Favorite Year Of Your Teenage Life.

[Tom_]

For people who are at/have been at uni, are they your best teen year? Il be 19 when I go off to uni, and plan on living the standard student lifestyle. Kinda paranoid that Il wake up on my 20th birthday with some tweed socks on, a pipe and start reading the papers, and complaining about issues with the BBC or similar.

[Revolver]

I think I would make a good 16 year old as I am now.

It would be good to be able to go back, so I could do some of the shit I should've done which I didn't.

[Tom_]

I think I would make a good 16 year old as I am now.

It would be good to be able to go back, so I could do some of the shit I should've done which I didn't.

Your 16?! I thought you were about 20.

I wish I could go back, Id get braces when I was 15 and first told I needed them. Theyd be off now. Happy times.

[Revolver]

I'm 19.

What I mean is, as I am now, I would like to be 16 again, as opposed to the jackass I actually was when I was 16.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Bruce Lee

[max-t]

16-17 I'd say for deffo, although this year brought some great experiances .

[Tom_]

I'm 19.

What I mean is, as I am now, I would like to be 16 again, as opposed to the jackass I actually was when I was 16.

I was gunna say your a pretty good poster as far as 16 year olds go. However no, my suspicions (sp?) were infact correct.

[Sneakers O'Toole]

For people who are at/have been at uni, are they your best teen year? Il be 19 when I go off to uni, and plan on living the standard student lifestyle. Kinda paranoid that Il wake up on my 20th birthday with some tweed socks on, a pipe and start reading the papers, and complaining about issues with the BBC or similar.

Uni is a waste of time unless you actually plan on studying and doing well. I've wasted nearly 3 years of my life going on the piss and all i have to show for it is a fair amount of debt and alot of stupid photos. Whereas the lads that left 6th form and got jobs have flats, money in the bank and lots of stupid photos. I've had fun no doubt but it really hasn't been producitve.

[Papa Manual]

I had a wicked time from 16 until about 18 (anyone remember Roadtrip '03 !). In the process I made a lot of friends, lost a lot of friends, alienated a good deal of my family and wrote off my Mini Cooper, the car of my dreams. I've held on to it and am more intent than ever on getting it fixed than ever. I also f**ked up school big time. I went from a A/B student to a D/E student in the space of a year with the help of drinks, drugs and skiving. In the end I quit and worked in a builders merchant for a while. Ended up digging myself into a bit of a hole, quit that deadend job and started in finance. Now I'm on insane money and have a wicked career ahead (if I want to be a finance whore forever - I don't) which I'm throwing away next September to go to uni and study law.

The last six years years in six and a half lines. Definitely 17 - 18 .

Uni is a waste of time unless you actually plan on studying and doing well. I've wasted nearly 3 years of my life going on the piss and all i have to show for it is a fair amount of debt and alot of stupid photos. Whereas the lads that left 6th form and got jobs have flats, money in the bank and lots of stupid photos. I've had fun no doubt but it really hasn't been producitve.

I definitely intend on studying and doing well . I've done the lash-up/flat out bodily abuse/reckless spending already. I finally feel ready to actually sort shit out.

[Jaffacakes]

I've done the lash-up/flat out bodily abuse already.

That's pretty much where I am at the moment, I have been for the last 4 years and im happy to stay like this for another few. I'll sort myself out when im around 22 haha. I just need a decent job and to get my new car at the moment

Id love to go back to when I was in year 10 and carry on from then. I deffently would have got some sweet GCSE's n' stuff. I think its pretty sad dwelling on the past though. The future!

[JonMack]

Uni is a waste of time unless you actually plan on studying and doing well. I've wasted nearly 3 years of my life going on the piss and all i have to show for it is a fair amount of debt and alot of stupid photos. Whereas the lads that left 6th form and got jobs have flats, money in the bank and lots of stupid photos. I've had fun no doubt but it really hasn't been producitve.

I got over it in 3 months, who would have thought 3 years later I still wouldn't have touched a drop of alcohol.

I guess that's what being in the right frame of mind does

[Dan6061]

Straight Edge fo' life bro'!

I might aswell be actually, went down the pub for a few drinks with some mates last week, more of a social thing. Did get pretty drunk though, had a good night!

Anyway, I've had nothing to do this evening but think over this, whilst listening to Incubus and define their lyrics (they help me think over stuff) and I've started to worry about where I'm actually going? I've basically spent my life just 'seeing how it goes.'

