Choose my future!

[Johnny B]

Hey folks,

Right, I need some advice if you'd be so kind. It's a huge life decision and it seems daft asking people who I haven't even met, but surfers seem to have a good outlook on life and you all seem to give pretty sound advice. It's just another perspective on the situation to help my decisions.

Please give spare the time to read this long post, it's pretty important to me.

Basically I'm stuck in a bit of a rut, waiting for my life to start. I'm 20 (nearly 21) and my life has gone nowhere so far.

I went to school like any normal kid but was a HUGE slacker. Fortunately I'm intelligent (not boasting, it's just true) so despite only turning up to about 5% of 6th Form I still managed to get ABC in my a-levels (biology/psychology/chemistry).

I went to Northumbria uni (Newcastle, UK) to do Forensic Science; this was my first mistake, I was too heavily influenced by others to choose a degree with a set career path combining what I was good at. I WISH I had just picked a degree I was really interested in (possibly marine biology, botany, paleontology, evolutionary psychology) instead I was stuck doing golrified chemistry. I hated the course and got stuck in a flat with morons. I also failed to make many friends, it's not that I was a social retard or owt (sorry, not very PC) I was just massively lacking in confidence. So I left.

I then spent what would have been my 2nd year at uni with the flatmates I was planning on moving in with from uni. I worked in a bar and discovered surfing. This was not really a good year as such but certainly worthwhile. I discovered what I would dare to be as cheesy as to call my calling. Surfing just did it for me, despite having no particular aptitude for it I just adore it, I mean it takes some passion to surf alone in the North Sea in freezing Newcastle in January. The other thing I gained from that year was confidence. I have always worked damn hard at any jobs I have had (I almost can't help it) and it only took me 3 months (with no prior bar experience) to become bar supervisor (plus after less than a year I turned down the chance of assistant manager). This boosted my confidence massively and I would've been in far worse stead without that experience.

After leaving uni I came up with a plan to join the RAF, that would be my future. I had a good chance, and was told so, to get in as an officer, warranting initial pay of £30k+/year. I would work my time in the RAF with few expenses allowing me to save a good deposit for a house. Beyond that plan I had thought little about my future, and did my damndest not to think about it.

Anyway, that year passed, my confidence let me make new friends but it was tricky since most were at uni/working full time. Things started getting tough at the end of the (uni) year, all my friends who were at uni started buggering off for the summer and I had a bad case of unrequited love (I won't go into details!) but suffice to say it left me pretty down. To add to this I was having second thoughts about joining the RAF. So I got away, went to Portugal. What I realised in Portugal, amongst other things, was that I wanted friends. My newly found confidence let me meet all sorts of people there but they were always coming and going. This contrast of short bursts of fun and companionship paired with stints of solitude just reinforced a feeling that was always within me. I mean, I only have two good friends, and both are out living their lives.

So, my tenancy is up, I'm back from Portugal and Brussels, and living with my parents for a while (it's hell!). And I'm going nowhere.
The RAF or any of the other forces (the physical challenge of the Royal Marines appeals to me for some reason) is stilll an option but it's not really what I want. I feel I still need to live a little before commiting myself to owt like that. I feel like I have wasted the majority of my late teens and am clinging on to youth for my dear life.

I'm almost tempted to go back to uni but the drawbacks are just so big: 1) The cost/debt; on top of accomodation (about 3-3.5k/y) I'd now have to pay top-up fees which instead of the old 1.25k/y are onw 3k+/y!!! On top of my existing debt of 3k I'd be looking at coming out of uni with almost 20k worth of debt!!! 2) I'd be almost 26 after even a 3 year course, not to mention if wanted to do any post-grad studies.

So I'm stuck, I'm tempted to just move to somewhere near the coast (maybe to a university town so I could meet more young folk) and get a cheap flat and just find the best job I can. But I feel like this would be such a waste, I am capable of more than some crappy menial job. I'd also like to one day have the option of being able to provide for a family if life chooses to bless me thus.



I'm not entirely sure what I want advice on, perhaps potential careers that don't require degrees yet are paid ok, are varied, possibly outdoors and allow for surfing (don't ask for much do I!?). Or just advice on what to do next.

Thanks for listening (reading) and thanks in advance for any advice.

...John...

P.S. I'll likely add to this as I think of stuff. Oh and sorry about the daft thread title just thought it'd grab folk's attention slightly better than "help" or "help please".

[joem]

do and endlesssummer

[buckthis]

so you never got your degree? get your degree, while you live along the ocean and bang as many coeds as you can, unless your bill gates and going to start a buisness and make billions

[libby]

Hey dude

Big choices eh?!

