Advice Needed

[FordFan86]

Sorry if this post is a bit jumbled and hard to understand I dont feel the best right now.
I just got my letter from Uni, I was accepeted into the course i applied for (Mechanical and Manufacturing engineering) it sounds like an ok thing to do. anyway i made the phone call and i accepted and defered for a year, now I have my mum telling me that I have made a mistake and that I won't go and do uni next yr as I will be having to much fun this year (I have also been accepted into a TAFE course for autmotive mechanics, repairs, spray paint etc) Then i plan on working for 6 months or seeing what happens.

I am interested in the course and it would probably be a handy thing to have several years down the track (despite me hating the fact that time actually doesn't stop, i wish i could just pick a time like 6 months ago and jsut have the world freeze ther forever) I am 18 (19 in may) (a yr older than most kids the same yr lvl as me for SA as i moved here from Vic 4-5 years ago, the schooling is slightly different) (I also partly blame the time i moved for part of my troubles now, I came in term 2 of year 8 which is the 1st year of high school in SA (been in HS for a yr in Vic already, everyone knew everyone else from primary school or though the 1st term of school already) anyway I don't know what to think or die, my life is just a big mess :\ im sitting here not knowing what to think or do almost in tears for some stupid reason.

I have SFA friends as most of them left school or started smoking dope, or both... i dont have a g/f right now and havent for 18 yrs (always just had close female friends, up until i moved to SA pretty much), the next thing that shits me is this girl i really like and care about, the situation with her is complicated, i feel being with her would make things better, again thats only a small fix for the larger things.
i just don't know where my life is going im on the verge of a breakdown :\ and i just needed to get some of that shit off my chest.
leaving yr 12 is big shock, see people 5 days a week, now i see practically nobody, work 3 days a week in a job that was ok for some cash after school but is a dead ender for anything else (guy i know has been working there 6 yrs, i can see he isn't going to far but u never know, he has found someone, has a child on the way and is getting married), ontop of all that i just moved houses after i finished schools to 20+minutes further south from the city (and pretty much everything else for that matter)... also pretty sure I am/are about to have my licenced cancelled (speed both times, + other offences like no P plates the 2nd time, cost me just under $800 total, which is a ****ing lot to anybody, no im not a hoon, overtaking one time, rolling down a hill the other)

Right now i just sit in my room and play music (probably a bad idea just being alone listening to normally just depressing shit) it keeps me sort of happy for awhile but thats it, i am pretty sure im going to do this tafe course and have a bit of fun (after 12 yrs of school i think i deserve that, tho my final yr of school wasnt bad, I spoke to all the teachers got to know some of them very well, and i was thinking of doing yr 13 just to go back and be around people)

I really don't know what else to say, I think the first thing i need to do is see this girl and work things out with her because it's just running me down phycially and mentally thinking about her, next step will probably be TAFE (tho tomorrow i am going to school to drop a few things off, i will speak to the councellor there, he may be of some help)... Flame me for any of this if you will i couldn't give 2 stuffs i've sat here and typed it out and just need some advice from people who have been there and done that who know what the real world is like (and despite being told by adults so many times about what life is like it's something that really cannot be learnt, it has to be lived unfortunately)

/end rant

[Sourbastard]

a) You dont need a relationship to be complete, you need you to be complete. Be confident in who you are and what you want to be. Relationships will come when they come, and the best relationships usually when you arent looking for one.

b) You are young still, and have plenty of more time for mistakes, school is ok but theres no need to rush into it. See what you like to do, and steer your career towards it. The best result is when you do what you love to do, not what pays the best. And a bit of experience in the workplace never hurts, schools rarely have a good grasp on the reality of the workplace.

c) Id rather have 1 good friend, then 100 hangers on. Find one person who isnt a phoney and stick with it. Its usually better and easier then trying to entertain many people who just want to use you.

thats what I've learned in 27 years, I've still got plenty to learn.

