Life is riddled with a procession of minor impediments

[TordelBack]

I don't know what the hell they put in it...

Sugar, glucose, and peppermint.  'S on the back.

[Hawkmumbler]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my moan yesterday. Luckily today has made me feel a lot more optimistic and tomorrow i'll be able to make a proper judgement as to where I go from here.

[Hawkmumbler]

Ok, serious talk time. I decided to drop out. Being truth full, I'm relieved. The anxiety it was causing me was terrible, because of the pressure from this year piled onto the previous (I got some shocking As results) and I kinda realised that this was a major reason for my stress issues. Ive been off for a week and a half and its finally set in that I'm no longer in full time education. Truth be told, I broke down in tears and spent most of today crying, job searching, crying, eating and watching reruns of Open All Hours to make me feel better. I have a new plan of action, I have enrolled in an access course at the OU that starts in February, until then I'm upping my voluntary work time from a few hours a week to a few DAYS a week with Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Bolton Autistic Society (Boltonkids2gether. This charity was pretty much my life line when I was suicidal as a teenager and i cant express my gratitude to them enough, so it kinda stands to reason I try my hardest) and I'm desperately looking around for work (of which Bolton is hardly renowned for it, most of my applications have been to retail parks or out of town. God I hate this town). And you know what, despite my body screaming at me for being in a different place than usual and todays reminisces, I'm a much happier person at the minuet. It feels so good not having those awful As results hanging over my head anymore and I feel like I've been reinvigorated with a new desire to improve my way word journey in life and hopefully, with a bit of luck, I can still achieve my aspiration even with out brick and mortar qualifications like A levels.

[JamesC]

Ok, serious talk time. I decided to drop out. Being truth full, I'm relieved. The anxiety it was causing me was terrible, because of the pressure from this year piled onto the previous (I got some shocking As results) and I kinda realised that this was a major reason for my stress issues. Ive been off for a week and a half and its finally set in that I'm no longer in full time education. Truth be told, I broke down in tears and spent most of today crying, job searching, crying, eating and watching reruns of Open All Hours to make me feel better. I have a new plan of action, I have enrolled in an access course at the OU that starts in February, until then I'm upping my voluntary work time from a few hours a week to a few DAYS a week with Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Bolton Autistic Society (Boltonkids2gether. This charity was pretty much my life line when I was suicidal as a teenager and i cant express my gratitude to them enough, so it kinda stands to reason I try my hardest) and I'm desperately looking around for work (of which Bolton is hardly renowned for it, most of my applications have been to retail parks or out of town. God I hate this town). And you know what, despite my body screaming at me for being in a different place than usual and todays reminisces, I'm a much happier person at the minuet. It feels so good not having those awful As results hanging over my head anymore and I feel like I've been reinvigorated with a new desire to improve my way word journey in life and hopefully, with a bit of luck, I can still achieve my aspiration even with out brick and mortar qualifications like A levels.

I honestly think that further education qualifications are becoming less and less important to many employers. I was sorting through applications just yesterday and I'm far more interested in what people have to say for themselves than how many A levels they have.
I think that being able to cite voluntary work for two organisations and to show that you've overcome some personal difficulty and yet are still actively seeking employment stands you in good stead.
And the OU's a good call providing you have decent time management skills.

[SuperSurfer]

Hope things come together for you Hawkmonger. Sometimes we have to listen to our instincts and not pursue something if it just doesn't feel like it's the right thing to do. Sounds like you have a plan to keep busy which is very important. Good luck with it all.

[TordelBack]

Certainly not my place to tell you whether what you're doing is right or wrong, but it sounds like you have given it careful thought and have arrived at some goals and a definite plan of action to get to them.  Good man.

[Link Prime]

Hope things come together for you Hawkmonger. Sometimes we have to listen to our instincts and not pursue something if it just doesn't feel like it's the right thing to do. Sounds like you have a plan to keep busy which is very important. Good luck with it all.

What Supes said.

I'd also hazard a guess that you're young enough to change your mind again at a later stage if you so wish (I only 'finished' college at 30 meself).

Best of luck to ya.

[Sideshow Bob]

Also hope things come together for you, Hawkmonger......
Take some time out to decide where YOU really want to go.......but try and keep as busy as possible while taking the 'time out'....Although it sounds like you're getting that part organised anyway......

Speaking as someone who was fairly bright,  but 'seriously conflicted' during my formal education and left school with mediocre qualifications........I would strongly recommend the OU 'route'......
Be aware though,  that it's not cheap,  and ( depending on what you study ) may take several years.......  However you're removed a little from Exam stress, as the work you do during the year ( assignments & essays ) contribute 50% of your overall year total,  and the final exam the other 50%.....This means that if you do well in your course work, that the final exam is not a 'do or die'  type affair......which seems to suit a lot of people better..
You'll also find people of all ages and backgrounds ( some working, some not ) doing this as well, which I found helped me enormously...
However, as JamesC pointed out you do need to manage your time carefully,  to ensure you 'keep up'...
Good luck anyway...

Cheers

[Modern Panther]

So, a few weeks ago I put forward a suggestion at work- a new way to work out productivity and staffing  requirements.  Simple statistics rather than the current method, which is to just guess.  Its a simple change which could make a big difference to the way things are done.  All very boring. Quite effective.  Management are interested.  They want more information.

And today...idea is rejected. 

Fair enough,these things happen.  But the reason for the rejection was genius.  Those in charge would like to continue to guess rather than use facts, because facts make them look bad.  Guessing may be ridiculous, but a change would bring this to peoples attention.

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

Those in charge would like to continue to guess rather than use facts, because facts make them look bad.  Guessing may be ridiculous, but a change would bring this to peoples attention.

All power structures maintain the status quo they manage because their system has developed enough for them to control it. Management tend to be on a higher pay grade or have higher status than subordinates and this status and the resulting  privileges that go with it might come into question if accurate numbers reveal that there are too many Chiefs and not enough Indians. Great way to make yourself 'surplus to requirements.' So though Companies love to claim they like to hear new ideas they realize soon enough  that this might upset the current hierarchy; the one they are usually benefitting from and therefore new ideas are always entertained -and then judiciously ignored.

[Banners]

I just had to buy a Jonathan and Charlotte CD.

[Dandontdare]

I just had to buy a Jonathan and Charlotte CD.

is that as in "Wow, this is so good I just HAD to buy it" or "I had to buy it if I know what's good for me"

[The Doctor Alt 8]

I am guessing the latter.

But cheer up Banners... it could have been SO much worse...

[Banners]

It wasn't so much the buying of the CD I objected to (it's a birthday present for my Dad, whose awful taste only usually extends to the works of James Last, so this is some kind of improvement I guess).

Rather, the impediment was that I then felt compelled to watch some of Jonathan and Charlotte's performances on YouTube.

A little bit of me died.

[Spikes]

Those in charge would like to continue to guess rather than use facts, because facts make them look bad.  Guessing may be ridiculous, but a change would bring this to peoples attention.

All power structures maintain the status quo they manage because their system has developed enough for them to control it. Management tend to be on a higher pay grade or have higher status than subordinates and this status and the resulting  privileges that go with it might come into question if accurate numbers reveal that there are too many Chiefs and not enough Indians. Great way to make yourself 'surplus to requirements.' So though Companies love to claim they like to hear new ideas they realize soon enough  that this might upset the current hierarchy; the one they are usually benefitting from and therefore new ideas are always entertained -and then judiciously ignored.

Quoted for truth.
I often have dream of being able to quit my job at Bullshit central, but i guess its the same all over. 
If you have a job thats a joy, then i truly envy you.