which you seem to be realizing now. Good luck with your journey ahead 😊👍
I am not alone..... This brings back sad memories out into the open, where they should always have been, of how I sat one of my final University Psychology papers the day after a miscarriage. I remember the blue dress I was wearing, the cramps in my stomach, putting my ID at the top of the paper, and then.....nothing. I wrote nothing....for the three exam hours. This paper was a third of my results and I handed up a blank answer book. Amazingly I passed my degree but didn't get the marks I had hoped and worked for. That taught me never never again get married, get pregnant [by mistake on honeymoon], move house and sit University finals all in the space of three months. And I never told anyone for years what had gone wrong. Only my husband knew. It was so lonely. So I applaud your 'my exams went horribly wrong' video.
I didnt know about SATs until this video, I feel like I've heard Americans talking about them before but that might've been something different that just sounded similar
The SAT is very different in the US! To vastly oversimplify, it's a third party administered test that sorta determines suitability for higher ed. (There's a competing test called the ACT. I took that one because the testing fee was less expensive, though at the time fewer schools recognized it.) We take them close to the end of high school, though they aren't required to graduate. But lower SAT/ACT scores don't exclude students from access to higher ed, they just lead people to take different educational paths (like starting at a community college and transferring to a university). It's very convoluted, and there are some universities that don't take those scores into account anymore. I'm American and I still think it's wild.
It is so important to acknowledge that it is okay to not go the same way most people go when it comes to education! If you can't for what ever reason go to school that is okay! You might be able, if you want to, later, in your own way. I suffered from depression from a young age and could not finish school, it took me years to come back but I am finally going and it makes me feel so good in a way it could never have done if I forced my way to go when I was younger! Your worth is never in your education, so if you haven't been able or maybe never can, that is perfectly okay.❤️
I think this is a really interesting concept- and it’s really nice how you guys are sharing your exam results, and helping other people feel better about their schooling journey. Please continue being you 😊.
Thank you so much for this video. I feel so much better about my educational journey now. I began university as an older adult with chronic fatigue. I had a difficult time with cognitive function and stress even if I took just one class. I attended as I was able and paid as I went. It took me over ten years to complete, but now I have a degree with no debt.
Hey Jess and Claude! I really have to tell you I appreciate that video a lot. I grew up with undiagnosed autism, breezed through primary school and got progressively worse throughout middle and high school. (well,the Austrian equivalent) I graduated at 17 with fantastic grades in English, music and art and bad grades in sciences and meh grades in everything else, went straight to university after that and had a good time until like my third semester of translation and interpretive studies (which I LOVED in the beginning! I still want to work as a translator, to be honest...) when I kept failing one exam over and over and at some point realized I could not fucking deal with written exams because I could not understand what the heck our professor wanted exactly, and that multiple choice exams that relied on semantics were my doom... I kept trying but ended up changing my study program to linguistics, which I struggled even more with. I began to experience burnout and depression to a degree where I could not deal with anything, felt constant anxiety, self-doubt and had no capacity for handling my sensory needs and ended up withdrawing because everything was too much. I finally managed to see doctors and get diagnosed and find a therapist. I switched study programs for the second time and went into it with the goal of being open about my needs. I tell each professor I have impairments and have a document that allows me to do written exams orally. The accessibility people at our university are fantastic and empathetic and have helped me so much. Anyway, I hope to finish this Bachelor's degree (English and American focused linguistics) and work as a freelance-ish translator!
Thank You for making it clear how "invisible" health conditions are not equated with conditions that can easily be seen. And people in charge don't always want to hear your health issues and when letting others know, again, for clarification, they are not always helpful. You both are spectacular, smart, successful, and creative. I hope you do get what you want on that journey, but you've done so well without them, and can always study subjects You like.
I'm in the middle of a college degree in the US -- I started 4 years ago and am "only" halfway done due to my severe anxiety & depression (which I'm still working on). I was a consistently great student throughout grade school (graduated 3rd in my class), but everything started going downhill when I started college and it was really hard to come to terms with a non-linear education. Thank you guys for talking about your experiences!
I LOVED the video, it's so nice to hear bc when I had to retake a year, my only reference of it was "that lazy boy who skip classes or got too bad grades". My story: I have several psychiatric conditions, _a little complex (like, it'd be a 10 minute read lol),_ one since 10 y/o but the rest since teenage years or older. So it was often a struggle the whole way, and not less at university. But after about one year at uni (21 y/o), I got ME. That has been the most _disabling_ thing for me (although my mental health can be more _painful_ ). I've had to almost _fight_ for my rights and to find a way (against the health care system, against the school etc.), but now I have a plan so that I can study at snail speed... but at least I'm moving (mostly) forward now :)
Love it! My education is also hilariously wonky because of health things and I now teach music which is a result of my love of music and sharing this love not my exam results...thank you lovely people x
New slogan for myself: “I’m a marshmallow!” 🙂🙂❤️❤️ Love you so much! ADHD and undiagnosed chronic stomach pain made school miserable for me, I fought for veeery average grades and sometimes got poor ones. Somehow made it though college with better medications and flexibility in time/ learning style, and I thought I could have a “normal” life. But 3 more autoimmune diagnoses, several traumatic surgeries, and a whole lot of chronic pain, illness, and disability later, I am now unable to work. It’s hard sometimes to think I am valued in spite of being unable to use my degree, unable to pay off my loans 12 years later, trying to make ends meet, and feeling like I am letting everyone down. You give me so much hope, thank you!
I started being really scared of school at 12. I would miss many days because I felt so sick. I didn't fit in socially and academically. Then when I was 15 I developed an eating disorder and was in and out of hospital for 2 years, so I wasn't at school at all. I tried to go to 6 different university courses and would always end up really mentally sick after a few months and drop out or go to a hospital for my ED. Now I'm 25, I only have my secondary education diploma and in 8 years I was able to finish only 1 year of school. I live with my parents, I have no jobs and no idea about the future, I live on benefits. I don't know what to do
Hugs! (if you want them). I don't know what you should do but wanted to make my own comment. One week ago, at 29 and a half years old, I moved out of home for the first time. Your good friends will not care that you're still living at home. Tbh I couldn't have gotten my treatment or done my studies or gotten to where I am now if I'd moved out earlier. I'm cheering for you!
It sounds like you need therapy and antidepressants or maybe medication? Obviously I don’t know you and not a doctor but your disability is mental and not physical. Have you ever thought of getting your degree online? It would give you the ability to get a degree without the stress of a classroom setting.
“I was always injured, it was near constant. that was what adults liked to called a hypochondriac but what I like to call DOING MY GODAMN BEST” I relate so much that is priceless.
Well first of all, congratulations on graduating High School that's a big achievement. Secondly, I really hope that your treatment is going well. Please stay strong.
My dad was active duty US Air Force when I was a kid, so we moved around a lot. For K-12, I attended seven schools, which didn't exactly make things easy as the US doesn't have a national curriculum, and each state can teach whatever they want in any order they want. And then I had all of my medical issues. Between dislocated kneecaps, migraines, concussions, ulcers, and slipped discs (not to mention the back surgery for the slipped discs), I missed a lot of school. I spent all of 8th grade in a wheelchair, was on a total homebound schooling program for 9th grade, had back surgery, and then did 10th grade on partial homebound before returning to school fulltime in 11th grade. I (somehow) still managed to graduate magna cum laude with a GPA of 99.03 (we used a 100-point scale at the high school I graduated from for some reason??? rather than a 4-point system like literally everyone else??), a rank of 27 in my class of 604 students, and was a National Merit Commended Student. I was on track in undergrad to graduate a year early but another disc slip made me take a semester off, so I graduated in 3.5 years instead of 4. After a semester's break (because my schedule had been set back by that semester I missed), I was ready to start grad school. And then a month before I was supposed to start, I slipped more discs in my back and had to have a second back surgery, which delayed my starting grad school by a whole year. Two weeks into my first semester of grad school, my kneecap dislocated again, and I broke my ankle. My (incredible and wonderful and amazingly kind) mother moved from Texas to Illinois to sleep on my couch and take care of me so I wouldn't have to drop out of school. I'm now in my second (and final) year of my master's program and two years "behind schedule." However, I met two of my absolute best friends in the world at my grad school orientation, which I wouldn't have gone to if I'd started a year or two before that. I spent a lot of time beating myself up about not getting higher SAT/ACT scores and not achieving a higher honor level in the National Merit Scholar program (which is dictated by SAT scores). I look back now, though, and realize how much it didn't matter at all. I got a full-tuition scholarship for undergrad with a stipend because of my academic record, and I got into the number one school in North America for my master's program. I'm also (I think) a fairly strong candidate for the PhD program I'm applying for in a few months. Sure, it would have been cool to say that I was a National Merit Scholar or that I had been valedictorian of my class, but with all of the medical issues I had (plus undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety), it's a fucking miracle that I managed to do everything that I have. I tied up so much of my self-worth in my ability to be the best student in my class and my academic achievement as a whole, and I held myself to a ridiculously high standard that was simply not achievable for me, particularly with everything going on. It all seemed like the end of the world when it happened, but I absolutely love where I am now and am genuinely really excited about my future.
I got 2 E at A lvl and thought that was it for my educational pass. I did a foundation year at USW. I picked myself up again and now I am at my university of choice studying Psychology and Criminology. I went to several schools too, ended up missing out on SATs. It wasn't smooth but I had people who supported me and encouraged me. Bad grades aren't the end. Additionally, my mum dropped out of college. In her 30s she started Open University. There are tons of options.
In Poland we have podstawówka then gimnazjum (now we don't have it but when I was in school it still existed) and liceum. In podstawówka and gimnazjum I got very good grades, and amazing exam results. But in liceum it wasn't so amazing... I took advanced chemistry, biology and English and also compulsory English, Polish and math. I did good in biology (63%), English (100%, 98%), math (72%) but in chemistry only 27% so it was below what you need to even apply to medicine university (30% but you need more to get accepted). So I took gap yera to get better mark in chemistry, but I've failed miserably. So I just went to university in physiotherapy (they only wanted English, Polish and math) and I was 3 on the list. And honestly, I prefer being physiotherapist than doctor.
O. M. G. "Don't listen to them, they obviously didn't make it far in life." Claud actually killed me with how accurate that is! Such a cruel way to open ones eyes and i love it, you two really are the embodiment of optimistic and REAListic, such a perfect match!!
honestly this video is everything I need. my grades in university have been slipping for thr last 3 years (it has taken me over 5 years to complete a 2 year program) because my mental health has been failing and I refused to admit to myself that I needed to take a break from school. finally decided not to go back this next year and its really shameful for me.
I ended up not going to school for about a third of the year, because both my mental and physical health was a bit crap. I got two Ds and an E at AS Level
I'm 22 years old and I'm not done with school. I haven't been able to get any degree. I've always struggled with school and I've been absent countless days. Too exhausted to get home work and other projects done in time. If I wasn't struggling with bad mental health I was ill. And it hasn't got any easier. Just getting worse and worse. I have a lot of health problems but don't actually know what's wrong with me. Hoping to get some answers from doctors soon. So this video made me feel a lot better and not as helpless.
