Ok, some of you might have read my art course thread already....

 

I've mentioned in there that I am going to finish my apprenticeship in May/June and I am planning on going to university again which will start in October....

 

Now what to do between May/June and October?

 

Earning money for my time at university or getting unemployment pay, saving some of it, but enjoying myself as well?

 

I know that the latter is the easiest and more enjoyable thing, but I am not sure how to feel about the fact that I get money by the state without working for it and using it to enjoy myself.....

on the other hand I am afraid that I will never be as free anymore as I am going to be this summer and that's why I should seize this time and enjoy myself and do things that I usually can't do, because I neither have enough time nor enough money....and my last 2 years have been kinda crappy and I feel like a summer off could change my view on things and it could slightly change me as a person, too (in a positive way) I do feel that already....

 

well, something inside of me is telling me that this is the best time to enjoy myself and that it will take me further (esp. since I have always been so clueless about my future and right now I am still not 100% sure about the things I want) ...it might help me

 

It seems like earning money is always the more reasonable decision though...hm

 

 

what would you do?

What about something inbetween?

My suggestion would be to do a job somewhere you'd like working.

Straight after my A-levels I started working at the cinema as a side job while studying (see where it took me haha).

Is there some place you'd like to work as a 400€ job?

This way you only have a couple of shifts / week and can say you're not there whenever you want + have enough time for yourself...

 

It's a long time until uni starts after all.

And life doesn't end when uni starts. :P :hug:

Normally I would just say get a job after, but like you said you might not get a chance to ever be so free again. So perhaps then try the unemployment for a little while.

 

I think though you should do some cool things and maybe even travel or something. I mean this past summer I got to travel for the first time and it was great!

What about something inbetween?

My suggestion would be to do a job somewhere you'd like working.

Straight after my A-levels I started working at the cinema as a side job while studying (see where it took me haha).

Is there some place you'd like to work as a 400€ job?

This way you only have a couple of shifts / week and can say you're not there whenever you want + have enough time for yourself...

 

It's a long time until uni starts after all.

And life doesn't end when uni starts. :P :hug:

 

Well i'd consider doing something as a job that I enjoyed too if I didn't move home again. My parents are living in a village and there aren't many job offers if non. I will always need a car or someone with a car who can take me there. Though I might try to find a job like this if I can organise getting there, etc. Haha and I never thought that going to uni again will be the end of my life. Not at all. It will rather be the opposite esp. Since I am in need of new friends;)

I don't know I just don't want to end up working at mc donald's again like I did after my a-levels. If I do a job then I want a job that takes me further (kinda like it did for you). All I know is that if I don't get stuck into something again that I don't want to do (even if I know that it is just for some months) I am going to have a real chance of making up my mind about my future. That seems like the most important thing for me at the moment.

I might even consider doing some work experience for the things that could interest me

I'd definitely try to find a job. I'd probably get bored very easily and you wouldn't be able to do much if you have no money. Also I don't think it would be possible to save money if you were on benefits in the UK.

 

If you get a job now your workplace might also keep you on when you're going to uni.

I've done both before- the spring/summer before my first year of university I couldn't find a job. It has it's advantages.

 

But then having money is nicer. And having a job will keep you active and thinking and doing things so that you will transition back into university easier. I know it's easy to get big plans for your time off, and think of all the wonderful things you can do with that time, but it's really easy to just give in to the loss of routine and not try to do anything at all. Then all of a sudden you wonder why the summer is over and regret all of the things you said you were going to do but didn't. It's actually easier to do those things when you have a job. Limited time off keeps you motivated in a way that structureless time doesn't.

I know what you mean. I know how easily I can get bored when I have too much time, but I do know as well that If I get stuck in another job again I can't make up my mind about anything. I think I should go for something part time or a mini job. Definitely no full time job.

Well Yeah that might be the best solution. Right now I don't even know if iI will go back to uni anyways. I might end up doing something totally different. I am really afraid of getting into something again that I do not really want to do or that Isn't like I thought it would be. That happened to me twice now and I learned from it but I do finally want to find what I want.

Sometimes I feel like I only want to go to uni again to meet new friends because it is one of the best ways to meet new people. And actually I have already made the experience that uni stuff is too theoretical for me. Oh my I suck:wacky:

Yeah, in a case like that a part-time job can be good for giving you structure (and money) while leaving enough time for you to figure things out.