[big_pete]

i was kind of in the same boat when i left school.
i didnt have a clue what i wanted to do, i got accpeted into the uni course i wanted but i still had no clue if i really wanted to do it or just go to Tafe.
i also didnt have many close friends for awhile after school finished.
however now im very happy with how things have worked out and have a very cool bunch of friends and am enjoying my uni course.

you just gotta remember that things WILL get better, i mean you have so many options its just sorting out what you want to do, thats the tricky bit

if i were in your position right now id definately do the Tafe course, try and get youth allowance or something to give you extra cash and just enjoy yourself for a year,
then next year, uni maybe a good option so go for that!

[svo347]

Theres no doubt about it mate.. Eventually it does get better.
Most of us here have been through it ourselves, me included. I still miss my schooldays my good schoolmates, and i also dont give a rats *** what people think, Leaving school & growing up , becomming an Adult is a real big shock.
It was lucky for me that I started an apprenticeship as soon as i Finished school, so the opportunity was there to meet new people as most of my friends have moved from Newman to Perth.
Leaving Newman my hometown for 26 years was also a scary thing for me to do. I now live in Perth work fly in/out on a 2 & 1 roster. I still have afew mates from school i keep intouch with, but my real mates now are my workmates.
You need to get back into something to keep you busy & meeting new people, i dont doubt its hard mate not at all, but if you dont, you will find yourself sitting in that b/room listening to more music & thinking about the past & of what could have been.
I know its alot to say to someone you havent met or even know, but mate Trust me .... It gets better!!!!

[RED_EL_XR8]

Originally Posted by sourbastard

a) You dont need a relationship to be complete, you need you to be complete. Be confident in who you are and what you want to be. Relationships will come when they come, and the best relationships usually when you arent looking for one.

b) You are young still, and have plenty of more time for mistakes, school is ok but theres no need to rush into it. See what you like to do, and steer your career towards it. The best result is when you do what you love to do, not what pays the best. And a bit of experience in the workplace never hurts, schools rarely have a good grasp on the reality of the workplace.

c) Id rather have 1 good friend, then 100 hangers on. Find one person who isnt a phoney and stick with it. Its usually better and easier then trying to entertain many people who just want to use you.

thats what I've learned in 27 years, I've still got plenty to learn.

Sound advice there. 27 years hell some of thats taken me much longer to learn. But then I'm often slow on the uptake.

Get out and live FF86 it'll change you whole outlook, get out of the room, doesn't matter how. Like the Nike man says "just do it".

And dont worry about making mistakes, anyone who has made no mistake in life is either a lier or has never tried anything. The secret is not to make the same mistakes again.. :

[FNQracing]

Couple of thing.

Firstly, forget the girl. Last thing you need.

By all means defer the year but have a good reason for it. Make sure you have plans. If you start bumming around, you'll just waste your time. You'd be better off getting stuck into your studies. You'll meet a stack of new friends and you'll start to get yourself in order. No concrete plans? Don't defer.

Everyone needs a goal or two in their life. Figure out something you want, wether it be something physical (new car) or something a little less tangible, like more friends or what not. If you have no desires or dreams, then you'll just continue to drift.

Most of us go through times when we wonder WTF we are doing... Happens to us all. If you are really down and have been for some time (ie months) then you need to talk to someone.

A woman is not going to "bring you happiness". Get yourself in order before you get involved with someone. If you are looking to her as your only means of happiness, then you'll end up devoting everything to her, and her life will e your life. No good.

All the best. You'll get there.

[FordFan86]

Originally Posted by sourbastard

a) I know that, guess all i can do is wait and bide my time... another reason is i was quite unhappy with the was i was/looked for awhile... i'm getting over that now tho.

b) I know im still young, i dont wanna get any older... i feel i have made way to many mistakes already... plenty of "what ifs"

c) right now i have a couple of 'mates' who are somewhere in between, and thats about it.

Originally Posted by FFOracing

Couple of thing.

Firstly, forget the girl. Last thing you need. <--- tried, can't should a try harder, b talk to her about it.

