unhappy

[b3nx]

Hello everyone, at the moment i am very unhappy, i am at tafe and just finished a year course in nursing, 22 and current income is $42,000, i dont know if i want to continue to do nursing, it doesn't pay well in australia and i feel like i am getting old like me and my girlfriend want to move in and get married but if i go to uni for 4 years this will back track alot of plans... i was thinking of joining the police force but i dont know if i can hack it... My girlfriend says i have changed and that i seem more selfish because i am down, i keep doing things and forgetting about her needs, what do i do??

[Seeker]

I'm not exactly sure how a TAFE Nursing degree differs from an University Nursing degree, but I do know that it's in contention over there and has been for awhile.

Part of your "unhappiness" probably stems from being young and not certain what you want to do with your future. Your GF is not helping the situation by demanding that you concentrate on her (rather selfish of her in my view, assuming she has any understanding of what you are feeling -- but then you're both young). For the immediate time, I'd tell her to give you some space so that you can figure out what's what.

You both are young... you have plenty of time. Don't rush things. Determine what you want to do.... determine what you like to do... and see if you can mesh that somehow with a job/career. And then pursue that.

Take control of your life and the rest will fall into place.

[whitestripe]

I am 21 and live in Australia too. I still don't really know what I want to do either. Maybe you could see someone that will help you figure out what you want to do? Or how your interests can align with a career?

[Pitman]

My advice since we're both the same age is, follow your heart. You’re too young to compromise your whole life of being unhappy just to make a girl happy. It may sound selfish, but if you don't think and care for your needs and wants, who will. If you don't want to be a nurse, guess what, you don't have to be a nurse; you don't have anyone to support but yourself, no kids, no extreme loan (I hope). The beauty of your situation is that you’re young, if you was 35 with a kid, and mortgage, and said hey I don't want to be here, then that a problem. If you have a dream, follow it, if your girl doesn't want to help, leave her.

I'm following my dreams, and there's no one that’s going to stand in my way.

[maat55]

Be patient, concentrate on your career, first. GF can adapt or move on.

[GrimJack]

Here in the US there is such a nursing shortage that graduates are getting snatched up in their first year (the hospitals are picking up the tab). They are losing nurses in many different ways but the main 2 are retirement and advanced degrees. Still, if you do not like nursing, then it is not worth it.

[georgealan]

Hey, do what you want and what is best for you ! Good luck.

[faithman1012005@yahoo.com]

Some Advice

I'm 25 and was in a similar situation. I'm completing 2 years of bible school and am now convinced I'm not supposed to be in full time pulpit ministry. My passion has always been law enforcement before I ever decided to go to bible school and also to move to a central plains where it's flat and open with little trees. I have found many girls I've dated discouraged me from planning to move to that area and until recently I hadn't found anyone that had a desire to move to a place like that. Anyway bottom line is I learned that you have to follow your heart most of the time what you have deep in your heart are the things that God has placed there and put those giftings and abilities in you to do those things! Also about police work, you might check into doing a ride along with a local police department one evening just to see how you like it. I don't know if departments in your country have a program like that but it's worth calling to find out.

So I want to encourage you to follow your heart.

[Scanner]

I think you are actually more on the right track than you know. . .you have limited it down to the following 2:

1. Government (yes, police officer as an example - probation officier/correction officer)
2. Nursing

In the US, right now, our economy, in it's current state, is geared towards those jobs. We have old farts getting older called THE BOOMER GENERATION (thus the nursing need) and government is the last bastion of secure jobs as corporate America constantly downsizes and lays off workers, then rehires again. The new trend in Corporate America (I am not part of - I am small busines but from what I am hearing) is to hire females over males, who have to support a family and therefore demand more money. They know the female will take less; soon, it appears females will overtake males in the %age of workforce. It's kind of a silent unnoticed trend (but something for you as a male to think about, as you may be entering a "feminized" culture).

The only caveat I would apply to your situation is that Australia, in my opinion, has the best healthcare system in the world (best healthcare is another debate) - to me, it's a nice compromised blend of the private sector and public sector, a moderate compromise betwen let's say Cuba (socialist) and the United States (lassiez faire capitalist). I am not sure why the Left has been obsessed with Europe and Canada when our mates down-under have a decent system in place.

Soooooo. . .if you do come over, at age 23, you'll be hurting to find health insurance to endure our country's overinflated healthcare and then pay overinflated health ins. premiums.

You being a student, I would recommend you stay put until you finish your degree one way or the other and then, if you want to immigrate to the US with degree/skill in hand to fill some of our labor shortage, then do it.

Funny how the grass is always greener - I think if I were to relocate anywhere in the world, it would be Australia, except I think water goes down the drain the opposite way. hard to get used to.

Good luck, I think despite the controversey here, we always do welcome immigrants here who want to have a better life and build that.

[financialnut]

What's most important to you? Is it your GF or your career? When making decisions with my wife, I consider her needs first before making decisions about my career.