The grumpy thread

[The Moog]

The students I teach who are 18 are a real mix. A lot do it because they have no other option or family pressure.

 

The ones who did crap jobs then decided to come to uni make so much more effort and enjoy being there. Ditto mature students.

[quicksilver]

17-18 is too young for most kids to know for sure what they want to do career wise. I recommend youngsters who want to go to uni get some experience under their belt first. Only when they know what they want to do with themselves should they go and study a relevant degree, or not as the case may be.

Amen to that, at 17 I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do with my life except that I was fed up with education, and going to uni in my late twenties with several years of work experience under my belt was a much more pleasurable experience and got me better results. There is a lot of pressure from schools to go to uni and it's much easier to go with the flow even if you don't really want to - when I told them I wanted to get a job instead my school didn't want to know and I had to do everything myself as their 'careers service' was only geared up to recommend degree courses.

 

It's a sad state of affairs but it seems you really do need a degree to get a decent job these days and even then it isn't guaranteed. I speak from bitter experience here - even after six years in the industry, without that piece of paper employers just weren't interested.

[Jazoli]

 

 

Jazoli, your daughter needs to discover what is she wants to do for a living.

She does, there has been talk of apprenticeships this evening, and maybe that the choice of going to uni was heavily influenced by her peers, she's not daft, top marks at school and fluent in a couple of languages, so she will be fine, I was just hoping she wasn't coming back home full time, as she is lazy, untidy, selfish, can't cook and wakes me up at stupid o clock a lot (in other words a typical pain in the arse teenager).

[DSdriver]

I've just done a route plan for tomorrow's journey to Devon. 21 speed cameras on a 181 mile journey. Wow, is that going to be a fun drive, nervously looking at the speedo for four hours. Fucking nanny state can fuck off.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I want to buy a horsebox and a bit of woodland and live in it on my own with a few squirrels or whatever.

[Jazoli]

I've just done a route plan for tomorrow's journey to Devon. 21 speed cameras on a 181 mile journey. Wow, is that going to be a fun drive, nervously looking at the speedo for four hours. Fucking nanny state can fuck off.

You've obviously never driven through Blackpool, there's 21 camera's in 2 square miles

[DS20]

I've just done a route plan for tomorrow's journey to Devon. 21 speed cameras on a 181 mile journey. Wow, is that going to be a fun drive, nervously looking at the speedo for four hours. Fucking nanny state can fuck off.

 

You must have a speedy DS - mine troubles NO speed cameras

 

 

I agree about the nanny state, though.

[Asimo]

No fixed speed cameras here in Herefordshire, there were 2 a few years ago but they are gone now.

[dollywobbler]

Seriously? Speed cameras are that much of an issue for you? I barely give them a moment's thought. Granted, my 2CV can't break many speed limits, but the XM is well capable of it. I still don't find it an issue to keep it legal. 

 

As for deciding what to do with life, the best thing any teenager can do is have a succession of really shitty jobs for some actual life experience. I did that instead of uni (having dropped out of college). Every shitty job was useful in a way. Learning to work with people, learning which managers are good and which not and generally picking up skills that might be useful later. Doing data entry for a couple of years did wonders for my typing speed! Handy for a writer.

[chaseracer]

When i grow up i want to be bruce springsteen or john cleland

 

 

[The Moog]

She does, there has been talk of apprenticeships this evening,).

Unless it is a proper apprenticeship run a mile. I know I teach on some of them! I teach level 4 - 7 ( so first year right up to postgrad)

 

They are used as cheap labour source (£2 odd an hour) then booted out at the end. The Gov have made it utterly complicated with foundations degrees, apprenticeships etc. If you want to know more feel free to PM.

[Angrydicky]

After spending four years in a shit job I decided to apply for university. I got in, age 22 so I counted as a mature student, and now I'm studying Politics and IR. I do enjoy the course, it's hard work but I feel working for a few years earned me a lot of skills that other people on the course, straight from college, just don't have. And yes, us 'mature' students are pretty motivated.

 

Still don't really know what I want to do for an end career, but I'm going to try my best to get something lined up before I graduate, even if it isn't something related to the degree. I really want a job that isn't minimum wage and to be able to afford to rent my own place.

[Caffiend]

Cambelt. Pissed off as it only had 36K on it

[Jazoli]

Unless it is a proper apprenticeship run a mile. I know I teach on some of them! I teach level 4 - 7 ( so first year right up to postgrad)

 

They are used as cheap labour source (£2 odd an hour) then booted out at the end. The Gov have made it utterly complicated with foundations degrees, apprenticeships etc. If you want to know more feel free to PM.

Thanks for the offer, she is going to see someone for advice today, I'll drop you a line if needs be

[Keymaster]

Currently sat in the doctors waiting room. I am their first appointment of the afternoon. Half an hour late already... How the hell is that allowed to happen?!

[Partridge]

The whole education and access to work system is fucked up. A lot of graduates these days can't seem to be able to chew gum and walk at the same time they're so thick, others have bullshit degrees in "history of ideas" or some bollocks, and have no idea of how the real world works. All the fixation with a university degree has given us a devaluation of degrees. Only the elite went to uni for a reason. Skills and qualifications were more evenly spread. All that's happened is the system is more unfair for everyone.

 

I'm bloody lucky to have inroads to the industry I want to be in. It was only down to one MD seeing past my lack of bits of paper, and giving me a break.

 

Even now I'm still struggling. This weekend I'm having to chose between eating, or buying my other half a birthday card so she has somthing from me on her 21st. How fucking shit is that?