By all means defer the year but have a good reason for it. Make sure you have plans. If you start bumming around, you'll just waste your time. You'd be better off getting stuck into your studies. You'll meet a stack of new friends and you'll start to get yourself in order. No concrete plans? Don't defer. <--- TAFE right now is what im thinking of

Everyone needs a goal or two in their life. Figure out something you want, wether it be something physical (new car) or something a little less tangible, like more friends or what not. If you have no desires or dreams, then you'll just continue to drift. <--- since i've been young i've always wanted to try a bit of everything, theres probably a bit more of my problem, nobody cna do everything unless you have the money to do that, and im in that 99% who just dont have the money

A woman is not going to "bring you happiness". Get yourself in order before you get involved with someone. If you are looking to her as your only means of happiness, then you'll end up devoting everything to her, and her life will e your life. No good. <--- "happiness" not the main thing here, rather just someone to share life with, look forward to seeing, tlak about problems etc...

I do get out of my room a bit, that was probably a bit exaggerated, i work 3 days a week, i find that a great release for taking my mind off things, i enjoy working with the people i do, and being there a yr now i know most of the regular customers... the days i don't work i try to make plans ie im going out tomorow, pick up my pay, go to the school drop things off and just hang around with a mate (even tho it's just wasting more time, better than being in my room doing nothing)
I can almost put down to where most of the major problems started, pretyt much the end of yr 11. got worse towards the end of yr 12, exams etc, worrying to much about things... stress... i lost like 20kg in a few months and i wasn't trying to, i wasn't sleeping very well or eating very well for awhile :\

EDIT: other things I have some sort of interest in would be something more to do with the environent or something pyschological (both uni courses, perhaps i could find a backdoor into some sort of course) and these things may not bring money (tho would be nice) it is something that would keep me happy for awhile) also thought about police recruitment.
Mum has also explained to me that things do happen for a reason (small things, some example while she's being with me, like being late to do something) I don't know how it works, i just wish that there was someway that you could go back and relive things and take the 2nd option to see wether things actually do happen for a reason or not, call it fate if you want... i just quess there is no way ever to know these things until we're up there ;)

[FordFan86]

Thanks for the advice so far, it wasn't easy for me to type all that out and i'm sure it's not easy giving advice to somebody you don't even know.
There is no single solution for anything or anything, everybody is different and must find their own way. Touble is im jsut wondering where mine is, I am just going to stop looking, live for the here and now, be happy with the way I am now, anything that comes after will just be a bonus.
Slightly off topic, i was talking to my workmate (47 yr old, i get along with adults so much better/easier than with younger people) he was telling me about a bit of his life, he said that if he could go back and take a chance on a women (was about 30 at the time so not that long ago in the scheme of things) half his problems would be gone just like that, he is now divorced (different lady) and works full time (7 days a week, 2 jobs just to take his mind of things, while still caring for 2 older sons (18 and 26 i think?), i just don't plan on ending up like that.
Thanks again for the replies and any more to come, i think i'm going to go read a bit of a book now (tomorow when the war began series) have some dinner, try and be in bed before midnight and forget about things for awhile.

[EA2BA]

Life is like a box of chocolates <--

so just enjoy

[loxxr6]

Friends come and go. I hang out with barely any of mine from school. This being due to where they live + a couple cheating on each others g/f's and then the group splitting up. Don't stress on that stuff. You'll meet new people when you work our just go out to places.

Your driver's licence I wouldn't worry about either. I've lost mine once and am just hanging onto 3 points now. Its so easy to lose points for the smallest of things.

I would however recommend that you look out for what you want to do with yourself and career. I had nfi what I wanted to do in school and have only now (nearly ten years later from school) decided on something I'm interested in.

So what if you have to stick it out in a dull job to begin with while you're studying, if you're gaining experience and learning stuff for later you can always bail to the job you really want. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for later.

My g/f wanted to do vet science but left Uni, got caught up in jobs and lots of overtime and now if she wants to go back and do vet science she has to redo year 11/12, then uni etc. But now she has commitments, a certain standard of lifestyle she wants to live and other stuff eg rent to pay, so with having to leave her job and being a fulltime student its not possible to make ends meet. If she stuck it out with school/uni to begin with she wouldn't have had any probs.Do your best to work out what you want to do and set a timeframe to get it done in. If that means you defer to chill out before you get stuck into what you like then do so.