Gabriel Savinen check out autism,adhd, dyslexia if you do have that you are likely to have other healthproblems ( My story, just it took me to 45 to actually get My diagnosis and then My health issues finally made sense as well as reactions to medications)
@@annarehbinder7540 wow. I've literally thought that might have those all and now I feel more like I'm not imaging it. Or blowing things out of proportion. I just haven't been able to muster the courage to bring all this up. Thank you so much for the comment!
Gabriel Savinen basically if you have either or a combo you are vulnarable to problems with immunity, all sorts of inflammatory stuff including psoriasis and psoriatic arthrities, gluten might be a thing whether intolerant or sensitive . fibromyalgia which appear somewhat diffrently in men. As well as ms etc and they can cluster. importantly you might have infektions which don’t show because you have normally lower body temp as well as not as reactive immune response so you are sick a lot longer and normal test Ig testing doesnt Work as well .but don’t get as much fever ( those last two aint a must but many have them) you might also have a problem with heat and or cold/ sunstroke etc. Things you can do after they looked at you physically by your self are ( My paindr receipy ) check that it wont collide with any medications you are taking with your dr and do this afteryour check up not mid testing a) combo of magnesium citrate 500-600 mg day, omega 3 4000-6000 mg a day, d3 10000 mg a day - this will boost general immunity / take care of that is a normal deficiency, should help focus plus relaxation as well b) take the anti- pneumonia vaccine since it also helps with other similar infections c) try a Ginger plus turmeric mix ( pills) I take 500 mg of each x 4 a day - this helps with any deppression tendencies plus is a really strong anti- inflammatory combo ( deppression by the way seems to be part inflammation and is common ) all these are more than likely something you can do with any medication given physically as well as anti- Depp but doublecheck just in case with your dr . If you should need anti- deppressants as well two medications that seems to Work really well for people with adhd as well as autism voxra ( wellbutrin only get that brand of that specific medication if needed ) 150 mg as well as buspiron actavis which is an anti-anxiety medication which also boosts anti-Depp and that has a anti- brainfog effect plus more energy also hard to explain even in Very small dosages I did 5mg morning and noon. You might also want to add b12 in the form of methylcobalamin 5mg a day - Very important that its that specific one plus 2 mg folate a day ( might find it under folic acid but it should say folacin which is the natural variety) Also hopefully you should not at have ms but if you do look into clemastine and niacin for that but in that case in higher dosages . Clemastine is an anti-histamine which also can be helpful as an antihistamine since we can be sensitive to many medications and niacin is also something that is likely to be helpful in general. Atarax is a musclerelaxant,antihistamine, anti- anxiety med which can also be useful to have at home as its welltolerated and not habituating ( it works longer than clemastine and is often used together to maximiseeffect) as We tend to be Allergic and sensitive ( which is a less reactive/ explosive but still Allergic reaction) to a higher degree due to immunity issues .This is all based on specific knowledge pertaining to autism/adhd, dyslexia etc and combos. Personally i’ve also found that for hanging out with people in loud environments having muscicians earpluggs are a good thing (expensive but really good if you want to look into it , also great for conserts or Work because they give even sound dampening without taking away from the understandability) sorry about the length of this but this is about 20 years research from My part as many dr does not not know these things but researchers do. And I though if this is relevant to you ... if not might help someone else... all the best and keeping My fingers crossed!
@@annarehbinder7540 just wow. You just listed so many of the physical problems I have. Without knowing that much about my situation. I'm quite shocked tbh. But once again I'm glad I'm not imaging it all and I might actually have something "wrong" with me physically. So frustrating that I've known that for years but nothing shows up. So once I again. Thank you! Hugely appreciate it
Gabriel Savinen oh and I forgot, check autism/ adhd organisations they are generally bloody helpful even before diagnosis and can help Getting diagnosed as you Will know more of whats relevant ! Since it can be hard to answer ” right” unless you know what they are looking for. Had to help My husband with that. ( We have both been adult diagnosed though to be honest given our neerdiness not really a great supprise to us... have dyslexia and adhd as well )
i had an unexpected stroke in 2016, literally THE WEEK BEFORE school started for the fall. i was laid out in the hospital with right-side paralysis and mild aphasia. i had created a peeeeeeerfect schedule that would've basically finished 2/3 of my degree and seen my finishing college a semester early, and when we realized what had happened i was fuming. i argued with everyone around me because they all insisted i take time off to recover, at the very least, movement in the right side. i was so incredibly heartbreaking to come to the realization that i wouldn't be able to do it, and that i had to take time off. i spent a year angry at myself and angry at the world for what happened, laid around all day watching youtube videos until i found you, jess. you really helped me to come to terms with reality and realize that it was both ok to be mad and ok to embrace the deficits i was left with in the aftermath. i learned to walk again, taught myself how to use my arm, my hand, and, finally, how to write again, and i went back to school in the fall of 2017. i graduated last may, a semester earlier than expected, and with distinctions in the major. through the whole experience, i learned that shit happens. there's no point living in the past or hanging on to the what-ifs, because you're only wasting time. there's no point in flagellating yourself over things you cannot control, so long as you try your best 😌❤️
I was in a local paper photo on results day but they literally just walked up to us and asked to take a picture with no knowledge of our results, we could have all got U's!
Oh, I needed this video so badly today. Due to mental health complications and chronic illness, my educational journey has been more or less a case of one step forward, two steps back for years. Every time I think I'm getting somewhere my health declines and I'm left feeling as though I'm falling way behind my peers who all seem to be on a steady upwards journey. What's really been helping me recently though is the knowledge that life is not a race! If I take 10 years to do what might take some others only 5 - well what's the problem? I'm taking the scenic route, and putting my health first. Nothing is worth sacrificing my wellbeing over. Thank you for this!
I didn't finish high school due to illness and family circumstances, but after several years of working I did an adult matriculation program at uni and went on to complete a degree, get 1st class Honours and a scholarship and go onto a PhD - which I didn't complete because I got the opportunity to do a highly specialised course in pre C20th oil painting techniques. School results can be the quicker path, but they are not the only path.
My university years were so bad, I actually never got to finish - but it isn’t bad! I developed horrible agoraphobia in my second year and it held me back. I ended up developing panic disorder as well. I broke my knee twice, and ended up homeless my third year, I lost my father at the fourth “year” (it had been 7 years by then). I also broke off an engagement. I ran out of federal aid (maxed out my loans) and had to just stop going. I was studying computer science though. I wanted to be a developer so bad. I ended up pushing for it even without my degree, and made it into my field! I now lead after 3 years and it’s a wonderful place to be. The only downside is I live in the US, and with my healthcare, I can’t afford to pay off my loans properly. But I’m happy, and I’m doing much better than I ever imagined.
Screwed over my first pop at a level exams because of CFS/fibro/migraines etc, this year I resat and made the papers for kicking ass - to all my young'uns with CFS or other chronic conditions, you can still kick ass and make your own path, please focus on your health and support network first because I can genuinely say that's the best thing to focus on and is what got me through, much more, than all that excessive studying people like to brag about!
Being reminded that your educational career isn't going to determine the rest of your life or how successful you'll be as an adult is honestly so nice. I've had a smooth path so far in school, and this year I graduated from high school a n d I'll be starting college (eheheh American, but 'university' is in the school's name so ig university?) this autumn. I have this mentality where everything I do has to be perfect and I can't get below a B in a class or else I will have an absolute meltdown. I was the 'gifted kid' growing up and never bothered to learn how to properly study for exams because I somehow retained everything well enough to never need studying, but that never carried on as I aged, so now I don't know how to study and wing everything I do (and with varying success). Basically what I want to say is that I tend to stress myself out a lot with being perfect at everything I do, and it's nice to slow down and realize that this isn't the end of the world. I can still be successful and happy, but that path just might look different than what I expected it to look like.
i actually just dropped out of school this year. i went to university for one year and my mental and physical health pretty much went off the rails, so i couldn’t do as well as i or my parents were expecting. i’ve decided to put school on hold indefinitely until i recover and am in a place in my life where that can be an option for me, but being 19 at home, i’m under a lot of pressure to get a job and contribute something to the family if i won’t be in school. i understand that and i think it’s reasonable, but i just don’t feel very supported in my journey, and i feel like everyone is disappointed in me for making the decision i did. i would like to just have some time to relax and gather myself and recover, but it’s always assumed by my family and friends that i just want to be “lazy”, and it’s hurtful. i want more than anything to contribute something and not be pretty much expendable in the household, but i can barely function properly these days, and the lack of support makes it hurt even more. i know this comment is all over the place aishsjsgsjdbdk but i hope things start looking up soon. for me, and for anyone else who may be in a similar position.
I did quite well in elementary school, I only had problems with English. In middle school I started showing signs of depression and I crashed academically. I also had somehow injured my arm by grabbing a binder out of my locker in 6th grade and now I have Chronic pain and weakness in my right arm. In highschool I did well my first year and then spiraled down again, I got a 6 week long migraine in 11th grade and ended up failing multiple classes because of it. I am in 12 grade now and I am now going to a alternative school because I got chronic sinusitis that made me miss 3 months of school. I am now a semester behind because of all of this.
I was pressured a lot by my mother to be a good student, and was frequently told by her that I was "really smart but just lazy". She never thought to consider that I might have something wrong, or that I hated what I was. Here at 23 years old, I barely passed high school and have failed every attempt at further education I've tried. I'm 99% certain that I have undiagnosed ADHD, and while I don't have any noticeable issues in my day-to-day life, I always struggled with focus, memory and motivation in education. I could never make myself sit down and do homework or study, and I always hated myself for it. The few times I did manage to make myself do something, I would struggle to stay focused at all and, more often than not, not finish. I failed a lot of tests, barely passed a lot, and occasionally did well when a certain topic would greatly catch my interest. I did notably well in history because I was almost always interested in what we were doing.
Yo same! I finally got diagnosis and treatment this year at age 25 (I did it all myself with 0 help from my parents). might be worth noting that ADHD (and autism) is extremely under diagnosed in women cuz people generally think those are mental divergences that only little boys who can't sit still get instead of considering the little girls who zone out quietly and draw instead of ever paying attention in school.
You don't need to have a higher education to be succesful in life sometimes~ You tried hard enought but maybe it was not just meant for You~ Cheer up ~`*`~
I was in the same exact boat as you; I was a terrible student in high school. After I graduated (by some miracle) I took several years off to live life and figure out what to do with my life. Once I figured out what career I wanted I came to the conclusion that not having a degree wasn’t doing me any favors so back to school I went! I’m 28 years old and I’m about to start my second year of college. Because I know what I want, I’m motivated to do the best I can and not just the bare minimum.
