What's your age, and what are you currently most concerned about?

TheRightToArmBears

New member
Dec 13, 2008
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I'm 19 (20 in under two weeks).

I have no idea what to do with my life. I dropped out of university last year for a number of reasons (settled for a course that I didn't really enjoy, hated the city, got horribly depressed) and now I just don't know what to do. My parents are talking about retiring soon and I'm worried that I'm going to end up fucking up all their plans because I couldn't get my arse in gear. I've got two older brothers- one got As and Bs at A-level, went to a top university and his life is apparently fucking perfect (although he's a boring ************). The other is due to graduate this year in forestry (which he loves), he was always the kid that seemed least academic and most of a fuckup, but he lucks his way through. I guess I just feel like a total fucking failure in comparison, even though when I was in school everyone seemed to think I was a fucking genius even though my results were distinctly average.

I feel like absolute shit all the time which is killing my motivation to do anything but I can't broach the subject with anyone. No one seems to realise I might be a mopey prick all the time because I'm miserable, so I'm branded as lazy instead (to be fair, that's probably true as well). Honestly though, it's hard to go out looking for an apprenticeship when you struggle to get out of bed.
 

omega 616

Elite Member
May 1, 2009
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Bertylicious said:
Timmaaaah said:
omega 616 said:
25 in may.
I've been doing a work trail for 2 and a bit weeks (all unpaid) but I didn't exactly write essays about "what I had been doing to look for work". Basically, the system is a little fucked up, for ages now I've had a guaranteed placement, I just need to get past work trails and stuff ... however I can't simply put "have a placement in the bag, I just have to wait to get paid and then I can come off benefits" and leave it at that till I come off benefits.
Jesus CHRIST you've been on trial for 2 and a bit weeks? What country do you live in? That sounds fucking unacceptable!
I think by "unpaid" he means "to remain eligible for my unemployment benefit", but in fairness I've always thought that whole idea is a little bit dodgy. I mean, why not just train everyone to be plumbers or plasterers? They can be self employed and get good money rather than doing shit-work for some bullshit company.
Nah, at least not yet. I could very easily sit at home and do nothing to look for work or do voluntary work for multiple years ... after 6 months of unemployment benefit you start to get sent on "work programmes", make you do things like "attend job search sessions" or "do an employability course" (which is meant to inform you of things like interview techniques, job search techniques, rights and responsibilities, laws, good customer service etc), which is all under the threat of "if you don't attend you get 0 money for 3 months, then 6 months and then 2 years".

Still easy as pie to not job search, show your face and do as little work as possible without too much trouble. I actually did this exact thing for about a year, till I realized that I am not robbing tax payers or getting one over on the government/job centre ... I am robbing myself.

I am wasting time and if I continue, I will be the manager at the corner shop when I am 75 and have no significant savings or pension (which was the best case scenario). I started voluntary work and applying to everything and I am now almost on an apprenticeship to be a chef for a year and then be employed in a newly built hotel and training the next round of people on the same apprenticeship.

The problem with your idea is, you then end up with a fuck tonne of plasters and plumbers and crap distribution of work ... unless you start shipping them off to other countries.
 

Alex Hawke

New member
Aug 3, 2013
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I'm 20 years old student (IT). My biggest concerns are human rights in general, information security in particular. Also there are exams coming, but I'm preparing to it, so all will be fine.
 

kidd25

New member
Jun 13, 2011
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18- midterms/Finals
Animation field. I regret n- Hold on my picture need 18 hours to render.
 

Nata-chan

New member
Mar 11, 2014
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28.
Like just about everyone else here I'm worried how the future will turn out, and what the best course of action will be.
Short Term:
-still waiting on the results from my PhD submission six months later (my uni didn't have a defence just submit the thesis) with no support from the uni (I am in the UK, they are in AUS) and the victim of out of sight/out of mind.
-feeling unconfident about a career in academia (the logical choice for a PhD) because I had a really bad experience with my supervisor who knocked all the confidence out of me, and I was always rejected for publications.
-want to become a journalist but feel unconfident because I don't have any qualifications in media or experience as a journo. Can't afford to spend money on said degree or qualifications because of moving to the UK and currently being unemployed. Currently being a blogger and pretending like that's "Building a portfolio" and trying to apply for jobs.

