| I was expected to get around 10 O Levels at school (a UK exam for 16 yo). I failed them all. The nearest thing to an academic achievement I have ever accomplished :) I stayed on for another 2 years just so I could get an O Level in basic English proficiency, the school was worried that I would be completely unemployable without it. You normally stayed the next 2 years to get A Levels (the advanced version of the O Levels) Did a lot to temporary work and finally got a clerical job. Later the government opened the YOPS program (Youth Opportunities Program) and I went off to learn COBOL Got a programming job with it and after a few years applied to go to University (at 29). Fortunately there was a drive to accept "mature" candidates (less qualified) and I was accepted to study Artificial Intelligence as an Arts Degree Managed a 2ii (a 3 would be viewed as "didn't actually fail" but a 1 or 2i would have been a "good" result) Went back to being a programmer People genuinely thought that I would / could get 10 O Levels in the same year, I must have been smart enough to impress my teachers but it all fell apart when I sat down to do the exams I think that I am at least intelligent but I get sidetracked (the amount of time I spent investigating prime numbers / golomb rulers when I was supposed to be learning calculus). It is still an issue. I have finally learnt everything that they tried to teach me at school (I'm 62 now) and a bunch more However I was never told I was smart, only that I should try and that I was at least capable of achieving great things academically I could have done more but that was all down to me and the effort I put forth |