I was homeschooled all my life and started community college classes with a reservoir of anxiety and depression. I’ve been gradually adding classes and responsibilities over the past few years and it’s getting so much easier and very exciting! Don’t isolate your kids! That “fear to be set back a year” is something I’m trying to erase from my DNA.
This just shows that exam results don't make a difference to your success, it is your attitude. I got my GCSE results this year and they're literally just a list of numbers which I won't remember in a few years. Thank you for this insightful video.
I had horrific mental issues and undiagnosed learning difficulties throughout my school life, including exams. No one noticed this or cared though. Because I wasn't loud or boisterous. I had severe anxiety due to a problem home life. So they thought I was just thick. Uni wasn't an option. But I've proved my grades wrong now at the age of twenty five and I feel a lot better now that I've learnt how to handle myself and my conditions. There's more to life then school! Don't feel bad if it didn't go well ❤️
I somehow managed to get into my dream uni (omg!) and they've given me accommodation down the road from my department but I'm still daunted after being housebound so long with my CFS and fnd so any tips on surviving uni with a chronic illness would be so amazing 🌈❤️
Reach out to the department for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses (unless thats already the one that will give you the accomodations that you mentioned), make sure that all your tutors and professors know what the accomodations are that you need, e.g. scripts or notes in advance, more time for homework and tests, thw possibolity of not needing to be there for every lecture. Don't take too many classes. Find out if you can shop/try out certain classes before you take them. Talk to older students that study for the same degree. They often have useful tips that people in student councelling or course guidance don't know. But ask those too. Find out what modules you need to have completed before you can take more advanced courses and which classes and lectures aren't available every semester. Try to meet as many student in the beginning of the semester as you can, get their phone numbers and email. You might need some of them later for study sessions, notes or questions if you can't regularly visit courses. If you have some time until uni starts, read as much about exam regulations and training schedules. Try to follow your own path. If other students want to take 10 classes, that each will end with a complicated written exam, five group projects and 15 essays they can, you don't have to. Studying with a chronic illness will likely prolong your uni career but you already know it and you can plan accordingly. (Most other healthy students will not graduate “on time“ either, btw). I don't know what country you're from, so I don't know if uni will be free for you or not and what your living situation is going to be like. Some unis offer financial aid to disabled students. Look into it, you might be surprised and find that you qualify. But talk to people, older and younger students, professors, tutors and find out what tips they have on their uni careers, what they wish they knew when they started uni, how flexibly they handle illnesses in their students. Be upfront about “complications“ that might come up with you and don't be afraid to ask for deadline extensions. I hope that's at least a little helpful. And congrats on getting into your uni!
Thank you so much for this. I had to drop out of this semester due to upcoming surgery because of my chronic illness. My grades have been getting worse and worse since I hadn’t been able to attend class and finish assignments on time. Before my chronic illness, I was a shining star in academics!
oh boy a story you say? i had a perfect school experience all the way up until three years ago when i had to drop out of school at the end of year nine and only just managed to pass those exams (to my surprise)! i’ve had constant headaches for three years now and it’s completely destroyed my high school life. i am meant to be in year 11 this year (junior year for americans) and instead i’m at home everyday because my head only got worse and worse. my head cannot deal with focusing on anything, cannot deal with the noise that comes with being in a school. i went from being in an accelerated class to having to drop out of school. it amazes me that you finished school even when you were ill. i tried to continue online but i just find it so difficult to focus. now i’m not even sure what i want to do with my education. being plunged into illness without any warning had stumped me and i really just can’t bear the amount of pain that comes with trying to complete work. but jessica you are amazing and i aspire to have the energy and outlook you have. i feel like i’ve lost a lot these past years but i hope i can get some things back
I just had my maths mock exam a few days ago. It was sooooooo bad! I had thought I had a physics exam, not a maths one, and so of course, I'd studied for physics. Then, when I got to school, I found out it was maths and only had half an hour to cram the entire years curriculum into my brain... It didn't work. I could literally only answer 40% of the exam so the highest mark I can get, if I get everything I did do correct, is 40%! And I already know some stuff I got wrong. Thank the heavens, it was only a mock. But mocks are really important at my school, because your teacher looks at that when they decide whether you can continue with a subject next year. Well, guess who won't be doing maths next year...
isabella Egan Don’t worry! I’ve just got my results for the leaving cert (the Irish exams to get into college kinda like the a levels). In my maths mock I got 30% which was the lowest you can get to pass but in my actual exam I got 78%. I’ve also heard of a good few people with the same shock as I had so it’s not impossible!
Yeah, dont worry! I did awful in all of my mocks (9/98 in french oops) but I still scraped mostly As in GCSE! If anything, the mocks were a good wake up call to actually work because otherwise I wouldn't be able to stay at the school I was at. Good luck with your exams!
I just graduated from my art degree at age 34. My son had eye surgery during assessment times. Failed them miserably. Come finals week, we both caught bronchitis. I stayed up till 1am submitting my final assessment with a fever 😂 I had to stop studying for two years because my son had 2 open heart surgeries and need a lot of care. It was a fun ride, I started off with high marks but as my caring duties increased that reflected in my grades and I was so close to quitting and failing but you know what? I’m now waiting for my degree in the mail! Life tried to stop me so hard, but it didn’t!
i did well in my gcse's; got an A* in maths and chemistry and As in the rest bar 2. i'd wanted to be a doctor since year 2 so i decided on chemistry, biology, maths, and psychology for a levels. i dropped maths within 2 weeks, and realised my passion of becoming a doctor was dumb as i was too ill to be able to do such a demanding job and be in education for so much longer. i skipped most chem classes and went into the learning centre which is for like the special kids or something. i missed the last month of school due to being in hospital and the decided over summer i wanted to drop chemistry for art. so i emailed school and tried to catch up a years worth of a level art in two months. i haven't caught up with biology or psychology yet but i refuse to take an extra year because i have social anxiety and meeting a bunch of new people in a school where no one really repeats year 12 would be detrimental to my health. so i'm putting all this pressure on myself and no one believes in me but i'm trying my best :)))
Congrats on your gcses. I'm sure you will achieve your goals. Just look at what you have already accomplished: You managed to change subjects and to catch up on arts. You can do it🤗 And even if not everything works out, the people in your life will love you all the same. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Totally needed this!!! Got diagnosed with severe depression, GAD and PTSD at the start of my first year and had to get special consideration to pass one semester at university. It's so nice to know that I'm not alone
So here is my crazy story of my first year and a half in University: I went to university with the aspirations of being a music major on trumpet. I had been ranked the 9th best jazz trumpeter in the state and in the top 15 classical trumpeters as well. I had never had any private instruction because my family could not afford them while I was growing up. I got accepted to the university and after getting all of my papers signed and paid what I needed too to get the "ball rolling" on my education, my audition was scheduled for the school of music. During my audition, it was interrupted 3 times by the faculty members students with pointless questions and in general, the least professional audition that I have ever even heard of... At the end though, I was told that I did amazing and that I would be a wonderful addition to the school of music. "Who was my private instructor" was the follow up question. As I had stated, I did not have one. To which the response was... "Oh, no private instructor. Well then, I'm afraid you have wasted my time. I don't accept anyone as a student if they have never had private instruction. If you would like private lessons from me, I charge $80/half hour lesson and you would need 2 x hour long lessons a week for a year form me to re-audition for the trumpet studio at this university." If this sounds like extortion to you, that is because it is! Needless to say, I left that office and audition crushed. My future that I had planned for and thought was solid, was crushed. Shortly after, the girl whom I had already talked to her parents about getting engaged too broke up with my by telling me she not only had been cheating on my for nearly a year, but that she was using me as a cover because since I didn't believe in pre-marital relations, I was safe to date till she was ready to come out of the closet as a lesbian. Shortly after that, while working at a bank, money disappeared from a cash drawer and since I was the youngest person working, it must have been me who did it... My apartment was raided by the FBI and after the investigation showed that I was innocent, I still lost my job after 2 years because "things just were not working out"... So to recap - Got into University with the aspirations of teaching music, not allowed into the school of music due to growing up poor basically... Take general classes but feel lost and don't take them seriously and end up getting a C/C- average for the first year and a half of college. Was planning on getting married to my high school sweetheart, but found out that my best friend was playing me because she wasn't ready to be who she was yet all while paying my own way through college with a menial job at a bank which I lost due to being accused of stealing though I didn't... No longer able to be in the school of music, love life was a sham, and lost my job because I was accused of doing something I didn't and could no longer pay for my education, so I had to drop out with a lower then stellar educational experience and grades... 17 years later though. Work at a wonderful company where I am respected and encouraged to grow, they offer to pay for me to go back and finish my undergraduate degree in business and I do so, with honors all while working 2 jobs, and having a wonderful supporting wife and 2 kids in tow. I believe that everything happens for a reason. Had I not gone through the storm in my life 17 years ago, I would not have the amazing life I have now. I have been truly blessed.
I feel like this video couldn't have come at a better time. Two years ago I had to repeat a year of uni. due to my health. This year I almost failed and or failed all of my second term exams. I've been struggling with my disability's, and have had a ton of health problems. It has been a really frustrating and lonely experience, so your video has really helped. Thank you!! You both are such amazing people!
I failed my math exam :( my anxiety got so bad that I skipped my classes and because of that I had a score of 13, I’m still bummed but I know that it’s mainly my fault for not reaching out for help and asking for other options. I think I’m okay now and am going to work really hard this school year :] ( btw I’ve gone to 5 different schools)
This video is so wonderfully relatable! I'm epileptic, and actually had a tonic clonic seizure during one of my A-level exams (this is why we get this nice little private exam room), which then obviously impacted my final results and, therefore, my initial university acceptance. However, due to the circumstances, I did get into my first choice university. That did not last long. Soon discovered that suboptimally controlled epilepsy did not work with full time university in a strange city. Had to drop out after a fun meeting with the university board (or something like that; there was also like a doctor there). But then I went to university through distance learning, moved back to my favorite city, and am a lot happier than I'd have been had I stayed somewhere that turned out not to be a fit for me. Things certainly didn't go as planned, but I think I prefer the way things ended up.
"Relatable content, huh?" Uh, yeah! But in all seriousness, though, this was pretty darn relatable to me! I'm the same age as you and Claudia, and I just got my masters degree in April. My weird swervy turbulent airplane journey started in late elementary school (which where I come from in Canada means age 12ish), and then high school was a total mess from which didn't actually graduate, and then I was in a bad car accident which worsened or triggered various chronic ailments that I've now been dealing with for 11 years through 4 unis and 3 unable-to-be-completed programs before I finally managed to get my Bachelors and Masters at the fourth school. And I'm managed remarkably good grades throughout, when I was able to attend and wasn't forced to drop out for various reasons So while I didn't paralyze my arms or have a lumbar puncture go wrong, I definitely find this to be relatable content.
