Where this girl's been at

So no apologising for being absent here. No-one cares. That isn't a desperate plea for everyone to flood me with comments stating the opposite but the simple truth. It really bugs me when people apologise profusely for being absent for a whole two hours (slight exaggeration). No-one notices. Or if they do they probably just think you've gone and got yourself one of those 'lives' that we've heard about.

I'm going to explain my absence though because it's 'life' stuff and I don't know about you but I LOVE hearing about bloggers real lives.

At the end of last year I changed jobs. I left my shift work and started a new role as a academic support worker (note-taker) at a university near me. It isn't regular hours, however I now get weekends off. Hurrah! Fear not, I shall not turn into one of those 'oh thank goodness it's the weekend!' type person. I know how much shift workers want to hit them on the head! ;) But it is nice to be able to plan stuff. Of which i've done none of yet. But hey ho, it's there if I want to.

At the same time I was applying for jobs (which takes forever by the way, thanks to every company wanting your employment history in a completely different way!) I was having a little soul-search into my future. At 27, I really ought to be getting a clue. Anyhow, i've decided on a plan of action and that involves me returning to uni for three years. So I then had the task of going through the UCAS application process and getting an on the deadline day application in. It really is so much easier to do these things when you're in 6th form than ten years after you've left.

I've had one interview for uni and have two more soon. Hopefully one of these will see through my bumbling and apparent lack of anything and see i'm actually a good, hard-working student. I just find it difficult being put on the spot at interviews.

As evidence of recent study is a requirement and because the last time I did any study was 6/7 years ago when I graduated, I'm studying for a diploma in Sociology via distance-learning. I started this last month and hope to complete it by June.

I also went on a little holiday in January - see here, a cruise around the Canary Islands.  I forgot to mention on that post that the travel blogger This Girl Loves was on the same boat. We were in the same jeep for the Morocco trip, so I hope she does a post on it, as her photo's would have come out way better than mine.

Hmm what else? Well I thoroughly enjoyed enjoy #EELIVE last week. I believe joining in on Twitter enhanced the experience and I loved the jokes the cast shared about #HOWSADAM

Oh and I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas. My first tablet and flippin' amazing it is! May be spending too much time on there and none on my actual laptop!

So with job changing/uni applying/studying/holidaying/discovering the beauty of a tablet I just couldn't spend the time on here. Yes I know I hardly ever post as it is and although typing a post doesn't take that long, I find the whole making it pretty/promoting/twitter chattering/statistic viewing/reading/commenting too much. I just lose time seemingly achieving nothing and I needed to concentrate on my future for a little while. I also seem to have loads of ideas and write the posts . .  but only in my head and at 1am in the morning when i'm about to sleep, which isn't very helpful!


So that's my past few months, please send a little luck my way for my interviews! 

University - The Right Thing?

I just wanted to write a few thoughts on university and the pressures of going. I have done no research and have no figures or anything this is just based on my experience and what I have witnessed.

When I started university in 2005 fees were lower than they are now. I think a lot of people now are put off by this but you can still get a loan to cover this. I think though it has made people think is it really for them? Is it worth getting into that much debt just to go to university on a whim or just to study something they are interested in but have no idea where it would lead them after?

I studied history because it was my favourite subject and it had always been in my family. We used to be involved in medieval re-enactment when I was a child and always visited castles as part of our holidays. I didn't know what I would do with this after university, but you get three years to work this out don't you? Well I knew by my third year I was going to fulfill my ambition to spend a year in Australia after university so I didn't spend time researching graduate jobs or any other options. I'd figure it out in Oz wouldn't I? I'd be seeing new places, new people and doing all different jobs. It would just come to me what my path was in life.

Yeah right.

Nothing 'came' to me. I have spent the few years since I came back doing various different work. Yes some has enabled me to travel but at the end of the day I graduated six years and I am still working a minimum wage job with no direction of where I am heading.

The point of that story is that university it not the be all and end all. It doesn't guarantee you a well paid position like it perhaps might have 15, 20 years ago. Experience counts for A LOT more nowadays. I have a friend who didn't go to university. She is at the same job she started at 18 and now earns a decent wage enabling her to buy her own house. There are so many apprenticeships at the moment and although these are low-paid I don't believe you would be be any worse off financially than going to university.

I'm not saying either option is the right one. Some people just know what they want to be in life and going to university enables them to fulfill that dream. Some like me go just because they enjoy the subject and some don't go at all. If you don't plan on going, you don't get in or you end up dropping out it might work out for the best. You may have your parents on your back asking why and what is your plan though, so do a bit of research and at least give your parents something to stop them worrying for your future.

You can always go in the future when you have grown up a little and are more ready and know what you want to do. Although sometimes this may be more difficult as you will likely have other commitments such as your partner, your house and your children. It is still do-able though and you will be more dedicated and motivated that you would be had you gone at 18. (Or was that just me?)

This is an all over the place post opinion wise I understand but I just want to get it out there that university isn't the only option and I think at least some graduates would question whether it was the right thing to do. I don't regret going to university, I think I just regret being so relaxed about my direction in the years since. It has come to the point where I realise the penny just isn't going to drop and my career path open out in front of me. I've got to choose the most suitable and do something about it.

I hope I haven't put a dampener on anyone going away to university this September. University can be the best times of your life and is a practice for living in the real world. Make the most of it but remember: it isn't the be all and end all.

Learn about me: 10 random facts

I haven't done an 'about me', so here are a few facts to help get to know the face behind the blog.

1.       I used to be a real life ‘Chalet Girl’. Not at all as it makes out in the film, oh I wish!

2.       I prefer reading blog posts rather than vlogs.

3.       I have worked in seven different countries.

4.       I am 26 and I still don’t know what I want to do in life.

5.       I have a history degree.

6.       I don’t like cookie dough ice cream (I can hear your shock from here ;))

7.       I’m always copying my younger sister, who has better make-up and fashion sense than me.

8.       I never miss an episode of Emmerdale

9.       I am in love with One Republic’s Counting Stars.

10.   My favourite chocolate in Dairy Milk.