Regression to the mean; an eye-opening truth and motivational stepping-stone

The idea that despite how our biased minds perceive it, things can never be endlessly bad or good, eventually they have to come back to the middle - to each subjective norm. I have been thinking about this recently. Analysing how perhaps if I’d have heard this term sooner, my norm could have been improved long ago.

I have always enjoyed the academic side of life, all things education and learning. However, to enjoy something is not always to excel at it. And excel I did not. I won’t bore you with complaints of self-doubt because I did indeed achieve and despite struggles, stress and the other typical teenage attributes, I am where I need to be for now. I am a pessimist, a “worrier”. Those who know me know this. But predominantly throughout Sixth Form this came to be a constant state for me. I struggled with the style and amount of learning in Sixth Form. I was distracted by the new scene and my new age - feeling like an adult. At first, I tried really hard, spending my free periods studying for the upcoming lessons (any Sixth Form student knows that this in itself is an achievement!). Over time though my attendance faltered, it was abysmal, I was distracted and overwhelmed with bad test results. At the time I thought I was trying, looking back now, I wasn’t. AS Results Day came around and I got CCDU and so I willed that with all my mettle, next year I would excel.

And at first, I did. Then the same destructive cycle crept up on me until before I knew it, I was flirting with expulsion. And so, I buckled down. But because of my past behaviours, my knowledge had many gaps, and I mean craters. I went on to sit my exams, the continuous devastating failure thoughts overshadowing me as the last few minutes dwindled away - I knew I had missed out crucial questions. The results came in at CDD. I wasn’t accepted into Uni, well, not onto the course I wanted. Me and my particular perfect plan - declined.

Again, I pledged that I would re-sit. This would be the time I excelled. In the meantime, I looked for ways to up my image, better myself so to say. I came across YIPIYAP. Excited, I entered my placement an altogether different version of myself. And it worked; balancing my placement wholeheartedly and maintaining steady revision without the resources or feedback from Sixth Form. With all my sanguine and confidence, I applied again, BSc Honours in Forensic Psychology. I was going to do it this time, I had done the work, I had the knowledge, the ambition, everything. The results were in… Dear Aimee-Leigh, unfortunately you were unsuccessful in your application. I was bewildered! I thought my application was perfect! I called up Admissions to ask for a reason as none was given on my letter. It turns out that the past cycles of my academic performance had caught up with me. Despite all my efforts (and one bad reference) I was back to square one again.

I have been angry and upset, but now I am content. I will accept a Foundation year. I will not dwell (at this rate I will be getting wrinkles quicker than I intended!). Instead I will appreciate the stress that I have eliminated myself by not trying to be someone I am not. Now I will better my norm, I will be worriless, I won’t attempt to pull muscles trying to change me. I will always continue to try but I have certainly relaxed a little my own expectations of myself so that when things do come back to the middle, that’s where I’d rather be.

Regression to the mean.

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Thank you Aimee for your blog post – an interesting and thought provoking read. Aimee has been very honest about her challenges, and despite the hurdles she has had to overcome at school, she is performing exceptionally well as a Yipiyap In-School Tutor. Here’s what her placement school, Royton and Crompton E-Act Academy, have to say about her…

“Aimee is a valued member of staff at our school. Her role is very diverse; classroom support, 1:1 Interventions and invigilating Mock Exams etc. - she is making a big impact on the pupils she is working with.

She is currently doing 1:1 Literacy and Reading Interventions with our Year 7 Catch-Up Students; creating and delivering exciting and informative sessions that focus on developing good literacy skills which pupils can then use in all of their lessons. The Catch-Up Students always look forward to their hour of bespoke learning with Aimee and come away from every session having learnt something new.”

And if this commentary wasn’t enough, one of our Alumni recently told us,

“Yipiyap was recommended to me when I didn’t quite meet the entry requirements of my first-choice university. They gave me the opportunity to work part-time and study for my Resits. As it turned out, I achieved the same results as I did the first time around but the big difference this time, was that the university accepted my application because of the year I spent with Yipiyap; it was down to the skills and discipline I learned during my time as an In-School Tutor. Fundamentally, I don’t believe anyone really understands a subject unless they can teach it and therefore, I attribute my success at university to my ability to ‘explain’, a skill I developed as a Yipiyap In-School Tutor. Thanks, Yipiyap!”