Oh boy did I need to see this video right at this exact moment. As I’m currently arranging to defer my third year at uni, to add to four years I’ve already deferred/repeated/generally was not a present human for across my super windy journey through education. Thank you chronic health problems, light of my life. What a wonderful boost of positive ‘it’ll be fine’ energy. It’s great to be reminded to avoid holding yourself to the same standards as every able person around you. Instant subscribe. X
It's always great to have other people share their non-traditional education experiences. I went through elementary school as a pretty typical "gifted" kid, then in middle school I began experiencing some pretty serious mental health issues. I failed two classes in eighth grade (English and History), then somehow through the power of sheer bullshit and decent ACT scores managed to get into a college early entrance program at 14. This was.... a massive mistake to put it gently. Between my 14th and 15th birthdays I experienced huge burnout, started having awful meltdowns, sometimes lost my ability to move and speak, and generally lost a lot of functionality. I spent the next year and a half in a "therapeutic boarding school" (read: psychiatric institution, but it's in the woods). Junior year of high school I got back on the horse with a significantly reduced course load, Senior year I took a bunch of college classes, and I managed through a combination of random credits and online courses to graduate on time (somehow). I'm now working towards an engineering degree and maintaining a solid 3.5 gpa. It's still a bit mind-blowing that I've come so far from what was a really dark period of my life.
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We stan a relatable, LGBT+, disabled, vintage queen
Woot!
Q?
Reeeee
space koala well technically it’s under the + 😂🥺
Louder!
"I was what adults liked to call a hypochondriac, and what I like to call doing my goddamn best." That is going somewhere in my inspirational quotes list oh my god XD
I know right!?
This needs to be on new merch.
Yes on Merch!!! This is the best!
Definitely one of the best things Jessica’s ever said!
We need that on a shirt.
"Hi wife"
"Hi wife"
Ikr, they're so sweet, I'm gonna end up getting diabetes
@@shrutis omg aosksososk
Amy Nature? I guess. I agree
Yess the ranboo profile pic on a jessica video
It took me 7 years to finish a 4year degree program because i went through 2 life threatening surgeries and then had to deal with PTSD and depression..
Marie Lou I hope your okay/getting better, I have depression and it takes a long time to “cure” it, i don’t have ptsd but I hope you get help
Have you ever heard of a therapy tool called EMDR? I’m starting it on Monday for my depression and anxiety do to many health and mental “issues” like DV. I’ve heard that it helps but who knows.
That is straight up inspiring you didnt give up despite your obstacles.
Proud of You that You made it, finished it, did it~
I'm proud of you for doing it
Jessica: “I became a lesbian because of Life Drawing classes. See if it works for you!” .
So awesome.
Claudia's story about the career advisor at the school telling her she couldn't pursue Architecture if she didn't do maths reminded me so much of my own story. The careers advisor basically told me that I couldn't study what I wanted because I was bad at one specific subject (I wasn't bad, by the way, I just needed to work much harder on that subject to get good results, which I actually did get). I was so disheartened that I abandoned my plans and applied for a completely different course at university. I ended up becoming depressed, dreaded going to lectures, and generally felt like I had lost control over where my life was headed. I wanted to drop out, but by the time I managed to express that sentiment out loud, 2 years had already passed. I was persuaded to finish my course, and I did manage to graduate (with ok grades), but I needed a lot of support from the university and my family and friends. But, my story has a happy ending because I actually managed to go back and study the course that I initially wanted, and I'm on my chosen career path and finally doing something that fulfills me. So 1) don't listen to people who tell you you can't do something, 2) it's never too late. I actually had people in my course that were in their 40s and have managed to graduate succesfully and start careers in a new field, all while juggling a marriage and family.
My career advisor told me that I couldn't take the basic science GCSE class because my brother was taking Chemistry, Physics and Biology so I must be smarter than basic science. I ended up having to take Chemistry and got a D. I excelled at Art and Music, while my brother excelled at Sciences and Math.
It is *NEVER* too late to study for a degree in something that interests you or that you are passionate about. A lot of students at my University are mature students and have families, marriages etc.
I would like to add that frequently counselors at school don’t actually know what the best academic path is everyone.
My mum passed away while I was doing my A-levels so they weren't as good as I was predicted and didn't get into the Uni I wanted. BUT things have gotten better; I love the Uni I'm in and finally feel that I am reaching my potential.
@Sophie Poyser Congratulations! Life has a way of working itself out. Good luck on your continuing journey 😊👍
Omg I'm so glad things are looking up!
I think it's really unfair how we're taught to base our entire lives on a set of exams, like...anything could happen. Absolutely anything. And it feels like the worst thing ever when the results come back. But it always works out somehow. Glad you're doing better. WIN ALL THE THINGS!
aa my mum passed away just before my gcses so everything went to shit for me for quite a while but i'm doing my dream job now !! look at us go
So sorry you had to go through that ❤ But it sounds like you are doing amazing! Keep up the good work. Much love to you.
you’re a trooper, life just seems to love to try to wreck ur stuff up, and yet ur lipstick still looks great and ur thriving
and you can tell, easily, that Jessica is SMART, articulate, creative and generous. A lot of young people have their education stirred up and it suffers. I have a story that is just one small example, not as complicated as Jessica's. I feel ya. I must say, I would be utterly lost in school now. I dearly hope you get what you want, whether it involves exams or not.
I do feel better having seen this. I was a top student who burned up and dropped out mid senior year and then tried college 3 x before giving up. Anxiety, undiagnosed lupus and a soupcon of PTSD got in the way, and yet here I am
Elena Christian exact same here! I suffered a burn out in the first year or high school instead of the last year. So glad with this comment section that we’re not alone
Title: my exams went horribly wrong
me: isn't that every math exam
true
And social studies!
PREACH
I don’t even find my school subjects that hard, math is literally the only one I always worry about
And your English exam by the looks of that spelling, damn... 😂
I was always a smart kid at school and was in all the top classes. Both sets of my SATS were all top marks, despite chronic pain (I was diagnosed with EDS at age 12). Then towards the end of year 10, my EDS became worse and I started to miss more and more school. Work was sent home for me but I found it hard to concentrate because of pain.
Then came my GCSEs. I did my first one sat on a tiled floor at home as I’d sat down to put my shoes on then couldn’t get up 🤦🏼♀️ I failed most of them but passed English, English Literature, maths and art. At 16, I decided to go into work instead of going to college and became self employed, restoring antique mirror frames. Then the recession hit and the work wasn’t coming in so at 18, I got a job in a care home, looking after elderly dementia residents. Whilst working there, I was able to take NVQs and got to level 3, as well as passing other exams for dementia care, palliative care, first aid, diabetes, and lots more. I worked in care for 6 years and I absolutely loved it.
Now I am unable to work due to my EDS as I have a lot of bed bound days. However, my point is, if your results are bad and you don’t want to go to college, there are lots of opportunities to further your education while you’re working. Bad results don’t mean you are not smart and they do not define you. You can still make something of your life with bad results and most importantly, you can still be happy 😃❤️
At 54 I'm still trying to work it all out
As someone who was only recently diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 27, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this video. I've been in uni on and off for the past 4 years and so far have no degree to show for it, and it's so rare to hear of others who are struggling but still trying very hard to succeed. I'm hoping to go back to uni for the 3rd time soon, and now knowing about my disorder (and working with a therapist to develop skills and habits to cope with it) I'm hoping to finally make significant progress and be well on my way to my degree.
@Gena Westberry Knowledge is key ( cliche I know) but now that you're armed with that information, it appears you are ready to chart a more suitable course for your journey. I wish you all the best in striving to accomplish the goals you set, and remember...third times a charm 😊👍
@@richardvelez3151 Thank you! I've seen a lot of "why am I like this" memes and always found them relatable... Now I know why! I already find that just being aware has made a massive difference in how I handle things outside of acadamia, so given that knowledge and the support system that I have now I'm confident that I'll have more success than I have in the past. And even if I do fall behind, I'll know why and to not be so hard on myself. I always just thought I was hopelessly lazy, but thankfully now I'm learning that I'm not lazy, just differently motivated, and knowing that you have a hurdle is the most important step in getting past it. Third time is the charm, after all!
Total respect for the resilience
@@KatsuragiNamika Thank you! It's difficult but I know it'll be worth it.
Undiagnosed ADHD messed me up so many ways but I feel like half of it is the self esteem errosion of always being told how much I wasn't achieving my potential or that I needed to apply myself more (when I was doing my God Damn Best!) Diagnosis was a revelation and if you're not following the How to ADHD channel on YT you're missing out for sure.
Coming to terms with a nonstandard educational path myself, and this video is just what I needed
Same here!
Most of the folks in my grad school cohort were following nonstandard paths and it made for more awesome classes! (We had a grandparent in my cohort and he had really good insights.)
Same here 🤗💪
schools are honest to god so bad with students who have medical conditions. i loved learning, but for about six years i had reoccurring flareups of a horrible immune system condition that manifested in skin infections, so i was constantly in and out of school and on medication more or less constantly. despite having some of the best grades in the year and CONSISTENTLY providing letters from my paediatrician explaining my absences the school were ALWAYS on our ass about why i was ~mysteriously away~. but of course they were surprised when i decided to move elsewhere 🙄
I had to withdraw before my exam years and then had to withdraw again when I headed off to tertiary education. Thank you for being amazing and talking about a non linear education experience.
@@lucyaw1815 it's lucky that you have a diagnosis already, hopefully you'll have systems in place so you can have the best outcome possible. But if it doesn't, there's always other options including resitting exams. Wishing you the best of luck (from another POTsie) 😊❤
My mom got diagnosed with cancer in my last year of school and I was already struggling hard with my mental health before that.
Nobody cared at all about my situation and I barely managed to get through.
After that life didn't became easier and now at 26 I start a new apprenticeship because I was also diagnosed with a physical disability 3 years ago and just can't work in my old job anymore. I get treated like an outcast for this decision by a lot of people, somehow like I'm lazy for doing this and waiting around until my program starts in late October.
I've been home for two years now and I just can't stand it anymore.
people need to mind their own business. I'm sorry they treat you badly, but you're doing what is best for you. If you genuinely can't work, you can't work. I can't believe some people would call others lazy for that. What's lazy about learning to live with a disability and fighting everyday to achieve something hard for you that is easy for others? That's not lazy to me. The fact that you're still trying just shows that. I'm wishing you the best of luck in your apprenticeship and hoping you don't have to feel this way ever again
Screw other ppl! Like the shrunken head said, "It's going to be a bumpy ride!"
I have to admit I absolutely adore Jessica's optimism about even the worst things that happened to her
"Plot twist: I was deaf"
Haha, I totally get that French class. I failed out of Spanish because I sat at the back of the class and couldn't see the board (and thus couldn't follow along and totally lost). Kid next to me also couldn't see the board. We both went up saying we couldn't see- teacher didn't move us. The next year back we both came back to school with glasses. I'm a Spanish teacher now.
