If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. For Crisis Support (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Check out our Men's Mental Health Support Chat every Monday 8pm-9:30pm in partnership with the JD Foundation. It's an inclusive space to talk about anxiety, stress, and anything affecting young men under 25.
Click here for more info!
Click here for more info!
Best Of
im taking some time away ❤️
i am going to be taking a break from the mix. i need to focus on myself and rn im the important person and i need to focus on that. i will attend some chats but if i get a spot on circle ill attend that. i appreciate you all so much but rn i just need to step away from the boards. i am sending you all love and hugs. heres some support services if youre struggling.
85258 - shout
116123 - samaritans
hopelineuk - txt: 88247 call: 08000684141 or use their website to access the webchat.
or 111 for less urgent medical help or 999 in a emergency. mental health matters as much as physical health. ❤️
i care abt you all
your so important!
85258 - shout
116123 - samaritans
hopelineuk - txt: 88247 call: 08000684141 or use their website to access the webchat.
or 111 for less urgent medical help or 999 in a emergency. mental health matters as much as physical health. ❤️
i care abt you all
your so important! 
eylah
10
unsure of what to do!!
hey🙂
soo basically, at the age of 21 i am still incapable of making decisions lol
what the situation is:
what i want for the future:
what the options i have are:
i did reach out to the ni careers service this morning and explained my situation asking for advice for him to tell me at first he cant help, i need to speak to a careers advisor which baffled me as i assumed reaching out to the ni careers service which states "Need careers guidance, advice or support – contact the Careers Service for help by phoning 0300 200 7820, by email or webchat" at the top of their website was me speaking to a careers advisor then, but maybe not lol? anyways, in the end his advice was "its a good idea to keep your options open" which didn't help me with any of this haha
anyways, thank you for reading if you made it this far
soo basically, at the age of 21 i am still incapable of making decisions lol
what the situation is:
currently, i am studying btec level 3 health and social care which is the equivalent of 3 a levels meaning that you can progress onto university (obviously this will depend on you getting the grades). i do enjoy the course, however, the college i am at, well i haven't had a good experience lets just say... i am approaching the end of year 1 of the course and unsure what to do next (its a 2 year course just for reference). i have looked into transferring colleges, which is an option as long as i complete year 1 however, this led me to discovering another course (which is one year long) that i really want to do instead so now im kinda lost i guess? the other college seem such better vibes after meeting with their course coordinator, and waaay more supportive too!
one thing that is really stressing me out about year 2 of my current course is that we have to complete 100 hours of work experience, which i know across the space of 8 months is not at all a lot of hours, but on top of already being in employment, studying a full time course and voluntary roles i have, its going to be hard to squeeze in - especially since my main part time job is not at all flexible to allow for anything else in life lol
in terms of employment - i currently have 2 jobs - my main job being in the airport for 20 hours per week (i hate this job though) and my other being a support worker with children and young people specifically for a few hours per month (i love this job though). i am trying to find a job elsewhere in relation to what i really want to do, rather than the airport - i would absolutely LOVE if more hours at my other job was an option, but unfortunately not:( though this morning they have advertised a new role, its super similar to my current role there, but rather than specifically children and young people, it would be any age group which i wouldn't mind - my only worry around it is, they state you must live in the area advertised which i don't, i live about 40 minutes away, however, i live in the middle of nowhere so i am going to have a minimum travel time to any job of about 20 minutes anyways unless i want to be a farmer lol - i am feeling positive ish about that aspect though as my current job with them said you must live within the area advertised, again, the three areas they advertised for i don't live in but they were ok with that as i can drive and said i am willing to travel (its about 30 minutes travelling time).