Something I would suggest is getting a crappy job that pays the bills for part of the week and volunteering in something you find interesting on your other days. This will have two benefits for you 1) it might help you figure out what you do/dont wanna do and 2) it'll look good on your C.V and might lead to a job with the organisation or another organisation at some point. Oh and its fun and you will meet loads of cool people. Do it somewhere close enough to a break so that you get to surf too.

In terms of doing a degree in marine biology or similar dont expect to walk out and get a job, it takes alot of volunteer work etc to get paid work in marine biology. I've got a decent degree and a fair bit of experience but would still struggle to get paid work, i want to do a PhD in the area so hopefully once i have that i'll be able to work in the area.

In terms of debt, yeh its hefty, im £16,000 in debt (not including overdraft and credit card) after a four year degree and thats pre top up fees so its even worse now!

Just find somewhere you like do some volunteer work and see what comes your way! That would be my advice anyway.

[Johnny B]

Thanks Libby!

That's great advice, I hadn't really given volunteer work much thought. If I put off starting "real Job/career" for a year it'll be no big deal, and I think that the kind of people I'd meet doing it would be the kind I wanna meet! Plus, I actually think I could be happy with a long-term job/career doing something that helps others or the enviroment, even if it is for crappy pay!



Oh, please keep suggestions coming, I love getting new ideas.

[drowningbitbybit]

So you've only done your first year at Uni? Is that right?
Still plenty of time to switch courses and do something more interesting and fulfilling.

Doesnt sound like you're completely cut-out for the RAF...

[Real Pol]

Just to echo Libby here, starting a degree in Marine Biology seems like a good idea, but the competition at the end for all the cool jobs is so high that it's very difficult to get one and they pay peanuts even if you do have a phd.

I did Marine Biology and wish I'd done something more generic like biology as it would have opened up loads more opportunities and all the marine/environment jobs I got I could have got with a biology degree.

My advice (and this is what I'd do if I had a second chance), go back to uni, get a degree in Chemical/mechanical Engineering, walk into a job with one of the oil companies earning 35K. Do this for a while living in Aberdeen or Stavanger where you can surf and then sack it when you're in your thirties. Thats what all my friends do.

Your problem is you have too many choices, but you have plenty of time to go to uni!

[northswell]

If you do consider the forces option go for a sponsored degree, officer training and all.

Forces is a laugh when there aint no scary tours on, i know, three years of playing football and picking up leaves. My nephew knows different blown up in Iraq, escaped relatively unscathed, but his two battle buddies were killed.

I'd do the travel option, decide when your older, lifes too short.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

libby is right

i first volenteered at an elementry school, then got a job there, figured out i DONT want to be a teacher, changed my major to psychology, continued working there for 3 years, used that refrence to help me get a job that pays twice as much. sorry tho didnt read your post so that might be irrelevant im not sure.

[isaluteyou]

Deffinetly do the travel thing it might help you clear your head and find the direction that suits you - in my opinion life to short to join the rat race so i became contempt with the fact i will never own a house but hell who cares i get to surf a lot If however you want the whole job security thing and knowledge of where next months rent check is coming from then finish UNI and get your life in order

[thrisiakaye]

If you do consider the forces option go for a sponsored degree, officer training and all.

Forces is a laugh when there aint no scary tours on, i know, three years of playing football and picking up leaves. My nephew knows different blown up in Iraq, escaped relatively unscathed, but his two battle buddies were killed.

I'd do the travel option, decide when your older, lifes too short.

yeah,... i agree with that!

[Real Pol]

I'd do the travel option, decide when your older, lifes too short.

Yeah, but life is very long when you're in serious debt.........

[Sar]

I'd do the travel option, decide when your older, lifes too short.

Yeah, but life is very long when you're in serious debt.........

Life is too short when you're in debt! Once its paid off it feels like there isnt enough time to do what you really want to do.
Once you get the well paid job, you'll spend money on rubbish - get into debt, get a car loan - get further into debt, a mortgage and will have to stay in your job to pay it off anyways so you lose your freedom...

Spending a few grand on going travelling or just taking time to figure out what you really want will save you lots of money and heartache in the long run. Voluteering is a great idea to find out what you want to do....you could volunter and travel at the same time

[Johnny B]

Well...thanks for all the advice folks, it's nice to hear the opinions of other people!

First off, it's a bit late to carry on my ex-degree, I'd have to start from scratch landing my self in £20k+ debt. I'm not sure I could really face this, not if there is other options available to me.

If you do consider the forces option go for a sponsored degree, officer training and all.

Aye that'd be nice, but the choice of degrees they'll sposor you for is very limited, and I'm not sure that the money they give you will even cover the cost of the new fees.