Long term:
-Worrying I actually have some kind of mental disorder that is undiagnosed but suspecting it's probably just regular old lazy brain (more Brain Training Dr Kagoshima!) and depression.
-Not wanting to become my parents, my dad has been unemployed for like 6 years and seems so picky about getting a job he's become this house-bound person. My mum works full time to pay for them in a job she doesn't like but has been doing forever. I don't want to end up doing "a job" to pay the bills, especially because they have pushed me to be a professional since I was a kid (though that didn't go so well obviously). But I know I would be good at doing "a job" and would one the one hand be satisfied with teh money.
-Feeling guilty about not really liking my parents but unsure how to deal with it. They have gotten weirder since I moved out of home, they're very introverted, everything is too hard basket but a get rich quick scheme - so nothing ends up happening, we have none of the same interests. They gush over my husband's achievements and solicit his advice like gospel but ignore me or condescend me. (this is compounded by being an only child). Because of them our family isn't close (like extended family) but I worry about perpetuating the same thing into the future.
-Unsure about having kids. I can't afford a kid now, and I don't know if I really want kids. But I am worried about getting too old to have kids.
-I am envious of my husband's success. We followed the same path (at one point it became I followed him) and he is super successful as a scientist. He's super smart and he seems to have it all fall into place really easily. I'm proud of his success, and he supports us financially, but I also resent that while he is breezing along in his second post-doc, I am still waiting for the results from my PhD (that I wanted to quit but everyone told me to keep going with).

Sorry it's long.
 

Sarah Kerrigan

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Jan 17, 2010
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I'm currently 18, turned that at the beginning of March, and I'm worried about my future. I am going to be a creative writing/professional communications major in August, hopefully minoring in women's studies, and my dream is go work as a movie journalist at say, IGN or somewhere. I'm just scared I won't make it, or I'll be stuck doing some small time job stuck in my hometown.

It just really scares me, ya know?
 

Zack Alklazaris

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Oct 6, 2011
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I'm 27 and I'm worried about gaining financial independence. Even with a bachelors degree I can't get a job that pays even over 10 dollars an hour.
 

inactive123

New member
Feb 6, 2014
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Turning 22 at the end of this month.

Currently I'm concerned about my upcoming trip to Australia. The trip will be for a year and the reason for going is to spend time with my dad and other family on that side since I haven't seen most of them for 4/5 years. It's an awesome opportunity to travel and I'm excited for it but I also have two main concerns about going.

Firstly, I've been in a stable relationship going on 2 years and going to Australia will mean doing long-distance for a year. My concern here is obviously that we won't cope with the long-distance.

Secondly concern is the fact that I am quite terrible at making new friends without some support from existing friends. This will force me out of my comfort zone and while that might be good for me I'm still scared I fail miserably at making friends.
 

Random Encounter

New member
Feb 17, 2011
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20 and not a clue with what I want to do with my life.

After year ten I moved to a different school and didn't cope well with the transition. After just not going for a number of weeks I ended up dropping out. I tried a High School Equivalency Certificate but I simply lacked interest in the subjects I had chosen and didn't have the ambition to finish the year. It was after this that I decided just to get a job for the time being until I can sort my life out.

I also ended up losing contact with all my old friends in the process, which is a shame because I'm getting lonely and really wish I had someone to talk and hang out with. I considered reconnecting with them again but I'm too embarrassed to admit that over the last four years the only thing I've accomplished is acquiring a part-time job.
 

Rooster893

Mwee bwee bwee.
Feb 4, 2009
6,375
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17, will be 18 in four months.

Concerned about: Graduating. I have this senior project, 2 very difficult essays to do for English, a giant math test (since I failed math four years ago in freshman year) and I have to present said senior project. I'm also worried about my physical health, such as weight loss (and other things I won't mention). I'm not morbidly obese, but I know a lot of insecurities and worries that I have would be very downplayed if I trimmed the fat, so to speak.
 

ultrabiome

New member
Sep 14, 2011
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I'm 30, living in the eastern US.

Concerns:
My parents: my mother recently lost her barely-above-minimum-wage job of 30 years due to medical issues, my father hasn't had a job in 10 years and is too proud to get a real job. They had to move onto my grandmother's property this year and I see no hope in them becoming any more financially stable (besides disability and social security - and they'll be able to live there as long as the property taxes are paid). At least my father grows a large garden and is a good fix-it guy, otherwise I'd really hate him.

