Because Id have had to re-apply for the apprenticeship, with zero guarantee Id get it the second time around. Also, there was no guarantee of a propper exam the next year, so it could easilly have been an absolute waste. Furthermore, most of my mates were off to uni, and I couldnt wait to be done with school, let alone the fact that I was actually expelled on the results day (by the now-convicted pedo). The price of going to a slightly less prestigious uni seemed like a small price to pay compared to re-sitting the year and getting into a "better" uni.
If I could turn back time, would I suck up to the teachers more, and do as I was told, to get better grades at A-Level? Of course. Would I have put the uni I ended up going to as a first choice, so that I didnt go through clearing and get the hellish flatmates (and their associates) I did? Of course. Would doing either of those things have guaranteed my success? Nope. Would they have helped? Without question.
There arent any lessons to be learnt by going over my career path for the last few years, other than perhaps "not all battles are worth fighting" - but I suppose Im just the wrong combination of young, dumb, hard-headed and probably more than a sprinkling of arrogance to back down. Can I look back over those same few years at all the metaphoric battles I did fight and am better for? You bet.