The A-level grades are in the bag, a university place is secured and so, some time this month, the innocents will be packed off to college. And innocent is the word I’d use to describe these young adults in the twilight of their teenage years. They may have attitude to burn, but beneath the bluster most are plainly half as wise as they think they are. And I don’t think we, as adults, are much good at preparing them for life away at university.
The six words I have said, and heard said, a thousand times to those facing this experience are as follows: You. Will. Have. A. Brilliant. Time. This comes from a good place, no doubt, but I don’t think this encouragement, part-command, part-prediction, is terribly helpful. We need to find a different form of words.