[FordFan86]

Originally Posted by Dellboy999

Life is like a box of chocolates <--

so just enjoy

All the good ones are taken?
lmao sry couldnt resist, and humour always helps :P
but yea, chocolate is good... mmm chocalate

/me drools, and will be right back :

[deesun]

Well for mine I'd say you seem to have too much time on your hands and people tend to worry far too much when they have nothing to do. TAFE should take care of that and your three days of work. The course you are doing at TAFE will give you a bit more of an insight into your uin course and if you change your mind about your vocation then you have only spent 6 months doing so. Thousands of people defer these days and that doesn't mean you won't take up the uni course at the end of twelve months, enjoy the time away from full time study. As for the relationship don't push things, geez your'e only 19 for christs sake plenty of time for that and from what i've seen nowadays too much emphasis is put on having a relationship. Just let it happen and if it doesn't it wasn't meant to be. If you are so concerned about your job then try to find a different one.Do not just leave the one you have but look around you may find the one you have is OK after all. If you leave do it on good terms with your employer just in case, i'd even sugest you may be able to hold down 2 for a short time,a month or so till you decide.
Whatever happens in the end the decision is in your hands and yours only. Gee, sounds like you are growing up already.
Best of luck :

[FordFan86]

Originally Posted by deesun

i'd even sugest you may be able to hold down 2 for a short time,a month or so till you decide. <--- thinking about doing that, more work = less time to think about things.. also give me an insight to what other things are like (as this is my first 'real' job anyway, i could also do with learning how to manage time and things like that a bit bettter, i ahve so much of it i tend to leave things till the last mintre for some reason :\

Whatever happens in the end the decision is in your hands and yours only. Gee, sounds like you are growing up already. <-- i know :s i get annoyed with some peoples immatureness, tho i act immature quite a bit (ask them in irc :P)
Best of luck :

1. The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 8 characters.
: answered in the quote :P

Figure out something you want, wether it be something physical (new car) or something a little less

money to play with my car would be nice ;) read sig :P got it real cheap from my cousin, thought about selling it and making a few grand profit but i just can't, its my 1st car and i love it
but, it is just a car... aka money pit

[BlueRaven]

I'm gonna do one of those "if I were you..." kinda answers...

I know very well what its like to feel like your not moving in any direction...it can be hard.

What I would do though...

1. Don't worry about uni or tafe or anything like that for a while. See if you can get full-time in that job your at because you seem fairly happy with it for a time being kinda job - if you can't though, start looking for a fulltime job, something you'd be fairly happy with. Don't allow yourself to be screwed over by some place just becaue your young..

Stay there for a year or more... getting money will allow you to have more fun, go out, etc...and help you define what you want to do with your life.

2. Don't worry so much. I know its hard, but you don't need to worry that its the end of the world. At school they feed you with so much bullsh*t that it will be the end of your life if you don't do this or if you do that or whatever... it isnt so and it never has been.

3. Also, try to forget the chick. I know that can be hard because they have a tendency to get under your skin, but try to focus on other things.

If you begin to think too much about a woman and you put her on a pedestal, she will only let you down. Snap back to reality - does it really matter that much?

Final Thoughts :P

As you said, no-one else can really tell you what to do because you choose your own actions...but we can offer advice.

I went straight into work when I finished school and worked for a few years before I found 'that' job...something you enjoy doing and something that gives you a future. You life will not be over if you can't figure out what you want to do - so don't stress.

[mcflux]

: Forget the girl. Friendship goes above gender mate. Friends don't have to be "face to face" either. Keeping in contact with my friends online during my free time has kept me happy enough thru most of this summer (only a couple of hours a week, due to being very busy), so when I do eventually see them, we're still up to date with our respective lives and I don't feel isolated. There is a difference between being remote and being isolated.

Relish your year off. I did the same thing & took up a traineeship at Coles. $6.29 an hour & getting treated like shit for a year put things into perspective for me. It also gave me a taste (hours-wise + rearranging social life) of full time work. It ALSO gave me a taste for going to uni, where I'm currently still at.