Doesnt sound like you're completely cut-out for the RAF

... Why do you say that?

Spending a few grand on going travelling or just taking time to figure out what you really want will save you lots of money and heartache in the long run. Voluteering is a great idea to find out what you want to do....you could volunter and travel at the same time

I'm starting to think that's what I'll do tbh, it's the first thing that's got me excited in a while. Although, this is not as easy as it would seem. For the following reasons:

a) Not that many charities based in England actually send volunteers overseas, they'd (understandably) rather use locals it seems.
b) Some of the better-looking volunteer opportunities are short term (4-12 weeks generally), and some of these also look more like adventure holdiays, it makes you wonder if what you'd be doing was truly beneficial. c) A lot of volunteer work involving conservation work requires relevant degree .
d) Most of the long-term (6months+) volunteer work requires you to have skills, be that a TEFL qualification, some kind of trade, a second language etc etc.

So...not that simple, you see. I might consider taking 6 months to save some cash and learn som basic Spanish or maybe earn my self some skill that'd be valued. Anyway, I have a lot of research ahead of me, but if any of you know of any suitable volunteer opportunities or have any more suggestions please post.

[Real Pol]

Life is too short when you're in debt! Once its paid off it feels like there isnt enough time to do what you really want to do.
Once you get the well paid job, you'll spend money on rubbish - get into debt, get a car loan - get further into debt, a mortgage and will have to stay in your job to pay it off anyways so you lose your freedom...

I don't agree with that at all.
I got into serious debt when I was a student and had crappy jobs. Spending all your money at the start of the month to pay debts makes the rest of the month really long.
Just cos you have a decent job doesn't mean you HAVE to buy a car and house.

Freedom?
My friend got offered a job with Shell, she told them she fancied doing a bit of travelling first so could she start in 18 months time? No problem they left her job open for her.

Volunteering is good, I did some when I dropped out of college and didn't know what to do. It's far easier to get voluntary posts in the uk than abroad. As you said most are just holidays, especially the zoological ones and any of any true value would be offered to post grads.
I volunteered at some of my local country parks, got interested in environmental type stuff went back to uni etc.
The good thing about volunteering locally is you can ditch the job if you don't like it and find something better. And you can sign on.

[Sar]

Life is too short when you're in debt! Once its paid off it feels like there isnt enough time to do what you really want to do.
Once you get the well paid job, you'll spend money on rubbish - get into debt, get a car loan - get further into debt, a mortgage and will have to stay in your job to pay it off anyways so you lose your freedom...

I don't agree with that at all.
I got into serious debt when I was a student and had crappy jobs. Spending all your money at the start of the month to pay debts makes the rest of the month really long.
Just cos you have a decent job doesn't mean you HAVE to buy a car and house.

Freedom?
My friend got offered a job with Shell, she told them she fancied doing a bit of travelling first so could she start in 18 months time? No problem they left her job open for her.

Of course you dont have to buy a house or car. You dont even have to waste your money on rubbish if you dont want to. Some of my friends didnt go to uni and some did. They all seem to be in equal amounts of debt. The ones who did got the experience of going to university and most studying what they truely wanted to study, not all have got the jobs that they wanted but they get paid more for just having a degree in an unrelated subject....honestly its true - the people I recruit in my job get paid more if they have an unrelated degree compared to those who dont.

The others who didnt go to uni got menial jobs so the could earn the cash to go out and have fun, wasted money on rubbish to try and make themselves happy because their job made them unhappy and now are not qualified to do what they really want to do and are not in a position to start studying as they have financial/family commitments....not always but something that usually happened as they got older
It's all 'swings and roundabouts', and everyone needs different things from life - just best to take advantage of the freedom whilst you have it imo as life is too short.
Do you reckon your friend could give my name to Shell for a job , they sound pretty cool!!.....or do I need a degree to get that kind of comitment from a company?

How long does it take to get a TEFL qualification? an old colleague just got back from the far east doing that and had a great time!!

[grammarnazi]

don't know if you've been to this site yet...

http://www.vso.org.uk/volunteering/

[grammarnazi]

for Sar:

How long does it take to get a TEFL qualification? an old colleague just got back from the far east doing that and had a great time!!

Something like CELTA is a standard minimum. There are also academic degrees (most commonly a BA or MA in TESOL/TESL) for teaching at higher levels. Depending on where you go, (and what/whom you will be teaching,) sometimes schools only require native-speaker fluency and possibly a university degree (in anything).
http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teaching/celta.htm

Here's a useful site. Every once in a while, a school/post will specify American English accent, but I think most are pretty open.
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/