I had my heart set on going to Cambridge...applied, went to interview, got an offer that was exactly my predicted grades so I was pretty chuffed. Ended up getting AAB instead of the A*AA I was predicted so I was quite firmly rejected from Cambridge. This was only a couple of weeks ago so it still stings, but I hope one day I'll be able to look back on this fondly and remember that it wasn't anywhere near the end of the world.
It’s so hard to see the positives in situations like this. I hope you go to a uni that give you a great experience despite it not being your number 1. Good luck and enjoy it!!
Those are literally the exact same grades I was predicted, and the exact same grades that I got! This time last year, I found it really hard not getting the grades I wanted, and especially getting rejected from Oxford, but all I can say is over time it does get easier, and you learn that even though there was that painful experience, you and your academic career are not defined by it.
@@hannahfox5422 Thank you so much! That's definitely a huge help :))
Hi Jessica and family. I have a condition called idiopathic intercranial hypertension, where I produce too much csf and have to have lumber punctures to drain the excess and relieve the pressure on my brain.
This causes a lot of pain/headaches. A lot of people brush these, and migraines, off as ‘just headaches’ and don’t realise how much else it effects, like all our senses going weird, (I go blind, deaf in one ear and can’t feel/control my limbs and my speech is distorted).
Thank you for raising awareness in such an approachable, friendly and stylish way
From kat x
This video is perfect because my psychologist has just been talking about me dropping subjects and doing 1/2 days etc for my mental health and I was concerned about how it would effect my grades because I’m bright. But but this video really eased me and made me feel better about that. Thank you xxx
may i just say that I'm so happy I discovered your channel? like oh my gosh. thank you for blessing this world with your existence and being the most wonderful, sweetest, strongest, inspiring and kindest person i've ever met. truly. you're like a living angel. you've made me appreciate life so much more. you giving off the most positive energy contributes me with the most positive energy. you are a person to be real appreciated, so hopefully you and people around you are appreciating you the way you deserve it and are treating you with lots of love. thank you and have a wonderful day ♥
Thing a: could you do a tutorial eventually on your hair? It’s fantastic! (The updo)
Thing b: this video honestly really helped me feel a LOT better about my school stuff. I can’t go back for a couple semesters because of money and also chronic illness and it’s been really messing with me. Thank you! Your videos are a godsend and you deserve the best!
Wow Jessica, that is crazy!
Wonky Education club 🙋🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
I was adopted at 8 so before that no one had bothered to teach me to read or write so I had to catch up quite quickly! I then struggled through school (spoiler I was really dyslexic but no one picked up on it- also couldn’t read the white boards because they use to write in green and red which made it hard to read for me. I got GCSE’s even though people thought I wouldn’t, I then went to college and got an unconditional to go to uni but my health started to deteriorate but again no one realised, my dad got cancer and the uni lecturer called me a drama queen (my kidneys were failing) I came home (didn’t ever finish my degree) I then joined the police but my health was worse and I was having what I thought were allergic reactions and again no one realised how ill I was getting! Long story short I was working as an art consultant at an art gallery and I ended up driving 50 miles home while my kidneys were at complete end stage renal failure and I then ended up in A and E where they told me my kidneys had failed, after a year off I retrained to work in Education and I now (after my maternity leave) will look at doing more qualifications to do a more teaching role! Never too late I’m 33!
I wish you a very successful future and good health! I am sure you will do great as you got to this point already and are motivated and optimistic!
Anony User I would have to copy from the person next to me even if I sat at the front, also I would get told off for talking but I was actually asking what the board said all my report from end of year would say need to talk less in class! 🤦🏻♀️👍🏻🤔😞
Quick note not everyone takes SATs, prep school kids take CE (common entrance) in year 8 and grammar schools require you to pass the 11+ exam
I've never got the hang of which "year". I took CE when I was 13 and that got me into my next school where we started in 3rd form, (followed by 4th, 5th, lower 6th and upper 6th for A levels.) University was an enjoyable waste of time.
Yeah, and KS3 SATs were scrapped some years back, but a lot of schools in England still use similar end of Year 9 tests which has caused some confusion (and some ignore end of KS2 SATs and just do a test at the beginning of Year 7 and use it even though they shouldn't for GCSE predictions). Keeping track of all the exam varieties and changes just in England is confusing enough before we add in the rest of the UK and as someone who wasn't raised in UK, it's all a mess to me.
Canadian Harry Potter fan: so that's like the OWL's...
I was lucky in that I was not particularly sick while in school. In have ADHD but I am also hyperlexic (I laughed when you mentioned it.) But I wasnt dealing with the chronic pain and chronic fatigue that keep me from doing much these days and cause a lot of brain fog and aphasia that I struggle with now.
I struggle with the fact that I can no longer do the one real thing I trained for as it's too exhausting. (Daycare).
In addition to talking about education I'd love to see you talk about changing career fields as an adult. Because personally I'm stumped.
Claudia! The claws came out there lol. Love it XD
I didn't get any kind of diagnosis until my mid-20s. I didn't even think to see a doctor for most of my symptoms really. So now that I know about my various conditions it makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE why my grades after grade 6 were absolute garbage and why I graduated a year late.
I went to college for cosmetology years after high school, and with my horrible untreated anxiety and a heart condition(still undiagnosed, we just know something is wrong), after working a year in a salon I went on stress leave which then turned into disability assistance.
Now I'm going back to college in 2 weeks for business administration with my second year in marketing at a school that has a dedicated disability team. I get the use of an exam room that's completely quiet to help with my ADD, my instructors are very forgiving of missed classes for medical reasons as long as you work to keep up with the class (some schools, even if you have legitimate medical reasons, will fail you for missing x number of classes), and multiple different things to help various conditions (tutors, smart pens, people to dictate your texts and exams, etc) and I have the least amount of anxiety I've ever had going into something so major. I'm 29 now and finally going into something that I'm passionate about and excites me.
Hhhhh your school journey is so relatable. I’ve struggled with pretty severe depression (now managed) since... I don’t even know. Probably started as a kid. I barely graduated high school, took a year off before college/university (I’m in the US). I was enrolled in college for a fall semester and like a month of the following spring semester before I had an breakdown and withdrew and didn’t return until I was roughly 22. I’m 24 now and doing pretty well! Just applied to nursing school! So like moral of the story for anyone who needs to hear it:
Take your time and take care of yourself. School will be there when you’re ready and able!
This is really nice to hear, glad you're doing well now :))
"Everytime there are words, I just have to read them!" Yes! Me too, me too!
Jessica sounds so different, but I'm strangely addicted to her voice now
Just got my GCSEs results and I didn't pass my English language and maths which I needed to be able to do the B-tec I wanted to do but when I went in to enroll to college, expecting to have to do a level 2 instead of a level 3, they told me that if I promise to work hard they can offer me a level 3, tbh I almost cried when she said it, some times people who know that they're going to pass don't understand even when working hard some of us still don't know what our future holds with our grads. So hold on and you might just find a way
you can always do the level 2 first then the level 3 after if that's the route you need to take !💕
@@sunnydayze2306 that's what I was going to do before they offered me the level 3
gosh you two are just so lovely, i laughed so much at how passionate claudia was with “i should have slipped another 50 quid in there” for the remarking. this was a really great video and even though my school journey has been more like claudias there could still be bumps in the future and its very comforting to see you guys at the end of the road happily
Hated school with a passion had a horrible time. Bullied by kids and teachers cos I had problems with my dyslexia (thou wasn’t diagnosed till I was 20) failed most of my GCSEs use to pray everyday my school would burn down. Had to re take my GCSES at college then got to uni to do my nursing diploma for the first 2 years then my last year got to transfer to the degree level so there was hope for me in the end xxxx
@Kathylou1 Sometimes it is not about overcoming or 'pushing through' but identifying, managing, and accepting. Once you achieve that, your goals will be within reach and anything is possible....which you seem to be realizing now. Good luck with your journey ahead 😊👍
i love clauds tangents 😭😭
I often forget how different English education is to Scottish. I'm so used to the way we do things I forget you guys do it so differently
I am not alone..... This brings back sad memories out into the open, where they should always have been, of how I sat one of my final University Psychology papers the day after a miscarriage. I remember the blue dress I was wearing, the cramps in my stomach, putting my ID at the top of the paper, and then.....nothing. I wrote nothing....for the three exam hours. This paper was a third of my results and I handed up a blank answer book. Amazingly I passed my degree but didn't get the marks I had hoped and worked for. That taught me never never again get married, get pregnant [by mistake on honeymoon], move house and sit University finals all in the space of three months. And I never told anyone for years what had gone wrong. Only my husband knew. It was so lonely. So I applaud your 'my exams went horribly wrong' video.
"SATs are UK tests"
Me: is Scottish
"SATs are English tests"
-and welsh
But our SATs are different, we have them once a year and for different subjects to England. For example we don't do science but we do Welsh.
I didnt know about SATs until this video, I feel like I've heard Americans talking about them before but that might've been something different that just sounded similar
The SAT is very different in the US! To vastly oversimplify, it's a third party administered test that sorta determines suitability for higher ed. (There's a competing test called the ACT. I took that one because the testing fee was less expensive, though at the time fewer schools recognized it.) We take them close to the end of high school, though they aren't required to graduate. But lower SAT/ACT scores don't exclude students from access to higher ed, they just lead people to take different educational paths (like starting at a community college and transferring to a university). It's very convoluted, and there are some universities that don't take those scores into account anymore.
I'm American and I still think it's wild.
@@morgrugyn We do both
It is so important to acknowledge that it is okay to not go the same way most people go when it comes to education!
If you can't for what ever reason go to school that is okay! You might be able, if you want to, later, in your own way.
I suffered from depression from a young age and could not finish school, it took me years to come back but I am finally going and it makes me feel so good in a way it could never have done if I forced my way to go when I was younger!
Your worth is never in your education, so if you haven't been able or maybe never can, that is perfectly okay.❤️
I think this is a really interesting concept- and it’s really nice how you guys are sharing your exam results, and helping other people feel better about their schooling journey. Please continue being you 😊.
Thank you so much for this video. I feel so much better about my educational journey now. I began university as an older adult with chronic fatigue. I had a difficult time with cognitive function and stress even if I took just one class. I attended as I was able and paid as I went. It took me over ten years to complete, but now I have a degree with no debt.
Hey Jess and Claude!
I really have to tell you I appreciate that video a lot.
I grew up with undiagnosed autism, breezed through primary school and got progressively worse throughout middle and high school. (well,the Austrian equivalent) I graduated at 17 with fantastic grades in English, music and art and bad grades in sciences and meh grades in everything else, went straight to university after that and had a good time until like my third semester of translation and interpretive studies (which I LOVED in the beginning! I still want to work as a translator, to be honest...) when I kept failing one exam over and over and at some point realized I could not fucking deal with written exams because I could not understand what the heck our professor wanted exactly, and that multiple choice exams that relied on semantics were my doom... I kept trying but ended up changing my study program to linguistics, which I struggled even more with. I began to experience burnout and depression to a degree where I could not deal with anything, felt constant anxiety, self-doubt and had no capacity for handling my sensory needs and ended up withdrawing because everything was too much. I finally managed to see doctors and get diagnosed and find a therapist. I switched study programs for the second time and went into it with the goal of being open about my needs. I tell each professor I have impairments and have a document that allows me to do written exams orally. The accessibility people at our university are fantastic and empathetic and have helped me so much. Anyway, I hope to finish this Bachelor's degree (English and American focused linguistics) and work as a freelance-ish translator!