 

I can't find another part time job, because nobody seems to want me. Even though at 21 I've got more experience and real world skills than most 25 year old graduates, they don't even want to know if I apply for the most menial, shitty job. I got turned down from ASDA for stacking shelves because I didn't have enough experience. I mean, WTF? What do I need to do for God's sake? Get a degree in "Super Market Studies"? I am capable if completing most basic of tasks, I do have a brain despite a lack of bits of paper.

 

Then my generation are told we're work shy, lazy, bitter and disinterested. Well what do you expect when we're not given an opportunity to work? They wonder why young people were rioting last year - they should be accountable for their actions, but there's some employers and pen pushers who should be doing some very deep soul searching right now. My generation didn't create these conditions which we've been dropped in.

 

I'm told to cheer up and stop being miserable by my elders, and be grateful for what I have - easy for them to say when you're not depressed, broke and hungry half the time. Fuck off.

 

Then, to top things off I heard the most depressing but true quote ever today: "The cost of living keeps rising, but suicide remains free." Just what I wanted to hear when I've spend most of this month wordering if somebody else would make better use of my enternal organs.

 

Sorry, I just needed to let that out Thank Christ for this place is all I can say, where you can talk to people who have common sense and live in the real world.

[Bobthebeard]

^^ I too am thankful for this place. On very many levels.

[Bobthebeard]

Our small front porch was due to have the floor tiled today. Just got home to find a note written in purple felt tip pen left on the doormat.

 

"hi sorry cunt tile floor as needs bordin back next week cheers tiler"

 

Some grammer badly needed.... Am I a sorry cunt? Is he apologising for something? Who will do the 'bordin' whatever that is.....

[Partridge]

What the heck? What does that actually mean?

[Bobthebeard]

What the heck? What does that actually mean?

Had absolutely no idea, so rang the company. Seems that the floor needs boarding out so that it is at the same level as the doorstep. All iz cleer now.

[Negative Creep]

Unless it is a proper apprenticeship run a mile. I know I teach on some of them! I teach level 4 - 7 ( so first year right up to postgrad)

 

They are used as cheap labour source (£2 odd an hour) then booted out at the end. The Gov have made it utterly complicated with foundations degrees, apprenticeships etc. If you want to know more feel free to PM.

 

 

We have them in my admin department and it is a complete joke. They get paid less than half the wage to do the exact same shifts and tasks as everyone else, and at the end of it the'll be on £13.5k p/a

[alf892]

We are looking for an apprentice at the moment..........

 

The people that admin the scheme are a complete shower of shit......and the companies that 'supply' candidates the same. And this is for an employer trying to find someone for a genuine job with a decent wage. God knows what it is like if you are a youngster trying to access a scheme.

[cort16]

I've been knocking my pan in for the dollar in a stressful job I've been in for 10 years. I used to love it but now but just now it's just stress and agro+Mid life crisis and what the fuck am I doing with my life thoughts & Horrible things that have happened to friends and family recently have made me think WHAT THE FUCK!

 

Could be time for some kind of a change. I've got some ideas, I can code internetz, which gives me an advantage.

[Partridge]

We are looking for an apprentice at the moment..........

 

The people that admin the scheme are a complete shower of shit......and the companies that 'supply' candidates the same. And this is for an employer trying to find someone for a genuine job with a decent wage. God knows what it is like if you are a youngster trying to access a scheme.

What's the apprenticeship for?

[Timewaster]

Had absolutely no idea, so rang the company. Seems that the floor needs boarding out so that it is at the same level as the doorstep. All iz cleer now.

I hope you read the note back to them word for word. And tell them how extremely offended you were by being called a c.

[doobietoo]

Had absolutely no idea, so rang the company. Seems that the floor needs boarding out so that it is at the same level as the doorstep. All iz cleer now.

 

Is it a wooden floor then??

[DSdriver]

Seriously? Speed cameras are that much of an issue for you? I barely give them a moment's thought. Granted, my 2CV can't break many speed limits, but the XM is well capable of it. I still don't find it an issue to keep it legal. 

 

 

Its just the thought of all those cameras, I don't rush about any more. Most of the cameras were totally unnecessary because traffic was moving slowly anyway. The only one that pissed me off was the one on an uphill where I wanted to pass a truck before the road narrowed.

 

As you may have heard in the news there was a bit of a kerfuffle on the M25 today. Fortunately we were going the other way but had to take avoiding action of some prat in a Bentley with a personal reg that implied he is the Prime Minister (only he wasn't because he had long grey hair) when he slowed down suddenly in the outside lane so he could rubberneck what was happening on the other carriageway.

[Partridge]

Its just the thought of all those cameras, I don't rush about any more. Most of the cameras were totally unnecessary because traffic was moving slowly anyway. The only one that pissed me off was the one on an uphill where I wanted to pass a truck before the road narrowed.

 

As you may have heard in the news there was a bit of a kerfuffle on the M25 today. Fortunately we were going the other way but had to take avoiding action of some prat in a Bentley with a personal reg that implied he is the Prime Minister (only he wasn't because he had long grey hair) when he slowed down suddenly in the outside lane so he could rubberneck what was happening on the other carriageway.

 

DA11D CM? BE11 END? TO 03 RRY? CAM 11197668Z?

 

[alf892]

What's the apprenticeship for?

Sales/admin job.......very small company so everyone has to muck in.

[M'coli]

Cambelt. Pissed off as it only had 36K on it

Valves/piston interface on a BX?