My wife: been trying to get my wife pregnant for a few years (she just turned 33), finally a ray of hope with a very minor miscarriage (it sounds weird, but at least our parts work, if you get my drift). Concerned about where we are going to raise said child(ren) as both of our families are on the west coast and we live on the east. Concerned with her becoming her mother and if we can stand each others' habits long term (she's a clean freak and I play too much video games for her taste sometimes); we love each other, but we can seriously frustrate each other sometimes.

My job: my awesome degrees got me a job I like (S.B. Math, M.S. Optical Sciences), but it's on the wrong coast and its a gov't job, so I could make more $$ going private at the cost of doing bitchier, less fulfilling work. Also with how the U.S. gov't is acting towards budgets... I really don't like the long-term reduction in my purchasing power. I also don't want to let down my current co-workers by leaving - I'm becoming more involved and respected and essentially an expert at certain things now, I won't have that at another job right away. But right now we are also riding a fine line of living within our means - a couple nights out or a vacation can push us to the other side. I guess at least I have a job that pays the bills, and I'm lucky my wife does too.

My health: my back isn't quite straight and I am terrible at keeping up with regular exercise - which I should do to strengthen and straighten it. I have a small tumor on one of my kidneys (they think it's benign... hopefully it is). And my teeth - will need a crown, maybe a root canal soon :(. I see cracks in a few other teeth and I think this is just the beginning of a lifetime of even more dental work.

*end of concerns

I don't know who'll actually read to this point, but to those of you who worry about meeting women and losing your virginity until late... I didn't lose my virginity until 25 (and that's with college and grad school in party environments), and I realized that you just have to put yourself out there. Do whatever you can to meet people (dating sites, going to parties/events, meeting friends at bars) and practice talking to women, IN PERSON if possible, and eventually you might realize half of the battle is learning body language and just how to interact comfortably with them (what to talk about/what not to, listening to her, how to be proud w/o being an asshole, etc.). Get friends to help you out or just strike up a conversation. Just don't give up - it will happen when you aren't paying attention or least expect it.

Eventually you realize you went somewhere and were talking with the same cute girl for an hour or two comfortably and she might just lead you away. Or at least you might exchange numbers. There is hope, but you can't have any relationship without two people, so learn to interact with them (they want it too). Just be (mostly) yourself. Best of luck.
 

Denny Crane

New member
Nov 6, 2009
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I recently turned 30 and my biggest fear is the fact that my country is being run by a bunch of bigots who think it's alright to lock up fellow human beings for the sake of "sovereignty".
 

DementedSheep

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Jan 8, 2010
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22, dying of cancer, having spent thousands on course that my lead to a career I may not like or forces me to work with people I don't like (likely at this point), passing said course, debt from said course, job market and being unable to afford to move out of home so still leeching off parents.
 

Pinkamena

Stuck in a vortex of sexy horses
Jun 27, 2011
2,371
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22 here. Wondering what the fuck I'm gonna do when I finish my master in particle physics.
 

carnex

Senior Member
Jan 9, 2008
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21
37. I'm mostly worried how am I to support my family since this job is likely coming to the end and I don't have next one ready.

That and the fact that world is going down the drain compared to my ideals.
 

Seydaman

New member
Nov 21, 2008
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18, start college as a philosophy major in September, I'm happy about that

But I'm concerned about several upcoming surgeries and if I'll be able to make friends (and romantic interests) after I start college, also concerned about the work load and stress from college, but less so
 

Stu35

New member
Aug 1, 2011
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What's your age, and what are you currently most concerned about?
27.

Can Castleford overcome St. Helens in tonights top-of-the-table clash at Wheldon Road? I don't know, probably not, but I'm going to be colossally drunk and obnoxious by the time I get to the ground so by full time it probably won't matter.
 

SnakeTrousers

New member
Dec 30, 2013
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What am I going to do when my luck finally runs out and the conditions that have allowed me to get by on the bare minimum of effort collapse? Will it finally break the cycle of apathy and self-loathing or I will I collapse as well?

And why the fuck should anyone else give a desiccated rat shit?