Becoming a teacher is okay...

So this is going to be a bit of soppy post and I apologise for that... If you're not into that feel free to look at any of my other posts and just skip this one ;)

Recently I've been talking to people that are applying to go to university for the first time and they've been telling me how scared, anxious and nervous they are. Some are even unsure if it's the path for them and I just want to let everyone know that it's okay to feel like that! To do that I want to tell you my story :) This will also give you the chance to get to know me a little better, obviously that only applies if you want to...

It all started when I was at the ripe old age of 17. For around four years I had been planning to go to university to do paediatric nursing only to find out that due to some sight problems that I have (that's a story for another time kids) I wouldn't be able to do it. I was heart broken, I felt lost, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. So I did what I thought was best at the time and just applied to do a uni course in the subject I was known as being one of the best in ICT. So I applied to do web systems development.

It was great, it interested me, I liked doing practical work, my ICT teacher was VERY proud to have a girl in his class go on to do the course... everything was perfect! Until.. dun dun duhhh I went.

So let's set the scene here, I'd moved into university and was two weeks into my course when I realised I couldn't do it anymore. I was feeling incredibly home sick and I thought that was just because I missed home but in actual fact it was because I wasn't happy and I just wanted to feel happy somewhere. I realised that even though I liked the course I could never do it as a job. I'm not the sit at a desk all day kind of person. So I spent a good few hours one night crying to myself worried that I had let everyone down, my parents, family, teacher etc. Everyone had been so excited for me, I was the first girl in my family to go to university I was the only girl in my year to do an ICT course and I felt as though I was going to let all of those people down. Even so I managed to bottle up the courage to phone my mum and let her know what was going on. But I wasn't going to do that without a plan.

The people I lived with at the time were all trainee teachers and I had a massive interest in their course, more so than my own and this led me to the decision that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Something I should have realised sooner as leading up to results day that year I would quite often find myself looking at teaching courses "incase I didn't get in" when in actual fact it was because I didn't want to get in.

So I phoned my mum and we had a little chat and do you know what? She wasn't feeling let down at all. Nobody was, if anything they were even prouder of me for changing my mind and following what I REALLY wanted to do. So here I am a year later sat at my computer, heaps of education books read and weeks of work experience under my belt and about to head back to university once again.

What's best of all is, it's all okay because I changed my mind. That's what I want you to take from this, don't be afraid to change your mind about anything! As long as YOU are happy nobody will mind! Your happiness is what matters really :)

Alex

xxx


A few other tips I'd like you to take into consideration:

1) Only choose to do something if you REALLY want it, not just because you feel you should or because you feel as though it's your only option.

2) Think about the career afterwards and not just the degree.

3) You're never going to let anyone down if you're doing something to make you happy.

4) It's okay to have doubts but when it comes to things like this maybe think about why you're having them.

5) And most importantly, mums are ALWAYS right! My mum had always said I should be a teacher and I never listened hahaha now look where I am!


P.S. good luck to any of you going to university in september!!!!!!