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Post by Ryan on Feb 14, 2007 19:42:13 GMT
Two schools of thought on this thing. First bit of advice I'd offer is, you're not your mum. You don't know what prospects you'd be likely to have in front of you after Uni if you dropped out, and in the animation and television industry, unless you get a lucky break with a very small company and work your way up, or start your own animation studio and get a proper commission, you're unlikely to get anywhere.
People in that kind of business like those who know what they're doing. A good degree would acheive that, and push you further toward your goals.
Also, it's only another year and a half to go. Granted, if you'd told me the same thing right now when I were at my old Uni, I'd probably have punched you for it because I know how it feels to be miserable and unfulfilled in a Uni course and in a place in general. Been there, done it, moved on to another Uni and now happier than I've ever been and trying my best to continue with the degree and pursuit of happiness.
But even before then, I contemplated dropping out too. The road ahead looked bleak and I knew it wouldn't work if I did choose to drop out.
But then again, you've got to ask: - Are you enjoying the course? - If not, is it worth sticking with it? - What would you do afterward? - What if things didn't work out?
There again, it's all true of any degree really. You walk out of Uni with the bloody thing and into the big bad world, suddenly you find everyone and their granny is going in for the same job as you and you mightn't get it yourself...
Talk it through with people - your parents, other students, lecturers, friends who've been there and done it. Sure, you hear about the success stories, but what about those who had their ambitions and now work in a job that is in a far lesser league than what they could be doing?
And if not dropping out, perhaps putting things on hold for a bit and taking time out to see what on the job experience is like. There's a ton of options, but don't just take the easy way out. It never works.
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Post by stepneydude on Feb 14, 2007 19:44:19 GMT
I'm quite the opposite, Chris. My parents constantly tell me to put as much effort in, so that I can pass all of my subjects and get really far in the world. But they don't seem to recognise that I don't care about my studies - this probably will start off some "Hang on Steppers, your studies are important!" Well, true, they are. To be honest, I would be over the moon if I passed my English, Maths and Science because they're basic, I actually need those to survive in the modern world. But it is just impossible for me to get 100% in everything - if I came home with a B+ my mom would say "What stopped you from getting an A?" In fact, something my mother also says frequently - "you could just end up as that poor sad bloke who has to push the trolleys around in the superstore carpark". What would you much rather do? Earn £5 an hour pushing trolleys about, or just be unemployed? What qualifications do you need to push a trolley around? To a complete raving lunatic like me it could be fun. I am most definately not going to Uni, whatever I do. Even if I passed all lessons and got 100% on anything I'd ever attempted (which, let's face it, ain't gonna happen) I still wouldn't go to University. This is just me personally speaking, but if you get qualifications that can get you practically any job (a job that requires basic qualifications =P) then you don't really need to go to Uni. I'd say "Only go to University if it will give you the key to do whatever profession you need." After all, you don't go to Uni to learn how to push trolleys around. I am an extremely liberal person (and I worship the Devil, lol ) so my opinion probably doesn't affect you, but I say this: If you find a job which pays well enough to support you, drop out of Uni. You don't really need to be there if you've already got the skill - and sometimes skill and qualifications don't have to be synonymous - to get a fantastic occupation that can keep you going. My mate Francois - a cleaner at his school has got fantastic drawing ability. He has been told by the art teachers at that school that he could easily get a job in the art world. But he don't want one - he's extremely content just cleaning floors. As you say: "I want to run life how I like." Exactly what my thoughts are all the time - if you feel like doing something, do it, provided that you are happy that good will come out of it (and it musn't hurt anyone else - but leaving university isn't really gonna kill someone.).
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Post by Cläy on Feb 15, 2007 3:18:31 GMT
Well, christopher, if you're each way about leaving, what is probablythe best thing to do is to continue on with your modules (I can't say I fully understand the English college system, so the odd bit of your post confused me here and there...) whilst searching for full time employment. Supposing you do get a successful interview, then and only then should you consider dropping out. If you get a part time position which can run concurrent to your studies, well and good, do both. I dropped out of Uni after two years because I wasn't enjoying it and my marks were shithouse, but I got a job just beforehand, so I didn't have to drift. And right now I'm enjoying my employment and my life in general - Uni just didn't work out for me. I'm not sure what you're doing at college - but if you enjoy the majority of your work, I'd say keep at it. There are useless lecturers at every college/uni - a few of the CompSci lecturers I had had barely passable English, d**n near impossible to understand. Don't let them get you down. Also, I don't know if Britain has traineeships or apprenticeships - if they do, apply for them. Get qualifications while you're working. Dual purpose employment. OK, the pay's not too flash while you're getting the qualifications, but afterwards you'll start to rake it in in comparison with others who don't have those qualifications. Basically - if you don't have a solid 'drop-out option', keep going. If you do get a job or somesuch, defer/drop out and go nuts. * Raven Guild Master? Blimey, that's a blast from the past...which is kinda depressing considering it was only printed 3 years ago... Soul Warden/Waterfront Bouncer combo is all you need mate. Trust me.
