I left school at 16 with my best results at GCSEs being a D! I started working at a rag factory for 3 months, as a stop gap before I joined the Navy. I was Mr Avarage through basic and seamanship training, then when I started my professional training, I failed the second exam. I was told I would have a re-sit but if I didnt pass that, I would be back classed, and one more failure would result in dismissal. I learn't pretty quickly although I was never stupid, I just didn't have the drive to succeed and was content being a 'Jack the Lad' as I was still an immature 16 year old. I passed the re-sit and the rest is history anyway. Now they have 2 resits, if they fail again they have to take the whole module again at the end of the course, and have 3 goes again before being 'considered' for a different trade. In reality, marks are knocked up to ensure these retards pass the course. Its diabolical how easy things are for young people nowadays. If I didn't buck up my ideas back then, I have no doubt I would have ended up back in that rag factory on £115 a week. I realised from early on in my professional career that you sink or swim (pardon the pun), you have to do it for yourself. This work ethic is in very short supply for modern youth unfortunately, as they are content to fanny about and take drugs for the majority of their adulthood.
Again this can be put down to modern society, and the fact that alot of these kids have no role model. My Dad did very little for me, although he was always there for advise. As bored-welsh-lad put, I too did masses of DIY in my first house. General decorating, fitting a bathroom, fitting a kitchen etc etc. I asked my Dad how he learned how to do it, and basically his Dad passed away leaving my Nan with 5 Kids and only a part time job to get by, so they learned by reading up on it. Now they actually had to research this stuff by going to the library, or reading books. EVERYTHING is there via Google now, so the lazy youth of today dont even need to get off their lazy fat arses to read up on it. I just bought a Collins DIY book and went from there. This would not even cross the minds of alot of youngsters now.