I’m here today because I failed and I’m going to talk to you about why not
going to talk to you about why not
going to talk to you about why not getting into Oxford was actually pretty
getting into Oxford was actually pretty
getting into Oxford was actually pretty fun for me so for those who have never
fun for me so for those who have never
fun for me so for those who have never applied to an elite institution and this
applied to an elite institution and this
applied to an elite institution and this is what happens so I applied study
is what happens so I applied study
is what happens so I applied study classics and you choose a college you
classics and you choose a college you
classics and you choose a college you send in an inspiring personal statement
send in an inspiring personal statement
send in an inspiring personal statement and two selected essays and your reports
and two selected essays and your reports
and two selected essays and your reports and predicted grades and you set a test
and predicted grades and you set a test
and predicted grades and you set a test and if you’re lucky you get to interview
and if you’re lucky you get to interview
and if you’re lucky you get to interview stage which you then tell your parents
stage which you then tell your parents
stage which you then tell your parents and aunties and it becomes the gossip so
and aunties and it becomes the gossip so
and aunties and it becomes the gossip so then you go to the University for a few
then you go to the University for a few
then you go to the University for a few nights
nights
nights and you get all immersed in the culture
and you get all immersed in the culture
and you get all immersed in the culture and learn all the weird slang and smell
and learn all the weird slang and smell
and learn all the weird slang and smell the dusty books and I’ve intense
the dusty books and I’ve intense
the dusty books and I’ve intense conversations with the top brains of the
conversations with the top brains of the
conversations with the top brains of the country and did you catch yourself
country and did you catch yourself
country and did you catch yourself wondering if you could pull off that
wondering if you could pull off that
wondering if you could pull off that tweed blazer you stop to realize you’re
tweed blazer you stop to realize you’re
tweed blazer you stop to realize you’re considering yourself Oxbridge material
considering yourself Oxbridge material
considering yourself Oxbridge material then a few weeks later in January a
then a few weeks later in January a
then a few weeks later in January a letter comes and screech of tires in a
letter comes and screech of tires in a
letter comes and screech of tires in a moment
moment
moment you’re not Oxbridge material and it’s
you’re not Oxbridge material and it’s
you’re not Oxbridge material and it’s being explained to you as I so
being explained to you as I so
being explained to you as I so articulately that after careful
articulately that after careful
articulately that after careful consideration with the greatest
consideration with the greatest
consideration with the greatest apologies and want of less disappointing
apologies and want of less disappointing
apologies and want of less disappointing news they don’t want you at the
news they don’t want you at the
news they don’t want you at the University so that was a downer at this
University so that was a downer at this
University so that was a downer at this point I’m told some people get out the
point I’m told some people get out the
point I’m told some people get out the full morning attire
full morning attire
full morning attire listen to dismiss what I did was for
listen to dismiss what I did was for
listen to dismiss what I did was for some reason I had this urge to make the
some reason I had this urge to make the
some reason I had this urge to make the very fancy letter into some kind of
very fancy letter into some kind of
very fancy letter into some kind of artwork so I cut up although
artwork so I cut up although
artwork so I cut up although flowery little phrases and I got the
flowery little phrases and I got the
flowery little phrases and I got the paints out I like to paint and I just
paints out I like to paint and I just
paints out I like to paint and I just let it all out and so this is what I
let it all out and so this is what I
let it all out and so this is what I came up with so I felt bit better after
came up with so I felt bit better after
came up with so I felt bit better after that and my mom came home presumably
that and my mom came home presumably
that and my mom came home presumably hoping I wasn’t in sackcloth and ashes
hoping I wasn’t in sackcloth and ashes
hoping I wasn’t in sackcloth and ashes and she said oh do you mind if I show my
and she said oh do you mind if I show my
and she said oh do you mind if I show my friends on Twitter I was like yeah sure
friends on Twitter I was like yeah sure
friends on Twitter I was like yeah sure I went to school the next day and I got
I went to school the next day and I got
I went to school the next day and I got a text from her it said I’m trending in
a text from her it said I’m trending in
a text from her it said I’m trending in the UK sorry what and then most of half
the UK sorry what and then most of half
the UK sorry what and then most of half an hour later I’m trending in Singapore
so the world had just exploded with this
so the world had just exploded with this tweet within a few days it had been
tweet within a few days it had been
tweet within a few days it had been shared over 50,000 times seen by
shared over 50,000 times seen by
shared over 50,000 times seen by millions and I was seeing myself on the
millions and I was seeing myself on the
millions and I was seeing myself on the TV news of the radio BBC BuzzFeed and
TV news of the radio BBC BuzzFeed and
TV news of the radio BBC BuzzFeed and all because I was a failure so that was
all because I was a failure so that was
all because I was a failure so that was a very odd week of people going so how
a very odd week of people going so how
a very odd week of people going so how do you feel about not getting into
do you feel about not getting into
do you feel about not getting into Oxford and I’m going oh I feel great and
Oxford and I’m going oh I feel great and
Oxford and I’m going oh I feel great and I did feel great because people’s
I did feel great because people’s
I did feel great because people’s responses were so kind and positive you
responses were so kind and positive you
responses were so kind and positive you know social media can be a savage place
know social media can be a savage place
know social media can be a savage place but I think people were cheered up by
but I think people were cheered up by
but I think people were cheered up by the fact that I turned a rejection into
the fact that I turned a rejection into
the fact that I turned a rejection into art
art
art firstly there were hundreds of people in
firstly there were hundreds of people in
firstly there were hundreds of people in my situation with Oxbridge so it was a
my situation with Oxbridge so it was a
my situation with Oxbridge so it was a dark day for some more and more people
dark day for some more and more people
dark day for some more and more people young people nowadays encouraged to
young people nowadays encouraged to
young people nowadays encouraged to think that academic success is all you
think that academic success is all you
think that academic success is all you are and what should be interesting
are and what should be interesting
are and what should be interesting learning is turned into this really
learning is turned into this really
learning is turned into this really stressful box-ticking treadmill so an
stressful box-ticking treadmill so an
stressful box-ticking treadmill so an academic failure can really bring some
academic failure can really bring some
academic failure can really bring some people down but I must add that the
people down but I must add that the
people down but I must add that the people speaking here today are not here
people speaking here today are not here
people speaking here today are not here because they got good grades
besides the Hawks British thing though I
besides the Hawks British thing though I think it resonated with everyone because
think it resonated with everyone because
think it resonated with everyone because we all at some point get rejected you
we all at some point get rejected you
we all at some point get rejected you know whether it’s a job University a
know whether it’s a job University a
know whether it’s a job University a friendship group
friendship group
friendship group whatever it can really crush your ego
whatever it can really crush your ego
whatever it can really crush your ego but you’ve got to remember it doesn’t
but you’ve got to remember it doesn’t
but you’ve got to remember it doesn’t define you and you can always cut it up
define you and you can always cut it up
define you and you can always cut it up make it into something else
”
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