---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm convinced we go to school at the…"
description: "\"I'm convinced we go to school at the wrong time. I'd have been delighted, aged 12, to get out into the world and earn some money doing something menial..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/victoria-coren-mitchell-5194_money_i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wro_1758601.jpg"
---

#  I'm convinced we go to school at the wrong time. I'd have…

![“I'm convinced we go to school at the wrong time. I'd have been delighted, aged 12, to get out into the world and earn some money doing something menial.” quote by Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/victoria-coren-mitchell-5194_money_i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wro_1758601.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/victoria-coren-mitchell-5194_money_i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wro_1758601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/victoria-coren-mitchell-5194_money_i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wro_1758601.jpg)

> “I'm convinced we go to school at the wrong time. I'd have been delighted, aged 12, to get out into the world and earn some money doing something menial.”

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

School timing is misaligned with real-world work experience, suggesting early work could be more valuable than delayed education.

**In simple terms:** School starts too late for practical work.

Key Takeaway

Consider early work experience.

Themes

education career timing

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- apprenticeships
- internships
- part‑time jobs
- career planning

Key Concepts

economics labor market personal development

Questions to Reflect On

- Would you have benefited from early work?
- How can education adapt to real‑world needs?

A Different Perspective

Early work may limit academic depth; balance is needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Aged 12](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aged-12-1671055/) [Convinced School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convinced-school-1671054/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-wrong-1671053/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Delighted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-delighted-1671056/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Wrong time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-time/)

## Related quotes

> ['Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier was the first grown-up book I read, when I was aged about 12.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/rebecca-by-daphne-du-maurier-was-the-first-grown-up-book-i-read-when/)

[Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/)

> [“It's like seeing your teacher outside school. It's them, but they're all wrong and out of context”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-c-pierson/it-s-like-seeing-your-teacher-outside-school-it-s-them-but-they-re/)

[D.C. Pierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-c-pierson/)

> [As a kid growing up, I really hated being alone. I was always that kid that was like, 'Do you want to hang out?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-van-ness/as-a-kid-growing-up-i-really-hated-being-alone-i-was-always-that-kid/)

[Jonathan Van Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-van-ness/)

> [She turns to us, acts surprised to see us, then does the bit with the back of the hand to the forehead. "You're lost!"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/she-turns-to-us-acts-surprised-to-see-us-then-does-the-bit-with-the/)

[Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/)

> [I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I don't have anyone to sit with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-have-entered-high-school-with-the-wrong-hair-the-wrong-clothes-the/)

[Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/)

> [I miss school. What’s wrong with me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendelin-van-draanen/i-miss-school-what-s-wrong-with-me/)

[Wendelin Van Draanen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendelin-van-draanen/)

> [When I'm auditioning for something, if it's not me, I really hope the part doesn't go to me. You know what I mean? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-keller/when-i-m-auditioning-for-something-if-it-s-not-me-i-really-hope-the/)

[Rachel Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-keller/)

> [Some people think prayer stops bullets or rockets or land mines. It doesn't. That's magic, that's not God. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-people-think-prayer-stops-bullets-or-rockets-or-land-mines-it/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [I always felt like I was born in the wrong time period. I felt like I should've been born in the mid-to-late '40s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-de-ravin/i-always-felt-like-i-was-born-in-the-wrong-time-period-i-felt-like-i/)

[Emilie de Ravin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-de-ravin/)

> [Too many people are apt to redeem their profits too quickly. In a huge bull market they wind up with piddling profits, only to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-zweig/too-many-people-are-apt-to-redeem-their-profits-too-quickly-in-a-huge/)

[Martin Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-zweig/)

> [“Revising while you generate text is like drinking decaffeinated coffee in the early morning: noble idea, wrong time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-j-silvia/revising-while-you-generate-text-is-like-drinking-decaffeinated/)

[Paul J. Silvia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-j-silvia/)

> [I don't think taste is about money. As your career develops, you're able to decide what to spend your money on. I live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-finch/i-don-t-think-taste-is-about-money-as-your-career-develops-you-re/)

[Charles Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-finch/)

> [“Tamani?" she asked, even though she knew this was the wrong time. "How is a plant supposed to beat a superstrong troll?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/tamani-she-asked-even-though-she-knew-this-was-the-wrong-time-how-is/)

[Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/)

> [“Strangely enough, I am beginning to feel like an exile when I go to a polling station in PA and people hold placards approving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josip-novakovich/strangely-enough-i-am-beginning-to-feel-like-an-exile-when-i-go-to-a/)

[Josip Novakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josip-novakovich/)

> [There can be a wrong time - it's happened to countless bands where they release their first record on a major label and never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-fallon/there-can-be-a-wrong-time-it-s-happened-to-countless-bands-where-they/)

[Brian Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-fallon/)

