Lived Experience Forum

[HelloKitty1981]

@Birdofparadise8  no it isnt in NSW a free course unfortunately unless you meet certain criteria it is also one of the hardest courses to get into as it isnt run by every TAFE only a few in NSW and capped at 30 per class. Assignment goes to those working in the industry first then how many are left after that. Not to many private organisations run it unfortunately.

I know a few employers who except it as a prequitse for employment or some will put you through the course if you gain employment through them.  Some places it is easy to get that like Sydney and Melbourne etc where more metro areas than regional areas I have found from where I am. More organisations and more hospitals that will take on peer workers and advertise.

For those of us who don't meet the criteria for TAFE fee excemption or live in a different state its quite an expensive course $$$$, a few thousand dollars.

It is on my to do list course wise, its not a long course. 

[HelloKitty1981]

@ENKELI  Just wanted to say hope you are doing ok and hope to see you back again soon. 

The first thing I ever studied was my Certificate 3 in Business Administration and did'nt pass my typing test but passed everything else and I was guttered. But from that experience I did go on and pass Certificate 4 in Business Administration.

Everyone has had a starting point and don't compare yourself to others who have been on different journeys.  By working on completing your Certificate 3 you will achieve more than you realise as its a national recognised qualification and from that you can build you knowledge an skills in whichever direction you choose to go. This will open you all sorts of doors for you to have this qualification.

Keep up the good work, you can do this, be proud of yourself and what you are and can achieve 🤗

[Birdofparadise8]

Ah, okay, I'm sorry that sucks. 

Well, I’ll have nearly 100k in debt after uni has finished if that helps. @HelloKitty1981 

[HelloKitty1981]

@Birdofparadise8  it really should'nt that expensive. Other countries invest in training people so they can have been lives and higher paying jobs and more financial stability. You only have to took at places like Germany, Swedan, Denmark, where yes they pay higher taxes but have a much better way of live and living thats supports education, family, community for a better quality of live for everyone in the community.

A lot of people do fall short in there studies simply because they are trying to get ahead, study, somehow find work around it and still survive, pay off hecs loans, housing, childcare, health, working crazy work hours with little down time, rest and recovery.

But I do think you can have breaks in your mental health for lots of reasons and yet still achieve amazing things, it may take you a little longer than you first thought but it does'nt mean you can't go on to achieve whatever study goal you are working on.  

[HelloKitty1981]

@Birdofparadise8  does knowing you will have that amount of debt make it more difficult to keep your mental health in check?  I would love to do a degree but for me having that much debt on something that I may or may not pass or actually get a job in.

I don't have a morgage yet, already in my 40's and I think my own health would suffer trying to study and clear as much of the debt as possible while also trying to survive.

Maybe if I was like in my 20's I would think I had 30 years to pay it off. 

[ENKELI]

thank you so much for your encouragement @HelloKitty1981, you are an absolute sweetheart.

I would be gutted too if I'd passed everything except for one subject. And good on you for getting your Cert 4, pat yourself on the back for your great work 😍

I keep having doubts that I will complete the course. I have done harder courses when I studied at the Academy of Performing Arts doing sound engineering, but that was BD - before mental illness diagnosis.

I did Introduction to Uni Studies and didn't complete it because I lost motivation and that's what worries me the most. I need to change my way of thinking that I won't complete. I think it's more a fear of success to be honest, I've never completed any studies. I'm used to failing I guess.

So I am going to change my way of thinking and tell myself I can do it and I will finish it.

Have a blessed Easter, whatever you may be doing 🤗

[Incognito]

I had a positive experience at TAFE. I committed to a Cert IV in Accounting. I struggled to stay on top of weekly tasks but I did manage to pass with the understanding and support from my teachers. I had an access plan which helped getting extensions. Studying and managing your mental health is doable. I recommend speaking to the Disability and Counseling Service at TAFE about access plans. Ps. A Cert III in Business is a fantastic course which will lead to a great career. I promise once you have achieved your certification you will feel so proud. Good luck. 

[ENKELI]

@tyme @Incognito @HelloKitty1981 @Birdofparadise8 @MDT and apologies to anyone I missed.

How did you choose your study?

I am wanting to study as a mature age student while I work full time out of necessity and am finding it hard to choose what to do. I want to do admin based studies as that is what my skill set is and I'm only considering study to learn more about accounting and also because a lot of jobs now are wanting certificates.

Any help would be gratefully accepted as I am feeling more than a little intimidated when it comes to finding a job that pays a decent wage and knowing I'm sh*t outta luck without credentials. 

Thanks 💕

[tyme]

My first set of study??? That was a flop lol @ENKELI I think i did it for prestige.. ended up a waste of time and money because i never enjoyed it.

Next set of study? I followed my heart. All my later study were scholarships so I applied for the bachelors and masters etc and got them. It was because of my passion and love for the field. I genuinely wanted to know more. 

So that's how I chose 🙂

I didn't chose because of the scholarships. I chose and then got the scholarships, so it was an added bonus that I didn't have to pay anything.

[Incognito]

I chose to study accounting while working as a junior receptionist in a small to medium sized public accounting firm. I decided I wanted to learn more so I could perform more interesting tasks. I enjoyed data entry but soon wanted to understand and analyze the data I was entering. I paid close attention to my colleagues and listened to what they studied or where they previously worked. More opportunities opened for me after my first term of studying a certificate. It really opens up new doors and helps you meet new people with similar interests.