The year off was well worth it for me. If you don't have any FULL-TIME work set up, then take the TAFE course this year before either going to uni next year or getting an apprenticeship or whatever thru TAFE. I found my year off to be a very defining year for me, I grew up.

But you know I've said *some* of the stuff here to u many times mate. Best of luck with whatever course(s) of action you take : :gren:

Above all, don't become idle. That's what stuffs people up IMO

-Dave-

[MrFlibbles]

dont worry about the girl, i did now she has the house my beloved baxr6, and worst of all my dog, but hey things can and do get better. We ALL go through stages where it all feels like it goes to shit, but there is always someone worse off than you. do the tafe course work for six months and then do your uni course.

Do not sit back and let life just cruise by, go out grab it and enjoy were not here for a long time...

go out get new friends get involved with things like a ford club

just all suggestions they worked for me

[champsky]

hey james

i think its all been pretty muched sumed up by these kind, lovely people.

when i was in highschool, i sooo wanted to become a music teacher, my whole life at that time revolved around music, but then i too got the senior year jitters, but unfortunately i wasnt as strong as you and some other people, i couldnt hanle the stress which came with it so i took the easy option and left.

i spent the next two years working at McDonalds and then at variou other jobs up until just before xmas cause i didnt know what i wanted to do with my life.
sure i went through phases, such as i wanted to be a mechanic, a manager for my last boss, and even a pastor/preacher.

When i didnt end up going through with them plans i felt useless cause i felt i wasnt good enough to go through with them, even though i seemed alright on the outside i was usually confused and hurting on the inside.

and to make it all worse i too was hooked up on a girl, and i also thought that ebing with her would make my life alot better, but it just didnt work that way. it had taken me 2 years to get over here, but every once in a while i still think about her, so i know how hard it is to get over someone you cant stop thinking about.

it was only till about 6 months ago when i finally decided where i want to go with my life, but even now its still not 100% clear, as ive only got a general idea as to what i want to do, so dont feel discouraged and down bro, it will all come to you when the time is right

so to sum it all up bro. take it slowly, start with small steps, ie. work towards a small goal (fulltime job, an upgrade for you car etc) then move onto something bigger, all the while keep thinking about what makes you happy, and see how you can turn things around so you can get your foot in the door, whether it be uni or tafe or even that fulltime job you might get.

keep the big picture in mind, but work it out one piece at a time, and if by some chance a girl comes along then all the better, but you dont really need one just yet imo, get your life on track first b4 you get into thoes kind of commitments.

and remember if your ever feeling down you know where to come to get things off your chest aye

[BA GT-HO]

You got guts mate.

Typing all that out, I would never do it personally cause what I think about or worry about stays in the old scone, personally I don't bother telling others how my life is unless they ask. I am sure they have their own problems to worry about.

Leaving school is a huge shock to the system as I and many others have found. I finished school in '01 and initially you miss it because like you have said your used to seeing all the same people. Plus you have all the spare time in the world all of a sudden. Trust me, its actually good not to see all the people your used to seeing at school. Might seem strange but after a year or so people you never really spoke to at school will bump into you and you will get on like long lost mates.

Some of the best times I have had since school have been at parties seeing people from school that I haven't seen in yonks. Everyone is friendly as they miss seeing you and you miss seeing them.. I have had hours worth of conversations with people I would have said 5 words to at school. People change..

I took half a year off and was lucky enough to find a full time job in late May. I was thinking of going to uni the next year but I ended up with an apprenticeship from that full time job. Now I have been there close to 3 years.. seems like only yesterday I walked into the place. Don't worry mate, I have always let life come to me, I don't bother pursuing a career and worrying about what others think of me or my job.

Trust me your life will be turned around by something so simple in the future. That is what is so cool about life. Who knows whats around the corner.. I never thought I would become a flexographic printer it just happened. I dunno I am rambling now, but just relax mate, let life come to you and don't go chasing dreams or worrying about the past!

