I can honestly say, since a young age, I wanted to grow up and have a successful career and that was really all I cared about. I would go to school, try my hardest and come home and revise. This was even in Primary School. I'd come home, do my homework and then do my times tables with my dad or spelling with my mum.
Throughout Secondary School, I was fighting to get to the top of the class. I went from being in bottom and middle sets in Year 7, to being in all the top sets by Year 8. This felt amazing. I was getting good grades and my parents were over the moon and so proud of me. Then, Year 10 began. Exam season. I worked my butt off - and when I say that, I actually did.
The hours of studying each night was paying off, I was acing my exams, my parents were proud. Life was good. But was it all too good to be true? Of course. Near the ending of Year 11, my weight was slowly dropping and dropping. By the time I returned to school for A Levels, there was nothing left of me. My body was nothing. There was no fat on me. I reached 5 stone. But that didn't stop me. I continued studying hours on end and doing Pilates to calm my head. It worked. I felt great.
Exam season came and went, and I aced them again.
Year 13 began, and it all started to go down hill. My concentration levels had gone. I'd lost my friends because I'd spent all of my free lunch breaks and free periods with my head in a book and a notepad to keep me company. I hated looking in the mirror. My body just couldn't cope. All I thought about was food, but I couldn't eat. I had to revise.
Eventually, it took a toll on my body and my mind. I couldn't take anymore. I stopped attending my lessons and studied at home. But that isolated me even more. I didn't eat anything. I couldn't concentrate. I contemplated ending it all, ending my life. Now that was the breaking point for me. I thought because I'd put so much work in throughout my school years that it had all been worthless. "What's the point of living if I don't finish my A Levels?" I would say.
Now that's a scary thought looking back. The thing is, a lot of people think like this.
My point is, is going to University, having that 'ideal' career really all it's cracked up to be? No. It's not worth destroying your body and mind, or however it could affect you. If you want to have a 'mediocre' job that pays the bills, you want to travel the world, settle down and have a family. Do it.
Sacrificing it all and moving up the career ladder really isn't everything.
No comments
Post a Comment