Thank You for making it clear how "invisible" health conditions are not equated with conditions that can easily be seen. And people in charge don't always want to hear your health issues and when letting others know, again, for clarification, they are not always helpful. You both are spectacular, smart, successful, and creative. I hope you do get what you want on that journey, but you've done so well without them, and can always study subjects You like.
I'm in the middle of a college degree in the US -- I started 4 years ago and am "only" halfway done due to my severe anxiety & depression (which I'm still working on). I was a consistently great student throughout grade school (graduated 3rd in my class), but everything started going downhill when I started college and it was really hard to come to terms with a non-linear education. Thank you guys for talking about your experiences!
I LOVED the video, it's so nice to hear bc when I had to retake a year, my only reference of it was "that lazy boy who skip classes or got too bad grades".
My story: I have several psychiatric conditions, _a little complex (like, it'd be a 10 minute read lol),_ one since 10 y/o but the rest since teenage years or older. So it was often a struggle the whole way, and not less at university. But after about one year at uni (21 y/o), I got ME. That has been the most _disabling_ thing for me (although my mental health can be more _painful_ ). I've had to almost _fight_ for my rights and to find a way (against the health care system, against the school etc.), but now I have a plan so that I can study at snail speed... but at least I'm moving (mostly) forward now :)
Love it! My education is also hilariously wonky because of health things and I now teach music which is a result of my love of music and sharing this love not my exam results...thank you lovely people x
New slogan for myself: “I’m a marshmallow!” 🙂🙂❤️❤️ Love you so much! ADHD and undiagnosed chronic stomach pain made school miserable for me, I fought for veeery average grades and sometimes got poor ones. Somehow made it though college with better medications and flexibility in time/ learning style, and I thought I could have a “normal” life. But 3 more autoimmune diagnoses, several traumatic surgeries, and a whole lot of chronic pain, illness, and disability later, I am now unable to work. It’s hard sometimes to think I am valued in spite of being unable to use my degree, unable to pay off my loans 12 years later, trying to make ends meet, and feeling like I am letting everyone down. You give me so much hope, thank you!
I started being really scared of school at 12. I would miss many days because I felt so sick. I didn't fit in socially and academically. Then when I was 15 I developed an eating disorder and was in and out of hospital for 2 years, so I wasn't at school at all. I tried to go to 6 different university courses and would always end up really mentally sick after a few months and drop out or go to a hospital for my ED. Now I'm 25, I only have my secondary education diploma and in 8 years I was able to finish only 1 year of school. I live with my parents, I have no jobs and no idea about the future, I live on benefits. I don't know what to do
Hugs! (if you want them). I don't know what you should do but wanted to make my own comment. One week ago, at 29 and a half years old, I moved out of home for the first time. Your good friends will not care that you're still living at home. Tbh I couldn't have gotten my treatment or done my studies or gotten to where I am now if I'd moved out earlier. I'm cheering for you!
It sounds like you need therapy and antidepressants or maybe medication? Obviously I don’t know you and not a doctor but your disability is mental and not physical. Have you ever thought of getting your degree online? It would give you the ability to get a degree without the stress of a classroom setting.
“I was always injured, it was near constant. that was what adults liked to called a hypochondriac but what I like to call DOING MY GODAMN BEST” I relate so much that is priceless.
I literally only graduated high school because I got cancer and was being homeschooled for the last few months of the school year...
Well first of all, congratulations on graduating High School that's a big achievement. Secondly, I really hope that your treatment is going well. Please stay strong.
@@michimelody4036 Thanks. Treatment went awesome, and I'll be 21 years cancer free at the end of November!
My dad was active duty US Air Force when I was a kid, so we moved around a lot. For K-12, I attended seven schools, which didn't exactly make things easy as the US doesn't have a national curriculum, and each state can teach whatever they want in any order they want. And then I had all of my medical issues. Between dislocated kneecaps, migraines, concussions, ulcers, and slipped discs (not to mention the back surgery for the slipped discs), I missed a lot of school. I spent all of 8th grade in a wheelchair, was on a total homebound schooling program for 9th grade, had back surgery, and then did 10th grade on partial homebound before returning to school fulltime in 11th grade. I (somehow) still managed to graduate magna cum laude with a GPA of 99.03 (we used a 100-point scale at the high school I graduated from for some reason??? rather than a 4-point system like literally everyone else??), a rank of 27 in my class of 604 students, and was a National Merit Commended Student. I was on track in undergrad to graduate a year early but another disc slip made me take a semester off, so I graduated in 3.5 years instead of 4. After a semester's break (because my schedule had been set back by that semester I missed), I was ready to start grad school. And then a month before I was supposed to start, I slipped more discs in my back and had to have a second back surgery, which delayed my starting grad school by a whole year. Two weeks into my first semester of grad school, my kneecap dislocated again, and I broke my ankle. My (incredible and wonderful and amazingly kind) mother moved from Texas to Illinois to sleep on my couch and take care of me so I wouldn't have to drop out of school. I'm now in my second (and final) year of my master's program and two years "behind schedule." However, I met two of my absolute best friends in the world at my grad school orientation, which I wouldn't have gone to if I'd started a year or two before that. I spent a lot of time beating myself up about not getting higher SAT/ACT scores and not achieving a higher honor level in the National Merit Scholar program (which is dictated by SAT scores). I look back now, though, and realize how much it didn't matter at all. I got a full-tuition scholarship for undergrad with a stipend because of my academic record, and I got into the number one school in North America for my master's program. I'm also (I think) a fairly strong candidate for the PhD program I'm applying for in a few months. Sure, it would have been cool to say that I was a National Merit Scholar or that I had been valedictorian of my class, but with all of the medical issues I had (plus undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety), it's a fucking miracle that I managed to do everything that I have. I tied up so much of my self-worth in my ability to be the best student in my class and my academic achievement as a whole, and I held myself to a ridiculously high standard that was simply not achievable for me, particularly with everything going on. It all seemed like the end of the world when it happened, but I absolutely love where I am now and am genuinely really excited about my future.
I got 2 E at A lvl and thought that was it for my educational pass. I did a foundation year at USW. I picked myself up again and now I am at my university of choice studying Psychology and Criminology. I went to several schools too, ended up missing out on SATs. It wasn't smooth but I had people who supported me and encouraged me. Bad grades aren't the end.
Additionally, my mum dropped out of college. In her 30s she started Open University. There are tons of options.
Oh man, i wish i had someone like you when i was 18. Still, i think in 20 minutes you've both helped my inner teen self heal a lot, so thank you!
In Poland we have podstawówka then gimnazjum (now we don't have it but when I was in school it still existed) and liceum. In podstawówka and gimnazjum I got very good grades, and amazing exam results. But in liceum it wasn't so amazing... I took advanced chemistry, biology and English and also compulsory English, Polish and math. I did good in biology (63%), English (100%, 98%), math (72%) but in chemistry only 27% so it was below what you need to even apply to medicine university (30% but you need more to get accepted). So I took gap yera to get better mark in chemistry, but I've failed miserably. So I just went to university in physiotherapy (they only wanted English, Polish and math) and I was 3 on the list. And honestly, I prefer being physiotherapist than doctor.
Excellent! I love all of my physios!
O. M. G. "Don't listen to them, they obviously didn't make it far in life." Claud actually killed me with how accurate that is! Such a cruel way to open ones eyes and i love it, you two really are the embodiment of optimistic and REAListic, such a perfect match!!
I was that chick that cried through all my science and math classes. WELL HERE I AM. I SURVIVED.
honestly this video is everything I need. my grades in university have been slipping for thr last 3 years (it has taken me over 5 years to complete a 2 year program) because my mental health has been failing and I refused to admit to myself that I needed to take a break from school. finally decided not to go back this next year and its really shameful for me.
Can we please get Jessica to make a video where she either gives us her opinions on the Marvel Cinematic Universe or she reads her fan fiction??
I ended up not going to school for about a third of the year, because both my mental and physical health was a bit crap. I got two Ds and an E at AS Level
I'm 22 years old and I'm not done with school. I haven't been able to get any degree. I've always struggled with school and I've been absent countless days. Too exhausted to get home work and other projects done in time. If I wasn't struggling with bad mental health I was ill. And it hasn't got any easier. Just getting worse and worse. I have a lot of health problems but don't actually know what's wrong with me. Hoping to get some answers from doctors soon. So this video made me feel a lot better and not as helpless.
Gabriel Savinen check out autism,adhd, dyslexia if you do have that you are likely to have other healthproblems ( My story, just it took me to 45 to actually get My diagnosis and then My health issues finally made sense as well as reactions to medications)
@@annarehbinder7540 wow. I've literally thought that might have those all and now I feel more like I'm not imaging it. Or blowing things out of proportion. I just haven't been able to muster the courage to bring all this up. Thank you so much for the comment!
Gabriel Savinen basically if you have either or a combo you are vulnarable to problems with immunity, all sorts of inflammatory stuff including psoriasis and psoriatic arthrities, gluten might be a thing whether intolerant or sensitive . fibromyalgia which appear somewhat diffrently in men. As well as ms etc and they can cluster. importantly you might have infektions which don’t show because you have normally lower body temp as well as not as reactive immune response so you are sick a lot longer and normal test Ig testing doesnt Work as well .but don’t get as much fever ( those last two aint a must but many have them) you might also have a problem with heat and or cold/ sunstroke etc. Things you can do after they looked at you physically by your self are ( My paindr receipy ) check that it wont collide with any medications you are taking with your dr and do this afteryour check up not mid testing a) combo of magnesium citrate 500-600 mg day, omega 3 4000-6000 mg a day, d3 10000 mg a day - this will boost general immunity / take care of that is a normal deficiency, should help focus plus relaxation as well b) take the anti- pneumonia vaccine since it also helps with other similar infections c) try a Ginger plus turmeric mix ( pills) I take 500 mg of each x 4 a day - this helps with any deppression tendencies plus is a really strong anti- inflammatory combo ( deppression by the way seems to be part inflammation and is common ) all these are more than likely something you can do with any medication given physically as well as anti- Depp but doublecheck just in case with your dr . If you should need anti- deppressants as well two medications that seems to Work really well for people with adhd as well as autism voxra ( wellbutrin only get that brand of that specific medication if needed ) 150 mg as well as buspiron actavis which is an anti-anxiety medication which also boosts anti-Depp and that has a anti- brainfog effect plus more energy also hard to explain even in Very small dosages I did 5mg morning and noon. You might also want to add b12 in the form of methylcobalamin 5mg a day - Very important that its that specific one plus 2 mg folate a day ( might find it under folic acid but it should say folacin which is the natural variety) Also hopefully you should not at have ms but if you do look into clemastine and niacin for that but in that case in higher dosages . Clemastine is an anti-histamine which also can be helpful as an antihistamine since we can be sensitive to many medications and niacin is also something that is likely to be helpful in general. Atarax is a musclerelaxant,antihistamine, anti- anxiety med which can also be useful to have at home as its welltolerated and not habituating ( it works longer than clemastine and is often used together to maximiseeffect) as We tend to be Allergic and sensitive ( which is a less reactive/ explosive but still Allergic reaction) to a higher degree due to immunity issues .This is all based on specific knowledge pertaining to autism/adhd, dyslexia etc and combos. Personally i’ve also found that for hanging out with people in loud environments having muscicians earpluggs are a good thing (expensive but really good if you want to look into it , also great for conserts or Work because they give even sound dampening without taking away from the understandability) sorry about the length of this but this is about 20 years research from My part as many dr does not not know these things but researchers do. And I though if this is relevant to you ... if not might help someone else... all the best and keeping My fingers crossed!