one thing that is really stressing me out about year 2 of my current course is that we have to complete 100 hours of work experience, which i know across the space of 8 months is not at all a lot of hours, but on top of already being in employment, studying a full time course and voluntary roles i have, its going to be hard to squeeze in - especially since my main part time job is not at all flexible to allow for anything else in life lol
in terms of employment - i currently have 2 jobs - my main job being in the airport for 20 hours per week (i hate this job though) and my other being a support worker with children and young people specifically for a few hours per month (i love this job though). i am trying to find a job elsewhere in relation to what i really want to do, rather than the airport - i would absolutely LOVE if more hours at my other job was an option, but unfortunately not:( though this morning they have advertised a new role, its super similar to my current role there, but rather than specifically children and young people, it would be any age group which i wouldn't mind - my only worry around it is, they state you must live in the area advertised which i don't, i live about 40 minutes away, however, i live in the middle of nowhere so i am going to have a minimum travel time to any job of about 20 minutes anyways unless i want to be a farmer lol - i am feeling positive ish about that aspect though as my current job with them said you must live within the area advertised, again, the three areas they advertised for i don't live in but they were ok with that as i can drive and said i am willing to travel (its about 30 minutes travelling time).
what i want for the future:
for several years now, i have been so so set on youth work as my career goal but there has been times where i have considered other things too - some of what i've also thought about has been social work, mental health nursing and psychology.
in line with the youth work career goal, i have recently completed my ocn level 2 youth work qualification alongside working as a support worker with children and young people specifically (my mega part time job) and volunteering in a few different places, all either specifically with children and young people or mental health related. i have considered maybe looking into employment with the education authority as you are able to complete the level 2 and 3 youth work qualifications through them when in employment, however, the downside to completing them with the education authority is that they do not offer the ocn youth work qualifications, it is their own which is only recognised by the education authority and worthless effectively in terms of being qualified to level 2 / 3 standard outside of the education authority; on top of that, it isn't possible at present as their roles are all for 3-6 hours per week which isn't enough hours for me and not something that can coincide with my main part time job at the airport since there is no flexibility there - it's been a struggle with college!!!
in line with the youth work career goal, i have recently completed my ocn level 2 youth work qualification alongside working as a support worker with children and young people specifically (my mega part time job) and volunteering in a few different places, all either specifically with children and young people or mental health related. i have considered maybe looking into employment with the education authority as you are able to complete the level 2 and 3 youth work qualifications through them when in employment, however, the downside to completing them with the education authority is that they do not offer the ocn youth work qualifications, it is their own which is only recognised by the education authority and worthless effectively in terms of being qualified to level 2 / 3 standard outside of the education authority; on top of that, it isn't possible at present as their roles are all for 3-6 hours per week which isn't enough hours for me and not something that can coincide with my main part time job at the airport since there is no flexibility there - it's been a struggle with college!!!
what the options i have are:
original plan:
since debating between youth work and other careers, primarily social work, my plan was to complete the btec level 3 health and social care then go on to complete the btec level 4 social and community work course (which to my knowledge are enough to get into uni) then let that be my decider so to speak for which one i want to do since it covers both social and youth work - the entry requirements for the level 4 courses are 1 a level and be currently employed / volunteering in a relevant setting. after this, then going to uni to do whichever i decide on.
i have a few options, these are:
> option 1 - stay at current college and complete year 2 of the course gaining the equivalent of 3 a levels, however, it ending up the same as how this year has been and absolutely hating it.
>option 2 - transfer colleges and complete year 2 of the course gaining the equivalent of 3 a levels, hopefully having a better experience than what my current college has been.
>option 3 - finish year 1 and bank the equivalent of 1 a level then go to the other college to study ocn level 3 youth work, however, an ocn level 3 is NOT equivalent to a levels (i think it carries only 8 ucas points?)
i think, key word being think lol, that what i think i want to do most is:
>complete year 1 of the course and bank 1 a level
>go to the other college and complete ocn level 3 youth work
>complete the level 4 social and community work course
>if at the time i want to, then go to uni and do either youth work or social work
since debating between youth work and other careers, primarily social work, my plan was to complete the btec level 3 health and social care then go on to complete the btec level 4 social and community work course (which to my knowledge are enough to get into uni) then let that be my decider so to speak for which one i want to do since it covers both social and youth work - the entry requirements for the level 4 courses are 1 a level and be currently employed / volunteering in a relevant setting. after this, then going to uni to do whichever i decide on.
i have a few options, these are:
> option 1 - stay at current college and complete year 2 of the course gaining the equivalent of 3 a levels, however, it ending up the same as how this year has been and absolutely hating it.
