Advice on Life – Have Any?

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  • #1529650
    Dragoneer_88
    Participant

      Thank you for the best wishes. I won’t know  until December if I’ll be accepted into nursing school. Every few years they set the bar higher, which isn’t necessarily bad because you only want the best people. In my own experience as a patient and observer when one of my family members was a patient, some of those nurses never should have been allowed to be in the field.

      So, I think I can manage the cost. On a side note, they say to get any job these days you have to have connections. Assuming I could even get into nursing school, I have my sister as a connection I guess, so that’s a plus. I’d love to be able to look back at this post 2-3 years from now and wonder why I was ever worried.

      #1529670
      Dragoneer_88
      Participant

        Uuuhhggg, well the nursing school is out too. The community college hosts other colleges from distant areas of the state. I can’t commute to them. They’re too far away. Well, I just found out the ONE college that offers the nursing program is withdrawing from my town’s campus! This fall was the last chance to sign up. I’m too late. They’re phasing out the program with the remaing students over two years. Wow, this year is a bad omen I guess. Maybe I wasn’t meant to do RN/BSN program. They’re also the one college that offered the Bach. programs. The other programs offered at the college are essentially useless. Associates in Recreation? Why? I’m devastated. However, I have ONE last desperate attempt to attend the LPN program at the local vo-tech in the spring. It won’t pay nearly as much but it’s something! I’m really trying to find something that absolutely can’t be outsourced. There are other programs can be outsourced. I keep trying to think, maybe I was meant to do something else. Sorry, for whining so much. This year…I just want to give up on everything until next year.

        #1529692
        Kim
        Blocked

          I am 34 and I haven’t worked full time myself in years.  I didn’t even finish high school because I hated it and didn’t fit in even though I was told I was one of the brightest kids in school.  I did end up going to college for interior decorating and worked in furniture stores for a while and then took herbalist courses and nutrition which I have not found a way to make money with yet but it was very interesting.  I mostly worked temp or seasonal sales and retail jobs over the years because my anxiety and stress levels wouldn’t allow me to work for more than a few weeks at a time.  I am also an introvert and have severe social anxiety at times and have suffered with severe depression for years now after my mom and I lost both our houses in foreclosures after we were defrauded by a private mortgage lender when we were trying to invest in real estate about 8 years ago.  Around the same time we went though the foreclosure our 4 older dogs all died within a year of each other before we were forced out of our homes and into rentals where ironically we couldn’t have dogs.  Then we lost everything we owned to a horrible landlord that’s a long story.  Then I went through an emotionally abusive relationship that wasted 5 years of my life and he caused me to lose a good job I had in a call centre.

          I pretty much lost everything over a course of 6 years or so except my parents are still around but I don’t have any other family as I am an only child and my mom’s an only child and I don’t really know any of my mom’s or dad’s family as they all live in other parts of Canada or Europe so I feel alone a lot.  I have changed friend groups a lot over a few years as I have trouble trusting people and I have also moved about 20 times in the last 8 years since we had to start renting and had some horrible experiences with bad landlords and neighbors.  When I started getting depression after everything a few years ago I couldn’t work or do anything.  I tried working sales jobs here and there and sold things online.  I finally was able to get help from the government because my doctors signed a medical form and I have been working with doctors trying to get help for 3 years now and am still on a wait list for therapy after other programs didn’t work.  But any money I get is only enough to cover my half of the rent sharing a rental with my mom.  She is retired now and gets a small pension from the government and our combined income is basically only enough to pay the rent and bills and some food each month.  If I want to buy anything else like clothes or Windstones or go out with friends once in a while I either have to sell stuff online or do sales jobs.  I have mostly done trade shows sales recently where I only have to work a weekend or maybe a week out every month or two but it’s helped me catch up on bills and buy the odd thing I like.

          When I can’t find jobs, running my own business is the only thing that gets me by.  I buy and sell things on ebay and kijiji, anything from cheap things you can buy from China and resell like cell phone cases to higher end electronics, jewelry, collectibles and more.  Sometimes I even find free or cheap furniture on kijiji or other classifieds online and refinish or paint it and resell it.  So many people when moving just give things away or sell for super cheap and if you can find good quality items, real wood furniture or antiques, you can make money reselling.  I am not sure if that would work in a small town but I live in a big city where it’s easy.  I also do dog walking, pet sitting, house sitting and used to do baby sitting when I was younger.  My friend who has himself been laid off IT work for months now has also turned to advertising computer repair services online to make some extra money until he finds work.  If you have any kind of skill or product knowledge it’s not hard to start a business offering products or services online.  That’s the best thing I can think of anyway that doesn’t require going back to school.

          The one thing I thought about going back to school for was maybe Architecture like Bodine was talking about her daughter did but I was really miserable in school and don’t have the money to go back and would probably also have to get my GED if I did.  I was also thinking about maybe being a realtor since I know a lot about real estate investment since I studied that for years (before we were defrauded) but I would like to invest again one day when I have money again.  For now for me because I can’t handle much stress I think I will probably stick to running my own business as most of the jobs I have done in the past have been high stress sales jobs.  It saves on student loans too and not having to rely on finding a job if I do my own thing.  I really would just love to get married and have a family and work running my own business from home so I can be a stay at home mom and I feel like if I went back to school for a career I may miss the opportunity to have a family since I am getting older.  But it is hard in this day and age knowing if that will happen if I can meet someone to share expenses with or would just have to rely on myself if I moved out on my own.  I couldn’t afford to live anywhere right now without a roommate so at least I have my mom helping me out there and I am helping her since we lost all our money/savings along with the foreclosures and have had a hard time saving much since then.

