--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I applied for the University of Life…" description: "\"I applied for the University of Life. Didn't get the grades.\" — David Nicholls" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/david-nicholls-873_grades_i-applied-for-the-university-of-life-did_522857.png" --- # I applied for the University of Life. Didn't get the grades. ![“I applied for the University of Life. Didn't get the grades.” quote by David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/david-nicholls-873_grades_i-applied-for-the-university-of-life-did_522857.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/david-nicholls-873_grades_i-applied-for-the-university-of-life-did_522857.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/david-nicholls-873_grades_i-applied-for-the-university-of-life-did_522857.png) > “I applied for the University of Life. Didn't get the grades.” [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life lessons are learned outside formal education, emphasizing experience over grades. **In simple terms:** Life teaches beyond school grades. Key Takeaway Value real‑world experience. Themes education experience growth Mood reflective encouraging Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career development - entrepreneurship - travel Key Concepts informal learning resilience self‑directed study Questions to Reflect On - What experiences have taught you most? - How can you blend theory with practice? A Different Perspective Formal credentials still matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't do great in school. I didn't have many options. I mean, I'd like to have gone to art college, but I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guido-palau/i-didn-t-do-great-in-school-i-didn-t-have-many-options-i-mean-i-d/) [Guido Palau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guido-palau/) > [“It is impossible to graduate from the University of Life with no scars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-impossible-to-graduate-from-the-university-of-life-with-no-scars/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [There are three phases of life-School life, university life and except above two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darshil-kalwani/there-are-three-phases-of-life-school-life-university-life-and-except/) [Darshil Kalwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darshil-kalwani/) > [“The world's greatest students are those who graduate from the University of Life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-world-s-greatest-students-are-those-who-graduate-from-the/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [What poor education I have received has been gained in the University of Life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-bottomley/what-poor-education-i-have-received-has-been-gained-in-the-university/) Horatio Bottomley > [There are some things you can't learn at any university, except for one, the University of Life. The only college where everyone is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-some-things-you-can-t-learn-at-any-university-except-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I went to the University of Life and was chucked out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cook/i-went-to-the-university-of-life-and-was-chucked-out/) [Peter Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cook/) > [Every job is incredibly different, and I love it because you're picking up skill sets and experiences. It's the university of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/every-job-is-incredibly-different-and-i-love-it-because-you-re/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [“The most important school you attend is the university of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-most-important-school-you-attend-is-the-university-of-life/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Every problem is a teacher from the University of Life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/every-problem-is-a-teacher-from-the-university-of-life/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Most people are just trying to get through the day. Be committed to learn to get from the day. Don't just get through it;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/most-people-are-just-trying-to-get-through-the-day-be-committed-to/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [The wrong way to look at your university life is to say it's like job training, unless you're going into something very specific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-wrong-way-to-look-at-your-university-life-is-to-say-it-s-like-job/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [All my mates are at university, and it's a life I haven't had a chance to enjoy, so it's great to turn up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/all-my-mates-are-at-university-and-it-s-a-life-i-haven-t-had-a-chance/) [Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/) > [I don't think I made a conscious decision as a career choice. From my school days I had decided, persuaded by my parents, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-don-t-think-i-made-a-conscious-decision-as-a-career-choice-from-my/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [The best university is the university of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrique-capriles-radonski/the-best-university-is-the-university-of-life/) [Henrique Capriles Radonski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrique-capriles-radonski/) ## More by David Nicholls > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Good God, 'the elusive thing'. She had reached a turning point. She no longer believed that a situation could be made better by writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/good-god-the-elusive-thing-she-had-reached-a-turning-point-she-no/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-concentrate-on-a-novel-if-there/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [You've got to stop letting women slip drugs into your mouth, Dex, it's unhygienic. And dangerous. One day it'll be a cyanide capsule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/you-ve-got-to-stop-letting-women-slip-drugs-into-your-mouth-dex-it-s/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“He presses two fingers against