>option 2 - transfer colleges and complete year 2 of the course gaining the equivalent of 3 a levels, hopefully having a better experience than what my current college has been.
>option 3 - finish year 1 and bank the equivalent of 1 a level then go to the other college to study ocn level 3 youth work, however, an ocn level 3 is NOT equivalent to a levels (i think it carries only 8 ucas points?)
i think, key word being think lol, that what i think i want to do most is:
>complete year 1 of the course and bank 1 a level
>go to the other college and complete ocn level 3 youth work
>complete the level 4 social and community work course
>if at the time i want to, then go to uni and do either youth work or social work
i did reach out to the ni careers service this morning and explained my situation asking for advice for him to tell me at first he cant help, i need to speak to a careers advisor which baffled me as i assumed reaching out to the ni careers service which states "Need careers guidance, advice or support – contact the Careers Service for help by phoning 0300 200 7820, by email or webchat" at the top of their website was me speaking to a careers advisor then, but maybe not lol? anyways, in the end his advice was "its a good idea to keep your options open" which didn't help me with any of this haha
anyways, thank you for reading if you made it this far
Re: Revision Body Double Study Sessions! 📚
@shannon_164 Thank you for the feedback! We were under the impression that a lot of people would be on study leave for a lot of May and June, but you guys know best! Does anyone else have any insight into whether their school has study leave or not?
Leyla
1
Re: plushie/teddy thread
Has anyone got any new plushies recently? The temptation to add to my dragon jellycat collection is rather strong right now!
Leyla
1
Re: Staying safe in the sun (for those who take medication)
Omg I didn’t know this!! Maybe that’s why I can’t handle the heat anymore. I think sertraline can make you more prone to sunburn? I dont know if the others have the same effect
My loss of some financial assistance has impacted me
Hello.
I am no longer receiving financial assistance and have to appeal for it again. I have been having thoughts that my support workers and others focussed on moving forward to get it back without acknowledging the impact. My other support worker asked me if I mentioned any details where I have been at my highest. This triggered thoughts that my main support worker and my family were telling me that I need to be more thorough in expressing where I have been at my lowest. The question about my performance made me feel victim blamed because it is like the system bears no responsibility.
I have been thinking that my former friends have wrongly accused me of being unkind due to a disagreement over a comment. I have been hoping they will realise how I must be upset.
I have tried to think through my situations logically, considering different angles and challenging my thoughts and reminded myself of what I am doing well.
Re: Recruitment agencies
Redemption wrote: »Redemption wrote: »Has anyone used recruitment agencies here? I'm thinking about contacting them too see if they can help me. Cheers guys
When I had my seasonal job with Whsmith's, initially I thought I was going to be hired by Whsmith's themselves. But my details were passed onto a recruitment agency and I had to attend a teams call for my start date and things. I found when I worked with Whsmiths they didnt know anything about me being recruited by an agency at all to the point where my manager didnt even know either. So mostly I do a lot of background research into them because you do fill out a bit of paperwork in the beginning. I know though when I did start my seasonal job, the recruitment agency were helpful and made sure that everything went well in my job, despite there being a lot of confusion in the beginning.
I know for people who are searching for work they can be a great of going about it because they will help you to look for work and also make sure you are getting the right amount of training. What I will say is eventhough I worked seasonal, when you are with a recruitment agency sometimes you will have to fill out your own time sheet, so clocking down how many hours you worked on your shift which then confirms your pay basically. I found reminding myself to fill in my timesheet was hard at first because normally in some jobs that dont hire via a recruiting agency, they will automatically fill out your timesheet for you. But with an agency you do the paperwork pretty much yourself, though if you do get stuck you can contact them for support or help. I used to summit my timesheet the day after I did my shift so it was less stress sorting things out.
