Time to change my life

theNude

theNude

theNude

Associate
Joined
10 May 2006
Posts
2,334
Hey there,

I need to make a big change in my life, I have been suffering from depression for the last few months and its lead to losing my job, the girl i love and its seriously effecting my health, I have lost around 4 stone since October. I have moved out of London today to my parents for the first time in 7 years.

I am going to seek counselling and assistance shortly but in the mean time what is going to help me is a strong foundation to move forwards.

I want to go back to school and train in somthing new, I havent been to college in nearly 10 years and the first stumbling block is that i am lacking confidence in my own ability to study and learn new things.

I think that I should perhaps begin with a short course in something i like such as photography as this will ease me back into education.

Ideally what i really want to do is to become a diagnostic radiographer. Taking x-rays etc. This is somthing completely new to me and the reasons i am interested in this i was always interested in biology and the sciences and also i like photography (photos inside people must be cool right?) and helping people.

To change to this career i will need to gain entry into a Bsc in diagnostic radiology which is a 3 year degree but i only hold computing diplomas. So i think i need to obtain A-levels in sciences or a diploma in biology. Can anyone recomend places to seek education advice about the best way to move forwards to uni/college?

I am asking what your thoughts are about going back to school? is my plan a good one? are they any radiologists on this forum that i can ask questions? anyone reccomend a photography diploma?

Also finances are a key issue here as I am not working anymore I only have a couple of grand from my last pay check and i have a few bills to pay off so I will probably need to get a part time job to fund this. I note that i may be eligble for a NHS bursery, are they any other grants for mature students? or does it all have to be self funded.

Your help is appreciated.
 
Do a foundation degree in something like Applied Science, its a year course and it usually enables you to enter onto the first year of a degree course after it(check the uni's requirements for entry) and its a course for people that dont have the mimumin qualifications to enter the bsc
 
I have no advice as such, just to wish you good luck and nice one for picking yourself up. :)

In regards to this question;

theDude said:
I am asking what your thoughts are about going back to school? is my plan a good one?
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If it's truly what you want to do and it's something you have a genuine interest in then yes, it's a brilliant plan. Go for it! :D
 
I think the only troll is yourself Franco.

I didnt state i was depressed because I had not fulfilled my career wishes, I had stated that I need to make large changes in my life, and I guess the biggest of all is to come out of the work world and back to being a student so that in the future i can improve my life and move forwards in a new direction.

I am not going to go into reasons for depression, some are chemical some are circumstantial, that however would move towards a medical thread and to be honest whilst I am detailing some very personal things about myself in this thread one thing I do not wish to dicuss are the other associate problems. I am merely wanting to move forwards and as such I am asking for the thoughts and assistance of this forum as it has a wider scope of professionals and people with very different lifes and as such is a good source of information.

Thank you very much for the link footman
 
studying is always a good thing imo

it comes down to following your heart, if thats what you feel you want to do there is no reason you cannot do it

i believe you can do anything you put your mind too
 
Actually I would say diagnostic radiography is very employable after the degree as its niche, you have to have that specific degree to do it (registered with HPC), if he is willing to put 4 years of hard work as it wont be easy then I cant see the problem. Although I do think he may have just thought, hm that looks alright without actually really understanding what its like doing it day to day.
 
franco_22 said:
quite honestly, man up?

You're obviously not giving us the full picture here, I'm gonna lose my job + my girlfriend because I'm depressed because I can't be a freaking X-ray technician...

troll ?
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I'm sorry to be blunt but **** off seriously, people like you make me sick when it comes to your lack of understanding at how depression can effect a persons life.

--------------

To the original poster, realising that you have a problem with depression and taking steps to better your life is a big sign that your on the road to recovery as this shows that you have hope for a better future and still beleive in yourself, I'm sorry I can't help you but I really do wish you all the best.
 
franco_22 said:
I'm not an idiot, I'm a realistic, you sound like a spoiled brat, no matter what age you are. Grown man moving in with his parents and quitting his job/gf because he wants to play around with x ray machines... You do realise, if you actually wanted this you don't have to do any of that? You can study part time you know, heck you can even study from your own home, ever heard of Open University?

You come here and ask for opinions and when you get them you're not prepared to accept anything except your own point of view. What did you expect from GD? Hugs, kisses and a pat on the back?
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theDude said:
Franco, you are a class A idiot - Congratulations you have won first place prize on my block list.
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To be fair Franco the guy sounds genuine, now im not going to decend to name calling here but thedude has a point.