each eye and attempts to account for this crippling melancholy, but is having trouble with rational thought. It feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/he-presses-two-fingers-against-each-eye-and-attempts-to-account-for/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [She was reaching the limits of how much its possible to change a man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/she-was-reaching-the-limits-of-how-much-its-possible-to-change-a-man/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“How would she fill the days? She had no idea. The trick of it, she told herself, is to be courageous and bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/how-would-she-fill-the-days-she-had-no-idea-the-trick-of-it-she-told/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/what-if-it-rained-or-you-felt-a-bit-glandy-it-just-wasn-t-practical/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Sometimes, when it is going badly, she wonders if what she believes to be a love of the written word is really just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/sometimes-when-it-is-going-badly-she-wonders-if-what-she-believes-to/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [The city had defeated her, just like they said it would. Like some overcrowded party, no one had noticed her arrival, and would notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/the-city-had-defeated-her-just-like-they-said-it-would-like-some/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/better-by-far-to-be-good-and-courageous-and-bold-and-to-make/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [A screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/a-screenplay-is-really-an-instruction-manual-and-it-can-be/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Most of the books and films I love walk a knife edge between romance and cynicism, and I wanted 'One Day' to stay on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/most-of-the-books-and-films-i-love-walk-a-knife-edge-between-romance/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) [Explore all 332 David Nicholls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## More Grades quotes > [I studied all kinds of dance, all types of music. I got good grades. I started hitting the recording studio around 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-derulo/i-studied-all-kinds-of-dance-all-types-of-music-i-got-good-grades-i/) [Jason Derulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-derulo/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/) [Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/) > [“At least when he was at Aglionby he could turn over his papers to see the grades, concrete proof of his success at something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/at-least-when-he-was-at-aglionby-he-could-turn-over-his-papers-to-see/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [At the risk of some oversimplification, if the skill composition of our work force meshed fully with the needs of our increasingly complex capital-stock,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/at-the-risk-of-some-oversimplification-if-the-skill-composition-of/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Everybody either wanted to take care of me or push me around, you know? I was teased a lot, sure I was, of course.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hunt/everybody-either-wanted-to-take-care-of-me-or-push-me-around-you-know/) [Linda Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hunt/) > [I just always loved mythology, ever since I was a kid. Greek mythology was something I remember learning about in fourth grade, and Egypt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-larson/i-just-always-loved-mythology-ever-since-i-was-a-kid-greek-mythology/) [Brie Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-larson/) > [Many jobs at Google require math, computing, and coding skills, so if your good grades truly reflect skills in those areas that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/many-jobs-at-google-require-math-computing-and-coding-skills-so-if/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Worry is different from fear. If fear is like a raging fever, worry is a low-grade temperature. It nags at us, simmers in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-lawson-sittser/worry-is-different-from-fear-if-fear-is-like-a-raging-fever-worry-is/) [Gerald Lawson Sittser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-lawson-sittser/) > [My first dunk was actually in sixth grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-carter/my-first-dunk-was-actually-in-sixth-grade/) [Vince Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-carter/) > [I was a 36C or D, and at 5' 1'', I knew that being a small person with big boobs standing in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-was-a-36c-or-d-and-at-5-1-i-knew-that-being-a-small-person-with-big/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [EXams are there, at the paper u stare; the answer is nowhere, which makes u pull ur hair. The teachers make u glare, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azgraybebly-joslan/exams-are-there-at-the-paper-u-stare-the-answer-is-nowhere-which/) Azgraybebly Joslan > [I've done eight grades of piano training from Trinity College and also done my sound engineering course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anirudh-ravichander/i-ve-done-eight-grades-of-piano-training-from-trinity-college-and/) [Anirudh Ravichander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anirudh-ravichander/) > [To change the media, you're gonna have to totally throw out every journalism school and get rid of everybody in every newsroom, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/to-change-the-media-you-re-gonna-have-to-totally-throw-out-every/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [If hot food is they key to maintaining an expedition's stamina, then low grade gut-rot alcohol is the key to sustaining its sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/if-hot-food-is-they-key-to-maintaining-an-expedition-s-stamina-then/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) Browse all 1,227 Grades quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I applied for the University of Life. 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