Hi Shannon,
First off, congratulations on getting 14 GCSE’s, that’s a remarkable achievement that you should be proud of.
The step from GCSE’s to A-Levels is a big one and a lot of people are quite surprised at how much harder they are, you’re certainly not alone in this respect.
You’ve mentioned that you’re getting stressed by your studies, at your age you neither want this and you certainly don’t need it. I think your first step to addressing this problem should be to talk to one of your school councillors or teachers, and if it’s appropriate then talk to your parents as well. If the problem is serious then consider talking to your GP or other suitable healthcare professional.
Here’s a couple of websites with some tips that may be helpful:
http://www.stressmanagementtips.com/school.htmhttp://stress.about.com/od/studentstress/ht/schoolstress.htm As regards going down the education or employment route, I think you probably already know the answer. You’re a bright person (you have to be to get 14 GCSE’s), and you’ve already created a solid foundation upon which to develop your education and qualifications. Build on it.
Your education is a lifelong investment, the more you put into it now the greater the rewards will be in the future, don’t waste this opportunity.
An apprenticeship? It certainly has it’s advantages, not least of which are that it pays you (not usually very well), you learn valuable skills and you’re gaining independence. But you need to seriously consider if this is the right direction for you to take.
An apprenticeship will guide you down one particular career path, be sure it’s the path you want to be on before embarking upon it. A-levels will open up lots of additional paths and a degree will open even more. And at your age, and I don’t mean this to sound condescending, you might not really know what you want to do in life, you may make a decision now that you later regret.
Over the next couple of years life will take on a whole new perspective. A lot of the uncertainties will fade, you’ll have a clearer idea about what you want to do in life and how best to go about achieving it. To maximise your potential I would suggest that you complete you’re A-levels and give serious consideration to gaining a degree qualification. In many cases this means you’ll skip the first few rungs on the employment ladder and you’ll enter the world of work with a distinct advantage.
Concerning the apprenticeship with the Estate Agency, if you really do want to go for it then check it out first. There are no formal qualification requirements to be an Estate Agent in the UK, much of it comes down to personality and being the ‘right person’ for the job. It may be that the agents are looking to take on a staff member at minimal wages under the guise of an apprenticeship. If it’s with one of the large reputable firms you should be fine but if in any doubt then consult a careers advisor first.
Overall, the one thing I would strongly recommend is that you talk to someone at your school. Unlike people on the internet - they know you and they know your circumstances, you can discuss all the available options in detail and you can keep going back to them as often as you like.
Whatever you do, good luck.