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Post by Christopher on Feb 15, 2007 15:15:13 GMT
Thanks for the advice, guys. I guess it is always good (not to mention sensible) to have a "back up" for when I do decide to drop out. So if I can get hold of a good job with better pay, then yeah, I may do that. But actually, I feel a lot better after bringing this up. After spending an uneventful day at Uni today, it wasn't as bad as I kept saying it was - albiet from certain teachers who just aren't no help at all. So long as I'm surrounded by anyone I know in the more hard to handle classes, then I'll get along just fine.
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spitefulbrakevan
Shunting Engine
Don't make me get up off my computer!
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Post by spitefulbrakevan on Feb 18, 2007 2:35:32 GMT
I need some advice.In school I have a reputation as being one of the smartest students. But sometimes someone will ask me a question that I don't know.So my question is when someone asks me something I don't know what should I say?
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Hoverhound
Shunting Engine
Floating around mindlessly since 1960.
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Post by Hoverhound on Feb 18, 2007 3:28:20 GMT
Just say no. Not knowing a question won't harm your reputation. So many people that I can't list have gotten so many answers I can't even list wrong, you're just one of them.
On an unrelated subject, can you guys help with SINUS DRAINAGE? Please please please please please with sugar and fruit and etc. please pleeeeeeeease?
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spitefulbrakevan
Shunting Engine
Don't make me get up off my computer!
Posts: 64
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Post by spitefulbrakevan on Feb 18, 2007 17:37:33 GMT
Thanks for the advice Hoverhound I'll try it!
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Post by The Old Bean on Feb 19, 2007 6:34:01 GMT
I need some advice.In school I have a reputation as being one of the smartest students. But sometimes someone will ask me a question that I don't know.So my question is when someone asks me something I don't know what should I say? Say "Beats me." or "I'm not sure actually" or "That's a good question, that's got me stumped." What I usually do. Nothing to be ashamed of if you don't know an answer. Just say no. Not knowing a question won't harm your reputation. So many people that I can't list have gotten so many answers I can't even list wrong, you're just one of them. On an unrelated subject, can you guys help with SINUS DRAINAGE? Please please please please please with sugar and fruit and etc. please pleeeeeeeease? Not my field of expertise. Suggest you contact a Nurse, Doctor or Pharmacist for advice.
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Post by Alaric on Feb 19, 2007 15:52:20 GMT
Sinus drainage? Sounds like a Victorian factory owner. If you boil some water and stick your nose over the steam, that might help.
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Penguin
Passenger Engine
Hmm.
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Post by Penguin on Feb 19, 2007 16:53:27 GMT
Jalapeno peppers rid me of sinus problems everytime... not even kidding.
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Post by Chris The Xelent on Mar 13, 2007 18:04:54 GMT
Okay, now it's time for me to divest my current woes.
For the last few weeks, I've been getting particularly anxious to finish my apprenticeship. I've been near the finishing line for months now, and yet because of some peoples cock-ups and incompetence I still haven't graduated.
You see, to finish this off I need a certain amount of input from 4 total individuals: Myself My college tutor My boss The cheif organiser of my course
I have a HUGE portfolio of things to do/questions to answer which is very nearly finished. My boss sets me to undertake jobs which gather evidence to go into this portfolio. I.E. I can take photographs and write reports on how I undertook the work. And once every 2 months, my tutor visits from the college to check that I'm gathering suitable evidence and to sign it off for me. And finally once every 3-4 months, the chief organiser of my course visits my company to make sure that everything in general is going well.
The problems that I've been having recently mostly concern the chief organiser. For some time, he's been meaning to go through some important papers with me which will be a big milestone towards me finishing off. And he's been promising me that we'll go through them soon.................since November! And everytime he's visited me/spoken to me since then, he's either shown up days late or not brought the papers in. He says that I'm not acctually due to finish until March 2008. But I'm so close now, so why can't he come down now? I've spoken to my parents about this, and they agree. But even they havn't been able to do anything about it.
