Is anyone else as indecisive as I am with this?

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MoonAndStars
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08 Jul 2015, 4:21 am

I currently don't work. I am 32 and have no career because I have spent most of my life so far, stuck with questions that remained unanswered until now, and with problems that stopped me from getting a career.
A few years ago I decided to do a level one course with the Open University in social science, because psychology interests me. I've had a bit of an obsession with serial killers for a long time, and it sparked an interest in criminology. I completed the course successfully but life happened, I struggled and haven't studied since (I passed the course in 2009).
I don't have much of an education, I left school when I was 14, so no GCSEs. Last year I decided to change my open degree to English literature and creative writing, although I don't know what possessed me to do so because I don't have the imagination to write books, which is the silly idea I had in my head at the time. I asked to change it too late in the day to start the courses, so it's left me thinking for a year. I started to think it's more realistic to work towards a career in mental health, it's something I find fascinating and have done the whole time, but I need good grades in maths and English. So that led me to enrol for those. I had my English assessment to see what level I was working at with it, and it turns out that despite my lack of education, I'm too qualified to do the coursework. Not me being arrogant, they have said they can't let me do it, and I should just sit the exam without the coursework. I need to brush up on the basics as I lack the confidence to sit the exam right now. So I took my maths assessment, and as predicted I did pretty terribly at that. It has never been my strong point! I can't see me getting a good enough grade to enter into a mental health nursing degree.
So with that, I have absolutely no idea what to do! English is clearly my strength, but I just don't feel interested in any of the career options a degree in English could lead to. I'm good at art, but I'm very narrow in that I only draw. And I only draw what I see. I don't have the imagination to draw from imagination. And to be honest, I'm not convinced I could make a career out of drawing.
I have children, so whatever I do has to be practical, in that I need to be able to make a living. I have itchy feet and I need to do something especially now my youngest children are a little older and will be in school fairly soon. I can't stand sitting on my backside any more! But I'm also scared of having to be around people. I know how I'm expected to behave, but there's a limit to how long I can keep that up for. At my English assessment I was anxious about being in a different environment, and after about an hour or so I couldn't sit there any longer and I walked out. Although I did go back a couple of days later, I felt better about having seen the room and meeting the people working there. But I can't do that in a job.
Pointless post really, I just don't know what to do with myself and it's frustrating. I just wondered how other people manage, how you manage to come to a decision, how you get through anxiety around people and socialising etc.
I possibly sound a bit silly wanting a career as a mental health nurse when I still have these struggles. I don't know, I like finding out things about people, how they work, why they do what they do etc.



aspinnaker
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08 Jul 2015, 10:34 pm

"I can't see me getting a good enough grade to enter into a mental health nursing degree."

Your weak areas should be areas that you are potentially good at, and your strong areas should be areas that you are potentially excellent at. You should find a career that leverages your strengths, but you shouldn't shirk away from a career just because it requires an area that you are weak in.

Sure, you could potentially be absolutely terrible at math, with no hope for recourse. But I think these people are rare, and most people can learn competently up to a certain level. It also sounds like you haven't really tried to study math, you've just taken an assessment.

"I possibly sound a bit silly wanting a career as a mental health nurse when I still have these struggles. "

I actually don't see any major struggles that you are having that are insurmountable to be honest. Yes, I can see that there are areas of improvement, but really, they do not stop you from being a mental health practitioner. You should do it!



MoonAndStars
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09 Jul 2015, 1:42 am

aspinnaker wrote:
"I can't see me getting a good enough grade to enter into a mental health nursing degree."

Your weak areas should be areas that you are potentially good at, and your strong areas should be areas that you are potentially excellent at. You should find a career that leverages your strengths, but you shouldn't shirk away from a career just because it requires an area that you are weak in.

Sure, you could potentially be absolutely terrible at math, with no hope for recourse. But I think these people are rare, and most people can learn competently up to a certain level. It also sounds like you haven't really tried to study math, you've just taken an assessment.

"I possibly sound a bit silly wanting a career as a mental health nurse when I still have these struggles. "

I actually don't see any major struggles that you are having that are insurmountable to be honest. Yes, I can see that there are areas of improvement, but really, they do not stop you from being a mental health practitioner. You should do it!