[b2tf]

After showing me that pic, my only advice is this:

Go for her sister. :

[FordFan86]

Thanks for all the replies guys (and gals), your a great bunch of people and it's helped me out a bit getting so many different points of view.
B2TF: I don't know what to say to that :\

[rob_o]

Dont worry James, as you know you're not the only one out there. Im with ya. I just finished year 12 and have NFI what to do. I didnt get into uni because of my marks, but thats ok coz I dont think im meant for study. I stress out so much and it really brings me down. I work 3 nights a week (9 hours p/w) which lets me take my mind off things.

So this year I'll be doing an IT course at TAFE. Is it what I wanna do? Hell no, just doing it to see where it takes me. I have no idea what I wanna do. And working with computers isnt what I want. But hey, doing something is better than nothing!

Just do the TAFE course, see where it takes u. U cant plan too much in life coz it wont all go your way. Just see where it takes you, im sure u'll do great in whatever you choose to do.

hmmmm........ now for some of that chocolate.......

[FordFan86]

Yeah, right now my plan is do the Tafe course (starts in like aweek and i havent got the note yet, better call and ask when it starts), then work for 6 months... i went to school today and there a re a few yr 13's there i knew... mum even suggested doing 6 months more of school just to be around some people i was familiar with if i couldnt get an extra job or more shifts, and that wouldnt be a waste of time as i can do a few subjects i wanted to but didnt have the room for (read: thought ya had to do the typical maths, chem, phys, english to get anywhere in life) as well as waiting for the year after for Uni

[Paris Hilton]

oh man, today is my first day of year 12, and I have nfi what to do after it :

[FordFan86]

Originally Posted by Selekta

oh man, today is my first day of year 12, and I have nfi what to do after it :

Neither did I lol, just take your time, looking back i think it was probably one of my best years to be at school, enjoy yourself and your friends, you may not see them to much afterwards.
Study is generally a good idea, i did enough to get me through (TER = 63.50) so i could have done worse, but i could have worked a bit harder and got 70-80, it just depends on what you want if any Uni course you want to do, have a look around, talk to your councellors aswell, they can be a great help and a good friend

[Angry Beaver]

Ok lesson one life is not easy and never will be. One thing your mum said is true things do happen for a reason wether you like it or not. Secondly worrying about school only makes it less enjoyable and if you are stressed about what you are going to do after doing courses than its not worth doing the courses because you are not going to give your full attention to them. Secondly have to say and agree with the others the girl will not solve you problems it only covers them. You are young live your life and enjoy it you only get one chance at life and if you dont enjoy it then its not worth it. You are the only one that can decide your future in the working area. You have to do what you want to and feel that you will enjoy. You have been accepted in uni thats great most dont get accepted. Defer like you are going to and have a break because wether you realise it or not year 12 takes the punch out of everyone. I really think that living in the past is not going to help either. Life is for enjoyment ( but not at others expense) get out and live it. Stop looking back only look forward and make your own decisions based on your thoughts and ideas not someone elses. It could always be alot worse, you could be like my three year old son who doesnt talk who has no communication abilities and will never know if he can live and work among us. So basically in a nutshell stop stressing and look around you. the world is a big place and there is room to grow.

[wiggum_04]

kind of in the same position here as i have done year 12 but didnt get the marks i wanted. i have got no idea what i want to do with my life. 2 of my closest friends dont seem to talk to me anymore for some unkown reason. my shifts at work had been cut down heapsbut all i can say is that life can change in a day

my boss offered me a part time position for 30 hours a week, monday to friday 8am till 3 doin what im good at. just started today and i like it better than what i was doin

so just do what u want and take any opportunity by the balls, your only young once

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by wiggum_04

so just do what u want and take any opportunity by the balls, your only young once

Very well said!

