You are a man of extreme passion, a hungry man not quite sure where his appetite lies, a deeply frustrated man striving to project his individuality against a backdrop of rigid conformity. You exist in a half-world suspended between two super-structures, one self-expression and the other self-destruction. You are strong, but there is a flaw in your strength, and unless you learn to control it the flaw will prove stronger than your strength and defeat you. The flaw? Explosive emotional reaction out of all proportion to the occasion. Why? Why this unreasonable anger at the sight of others who are happy or content, this growing contempt for all people and the desire to hurt them? All right, you think they’re fools, you despise them because their morals, their happiness is the source of your frustration and resentment. But these are dreadful enemies you carry within yourself—in time destructive as bullets. Mercifully, a bullet kills its victim. This other bacteria, permitted to age, does not kill a man but leaves in its wake the hulk of a creature torn and twisted; there is still fire within its being but it is kept alive by casting upon it faggots of scorn and hate. He may successfully accumulate, but he does not accumulate success, for he is his own enemy and is kept from truly enjoying his achievements.

If I were to give the speech I want;

If I am to discuss any available advice I may have, I honestly have to draw from my entire experience of St. Paul’s. Which would include mostly the downside of school that personally affected me, as well as how to deal with studying. So…

At this school, and possibly at all schools the upper administration and management staff aren’t really worth your time. They aren’t there in the class with you, they don’t bother to pay enough attention to your grades or your work to have any worthwhile perception of you, there’s little use in paying more respect to them than they do to you. Their job is to sell the school to society, you are the means to their ends. To preserve your humanity, you should refuse to be treated that way. You are the ends, and the teachers understand and respect that. But to some staff, the most important thing is your appearance because you’re not the product but the advert, and you have to be the most attractive advert according to outdated societal expectations. This is why they will always concern themselves with the meaningless and superficial. Take no notice of them. There’s no standard of successful appearance, it should be obvious that you’ll do well when you are most comfortable with yourself and your appearance. They may make it their mission to make it difficult for you, but you are students and you’re never in any position of power or authority anyway, at least you have some higher ground to stand on morally. But by all means, do pay attention to the teachers. My experience is that they genuinely have your best interest in mind. Most importantly, do exactly as the careers advisor tells you. You decide what you’re best at, and what you strive for, and they do everything in their power to help you along the way.

I can’t say with honesty that I believe the best way to do well is to study hard and frequently. The best advice I have is to do what you are best at, and what you will be genuinely willing to work at, and never ever be ashamed of what you achieve or what you aspire to achieve. Every occupation has value to society, and your potential is only relevant to what your interests are. The potential to be a doctor doesn’t create the obligation to be one. Everybody wants to be that guy who appears to seamlessly do well on every test, with a flourishing social life, and never stresses because they are too damn talented. That guy does not exist. The only reason it appears this way is because they worked out what they can do well and they don’t mind studying it mindlessly. Everything falls into place as it should, if you understand this principle. There’s no justifiable reason to work at a subject you don’t enjoy, you will stress and be anxious because you gave into pressures that shouldn’t affect you. Concerning yourself with subjects that aren’t prerequisites, or that you hope will help you gain higher scores because of scaling, is the most ridiculous thing I saw happen at school. Unless you have a genuine interest in a subject, don’t do it.

It’s understandable to expect heavy pressures from your parents. At this stage in your life, in this particular area, your parents probably don’t know best. You have been at school for long enough now, you should have at least some concept of your own workload and your capabilities. In most cases, the last time your parents experienced the education system was 30 years ago, the lessons they learnt are hardly relevant. Your parents do have your best interest in mind, and you should study regardless, but you know how much effort you have to put in and you only have to answer to yourself. Appreciate their care, but outside of reassuring them you are in control, you shouldn’t need to justify your choices at this stage. If you aren’t in control, which it is likely to appear that way, I learnt the best place to find solace was with my teachers. You may have a helpful relationship with your parents, but your teachers understand the workload you are experiencing because they are giving it to you.

As long as you know what you want, do whatever you need to get that, don’t pay attention to anything else, except perhaps parties.