Finally… having patience is starting to pay off because I’ve received some wonderful news yesterday. I’ve been invited to meet up on Monday morning to be part of a group of people who will be given the opportunity to study and work at the same time. This in itself is nothing new because there are quite a few possibilities to accomplish the same.
In this case however, the government and a few other organisations expect a lack of psychiatric nursing staff in the next three years so they have invested money in a special project to train people. It means that the required study which would normally take four years will be taught in three years instead, starting with a three months crash course.
After the crash course you’ll be working four days a week and attend school on the fifth day for the next three years to get a bachelor degree. My goal is a master degree because I’d like to finish the psychology study that I started years ago. At the time -causing disagreements- I was forced to stop because of an unwilling/unsympathetic partner.
I’m really looking forward to start the study and try to get another degree. My personal situation and this recession have forced me to think about my future in a creative way. I’ve been lucky to have turned a hobby into a career at the time, but things have changed and I’ve come to the conclusion that I need a career that will provide for the next twenty years.
Don’t get me wrong, there will be side projects and I will never give up on the creative part of me. In fact I’m still working on the long-term business plan which involves design and that along with the webdesign business will be the creative outlet that I’ll be needing to keep things interesting in that area. I’ll need that outlet because it’s part of who I am.
Although I’m totally committed and enthusiastic to make this application work for the next three to seven years it will still be ‘a way to pay the bills‘ and live a comfortable life. I’ve to choose security over current instability, people are still getting laid off and no one knows what’s gonna happen next but it doesn’t mean I’ll be giving up on creativity, far from it!
There are more steps planned ahead but for now I’m taking one at a time because that one step will cause a chain reaction once I’ll be on a roll and I’m getting all excited thinking about what lies ahead. It seems I’m finally about to get that long deserved break *wink*
Hi Zesty!!
because there were many phrases which appealed to me. It has a Guardian review so it’s safe 
That sounds terrific! The opportunity to study something you are interested in and work at the same time!
You know, I have been thinking about these issues intensely lately, about career development, that creative outlet (like the blog I started some years ago to keep me sane from the routine at work), feeling fulfilled and well, stability as you say because the bills have to be paid.
This person I talked to encouraged me a lot, she told me it’s never too late to start something you want to achieve and although you might hear it very often this time it really struck a chord. I also came across this book yesterday at a local bookshop ‘Life Lessons: Things I wish I’d Known Earlier’ and I want to buy it with the next salary
Good luck with the course! Life is full of surprises and new projects coming along all the time.
Hi Wen
The book sounds nice, I will look into it!
I’ve had the meeting yesterday and I must say I was disappointed to hear that there are only four places available while there was a group of about 25 people. The pay is a minimum for the next three years and only when you’ve finished the study you’ll be given a bit more. There is no real career development in this area money-wise, I knew that but I didn’t think it was that bad… I really had to think hard and deep about this *still am* because it’s going to be a struggle money-wise while the study lasts… I think that at least I should give it a try even while the odds of becoming one of four candidates are low… we’ll see
Perhaps it struck a chord because you were ready to hear?