          Looking for rainbow or pink & teal grab bags!

          #1529693
          Bodine
          Participant

            This may not be of much interest to you Dragoneer or Kim but… I still don’t have my car running so getting a “job” is impossible for me. I accidentally fell into something,thanks to my landlord and daughter having rental properties,painting and repairing walls.It is really easy and helps satisfy my painting Muse.Money is better than retail jobs,only problem is finding steady work and getting there for me.I would paint everyday if I could,sculptures,so doing this when I can helps curb that craving.I swap out rent with my landlord when I work on their places,helps a lot though it does not leave me much spending money  as of late.I would never have thought I would be painting houses and repairing “oopsies”,cracks,etc but I really do enjoy it.Helps to teach me patience with repairs too.You would be surprised how much it is like repairing sculptures.I guess my point is you just never know what may be on the other side of that door you have not opened yet. Keep looking and think outside the box.Never know right?Never give up though,not in our nature.I do hope something comes through for you soon.

            Every act matters.No matter how small💞
            (Wanted......Brimstone Lap)
            Male Hearth....one day🤞Dream on.

            #1529777
            Dragoneer_88
            Participant

              Kim – So sorry you and your mom lost everything that way. Those people that swindled you will meet karma one day. It’s sickening how often that kind of thing happens and how often the get away with it.

              As far as obtaining your GED, give it a try. See if you can find a study book from your local library or buy one cheap off eBay or Amazon. Study at your own pace when you can and don’t stress. Have fun with it. If you find yourself stressed, stop for awhile. Baby steps. Take the test when you’re ready. Having your GED will open a few doors for you. They may not be great doors, but at least they’re there as an option or a start.

              If you can get your GED, maybe you could look into online classes. Some college classes let you work at your own pace. Just make sure they’re accredited with a legit college or vocational school. Take classes one at a time if necessary. I don’t know if Canada has any kind of financial assistance programs for need based college students. I’m assuming it does. Maybe you already know all this or have thought about it, but it’s worth a shot to make a plan even if it doesn’t work out. I know many of my plans never work out. Still, it never hurts to have one. Maybe it could be a way to meet people, maybe a future hubby. One never knows.

              It’s great you have a way to bring in some extra cash rescuing and restoring furniture.  I’ve seen a few people turn it into a professional full-time business and do well. They set up at flea markets, craft shows, and so on. Some people, loaded people, are willing to spend big wads of cash on OOAK pieces. What I do for a little extra cash is pick garage sales and thrift stores. Some things I put on ebay, some things I put in my booth at the local antiques and collectibles store. I rent a small space for $25 a month in the best “junk store” in town. The rent comes out of my sales. Some months are very profitable and some are only barely profitable. Also, I don’t spend much on items. If I can good picks for under $10 I’m happy.

              Bodine, I’m glad to hear you found a way or several ways to make some cash. You’re right, you never know what kind of odd jobs are out there. I keep trying to think of ways to make a little extra cash, at least until I find a job, other than what I told Kim above.

              Another little update: The LPN program at the local vocational school is out for me as they do not participate in loan programs, however, I spoke to an advisor at the local college that used to host the BSN program. She suggested I take the Associate’s Nursing program at a tiny accredited college an hour drive from my town. I could possibly do that pending financial aid. I didn’t want to have to commute long distance AGAIN, but I guess I have to deal with it if the opportunity is there. We’ll see. Anyway, I’m short 4 prerequisite classes I can take at the local community college in the spring and then commute for the nursing classes in the fall. Yay! Ideally, it should only take 1 year, maybe 1 1/2 to complete. Of course all this is pending I can meet a few hurdles and not have my life fall out any more. I’ve already been warned I will hate nursing school, but it’s worth it in the end.

              Hurdle 1 – Pass the prerequisites. Hurdle 2 – Pass the TEAS test. It’s like the ACT for entry nurse students. You only get two tries and if you fail both times you’re rejected indefinitely. Haha, no pressure! Hurdle 3 – Get accepted by the school of nursing board into the nursing program.

              It’s all doable with a lot of study. I’m so rusty in math and science. I’ve already purchased a study guide, which is premature considering I don’t know if I can financially swing it yet. I’m trying to be optimistic. So, from bouncing between dental hygiene, to BSN, to LPN, I guess RN is where I’m suppose to go. My long term goal is to gain the BSN in the future. Maybe the local college will have found a replacement university to fill the spot left by the other in two years. Maybe I won’t even need a BSN or perhaps an employeer might pay for more schooling. Again, we’ll see. That’s so far away. Sorry, I hope I’m not coming off as whinny or self-absorbed. Normally, I don’t post this much. I’m just excited to try a new path and try to build a new life because the path I’m on now, the life I have now is not working. As I’ve said before, my sweet Babygirl passing away really “woke me up”. I guess it got me thinking about my dad and losing him. What would I do if I lost him? I’d be up a you know what creek without a paddle or a canoe!

              On side tangent, I feel bad for the local community college. They host 4 state colleges. My town just spent $200 million building them a new, state of the art facility with a focus on the nursing program and the one university that offerd the BSN decides to leave, phasing out current students within two years. Needless to say, the college board was very angry. The residents are angry. That was a lot of tax money! Thanks for running off! They should have made them sign a contract forcing them to stay for at least 5 years.

               

               

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