Right, before I start, go and get a cup of tea, you'll need it for this post!! I also want to apologise for not being round much.. But this might give you an idea as to why! Well, these are the last few weeks of college for me, and I've been thinkning about the future quite a lot recently. But, I don't know what I want to do. I've been going through phases of wanting to do so many different things, like open my own shop, and working in a lab, and working in a shop. For those of you that don't know what I've been doing for the last two years, I've been doing a National Diploma in Ornamental Fish Management. It's an awesome course, but, I really can't see me working with fish for the rest of my life. Last year and the beggining of this year, I've been toying with the idea of going to uni, and doing a degree, but, I don't think that I'd be able to cope with doing a paper based degree. I did think of doing a HND in bunny hugging (Animal management), but I thought that I'd rather be working then learning still. But, if I do go into a job, I have this fear that I'm going to get stuck in it for ever, and I won't ever use my qualification, and that I'll have wasted two years of my life. Now looking into te future, I really think I do want to go on learning. But, I don't know what I want to learn!! At the moment, my interest lies more in small furries then it does in the world of fish, so the hnd in bunny hugging is looking more attractive then ever now! But, again, I don't know what I would want to do at the end of that.. The other option is to do a degree in Vet Nursing, which I think I would enjoy, buuttt... I've got a "thing" where blood makes me queasy.. So.. If you where me, what would you do? Oh, and the other thing is now it's too late to apply for a Uni.
Hi Nicola,
Have you given any thought to doing a work based apprentiship, you get the best of both worlds college and wages?
Like you say it just depends on what you want to do in the future
200L Amazon Tank - 2 x Bristlenose Plec, 5 x Neon Tetra, 3 x White Tip Rosy Tetra, 2 x Golden Pristella Tetra, 1x Glowlight Tetra, 2 x Male Guppies, 4 x Amano Shrimp, 2 x Atya Shrimps, 2 x Rainbow Fish, 6 x Harlequin Rasbora, 5 x Black Harlequin Rasbora and 1 x Peppered Cory.
hi nic, i have wondered just recently where you were, but i guessed you were studing or doing exams. Ive just been through this with my daughter and found out there are loads of apprenticships around if you look, do you have a local connextions agency, they are govenment funded to help 16 - 24 year olds, with just about anything from health concerns to homelessness, and they were really helpful when my daughter was unsettled and didnt know what to do. I think you will always have your qualifications to fall back on, it doesnt mean you have to only work in that industry, maybe later on, you can use that knowledge in the workplace. I left school with typing and shorthand qualifications and got a job in the accounts office of a local company and i was bored stupid, but those qualifications have stood by me and im glad ive got them now, ive added accounting to the skills so maybe you will do the same later on. If you kept it on the animal theme by doing animal management you could work at pets at home lol, sorry i forget you dont need any qualifications for that. I know you love dogs, what about dog grooming? Depends if you want to stay with animals, are they any business within your area that you could ring and ask if they would consider an apprentice, do they realise that the government pays them to train you? so it wont cost them anything and they get another worker and hopefully a future employee. Keep looking its amasing whats available out there once you start digging about a bit. di
I would definitely look at some sort of apprenticeship Nic - best way of learning and getting involved in a job in my opinion.
I did a similar thing, wasn't an apprenticship scheme but a private scheme through work that is similar. I was given one day a week off of work (which i didn't have to make up) to go and do my degree. Takes longer than doing a full time degree (5 years instead of 3) but you are being paid a good wage along the way (no more student loans!!!). We employ a school leaver each year to do this, so currently we have 5 trainees on different stages of the degree. We get a better educated, more informed well trained employee, they get a degree. It can be hard work (especially if you have two kids born at the same time!) but well worth it in the end.
Can't help you with what course/job though - just need to follow your heart on that one! If you can get over the blood thing lots of Vets operate a similar scheme to us. Otherwise have you thought about writing to variuos companies in your feild of interest to see what they can offer - i.e. in the fish world have you looked at people like JBL/Sera/Interpet etc. They may be looking for people to work on the lab/testing side of things etc or how about large breeding/importing houses - they might be on the look out?
1xTrigon 1903 Clown Loaches,14 Cardinal Tetras,8 Rummynose Tetras,6 Cory Trileneatus,6 Hatchetfish,4 otocinclus,1 SAE,1 Bristlenose,, 10 amano Shrimp
Anubius Barteri,Crinum thianum,Limnophilia sessiflora, Echinodorus Blehri, nymphaea lotus, Ammania Senegelis, Crinum calimustratum, java moss, 1xRekord 60Empty at Present
12 litre tank - 4 japonica shrimp, 4 Red crystal shrimp, 5 High Spot Rasbora
Anubias Barteri, Glossostigma Elatanoides, Ammania Senegalisis, Limnophilia Sessiflora, Bacopa amplexicaulis
I've had a chat to my tutor today, and he says to go for the degree!
One of the main reasons I want to do it is because with the VN degree, I can work in a larger range of places, for example, it would help me to get a job in a zoo. I do want to work in the animal industry, but I don't think I would find something like shop work satisfying. As for wether to do it the apprentceship way or through a uni, I think I'd go for the uni. I've been away at college for 2 years now, and allthough it's had it's bad times, the good times have out numbered them like a thousand to one! I'm also used to being very skint, so living off a loan shouldn't be a problem! I've always wanted to do the Uni thing too..
Then go fot it, you'll regret it if you don't!
What about applying to some zoo's for a summer job while your waiting or if you want fish related how about the sealife place in portsmouth - not too far from where you are now?
About the uni thing - it's not too late as the A-level results don't come out til end of july, which means you can go through the 'clearing' process - i'm sure my brother did that after changing his mind about uni at the last minute.
Hi sounds like you have made up your mind Nicola?
All i can add is that i left school went straight to working for my dads firm never done an apprenticeship and can say now more than ever i regret it
footnote:- i also HATED school
ps good luck
Yeah, I have made my mind up.. I just now need to talk it through with my family.. I agree that if i don't do it, I'm going to regret it and then have all of the "what if's" for ever..
No qualification is a wasted one really because if nothing else, it has given you experience in studying and all that goes with it
I think the vet nurse would be a very good road to go down and I think you are making the right decision. I know you previously thought about nursing (humans) so this would bring together nursing and your love of animals I don't think you'd be happy working in a shop either. You'd get bored. If you are anything like I was at work, you need to start the day with the element of anything could happen today admidst the routine bits.And it usually did!
No disrespect to people who work in shops by the way. Someone has to do it like someone has to do any job. Horses for courses
we are a nation of animal lovers and we will always need vets and nurses,a worthy and dedicated job.
Rekord 70
I have to say how much I admire vets and vet nurses. They are so kind to the animals
Much kinder than a lot of nurses and doctors I have worked with in the past
It must very hard studying all the different animals. With humans we only have to learn about one species' anatomy and physiology.