@@annarehbinder7540 just wow. You just listed so many of the physical problems I have. Without knowing that much about my situation. I'm quite shocked tbh. But once again I'm glad I'm not imaging it all and I might actually have something "wrong" with me physically. So frustrating that I've known that for years but nothing shows up. So once I again. Thank you! Hugely appreciate it
Gabriel Savinen oh and I forgot, check autism/ adhd organisations they are generally bloody helpful even before diagnosis and can help Getting diagnosed as you Will know more of whats relevant ! Since it can be hard to answer ” right” unless you know what they are looking for. Had to help My husband with that. ( We have both been adult diagnosed though to be honest given our neerdiness not really a great supprise to us... have dyslexia and adhd as well )
Every time I watch you and Claudia i cannot imagine how beautiful, smart and lucky is gonna be your daughter or son of have you two like mothers ❤️
I was flipping through a book on migraine when you mentioned your next video will be on migraine. Needless to say I'm excited for that one.
i had an unexpected stroke in 2016, literally THE WEEK BEFORE school started for the fall. i was laid out in the hospital with right-side paralysis and mild aphasia. i had created a peeeeeeerfect schedule that would've basically finished 2/3 of my degree and seen my finishing college a semester early, and when we realized what had happened i was fuming. i argued with everyone around me because they all insisted i take time off to recover, at the very least, movement in the right side. i was so incredibly heartbreaking to come to the realization that i wouldn't be able to do it, and that i had to take time off. i spent a year angry at myself and angry at the world for what happened, laid around all day watching youtube videos until i found you, jess. you really helped me to come to terms with reality and realize that it was both ok to be mad and ok to embrace the deficits i was left with in the aftermath. i learned to walk again, taught myself how to use my arm, my hand, and, finally, how to write again, and i went back to school in the fall of 2017. i graduated last may, a semester earlier than expected, and with distinctions in the major.
through the whole experience, i learned that shit happens. there's no point living in the past or hanging on to the what-ifs, because you're only wasting time. there's no point in flagellating yourself over things you cannot control, so long as you try your best 😌❤️
I was in a local paper photo on results day but they literally just walked up to us and asked to take a picture with no knowledge of our results, we could have all got U's!
Oh, I needed this video so badly today. Due to mental health complications and chronic illness, my educational journey has been more or less a case of one step forward, two steps back for years. Every time I think I'm getting somewhere my health declines and I'm left feeling as though I'm falling way behind my peers who all seem to be on a steady upwards journey. What's really been helping me recently though is the knowledge that life is not a race! If I take 10 years to do what might take some others only 5 - well what's the problem? I'm taking the scenic route, and putting my health first. Nothing is worth sacrificing my wellbeing over.
Thank you for this!
The fact that you wrote fanfiction adds the the number of reasons I and convinced we are related 😂😂
I didn't finish high school due to illness and family circumstances, but after several years of working I did an adult matriculation program at uni and went on to complete a degree, get 1st class Honours and a scholarship and go onto a PhD - which I didn't complete because I got the opportunity to do a highly specialised course in pre C20th oil painting techniques. School results can be the quicker path, but they are not the only path.
Thank you so much this helped because I didn’t achieve what I was meant to ,time to resit :)
My university years were so bad, I actually never got to finish - but it isn’t bad!
I developed horrible agoraphobia in my second year and it held me back. I ended up developing panic disorder as well. I broke my knee twice, and ended up homeless my third year, I lost my father at the fourth “year” (it had been 7 years by then). I also broke off an engagement.
I ran out of federal aid (maxed out my loans) and had to just stop going.
I was studying computer science though. I wanted to be a developer so bad. I ended up pushing for it even without my degree, and made it into my field! I now lead after 3 years and it’s a wonderful place to be. The only downside is I live in the US, and with my healthcare, I can’t afford to pay off my loans properly.
But I’m happy, and I’m doing much better than I ever imagined.
Jessica is stirring up relatable content ✨
Screwed over my first pop at a level exams because of CFS/fibro/migraines etc, this year I resat and made the papers for kicking ass - to all my young'uns with CFS or other chronic conditions, you can still kick ass and make your own path, please focus on your health and support network first because I can genuinely say that's the best thing to focus on and is what got me through, much more, than all that excessive studying people like to brag about!
Aww you two are utterly adorable 💗💗💗
Being reminded that your educational career isn't going to determine the rest of your life or how successful you'll be as an adult is honestly so nice. I've had a smooth path so far in school, and this year I graduated from high school a n d I'll be starting college (eheheh American, but 'university' is in the school's name so ig university?) this autumn. I have this mentality where everything I do has to be perfect and I can't get below a B in a class or else I will have an absolute meltdown. I was the 'gifted kid' growing up and never bothered to learn how to properly study for exams because I somehow retained everything well enough to never need studying, but that never carried on as I aged, so now I don't know how to study and wing everything I do (and with varying success).
Basically what I want to say is that I tend to stress myself out a lot with being perfect at everything I do, and it's nice to slow down and realize that this isn't the end of the world. I can still be successful and happy, but that path just might look different than what I expected it to look like.
your life's been tough, huh? i'm amazed by how beautiful your heart is. keep being strong
i actually just dropped out of school this year. i went to university for one year and my mental and physical health pretty much went off the rails, so i couldn’t do as well as i or my parents were expecting. i’ve decided to put school on hold indefinitely until i recover and am in a place in my life where that can be an option for me, but being 19 at home, i’m under a lot of pressure to get a job and contribute something to the family if i won’t be in school. i understand that and i think it’s reasonable, but i just don’t feel very supported in my journey, and i feel like everyone is disappointed in me for making the decision i did. i would like to just have some time to relax and gather myself and recover, but it’s always assumed by my family and friends that i just want to be “lazy”, and it’s hurtful. i want more than anything to contribute something and not be pretty much expendable in the household, but i can barely function properly these days, and the lack of support makes it hurt even more. i know this comment is all over the place aishsjsgsjdbdk but i hope things start looking up soon. for me, and for anyone else who may be in a similar position.
"Plot twist, I was deaf" xD
I did quite well in elementary school, I only had problems with English. In middle school I started showing signs of depression and I crashed academically. I also had somehow injured my arm by grabbing a binder out of my locker in 6th grade and now I have Chronic pain and weakness in my right arm. In highschool I did well my first year and then spiraled down again, I got a 6 week long migraine in 11th grade and ended up failing multiple classes because of it. I am in 12 grade now and I am now going to a alternative school because I got chronic sinusitis that made me miss 3 months of school. I am now a semester behind because of all of this.
I was pressured a lot by my mother to be a good student, and was frequently told by her that I was "really smart but just lazy". She never thought to consider that I might have something wrong, or that I hated what I was. Here at 23 years old, I barely passed high school and have failed every attempt at further education I've tried. I'm 99% certain that I have undiagnosed ADHD, and while I don't have any noticeable issues in my day-to-day life, I always struggled with focus, memory and motivation in education.
I could never make myself sit down and do homework or study, and I always hated myself for it. The few times I did manage to make myself do something, I would struggle to stay focused at all and, more often than not, not finish. I failed a lot of tests, barely passed a lot, and occasionally did well when a certain topic would greatly catch my interest. I did notably well in history because I was almost always interested in what we were doing.
Yo same! I finally got diagnosis and treatment this year at age 25 (I did it all myself with 0 help from my parents). might be worth noting that ADHD (and autism) is extremely under diagnosed in women cuz people generally think those are mental divergences that only little boys who can't sit still get instead of considering the little girls who zone out quietly and draw instead of ever paying attention in school.
@@Joniness Well, that might not apply to me since I'm trans (grew up through school as a "boy")
You don't need to have a higher education to be succesful in life sometimes~ You tried hard enought but maybe it was not just meant for You~ Cheer up ~`*`~
When you do check it out check out both autism and adhd - turns out that I have both but it was not at all obvious outwardly because the combo.
I was in the same exact boat as you; I was a terrible student in high school. After I graduated (by some miracle) I took several years off to live life and figure out what to do with my life. Once I figured out what career I wanted I came to the conclusion that not having a degree wasn’t doing me any favors so back to school I went! I’m 28 years old and I’m about to start my second year of college. Because I know what I want, I’m motivated to do the best I can and not just the bare minimum.
I was homeschooled all my life and started community college classes with a reservoir of anxiety and depression. I’ve been gradually adding classes and responsibilities over the past few years and it’s getting so much easier and very exciting! Don’t isolate your kids! That “fear to be set back a year” is something I’m trying to erase from my DNA.
Honestly adored the video. I feel a lot better about the upcoming and terrifying BAC :) // Hi from France :)
This just shows that exam results don't make a difference to your success, it is your attitude. I got my GCSE results this year and they're literally just a list of numbers which I won't remember in a few years. Thank you for this insightful video.
Your hairdo is amazing! Also, good video. But amazing hair!
I had horrific mental issues and undiagnosed learning difficulties throughout my school life, including exams.
No one noticed this or cared though. Because I wasn't loud or boisterous. I had severe anxiety due to a problem home life. So they thought I was just thick.
Uni wasn't an option.
But I've proved my grades wrong now at the age of twenty five and I feel a lot better now that I've learnt how to handle myself and my conditions.
There's more to life then school! Don't feel bad if it didn't go well ❤️
I somehow managed to get into my dream uni (omg!) and they've given me accommodation down the road from my department but I'm still daunted after being housebound so long with my CFS and fnd so any tips on surviving uni with a chronic illness would be so amazing 🌈❤️
Reach out to the department for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses (unless thats already the one that will give you the accomodations that you mentioned), make sure that all your tutors and professors know what the accomodations are that you need, e.g. scripts or notes in advance, more time for homework and tests, thw possibolity of not needing to be there for every lecture.
