Opinion: Feedback

A conversation with a friend of mine has spurred me to write in the hope that someone will be able to shed some light on a very confusing matter.

I am a 25-year-old history undergraduate at UCL. For many years I was certain that I wanted to go into teaching, this decision being partly fuelled by my own ghastly experiences as a teenager. I have since entirely given up on the idea, as I object to all these exams everybody is made to take and the constant emphasis on comparison and competition between students.

I then decided to explore the idea of working with young people outside of a classroom setting and am currently looking into becoming a youth worker. However, a friend recently asked me what experience I had. I explained that I had done some voluntary work in this field. What was actually being hinted at was that I did not have the relevant life experiences to enter into this profession. Although I felt alienated at school and have overcome the mental health problems of my teenage years, I have not had to face the issues that many of the people I wish to work with have to deal with.