Soldato
- Joined
- 7 Aug 2003
- Posts
- 8,030
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Hi everyone,
This might be a bit of a long post!
About two years ago, around about the time I left work for some much needed time off, my mind was in disarray with regards to what I really wanted to do with my life.
I decided I should do some travelling - having decided to spend some time in Australia. I went down the East Coast - it was a part of the World I had never been to in my entire 29 year life and I guess I wanted to be as far away as possible from anyone and everyone I knew so that I could maybe decide what to do with myself. Of course, spending time in Europe, Africa, America or India would have probably provided the same sort of outcome but I just didn't fancy it.
I ended up spending 5-6 weeks there. I would have spent longer if I hadn't ran out of my budget and I had got my tax number sorted out in time (in Australia, you need a bank account and a tax file number in order to work, as well as a relevant Visa).
I met some wonderful people from all walks of life and saw some of the most amazing sites I probably won't get to see ever again (unless I decide to go back for longer perhaps). Places like Fraser Island, the Blue Mountains, the Great Barrier Reef.
Two people I met in Sydney were from America; they went through Medical School and were awaiting their residency. We spoke a lot about medical matters - a lot of which I thought I had forgotten about - having had an interest in science in school some 15 years previously and reading the odd journal or article about the latest medical topics most recently - but unfortunately I took a different path during my educational years.
Back then I was naturally good at IT, I even went to University, but after two years, I just lost interest. I spent the next 10 years of my working life in the IT areas, not really getting noticed or getting any promotions. I was a Network Engineer, I did Technical Support, Helpdesk, Web Design; all sorts. Yet something was still missing.
Fast forward to December 2014 when I came back from my travels, I spent the next two years trying to fit back in to IT. However whichever job I took, it was still the same thing wrapped up in a different package - helping others with their hardware/software issues, sorting out network configurations etc. but it still lacked fulfilment and job satisfaction.
So with the year now being 2016, I've decided to take matters in my own hands. I went through clearing and through College to put me on the right path to Biomedical Science.
Unfortunately, even though I was accepted into University; my application was later withdrawn citing a lack of A-Levels in Science. I guess the poor choices I made in my Sixth form years decided to bite me backside once again and have the last laugh.
Not feeling too disheartened or defeated, I have since decided to go down the Biological Science route instead; I don't need to take any foundation years and crucially I will be starting in a few weeks and will be able to study topics such as anatomy, biological chemistry, genetics, physiology, pathophysiology, biotechnology, immunology. Which are all very interesting.
I am feeling excited and anxious though - it's been 12 years since I was last in University education, I have given up a fairly well paid full time job in IT, I will have to make a lot of sacrifices to get me through the next 3 years of education, but I feel like the time is now; and at 31, if I leave things any later, I will just prolong my misery. Definitely can't see myself doing IT into retirement!
I guess anything is possible!
Have any of you made a big decision about your future career/education prospects? How has the outcome been? Would you ever go back to the life you had before?
This might be a bit of a long post!
About two years ago, around about the time I left work for some much needed time off, my mind was in disarray with regards to what I really wanted to do with my life.
I decided I should do some travelling - having decided to spend some time in Australia. I went down the East Coast - it was a part of the World I had never been to in my entire 29 year life and I guess I wanted to be as far away as possible from anyone and everyone I knew so that I could maybe decide what to do with myself. Of course, spending time in Europe, Africa, America or India would have probably provided the same sort of outcome but I just didn't fancy it.
I ended up spending 5-6 weeks there. I would have spent longer if I hadn't ran out of my budget and I had got my tax number sorted out in time (in Australia, you need a bank account and a tax file number in order to work, as well as a relevant Visa).
I met some wonderful people from all walks of life and saw some of the most amazing sites I probably won't get to see ever again (unless I decide to go back for longer perhaps). Places like Fraser Island, the Blue Mountains, the Great Barrier Reef.
Two people I met in Sydney were from America; they went through Medical School and were awaiting their residency. We spoke a lot about medical matters - a lot of which I thought I had forgotten about - having had an interest in science in school some 15 years previously and reading the odd journal or article about the latest medical topics most recently - but unfortunately I took a different path during my educational years.
Back then I was naturally good at IT, I even went to University, but after two years, I just lost interest. I spent the next 10 years of my working life in the IT areas, not really getting noticed or getting any promotions. I was a Network Engineer, I did Technical Support, Helpdesk, Web Design; all sorts. Yet something was still missing.
Fast forward to December 2014 when I came back from my travels, I spent the next two years trying to fit back in to IT. However whichever job I took, it was still the same thing wrapped up in a different package - helping others with their hardware/software issues, sorting out network configurations etc. but it still lacked fulfilment and job satisfaction.
So with the year now being 2016, I've decided to take matters in my own hands. I went through clearing and through College to put me on the right path to Biomedical Science.
Unfortunately, even though I was accepted into University; my application was later withdrawn citing a lack of A-Levels in Science. I guess the poor choices I made in my Sixth form years decided to bite me backside once again and have the last laugh.
Not feeling too disheartened or defeated, I have since decided to go down the Biological Science route instead; I don't need to take any foundation years and crucially I will be starting in a few weeks and will be able to study topics such as anatomy, biological chemistry, genetics, physiology, pathophysiology, biotechnology, immunology. Which are all very interesting.
I am feeling excited and anxious though - it's been 12 years since I was last in University education, I have given up a fairly well paid full time job in IT, I will have to make a lot of sacrifices to get me through the next 3 years of education, but I feel like the time is now; and at 31, if I leave things any later, I will just prolong my misery. Definitely can't see myself doing IT into retirement!
I guess anything is possible!
Have any of you made a big decision about your future career/education prospects? How has the outcome been? Would you ever go back to the life you had before?
but at 27 I've grown tired of it already and currently training to be a pilot. Long way to go yet but if that doesn't work out for any reason then I wouldn't hesitate to take a similar route you 
) and i'm not gonna pull any punches and say it was easy, but it is very much possible if you set your mind to it.