I messed up school. Without trying to sound big-headed, I know I'm a clever lad, but I don't have the papers/qualifications to say it. I spent my school life just larking about with mates. Never done homework, from primary school onwards! So I never did my coursework either, not at home anyway.

I basically wasted a year at college too, doing a first diploma Media course. I lost motivation when I realised that I wasn't going to get anywhere with a first diploma, I'd need atleast the BTec - which meant staying at college for another 2 years! And I hated it after a few months!

I've had one full-time job, which was as a car tyre fitter, and I didn't like that in the end. Coming home every night after a day of sitting around, or if we had a few jobs in, I'd come home filthy, and knackered. Spent the whole time there sat around with my boss who annoyed me so much!

Sorry for my ramblings...haha! Basically, I don't have a clue what i'm good at anymore. Being able to do little bits in different things will get me nowhere by the looks of things, but I really don't know where I want to be in 5years or so. I've never wanted to be anything, like the 'I wanna be a fireman!' dreams you get as a child?

I wanna be 14/15 again now.

[Tom Booth]

My life turned around in the past few years or so. I used to be mega quiet and not very confident but when I got to 18 or so, I gained aload of conidence, that winter I had worked non stop so had alot of money to spend that summer. Drove everywhere, went to the coast most weekends, treated myself and the girlfriend at the time.

But when I think back, I realise it was the money that made me happy at the time. Whereas now, I have never been so happy as I am right now. Everythings going very well, have an amazing girlfriend, just about to turbo the mini (I've wanted to do that for yeeears) Family lifes good. Just generally a good period in my life. So 20-21 for me.

[Papa Manual]

I've never wanted to be anything, like the 'I wanna be a fireman!' dreams you get as a child?

I did the same, no homework/coursework etc. I still don't know what I want to do really, despite uni plans. I'm having to study something I hate just to get in. I always tell myself that when I do finally work it out I'll be all the more determined to get there just because of how long it took me to discover it. I don't think you can force this sort of thing. For now, as long as I'm moving forward in some sort of direction that's cool.

I dunno, I'm tired.

[Dan6061]

That's exactly it. Thing is, I can't make any Uni plans, because I don't want to waste more of my life doing something I don't want to do? But I can't decide what it is I want to do! Going in circles...

[Has anyone seen my shoe?]

Personally I liked the early years of secondary school and the late years in junior school the best. The first half a year of college was awesome where it then got a little worse as it went along. I still enjoyed it more then most.

[Jolfa]

18-19, was stoned with my best mates every day, got up to all kinds of stupid shit, met my (now) ex, got my first GTI 16v on the road, just a generally mint year all round

[anzo]

I picked 16-17, probably just the best time I had. Had an amazing girlfriend at the time and it's at the age where its hit and miss if you could get served alcohol. Me and a few friends all had fake IDs, looking back we were probably the last year to have them - now its strictly passport or driving license, but it was all fun. Drinking back then was loads of fun because it was kind of risky - now at nearly 21 that element has long, long gone and we just drink because there is nothing else to do.

Other than that its when I first started work - having excess of £100 every week was a cocktail for disaster. All the shopping sprees and that was a lot of fun - I didn't have to pay out for anything, no car, bike, rent, insurance, tax, fuel...so what I got paid was all mine.

Having recently left school was also good, you still hung about with your original mates from school. I find that for every year that you've left your 'friends' get filtered down, soon enough you're hanging about with people you never even went to school with - but I suppose thats all good too.

Although at my age now I'm starting to move on again, trying to find a place of my own, a better car, holiday with mates...so although I'm not exactly 'happy' at the minute, I know that I have a lot more fun to have.

[St_trials]

Picked 17-18, filtered down to some proper good mates by then, had an awesome girlfriend, who i still have still no money worries at that age, but some good independance, lazy days and fun nights. If not that then 16-17. Also a warning to younger members, the 'lazy days and fun nights' i mentioned lead to awful A-levels, and then being trapped in the situation i'm in now, which is wanktacular .

-Charlie-

[munkee]

Uni is a waste of time unless you actually plan on studying and doing well. I've wasted nearly 3 years of my life going on the piss and all i have to show for it is a fair amount of debt and alot of stupid photos. Whereas the lads that left 6th form and got jobs have flats, money in the bank and lots of stupid photos. I've had fun no doubt but it really hasn't been producitve.

so infact uni is good as long as you dont do what you done. Blame yourself

[anzo]

Also a warning to younger members, the 'lazy days and fun nights' i mentioned lead to awful A-levels, and then being trapped in the situation i'm in now, which is wanktacular .