But today another bad thing has happened. My tutor, whom I've known for nearly 4 years and acctually wanted me to finish before he retired, made his last visit to my company today. And I've still got a few things to cover. I would have covered them much sooner (much as I really wanted), but my boss keeps on setting me with the same old work again and again because he's more adament on the company making a profit. The thing that worries me on this particular issue is that the most dedicated member of this team has now gone. And (at the moment) the college doesn't have a replacement. But worse still, I have a feeling that his replacement is going to have different ideas on what evidence in my portfolio is acceptable and what isn't. I can sense that I'm going to have to start big chuncks of it allover again!
After reading all this, you're probably thinking (or not) 'what are you considering Chris?'.
The answer is, I'm thinking of packing it all in. I've been on the recieving end of beurocracy, f**k ups and constant dis-organisation for months now with the prospect of it continuing for ages to come. And I'm now getting towards my wits end. But then if I do resign, then I'll have wasted nearly 3 years of hard work, time and effort. Although I'll still walk away with some qualifications (from courses I've done in previous years), I won't have done a full apprenticeship.
I feel like I'm stuck in a bermuda triangle with nowhere to go. I feel like I'm rowing my boat against a strong current. I feel like the world is getting on-top of me. I don't think I have the will to carry on, but I don't know if I should pull out or not. What do you say?
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douglas
Main Line Engine
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Post by douglas on Mar 13, 2007 19:53:11 GMT
Okay, now it's time for me to divest my current woes. For the last few weeks, I've been getting particularly anxious to finish my apprenticeship. I've been near the finishing line for months now, and yet because of some peoples cock-ups and incompetence I still haven't graduated. You see, to finish this off I need a certain amount of input from 4 total individuals: Myself My college tutor My boss The cheif organiser of my course I have a HUGE portfolio of things to do/questions to answer which is very nearly finished. My boss sets me to undertake jobs which gather evidence to go into this portfolio. I.E. I can take photographs and write reports on how I undertook the work. And once every 2 months, my tutor visits from the college to check that I'm gathering suitable evidence and to sign it off for me. And finally once every 3-4 months, the chief organiser of my course visits my company to make sure that everything in general is going well. The problems that I've been having recently mostly concern the chief organiser. For some time, he's been meaning to go through some important papers with me which will be a big milestone towards me finishing off. And he's been promising me that we'll go through them soon.................since November! And everytime he's visited me/spoken to me since then, he's either shown up days late or not brought the papers in. He says that I'm not acctually due to finish until March 2008. But I'm so close now, so why can't he come down now? I've spoken to my parents about this, and they agree. But even they havn't been able to do anything about it. But today another bad thing has happened. My tutor, whom I've known for nearly 4 years and acctually wanted me to finish before he retired, made his last visit to my company today. And I've still got a few things to cover. I would have covered them much sooner (much as I really wanted), but my boss keeps on setting me with the same old work again and again because he's more adament on the company making a profit. The thing that worries me on this particular issue is that the most dedicated member of this team has now gone. And (at the moment) the college doesn't have a replacement. But worse still, I have a feeling that his replacement is going to have different ideas on what evidence in my portfolio is acceptable and what isn't. I can sense that I'm going to have to start big chuncks of it allover again! After reading all this, you're probably thinking (or not) 'what are you considering Chris?'. The answer is, I'm thinking of packing it all in. I've been on the recieving end of beurocracy, f**k ups and constant dis-organisation for months now with the prospect of it continuing for ages to come. And I'm now getting towards my wits end. But then if I do resign, then I'll have wasted nearly 3 years of hard work, time and effort. Although I'll still walk away with some qualifications (from courses I've done in previous years), I won't have done a full apprenticeship. I feel like I'm stuck in a bermuda triangle with nowhere to go. I feel like I'm rowing my boat against a strong current. I feel like the world is getting on-top of me. I don't think I have the will to carry on, but I don't know if I should pull out or not. What do you say? I hate to sound cliched... but look at your sig for a moment. And the rest depends on how badly you want this apprenticeship. If you do, talk to your boss about the apprenticeship, tell him what you need him to do to help you get the things you don't have, and contact your tutor, to see if you can arrange a meeting once you have everything finished. (ya never know, some bosses ARE nice) On the other hand, if you feel you're qualified enough with a partial, then that's fine. I agree ignorant people, bureaucracy, and the like all suck, but this could be an extremely important career move for you. Choose carefully. And good luck CTX.