I mean its definitely up to you really because I know recruitment agencies can be helpful and sometimes when working in retail especially seasonal work the companies will often take on recruitment agency staff. It can be good sometimes in some interviews especially for retail to ask "will I be recruited by the company themselves, or will a recruitment agency take me on and put me on placement here?" because it can make things a bit more easier in the long run.
However, I wish you the best for your job hunting right now and I hope you are able to find something soon too
Cheers Amy this is long, insightful and helpful. Really appreciate it.
No worries more than happy to help out with any questions or queries on this.
Amy22
1
Re: Triggered in class
I got triggered in class because the door kept banging and so I started zoning out and shaking and then my teacher pointed it out in front of the whole class who all started staring at me making me feel so humiliated 😭 went to Emma and sobbed and chatted to her and she put a note on the tracker to say that I got triggered but that I’m with her
Im sorry to hear what happened with hearing banging can be scary. Then all your class staring at you, all soinds so so overwhelming. I'm glad you had someone to talk to about it though, it always ok to cry and let your emotions out to someone. I hope you're better or getting better now.
Re: Recruitment agencies
Redemption wrote: »Has anyone used recruitment agencies here? I'm thinking about contacting them too see if they can help me. Cheers guys
When I had my seasonal job with Whsmith's, initially I thought I was going to be hired by Whsmith's themselves. But my details were passed onto a recruitment agency and I had to attend a teams call for my start date and things. I found when I worked with Whsmiths they didnt know anything about me being recruited by an agency at all to the point where my manager didnt even know either. So mostly I do a lot of background research into them because you do fill out a bit of paperwork in the beginning. I know though when I did start my seasonal job, the recruitment agency were helpful and made sure that everything went well in my job, despite there being a lot of confusion in the beginning.
I know for people who are searching for work they can be a great of going about it because they will help you to look for work and also make sure you are getting the right amount of training. What I will say is eventhough I worked seasonal, when you are with a recruitment agency sometimes you will have to fill out your own time sheet, so clocking down how many hours you worked on your shift which then confirms your pay basically. I found reminding myself to fill in my timesheet was hard at first because normally in some jobs that dont hire via a recruiting agency, they will automatically fill out your timesheet for you. But with an agency you do the paperwork pretty much yourself, though if you do get stuck you can contact them for support or help. I used to summit my timesheet the day after I did my shift so it was less stress sorting things out.
I mean its definitely up to you really because I know recruitment agencies can be helpful and sometimes when working in retail especially seasonal work the companies will often take on recruitment agency staff. It can be good sometimes in some interviews especially for retail to ask "will I be recruited by the company themselves, or will a recruitment agency take me on and put me on placement here?" because it can make things a bit more easier in the long run.
However, I wish you the best for your job hunting right now and I hope you are able to find something soon too
Cheers Amy this is long, insightful and helpful. Really appreciate it.
Re: Didn’t get on my placement. I'm a failure
Hey @Redemption - thank you for sharing how you feel with us here. I can hear how the recent experiences with placements didn't go as expected, and that you're upset with that - that's completely valid. You were really hopeful on getting these opportunities, so I can hear how it's disheartening when you hear that they didn't progress.
Well done for all the work you've put in to get these opportunities - it shouldn't go unrecognised and unappreciated that you've worked hard to get these chances in the first place. It sounds like it has been a draining journey, so it's important to make sure you give yourself time to feel those feelings and process what has happened - don't be too hard on yourself for what happened.
Feeling rejected is a painful part of the job hunting process, but taking the lessons from it (e.g. the feedback call you received, and mentions of turning up late) will be good things to work on for the next opportunity. We can see the work you're putting in, and these chances might not have gone your way, but keep up your effort and I'm hopeful you'll get more opportunities come your way. We're here to support you through this!
@Azziman thank you so much for your reply here and other replies too, so kind of you. Really appreciate it, great replies too of course very insightful and positive.