I think its more a case of lack of awareness on your part Franco, you've clearly never had true depression or really bad mental health problems, they are very serious and can leave some people bedridden.

OP, I think your doing the right thing, its a scary world out there so to take a step back, chill, contemplate things a little longer would be the best option, certaintly move back with your parents but give yourself a 2 week holiday to really relax and chill out before deciding what course and direction you want to go on.
 
Dont latch onto the first part of my post, That is just a back story.. I have made no attempt to want to discuss depression or any of that. My questions were relating to moving forwards with further education only. Please keep the thread on topic.

This isnt a thread for arguing, Anyone with genuine insightful help about further education is is appreciated. thank you
 
Get in contact with your local hospital to arrange a visit to the xray department to see if you like what they do otherwise its a waste of time if you dont think it would interest you.
 
theDude said:
Dont latch onto the first part of my post, That is just a back story.. I have made no attempt to want to discuss depression or any of that. My questions were relating to moving forwards with further education only. Please keep the thread on topic.

This isnt a thread for arguing, Anyone with genuine insightful help about further education is is appreciated. thank you
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If your really truly suffering from depression then the last thing you'll want to do is jump straight into education, by means try :) but It could make your depression worse by not doing the course for the right reasons.
 
theDude said:
Dont latch onto the first part of my post, That is just a back story.. I have made no attempt to want to discuss depression or any of that. My questions were relating to moving forwards with further education only. Please keep the thread on topic.

This isnt a thread for arguing, Anyone with genuine insightful help about further education is is appreciated. thank you
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Well then you shouldn't of included it in your op then, as it stands from reading your post your depression either past or present has been major contributing factor as to why you are in your current predicament so it's only natural that people are going to comment on it or wish you the best in your future endeavours.
 
A few things to add to the non-Franco posts...

Everyone suffers from depression at some points in their lives. It is human nature and a human flaw. Many may hide it well - a previous manager of mine held international meetings with people in bluechip industries laughing and joking, smart responses and winning sales to add to his million pound salary.
After the meetings, I recalled one or two instances over several years where he would simply go back to his office and cry uncontrollably. Very unsettling. He had everything, yet he wasn't happy - money, girl, dream job, dream cars, family, house but something got him down from time to time.

Whilst I admire you changing your directions, I think smaller changes may be more appropriate and less regrettable for now. Things like taking on a new hobby, changing your habits, foods, exercise all play a big difference no matter how trivial they may seem.

If you do choose to persevere with your career change, I work within Higher Education and could help direct you to the right people at a University which has a massive NHS intake of nurses and medical staff.
 
franco_22 said:
quite honestly, man up?

You're obviously not giving us the full picture here, I'm gonna lose my job + my girlfriend because I'm depressed because I can't be a freaking X-ray technician...

troll ?
Click to expand...

Jeeze what a....


Anyway, best of luck OP. I suffered from depression just over 2 years ago and it's a horrible place to be.
 
franco_22 said:
<snip>
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Well said, it may be harsh, but its well said nevertheless.

I was looking at becoming a Radiographer. The pay is not fantastic and as you have no science background you may need a foundation year (depending on what Uni you study at). Franco is right, the current job market is a disgrace, I'm a biochemistry graduate (currently working as a tech in a school, a job im over qualified for by far) and only the other day I was in tesco only to be offered a sample of philidephia cheese by a girl I graduated with (she is very bright so I was shocked she was there).

I don't want to tell you what to do, but I would be remiss if I did not tell you to think carefully before you jack in your current job. If you really want to become a radiographer, you can do a part time course, if your willing to try to make it fit around your current job.
 
All in all good luck mate. Youve made a big bold step in getting out of London, being around your family and getting yourself back to a completely new foundation starting point.

For the education point of view, if its something you want to do, then go for it. Dont worry about confidence in yourself with regards to studies. After a couple of weeks of learning something new, that youre interested in, it will all come back to you, and youll start to enjoy it and start making new friends. A foundation course will be your best bet, just give your local college a ring and try and make an appointment to go and see someone who can put you on the right track.

A foundation course wont start until September, so if I were you, go get a part time job somewhere, just to help financially but also in the next few months, try and push yourself in some other area. Find a new hobby, something you havent done before, but have an interested in, and try and throw yourself into it. Not only will this be a good way to help focus your mind on something else, as well as helping your mind get back into the learning mode, but will also be a great way to make some new friends in the meantime.

Other than this, just enjoy being around your family again, and good luck with everything coming mate!
 
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