All I can add is:- don't chase the $. You will always be dissapointed and empty. Try to work in a field you have a genuine interest in, even if the pay is bad. Eventually you will be very good at it and the money and success will follow. Be prepared to start at the bottom of the heap and work your way up. Any career worth persuing will require this. I know company CEO's who started in the mail room, and managing directors who started as runners. They are some of the happiest people I know. I also know miserable multi-millionaires

In my experience, I was in 3rd year at uni, doing it because I felt I should. I finally got bored enough with the direction I was going and quit to follow something I had always dreamt about. After 2 years working in the industry for no pay, my first paid job earnt me a glorious $4 per hour. That was 12years ago, and I am "playing with the big boys" now. My work is broadcast to millions of people and I work with rock/pop stars every day.

The moral to the story? Don't do something just because you can or the pay is good, do it because you want it...bad. Until you know what that is, just chill out, have fun and be a teenager.

Tod. :sm_headba

[EB-maen]

Mmm, an interesting thread. I finished school in 03 and im starting my second year at uni this friday, and ive only recently turned 18, so ive had a bit to think about at what i reckon is a fairly young age. Through school i was always into computers and whatnot and knew i would work in that field, but doing what i was unsure of for a long time. It was only in year 12 i decided on pursuing something involving computer animation, and i actually made up my mind on my uni course about a fortnight before the qtac (uni course preference system in queensland) thing was due. All of my close friends except one, who i am going to the same uni with anyway, moved interstate and one of them overseas to other universities. I was originally planning to defer like you and get some money together, but in the end i figured it would be good to get the degree over and done with early so i can get out into my field of choice and expertise with that all important piece of paper. Personally, i don't agree with the education system and the way things work, how you 'have' to have a degree to do things thesedays. I mean sure, for a doctor or whatever you would want and need to be knowing what youre doing, but most other jobs require experience, and thats probably where the apprenticeship area works. I'm by no means a so called wise-man and i havent been 'out there' yet, so my take on the world may be incorrect, but this is what i have noticed in recent times. Anyway, yes, finishing year12 is a bit of a shock cos you find yourself thinking 'what am i going to do' and most of the time you find you have nothing to do, so, like others have said in one way or another, getting out there into a job is a good thing to do. I have worked at toysrus for over a year now and although its a fkn sh!tfight sometimes, namely around christmas and easter and even anzac day (i dont know why people are compelled to buy their children toys on easter and during the days surrounding anzac day, especially anzac day, i mean wtf is with that? its not a time to give toys, its a time to honour the people who fought and died for the country, i don't see where toys come into it) i do like the company of the people who work there, especially being one of the people who have been there for a while, cos around christmas most people leave and new people are hired. I guess what im saying is i know exactly how you feel, there was even a girl in a school i had a thing for for a while, and she knew, and i decided to tell her like 3 days before she left for scotland on some goddamn thing for school (thing called 'gap year' which happens with schools in certain countries around the world, where students stay at another school for a year and become some what of a teachers aid sort of thing, anyway, i dont like it) and we kept in touch throughout the year, and she is back now and im meeting somewhere in a few days. I've convinced myself that i no longer have any feelings for her which is a bit of a shame, although i did for the better half of the previous year, and when someone you have feelings for is a few thousand k's away, that's just not cool, but she's a good friend now so it's all good. You will make new friends at university or at your job, basically because sooner or later you will have to interact with someone in some task, lol, which is how i got to know most of the people in my subject, and we usually go back to their places between classes and do stupid stuff like dismantle vaccuum cleaners so that they look like shoulder mounted rpg launchers, and then stand on the balcony and aim them at the newspaper building across the street and the people in the carpark, who sometimes start walking faster or duck. i guess thats a pretty stupid thing to do with todays terrorist paranoya, but meh. I now realise i've typed a considerable amount of stuff, some of which may be drivel, but what i've learnt is: things usually tend to work out in the end if you let them, and usually you worry a lot about things when you really dont need to. It's good to see/know that this forum is for more than just talking fords :

(not that theres anything wrong with that, but yeah, you know what i mean _2: )

[champsky]

so??? when does the fords come into it????

EB-Maen, you seem to have a good grasp on things for someone of your age.

im 21 and im still trying to find out what i want to do lol

i guess some things just happen for people faster than others.

[Paris Hilton]

I'm just wondering about Uni...i would love to go to another country to do it (read: japan)
can it be done? i mean, can you get...visas...for study? kind of?