Thank you <3
I sometimes think other people who know how much I've struggled with MH must think I've lost the plot to consider a career in MH. But at the same time, I have got through so much rubbish over the years I think that could put me at an advantage. That's my logic, anyway. I haven't gone into any detail here about that, I'm still finding my feet here :)
I find it rather odd that for MH nursing, you must have good grades in maths and English, but yet to practice as a psychologist I haven't read anything about good grades in those things. All I've seen is that you need a degree in psychology (although forensic psychology is more my cup of tea), a masters and then a year training. Maybe I've missed something, but I've looked and looked and I haven't seen anywhere that you need these grades in the maths and English.
So since I've already done social science, I could change my degree back to an open degree and focus it on psychology, instead of MH nursing.
I see what you're saying about strengths and weaknesses, maybe I am capable of learning more with maths. I am currently doing coursework at level 1 mostly, but some of it is entry level 3 which is below level 1. It's weird, most of it I find too easy at the moment, I have completed work that should've taken me 5 weeks, within three days. I'm not sure why they thought it would take that long. But some of it I find impossible to understand. Simple things like division - I know what it is, but working it out I just can't get to grips with. It puts me in a rage, quite literally, and this is just a hindrance. I think it helps to actually have an interest. If I'm not interested I find it almost impossible to learn. Other people may find it boring, but the information would still go in, I don't find I do that.
I have thought maybe I should focus on English because I'm good at it, and I'm curious as to how far I can take that. But I'm just not really interested in any of the career paths that could take me, although I know English is a desirable thing to have to many employers. I'd love to be able to write books, I've always wanted to do that since I was little. It's just I lack the imagination for it. I have tried, it's just not something that comes naturally to me.



SocOfAutism
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09 Jul 2015, 2:37 pm

Where are you? The UK somewhere? England?

If so, I would not advise getting any kind of degree in English. The British invented English, so they don't really need to be told about it. There's not much use of one here in the US, either. One of my family members majored in English and wasn't able to work in that field here or in England.

HOWEVER...one of my best friends is finishing up her PhD in Sociology, with concentrations in mental health and criminal justice. There are a lot of opportunities in those fields, in most countries. Pretty solid careers seem to start at the Bachelor's level. There's a Masters in...Social Work degree and a Masters in Sociology (which is what I'm finishing). At the PhD level you'd only be teaching. The math is actually VERY easy, and mostly statistics. They start you out at an elementary school level. I got something like 25% of my GRE (grad school entrance exam) correct and yet they still let me in. I don't know what nurse level stuff is, but it's probably the same as grad school- where they start you at the beginning.



MoonAndStars
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13 Jul 2015, 2:53 am

SocOfAutism wrote:
Where are you? The UK somewhere? England?

If so, I would not advise getting any kind of degree in English. The British invented English, so they don't really need to be told about it. There's not much use of one here in the US, either. One of my family members majored in English and wasn't able to work in that field here or in England.

HOWEVER...one of my best friends is finishing up her PhD in Sociology, with concentrations in mental health and criminal justice. There are a lot of opportunities in those fields, in most countries. Pretty solid careers seem to start at the Bachelor's level. There's a Masters in...Social Work degree and a Masters in Sociology (which is what I'm finishing). At the PhD level you'd only be teaching. The math is actually VERY easy, and mostly statistics. They start you out at an elementary school level. I got something like 25% of my GRE (grad school entrance exam) correct and yet they still let me in. I don't know what nurse level stuff is, but it's probably the same as grad school- where they start you at the beginning.

Sorry for such a late reply, I've been so busy! My husband's back is completely out of action, so I'm literally doing everything and we've had a million appointments this week and my dad visiting as well, plus a random inset day the kids had that wasn't listed...
I'm in the UK, yes. It's bizarre because I've always read that employers appreciate any degree, but English is desirable for many jobs. But yet you make a very good point. I've seen plenty of career paths leading from English but I'm unsure of them. Unsure I suppose if I think I could do them long term. I feel with mental health and crime, I couldn't possibly get bored.
The maths they expect you to have here is a good grade, GCSE grades C or above. I think that is equal to functional skills level 2 and above. If I can get to level 2 then I think I'd be ok but I'm not convinced. At the moment I've just started some work at entry level 3 which is below level 1 and it's too easy. It's incredibly boring because they're trying to teach me stuff like how to tell the time, how to measure in mm, cm, and m, and how to read a calendar... Stuff I knew as a young child. Most of the level 1 stuff is easy enough, but some things I do struggle with like decimals, division... I'm not good with those. Much of my maths is like my level of geography - perfect example of that is Saturday just gone I said to my mum "the sea is always in the south isn't it? Or did I just make that up?" Hahaha my husband describes this as a precious moment, of which I have many.



SocOfAutism
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13 Jul 2015, 10:05 am

Can you test out of the lower level classes? If not, I guess you'll just have to grit your teeth and muddle through. With math sometimes it's best to start way below where you need to be. Then it's a slow climb to the hard stuff.

A base in English is never a bad thing. You'll be able to write papers easily and read dense things easier than other people.



MoonAndStars
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15 Jul 2015, 4:59 am

I'm having a dumb moment and not sure what you mean by "test out of the lower level classes".
It's a shame I'd need maths because I love English and know I'd do well with that, if only an exceptionally good grade in English would make up for lack of maths!
I enjoy writing humorous poetry, I wish it was easier to make a living out of that. I'm not quite sure how I am able to do that but lack the imagination for stories.