-Charlie-

To quote Mary Schmich, "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young"

[Bol Maaaaaaing]

Im only 15 now and its been the sweetest year so far.

[Revolver]

That's exactly it. Thing is, I can't make any Uni plans, because I don't want to waste more of my life doing something I don't want to do? But I can't decide what it is I want to do! Going in circles...

Heh, same.

I'm doing multimedia at BTEC level. I picked something that I enjoyed, and that I had a head start on (I knew some flash) and it's turned out well. Hopefully I can make something of it. I've never managed to drop the habit of slacking off though. When I get on a roll with a project though, I tend to work pretty hard.

So my advice, choose something that interests you, and that you already have some skills towards.

[JonMack]

I don't mean to sound like a cunt, but didn't we all tell you this when you were talking about going full time in Halfords?

[Tom_]

Haha, this is turning into some kind of life advice thread. Aswell as reflections on the past. Sweet. On the whole uni thing then, the "super heavy drinking, late nights, casual sex, not a care in the world" thing is all abit of a lie then? you either live that lifestyle (although from what Iv heard from mates at uni, often without the casual sex) and tend to not do so well, or you buckle down, go out once a week or so and actually get on with the work you need to, to get the degree?

And on the life story note, I was a good student all through school, from year 6 through to mid year 10 I was predicted top grades in everything I did, SATS and all that crap I got the top grade possible, and during year 10 I was predicted to continue that to GCSE. However in year 11 it all changed, I dunno why really, I had some great mates and we had a laugh at school which detracted from my work etc. Ended up with pretty poor courswork (to the point that in I.T I managed to get two As in the exam but Es in the C/W which dragged it down to a D ) I did Ok in the exams but C.W tended to drag my results down. Also I did no revision, non atall, generally if I tell somone that I look a cock, its one of those "you clearly did revise, but are just trying to make an excuse for average results" type of things. It annoys me now that although my results arnt bad (4 Bs 6 Cs and a D) I just find it annoying that with a little more effort I could have no doubt got all A*s to Bs. Not to sound big headed...

I then decided that 6th form was the way to go for me, and how very wrong I was. I chose the most stupid subjects for me. When I was younger I was showing signs of being the artsy fartsy type, art was one of my strongest subjects and I generally enjoyed it. So I chose subjects slightly based around that at A level. Media, Photography, and English Language. (I did do biology but then dropped out) I lost interest in everything within about a month. By about 7 months in I was in about 2-3 lessons a week, which eventually dropped to 0. I have no idea how I wasnt kicked out. I then sat 2 exams (totally flunked photography, since it was shit) manged to get a B in media (which was the only lesson I really attended atall) and I still to this day do not know what I got in english, but I would guess at somwhere below a D.

So un suprisingly I left. I spent the summer trying to work out what to do, Full time job? Apprenticship? college? maybe even re-try A-levels with different subjects. I am now doing a BTEC level 3 at college in motorsport engineering. Its a half hour drive there every day, and I have to get up earlier than I have done in years every day to get there. However I am for the first time in about 2 years, working. I find about 80% of it interesting. Learning to weld, learning more advanced maths, doing engine tech. Its pretty perfect for me, and its geared to allow you to get apprenticships, go to uni, have job placements etc. So education wise, Im in a pretty good place.

Socially, I have a few close friends. Compared to last year, or the year before Im fairly socially retardent. Its the first time in a fair while I havnt had a GF or a flirty sorta friend, and generally Im just not that "out there" I really CBA at the moment which is wierd, I kind of have the attitude that Il keep my head down till Im done with college, then go out and live it up either at uni, or when I actually have money to do things in a full time job/apprenticship.

Thats my "story", rather interesting I know. Basically, if your stuck, I would recomend education. There are people on my course from the age of 16-26, having qualifications to back you up is never a bad thing, and should open alot of doors, there are people at college who know a hell of a lot about cars, there race engineers etc. and come everyday to "learn" things they already know, but there doing it to have that piece of paper to say they have the qualification, because they realised they cant get that far without it...

[anzo]

Looking on my life at the minute, I'm glad I never went to uni. Simply because I would have picked the first course I saw that slightly interested me and I'd gained nothing from it - except a huge debt.

Thing is with Uni, its life changing. I've lost pretty good friends becuase they went away and, to put it simply, they turned into c**ts. Apparently, us hometown guys are boring because we don't get dressed up like twats on weekends and crave attention every two seconds...

Edit: Tom, are you going to uni for the education or just the social life? Seems your more concerned with getting pissed and having sex than anything else.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Baby Pizzle