## More by Victoria Coren Mitchell

> [Makeup is only fun if it's occasional and capricious - just like it's a treat to have an empty day ahead, but it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/makeup-is-only-fun-if-it-s-occasional-and-capricious-just-like-it-s-a/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [If you are actually ordinary, the only way to give royal status meaning is to live an extraordinary life. It can't be jeans and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/if-you-are-actually-ordinary-the-only-way-to-give-royal-status/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [Women are under-represented in TV comedy for a variety of reasons, the hackneyed 'fear that women aren't funny' being one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/women-are-under-represented-in-tv-comedy-for-a-variety-of-reasons-the/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [My speeding offences (whether caught or not) are always in situations where the speed limit is 30, but I think it's 40. And I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/my-speeding-offences-whether-caught-or-not-are-always-in-situations/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [I dreamed of growing up and becoming a zookeeper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-dreamed-of-growing-up-and-becoming-a-zookeeper/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [When I was learning to drive, I thought the big milestones were changing gear, changing lane, and three-point-turns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/when-i-was-learning-to-drive-i-thought-the-big-milestones-were/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [I know schools don't have money for everything, but I wish they could all have a couple of violins for kids to try; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-know-schools-don-t-have-money-for-everything-but-i-wish-they-could/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [When I was 15, I still liked climbing trees and hiding in cupboards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/when-i-was-15-i-still-liked-climbing-trees-and-hiding-in-cupboards/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [Given the choice, I'm sure the majority of children would rather have a packed lunch than school meals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/given-the-choice-i-m-sure-the-majority-of-children-would-rather-have/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [London Zoo is amazing. I want to take my child there so that she can feel the awe and wonder I felt (and feel)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/london-zoo-is-amazing-i-want-to-take-my-child-there-so-that-she-can/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise... is the motto of people who are in the business of selling moisturisers. Your body is already 60% water. If that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/moisturise-moisturise-moisturise-is-the-motto-of-people-who-are-in/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [Weight gain is good because it makes your dresses tight. This is not necessarily classy or flattering, but it means you don't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/weight-gain-is-good-because-it-makes-your-dresses-tight-this-is-not/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [I like snow, but I don't want to live in Siberia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-like-snow-but-i-don-t-want-to-live-in-siberia/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [I never wanted poker to be a job. That's partly because I love it, and it's fun, and I didn't want it to stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-never-wanted-poker-to-be-a-job-that-s-partly-because-i-love-it-and/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [The phrase 'working mum' makes me nervous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/the-phrase-working-mum-makes-me-nervous/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

[Explore all 102 Victoria Coren Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

## More Money quotes

> [You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-ve-got-to-tell-your-money-what-to-do-or-it-will-leave/)

[Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/)

> [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Money is the kind of instrument which is very speedily produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/money-is-the-kind-of-instrument-which-is-very-speedily-produced/)

[Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/)

> [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/)

[Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/)

> [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Maybe you can,t buy a big house.. A new car.. A huge diamond ring.. But if you have just one true friend who loves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy/maybe-you-can-t-buy-a-big-house-a-new-car-a-huge-diamond-ring-but-if/)

[Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy/)

> [“Don't allow money to become the yardstick by which you measure the worth of the world around you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-james-pritchard/don-t-allow-money-to-become-the-yardstick-by-which-you-measure-the/)

[Andrew James Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-james-pritchard/)

> [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/)

[Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [I doubt that we Americans can come to terms with our money neuroses without understanding the more florid pathology of the very rich for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/i-doubt-that-we-americans-can-come-to-terms-with-our-money-neuroses/)

[Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/)

> [“The writer must earn money in order to be able to live and to write, but he must by no means live and write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/the-writer-must-earn-money-in-order-to-be-able-to-live-and-to-write/)

[Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/)

> [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [The man who works for the gold in the job rather than for the money in the pay envelope, is the fellow who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-french-johnson/the-man-who-works-for-the-gold-in-the-job-rather-than-for-the-money/)

[Joseph French Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-french-johnson/)

[Browse all 45,172 Money quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'm convinced we go to school at the wrong time. I'd have been delighted, aged 12, to get out into the world and earn some money doing something menial.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Victoria Coren Mitchell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wrong-time-i-d-have-been/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Money"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wrong-time-i-d-have-been/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/victoria-coren-mitchell-5194_money_i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wro_1758601.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/victoria-coren-mitchell-5194_money_i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wro_1758601.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/victoria-coren-mitchell-5194_money_i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wro_1758601.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm convinced we go to school at the wrong time. I'd have been delighted, aged 12, to get out into the world…” — Victoria Coren Mitchell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Victoria Coren Mitchell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm convinced we go to school...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wrong-time-i-d-have-been/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/i-m-convinced-we-go-to-school-at-the-wrong-time-i-d-have-been/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
