“A Bachelor of Nothing from the University of Nowhere”

Ellie

Written by Ellie Simpson – Country To Canberra Teen Blogger

Oprah, Richard Branson and Coco Chanel.  All of these successful business people don’t have a university degree but made it to the top.

And now there’s me, Ellie. I have a Bachelor of Nothing from the University of Nowhere.

And I am proud.

I dropped out of school three months ago, which was a tough decision, and for the first time since then, I returned to the wonder that is high school. As soon as I got there, it was odd. For starters, I had to sign in as a visitor, and that’s strange enough. I had picked out one of my classic school outfits for my first day back and felt good about seeing everybody again after a very, very long time away. Mind you, I was only visiting to pick up some things I left behind, however, I wanted to make a good impression on my old peers. Walking around the school, listening to the latest gossip, admiring the fashion, wondering why the carpet still hadn’t changed from the 1960’s – it hit me that I actually missed it. I missed the hype of being at school every day, socialising five days a week and attending my favourite classes. I must admit, I wondered what university people wanted to go to and what they would study.

I think about it sometimes, too. If I stayed at school for my last year, would I have been an aspiring doctor? A psychologist? I figure that I will never know because I perhaps, I left behind my chance of attending uni in those school corridors. Either that or the ghastly carpet stole it from me. But, there’s always a but..

The ‘fear factor’ wasn’t enough to keep me in school. I would have been kicking myself (very hard) if I had stayed. As guilty as I sometimes feel about not going to university, I don’t know what I would even study there because it’s not aligned to my current passions. I’ve started a job in beauty, am blogging, and am doing something that I love for a living. Just because you fall outside of the status quo, doesn’t mean that you can’t be successful. You just need to make sure you’re working hard toward your ambitions. 

If you are at school and you want to apply for an apprenticeship or a full-time job, I say do it. There will be people (like your teachers and possibly your parents) that will not agree with you. But get them to read this piece and maybe they will understand. My mum did. Then there will be different people (like your friends) who will support your choice no matter whether you have a degree, or not. My friends did.

At some point in my life, whether that be three years from now or thirty years from now, there is such a thing as being a mature aged university student. I say it’s never too late to follow your dreams. And right now, it’s is 2016, and I am following mine.