 

But then I've also learned the hard way that it's really easy to overthink these things anyway. Life is what happens when you dive in and live it.

Have you applied for uni yet?

 

A part-time job sounds like a good idea, you could earn some money and you'd have plenty of for your hobbies as well.

You can't apply for uni yet. I will do it and then there is still some time left to make the final decision until september. I hope I have made up my mind until then and won't do anything again just because I feel kinda desperate about it.

Oh I see, it's different here. I've applied for Masters and I'm gonna hear from the universities in the next few weeks or months. I'm really nervous, I have no idea where I'm gonna end up next year. :embarrassed:

 

That's alright then, just take your time. Maybe your work experience could help you to decide what you wanna do? Even voluntary work might be a good idea.

I have never heard of getting unemployment benefits while in school. In California and Indiana you can't get this. I work through school and it takes up too much energy. I also pay rent. If you could find an easy way through unemployment, I would do it, because I don't have that option. Here we have student grants and loans.

nooo I won't get these benefits while I am in school or at uni....I won't have any occupation in summer (it looks like that) that's why I will get unemployment pay....;)

 

 

oh well....right now it looks like I am not going to university again....I've been thinking about this stuff quite a lot again for the last two days and I think going to uni again is too theoretical for me...I am not the one who sits alone in her room and studies all day long....I am not ambitious for that....and uni isn't as easy anymore as it used to be....it'd be good to meet new people, but that's it

 

I am not even patient enough to read full books....

 

now I need to find a solution

Do not get student loans because you have to pay them back with interest rates. I love University guys, and this is a great chance to meet them. I would do anything to get in.

Maybe you should study some sort of a trade?

Haha I like university guys too. But if I am fucking up at my subject the uni guys can't help me either. I have already made that experience. It Can be really annoying when you notice that you are not doing the right thing and start wondering why you are actually doing it. That's what happened to me 3 years ago and I quit as soon as I could. It was so weird because I got like 'why the hell am I doing this?' and some days later I moved home and wasn't a student anymore. A kinda emotional decision but it was the best decision.

When I think about the reasons why I dropped out it would be pretty stupid to start something like this again. I think/hope there is always a way to meet new people

^ trade? In how far?

^ trade? In how far?

Huh? :huh:

 

What I mean is, if you aren't so great at academics, maybe you'd enjoy something more hands on and involved like electrical work or graphic design or carpentry or... there's all sorts of things. I don't know what you would have for trade schools, but here trade school costs a lot less than university, takes less time, and you just learn the specific job skill that you want rather than all sorts of academic stuff. If something hands-on like pottery appeals to you, you might enjoy learning a trade.

A oops now I get what you mean. I've already checked what there schools offer over here and I haven't found anything yet. Well I am considering doing internships in summer. Like as a confectionist or a ceramicist. I feel that I could really enjoy doing something like that. I wouldn't even mind doing another apprenticeship if it is something I enjoy.

I was considering becoming a music journalist at a radio station for example. I am not sure if writing is the right thing for me though.

I have just found this thread again and I have just noticed how bad it feels if you don't exactly know what is going to happen soon (eventhough this is an interesting thing about it....)...I am seeing some kind of light at the moment and it feels so very good....same as the fact that I've been meeting people in the last weeks...

 

it is funny how things can change so fast and that the decisions you don't think about too much (because you just feel that they are good decisions) seem to be the best sometimes....

 

so yeah

what did you do?

I applied as a volunteer at a school for a year....my mum told me about it and I didn't even think too much about it before applying, because I just felt that I'd be the right thing to do....you earn money and you get a lot of experience...I think my chances aren't too bad since the school is near my home village and I think there aren't that many people who apply for this....and even if there are they are going to find me another volunteer job for the next year in a school or something like that....

all I know is that I should get out of this shop thing and get into more social work...

 

I do have to move home again, but I don't actually mind since I've been going out there again more in the last weeks

sounds good, hope everything goes well :)

thanks!

 

I really hope it works, too...

what about spending the first part of your summer enjoying yourself and the second sign up to an agency for temporary work? you get the best of both worlds then.

 

so say 1 month having fun and 3 months doing temporary work with fun in any breaks between jobs