Don't take too many classes. Find out if you can shop/try out certain classes before you take them. Talk to older students that study for the same degree. They often have useful tips that people in student councelling or course guidance don't know. But ask those too. Find out what modules you need to have completed before you can take more advanced courses and which classes and lectures aren't available every semester. Try to meet as many student in the beginning of the semester as you can, get their phone numbers and email. You might need some of them later for study sessions, notes or questions if you can't regularly visit courses.
If you have some time until uni starts, read as much about exam regulations and training schedules. Try to follow your own path. If other students want to take 10 classes, that each will end with a complicated written exam, five group projects and 15 essays they can, you don't have to.
Studying with a chronic illness will likely prolong your uni career but you already know it and you can plan accordingly. (Most other healthy students will not graduate “on time“ either, btw).
I don't know what country you're from, so I don't know if uni will be free for you or not and what your living situation is going to be like. Some unis offer financial aid to disabled students. Look into it, you might be surprised and find that you qualify.
But talk to people, older and younger students, professors, tutors and find out what tips they have on their uni careers, what they wish they knew when they started uni, how flexibly they handle illnesses in their students. Be upfront about “complications“ that might come up with you and don't be afraid to ask for deadline extensions.
I hope that's at least a little helpful.
And congrats on getting into your uni!
Thank you so much for this. I had to drop out of this semester due to upcoming surgery because of my chronic illness. My grades have been getting worse and worse since I hadn’t been able to attend class and finish assignments on time. Before my chronic illness, I was a shining star in academics!
I got a C- (70% correct) on a math test once but was really happy because I thought I’d fail it. It was a huge relief
oh boy a story you say?
i had a perfect school experience all the way up until three years ago when i had to drop out of school at the end of year nine and only just managed to pass those exams (to my surprise)!
i’ve had constant headaches for three years now and it’s completely destroyed my high school life. i am meant to be in year 11 this year (junior year for americans) and instead i’m at home everyday because my head only got worse and worse. my head cannot deal with focusing on anything, cannot deal with the noise that comes with being in a school. i went from being in an accelerated class to having to drop out of school.
it amazes me that you finished school even when you were ill. i tried to continue online but i just find it so difficult to focus.
now i’m not even sure what i want to do with my education. being plunged into illness without any warning had stumped me and i really just can’t bear the amount of pain that comes with trying to complete work.
but jessica you are amazing and i aspire to have the energy and outlook you have.
i feel like i’ve lost a lot these past years but i hope i can get some things back
I just had my maths mock exam a few days ago. It was sooooooo bad! I had thought I had a physics exam, not a maths one, and so of course, I'd studied for physics. Then, when I got to school, I found out it was maths and only had half an hour to cram the entire years curriculum into my brain... It didn't work. I could literally only answer 40% of the exam so the highest mark I can get, if I get everything I did do correct, is 40%! And I already know some stuff I got wrong.
Thank the heavens, it was only a mock. But mocks are really important at my school, because your teacher looks at that when they decide whether you can continue with a subject next year. Well, guess who won't be doing maths next year...
isabella Egan Don’t worry! I’ve just got my results for the leaving cert (the Irish exams to get into college kinda like the a levels). In my maths mock I got 30% which was the lowest you can get to pass but in my actual exam I got 78%. I’ve also heard of a good few people with the same shock as I had so it’s not impossible!
Yeah, dont worry! I did awful in all of my mocks (9/98 in french oops) but I still scraped mostly As in GCSE! If anything, the mocks were a good wake up call to actually work because otherwise I wouldn't be able to stay at the school I was at. Good luck with your exams!
I just graduated from my art degree at age 34. My son had eye surgery during assessment times. Failed them miserably. Come finals week, we both caught bronchitis. I stayed up till 1am submitting my final assessment with a fever 😂 I had to stop studying for two years because my son had 2 open heart surgeries and need a lot of care. It was a fun ride, I started off with high marks but as my caring duties increased that reflected in my grades and I was so close to quitting and failing but you know what? I’m now waiting for my degree in the mail! Life tried to stop me so hard, but it didn’t!
i did well in my gcse's; got an A* in maths and chemistry and As in the rest bar 2. i'd wanted to be a doctor since year 2 so i decided on chemistry, biology, maths, and psychology for a levels. i dropped maths within 2 weeks, and realised my passion of becoming a doctor
was dumb as i was too ill to be able to do such a demanding job and be in education for so much longer. i skipped most chem classes and went into the learning centre which is for like the special kids or something. i missed the last month of school due to being in hospital and the decided over summer i wanted to drop chemistry for art. so i emailed school and tried to catch up a years worth of a level art in two months. i haven't caught up with biology or psychology yet but i refuse to take an extra year because i have social anxiety and meeting a bunch of new people in a school where no one really repeats year 12 would be detrimental to my health. so i'm putting all this pressure on myself and no one believes in me but i'm trying my best :)))
Congrats on your gcses. I'm sure you will achieve your goals. Just look at what you have already accomplished: You managed to change subjects and to catch up on arts. You can do it🤗
And even if not everything works out, the people in your life will love you all the same.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Totally needed this!!! Got diagnosed with severe depression, GAD and PTSD at the start of my first year and had to get special consideration to pass one semester at university. It's so nice to know that I'm not alone
So here is my crazy story of my first year and a half in University:
I went to university with the aspirations of being a music major on trumpet. I had been ranked the 9th best jazz trumpeter in the state and in the top 15 classical trumpeters as well. I had never had any private instruction because my family could not afford them while I was growing up. I got accepted to the university and after getting all of my papers signed and paid what I needed too to get the "ball rolling" on my education, my audition was scheduled for the school of music. During my audition, it was interrupted 3 times by the faculty members students with pointless questions and in general, the least professional audition that I have ever even heard of... At the end though, I was told that I did amazing and that I would be a wonderful addition to the school of music. "Who was my private instructor" was the follow up question. As I had stated, I did not have one. To which the response was... "Oh, no private instructor. Well then, I'm afraid you have wasted my time. I don't accept anyone as a student if they have never had private instruction. If you would like private lessons from me, I charge $80/half hour lesson and you would need 2 x hour long lessons a week for a year form me to re-audition for the trumpet studio at this university." If this sounds like extortion to you, that is because it is! Needless to say, I left that office and audition crushed. My future that I had planned for and thought was solid, was crushed. Shortly after, the girl whom I had already talked to her parents about getting engaged too broke up with my by telling me she not only had been cheating on my for nearly a year, but that she was using me as a cover because since I didn't believe in pre-marital relations, I was safe to date till she was ready to come out of the closet as a lesbian. Shortly after that, while working at a bank, money disappeared from a cash drawer and since I was the youngest person working, it must have been me who did it... My apartment was raided by the FBI and after the investigation showed that I was innocent, I still lost my job after 2 years because "things just were not working out"...
So to recap - Got into University with the aspirations of teaching music, not allowed into the school of music due to growing up poor basically... Take general classes but feel lost and don't take them seriously and end up getting a C/C- average for the first year and a half of college. Was planning on getting married to my high school sweetheart, but found out that my best friend was playing me because she wasn't ready to be who she was yet all while paying my own way through college with a menial job at a bank which I lost due to being accused of stealing though I didn't... No longer able to be in the school of music, love life was a sham, and lost my job because I was accused of doing something I didn't and could no longer pay for my education, so I had to drop out with a lower then stellar educational experience and grades...
17 years later though. Work at a wonderful company where I am respected and encouraged to grow, they offer to pay for me to go back and finish my undergraduate degree in business and I do so, with honors all while working 2 jobs, and having a wonderful supporting wife and 2 kids in tow. I believe that everything happens for a reason. Had I not gone through the storm in my life 17 years ago, I would not have the amazing life I have now. I have been truly blessed.
I feel like this video couldn't have come at a better time. Two years ago I had to repeat a year of uni. due to my health. This year I almost failed and or failed all of my second term exams. I've been struggling with my disability's, and have had a ton of health problems. It has been a really frustrating and lonely experience, so your video has really helped. Thank you!! You both are such amazing people!
I failed my math exam :( my anxiety got so bad that I skipped my classes and because of that I had a score of 13, I’m still bummed but I know that it’s mainly my fault for not reaching out for help and asking for other options. I think I’m okay now and am going to work really hard this school year :] ( btw I’ve gone to 5 different schools)
This video is so wonderfully relatable!
I'm epileptic, and actually had a tonic clonic seizure during one of my A-level exams (this is why we get this nice little private exam room), which then obviously impacted my final results and, therefore, my initial university acceptance. However, due to the circumstances, I did get into my first choice university. That did not last long. Soon discovered that suboptimally controlled epilepsy did not work with full time university in a strange city. Had to drop out after a fun meeting with the university board (or something like that; there was also like a doctor there).
But then I went to university through distance learning, moved back to my favorite city, and am a lot happier than I'd have been had I stayed somewhere that turned out not to be a fit for me. Things certainly didn't go as planned, but I think I prefer the way things ended up.
"Relatable content, huh?" Uh, yeah!
But in all seriousness, though, this was pretty darn relatable to me! I'm the same age as you and Claudia, and I just got my masters degree in April. My weird swervy turbulent airplane journey started in late elementary school (which where I come from in Canada means age 12ish), and then high school was a total mess from which didn't actually graduate, and then I was in a bad car accident which worsened or triggered various chronic ailments that I've now been dealing with for 11 years through 4 unis and 3 unable-to-be-completed programs before I finally managed to get my Bachelors and Masters at the fourth school. And I'm managed remarkably good grades throughout, when I was able to attend and wasn't forced to drop out for various reasons So while I didn't paralyze my arms or have a lumbar puncture go wrong, I definitely find this to be relatable content.
Oh boy did I need to see this video right at this exact moment. As I’m currently arranging to defer my third year at uni, to add to four years I’ve already deferred/repeated/generally was not a present human for across my super windy journey through education. Thank you chronic health problems, light of my life.
What a wonderful boost of positive ‘it’ll be fine’ energy. It’s great to be reminded to avoid holding yourself to the same standards as every able person around you.
Instant subscribe. X
Love your videos! Such a kind person and a kind heart. ♥️
It's always great to have other people share their non-traditional education experiences. I went through elementary school as a pretty typical "gifted" kid, then in middle school I began experiencing some pretty serious mental health issues. I failed two classes in eighth grade (English and History), then somehow through the power of sheer bullshit and decent ACT scores managed to get into a college early entrance program at 14. This was.... a massive mistake to put it gently. Between my 14th and 15th birthdays I experienced huge burnout, started having awful meltdowns, sometimes lost my ability to move and speak, and generally lost a lot of functionality. I spent the next year and a half in a "therapeutic boarding school" (read: psychiatric institution, but it's in the woods). Junior year of high school I got back on the horse with a significantly reduced course load, Senior year I took a bunch of college classes, and I managed through a combination of random credits and online courses to graduate on time (somehow). I'm now working towards an engineering degree and maintaining a solid 3.5 gpa. It's still a bit mind-blowing that I've come so far from what was a really dark period of my life.