unsure of what to do!!

shannon_164

hey🙂

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).

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!!!

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

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

Redemption

shannon_164 wrote: »

hey🙂

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).

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!!!

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

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

Hey @shannon_164 . Honestly, you’re doing better than you think it’s normal to feel unsure what do in life. If youth work feels right and the new college seems more supportive, it’s okay to follow that. Trust yourself, take it one step at a time you’ve got this, whatever you do.

Sian321

@shannon_164 , how are you this afternoon?

I really hear your dilemma and it can take courage to ask for advice, so thanks so much for sharing this with us!

Firstly, I hear you saying that you feel 'incapable' of making decisions, and it sounds like you're feeling quite hard on yourself here, maybe? That is difficult, and decision-making at any age can be very stressful! I know I personally find making decisions takes me a long time, and it's great that you're reaching out for support. Let's explore this together!

So in terms of your situation, what I'm hearing is:

• You're currently on the btec level 3 health and social care course and have completed your ocn level 2 youth work qualification.
• Your current college have been very, very unsupportive and you've been left feeling really isolated in your studies. You want to make a change for yourself!
• You've been putting in a tonne of great work looking for alternative options! And you've found an alternative college that you could transfer to for year 2 (who seem super lovely, kind, and supportive), AND you've also found a seperate 1 year youth work course too that you could begin September if you chose.
• Your current programme of study requires 100 work experience hours next year, and right now you're really unsure how this is going to fit into your current scheduele. You're already juggling two part-time jobs on top of your studies (one at the airport which you don't enjoy, and one as a support worker which you love so much). You're worried how it's practically all going to work if you take on a placement. And the same can be said for the alternative college too as they also require a placement next year.
• Due to this, as well as trying to decide which college to attend next year / where to complete your studies, you've also been thinking hard about your current employment situation and where there might be flexibility
• A new job has opened up at your support worker space which sounds fantastic, however, you're unsure if you'd be eligible to apply due to your living location (though it does sound like you're close!). Taking on more support worker hours would allow you to reduce / stop your airport work, taking strain off your mental health and freeing up space to then take on a placement next year
• On top of this, you've also been thinking about work with the education authority, but they don't offer ocn youth work qualifications and their own equivalent feels worthless and non-applicable outside of the authority.

Have I got that right?

Taking all of this into consideration, I hear you saying you essentially see three options for yourself. And reading through these, it sounds like Option 2 is feeling the most appealing for you, because you don't want to have to spend anymore time than necessary feeling unsupported at your current college, and the other college would still allow you to finish with the equivalent of 3 A-Levels. You've been putting so, so much thought and work into this Shannon, and it is so clear just how passionate you are about the work you're doing and want to do in the future! I really do hear your dedication and professionalism.

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

This is really positive, Shannon, and again, you're doing so well to be really speaking up about what you want for your future here! Looking at this plan that you've listed out above, what right now is standing in your way from pursuing this? What are the obstacles that hold you back from thinking this is the best idea?

The other college really does sound so supprtive, and its wonderful that you've already met in person with them too and put that hard-work in to make a connection. When you think about transferring there in September, what does that bring up for you emotionally?

I also really want to celebrate all of your ambition here, and how you're allowing yourself to keep that open mind about youth work vs social work, allowing yourself to discover what 'fits' best along the way.

I appreciate that isn't a set 'answer' to your question necessarily, but lets open up a conversation and keep exploring this below if you wish! We're here to listen and we're rooting for you!!!