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Post by Jim on Mar 13, 2007 22:19:44 GMT
Ah no, Chris, whatever you do, don't ever pack it in! You never know when a potential future employer may call up your old boss to follow up on CV references! I take it that aside from what you're going through at the moment, that the work in itself is satisfying? Persevere and see it through to the end of your term. Is there any way you can arrange to meet with these folks individually at their own offices? I don't know how much travelling you'd have to do, but you'll likely have better luck getting results by going to them rather than waiting for them to come to you. As for your retired tutor, I imagine that his final evaluation of your apprenticeship still matters. Stress the continuity aspect of having him involved in giving you his final evaluation (if he's open to the idea). If you get the green light, then again arrange to meet him at the college, if possible. One last bit of advice... If the skills and work experience you've gained during your apprenticeship program were positive, offer to sum it all up in some sort of short presentation at the workplace. It can sometimes open doors for you in the future I hate dealing with bureaucracy, roadblocks, indifferent and obstinate highly-paid people as well ~ and I have @23 years of civil service with my Ministry I know its frustrating, but when roadblocks like these get thrown at you, you can get around them if you stop and analyze the situation for options and solutions. And above all, maintain your sense of humor about the absurdity of it all. You'll see, this too shall pass Best of luck, Chris
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Assassin
Branch Line Engine
Posts: 1,255
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Post by Assassin on Mar 17, 2007 23:10:43 GMT
Alright, for those of you who know or care I have a jealousy/envy problem right? Well, it's escalated unbelievably. It's gotten to the point where instead of feeling jealous of others, I verbally berate myself at any opportunity, and feel like I'm a loser beyond all belief. I know I've said something like this before, but you're all the best people I can turn to at the moment.
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Post by CabForward on Mar 18, 2007 8:56:23 GMT
I would seriously consider getting therapy for that, Mr. Percival. What you have there is a psychology problem, and as much as I like to pretend I am, I am not a qualified psyc, and cannot help you.
Of course, if you're me, you try and get therapy even if you don't have a problem. =P I think Psychologists are the best thing invented since throwing pies.
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Assassin
Branch Line Engine
Posts: 1,255
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Post by Assassin on Mar 24, 2007 4:20:40 GMT
Well it's not just that I don't like myself, it's that I despise, detest, hate, loathe and utterly dislike beyond all comprehension most people who are better than me at what I like to do. I know that's an immature and selfish way to live, but I really can't help it.
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Post by stepneydude on Mar 24, 2007 10:38:06 GMT
Well, at times it's just natural. I feel that way a massive percentage of the time, especially here, on the good ship SiF. All you need to do is keep searching for something that you're truly good at - it may take a VERY long time, but eventually you'll find your thirte in life. I mean your forte. (Math is clearly not my "thing".) Otherwise else, sit back and see yourself as I do - you weren't made to be somebody cool and famous, you were made to be the person to help others become cool and famous by looking and commenting on their movies, artwork, impressive bus ticket collection etc. and helping people become aware. By doing that, you're practically making history as you go along, and you're not being an emo either.
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Assassin
Branch Line Engine
Posts: 1,255
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Post by Assassin on Mar 24, 2007 16:16:32 GMT
Well that's another thing, I don't feel like I have a forte at anything.
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douglas
Main Line Engine
Posts: 2,256
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Post by douglas on Apr 17, 2007 19:53:48 GMT
All right, time for me to pop in with a... dilemma.
For a while now, I think I've been going through a period where I don't really know myself, that I've lost a sense of who I am. I've always been a bit cynical, but lately it seems I've become more bitter and sarcastic than ever. I feel distanced fro my friends; one of them seems to have become more arrogant than ever. Plus, there's this kid who's... interesting to say the least, and I feel a bit jealous, like he's trying to steal my friends, although he doesn't act like a jerk towards me. My friend (who's also my ex, though we are still good friends) likes him (I think) and I think he does too, but he treats her like crap. And she takes it. (example: he whacks her with a wet towel, she reacts and tells him to cut the s***, and completely forgets the next day.)
I feel like I'm slowly turning back into my old introverted self, with the exception of two pals that wil probably stick with me. And I don't know what the hell is wrong with me regarding the girl thing, don't know if I still have feelings for her or not. Does anyone understand where I'm coming from here?
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Post by Chris The Xelent on Apr 25, 2007 18:03:09 GMT
Just thought I'd update you on my apprenticeship (if this is the right place to put it).
But the news ISN'T bad!
Yeasterday, after months of depression and bad times, I finally handed in the last of my peperwork. And today (which happened to be the day my tutor retired), I got a call at work saying that everything has been marked and is ready for sending off to be certificated. In other words............................I'VE FINISHED MY APPRENTICESHIP!!!!
The main reason I have for placing it here rather than General Chatter is that I'd like to thank all those who encouraged me to stay on and finish it (including Troublesome Truck, Ryan and particularly Tristan). The outcome could have been so very different if I'd given up when I wanted to. So, thanks guys. Looks like I owe you one!
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