@Love_elmo77 the fact your new instructor thinks you're capable is a really good sign! They wouldn't say that if they didn't think you could do it.   For the hazard perception, have a look online for simulators that you can do on your computer, even ones from other states are good. For example, the South Australian HPT is decent for practice. I'll also say that the actual test video goes slower than real life. I found after doing the practice test and driving around I didn't find it difficult at all because I knew what to expect! ... View more

Hi @DonnaOrn I'm sorry to hear that this experience is making you struggle so much. Speaking from the perspective of the other driver, sometimes it's a reality of life that when you put your car in a public area that accidents happen. My dad's car got backed into by a loading truck in a car park, it completely dented the door in the corner and now it's filling up with gross water that is making the car smell like an old gym towel. He was frustrated about it but realised that there was nothing he could do and just moved on with his life to get it repaired. In this case, I think a scratch is frustrating and inconvenient, but compared to a hit-and-run I would take the scratch any day as it's relatively easy to get fixed the next time they get their car serviced. I don't say that to undermine your feelings, but to tell you that in the scheme of things what has happened won't cause too much harm to the person.   I really do know what it's like to do something wrong while driving but I also know that as time goes on and you try to do better it will stop hurting so much. Just remember, they're called 'accidents' for a reason, you didn't mean to do it and the fact you've been so eager to make it right shows a lot about your good character. So please try and forgive yourself too  ... View more

Hi @SapienOddity that sounds like something that's been really difficult to come to terms with. I can't say what I think is happening but the fact you've found a pattern should help you when you're getting help, which it sounds like you are! Aside from someone who specialises in trauma, another option could be seeing a sex therapist. My friend's sister had huge anxiety and fear around intimacy. It turned out to be from her mother being so conservative and freaked out at the idea of her daughters having sex that it rubbed off on her to the point she needed professional advice. Either way, I hope you're able to find the answers you need  ... View more

Hi @VM-Ash! I know exactly how you feel because this was me at the end of year 12! I applied for retail jobs which I honestly didn't want to do and didn't get any. It felt like I was doomed because I didn't have the experience to get the job. A lot of people I knew got jobs in/after high school because a) their parents set them up for it, b) they got them through their volunteer experience in year 10, or c) they applied for Christmas casual work and got lucky. I was none of the above, and also resented the idea of doing retail or food work when I'd never want to work in those industries. Some tips I have include: 1. Look at your desired career and go backwards with what you'd need to be able to do. Personally, I went into high school tutoring after school as a job in second year uni as my marks are good and I want to do psychology, so makes more sense for me to work with clients than make food. Since you're wanting to work in music or theatre you can consider what side of this you want to do and what jobs match. Writing, creating or production/events? I know people who got into the production side of it and kept that as intermittent casual work- some through workplace experience, but others not until they'd gotten some experience in uni that they could actually use as leverage on a resume (a lot of employers will take more kindly to a first year uni student than a kid out of high school because they have a bit more knowledge I think). People who want to go into more of the content creating side are better off spending their time doing a portfolio over the break and finding something random to do, so I agree with your commission idea! 2. What skills do you have that you have built up over having hobbies? You do gaming, do you have a strong grasp of videogames on the market or of IT or software? Could you find a place that would appreciate those skills? My friend loves animals and so got a job at a pet shop because she already had experience with fish and bird keeping, for example. Another person I know did a barista course so got a job at a café.  3. Consider why you want or need a job. Is it just for money? I know that some people just answer online surveys to make some cash on the side without having the stress of work. 4. You've just finished year 12, I don't always think you HAVE to get a job now! Especially if you're already struggling a bit with burnout. While I definitely did have some feelings of inferiority with not getting a job right away, I've found myself happier with waiting to find my job which is casual than making myself think that I need a part time or even full time job. At the end of the day I think jobs are really one of those things where you'll only get the job you're meant to get at that point in time. I hope you have some luck in your search either way  ... View more

Hi @Love_elmo77 I had the same thing driving with my dad, I really didn't enjoy driving with my dad and he made it a chore to be able to do a lesson with him. I ended up driving with my partner more because he was a much more chilled supervisor. Do you think you could swap out your mum for someone else particularly at the end of your hours? Then you'll have your P's soon and never have to have her police your driving again  ... View more

@ayrc_1904 Wow sorry for the late reply! It feels like ages away even though it was only a month ago!   Yeah he is pretty cute but he's driving us insane  He's so full of energy and is very demanding of our time, the other day we weren't giving him any attention so he literally jumped up on the dining room table to try and see me!   Thank you so much! I was so surprised with my results- this was essentially one of my best semesters ever! Which to me is so weird because I was doing an extra unit compared to usual, was working more and also had puppy to worry about. I think it was because I was doing electives which are always more easy than prescribed units. How did you go?   Yeah fair enough, I thought I had new years' resolutions and then life hit and I'm leaving them until things get better  I'm so excited to hear you got to be a Christmas casual! I remember people talking about casual roles and they're a lot of work but you'll be making those $$$ which is always awesome.   Thank you! I hope it will be good. Yep I had to submit an application to do a law thesis next semester. I'm also doing a summer law unit, animal law, which is so far okay. Unfortunately my cat got out the window and has been missing for 2 weeks and it's really been messing me up. We put up flyers yesterday and got a call from someone saying they saw her at the local park on Wednesday night- the park is 750m from our house! Which is good but also it's a huge park and idk how we'll find her.    I know how you feel- even though this summer unit I'm probably happier doing it than just lying around doing nothing. Though I'm going to need an extension on this assignment because of everything going on! I get that feeling, I always try and jam pack my schedule. I've been trying to get off my phone and devote more time to my hobbies, which is sort of working?   Omg I'll never know about those students but I'm glad they're gone  ... View more

Hi @Bento  I just wanted to say you sound like a really observant person who has noticed a lot of things about humanity this year. It's really interesting how you can see how people's attitudes almost confirm the way that things are going to turn out. I also totally get the feeling that 2021 is just going to be 365 days of nothing... I think you're doing a really good job trying to find stuff to do! Sometimes people split the year up into quarters and do their best to fill in every quarter with stuff to do and it makes it seem less daunting and gaping. For work, I think from what you are saying you would be keen to do a few different things as long as it occupies you? Maybe you could consider online volunteering or if conventions manage to come back you could volunteer at one of those? I also talked to two people with ASD yesterday who have found work in their chosen area so it's definitely not impossible!   I'm sorry to hear you're feeling this way about the new outbreak- I know I'm sitting here waiting to see how it spreads too. I know two people who have had to get tests today because they were in areas of concern. I think some good things have come out of the pandemic, for example better understanding of how people can work from home, and unfortunately even some hard truths about how unsustainable our society is, which hopefully will come to use someday. It's hard to think about how it affects society, but 100 years ago there was the Spanish Flu which killed 12 000 Aussies right after WWI finished. I think with vaccines and everything coming up we may have more hope than we did back then, but it's all very confronting to deal with. I think the reality is yeah, we don't have much control over our lives, so all we can do is just make ourselves happy in them however we can. Humans are a strangely adaptable species and we've come towards doom many times in the last century with world wars and nuclear arms races. It just sucks that we're living through a piece of history again now! ... View more

Hi @Kinkin thanks so much for replying to each and every one of us  I'm sorry to hear that you're still struggling with the memory of the crash. For me I would feel physically sick every time I passed the place I crashed. I found out later that it is one of the worst roads in my city for crashes! I just had to keep on going past and assuring myself every time I passed that it would be okay and that everything turned out alright in the end. It took a while but I ended up pushing through it by being kind to myself when the memory came back. I hope you're doing okay at the moment! ... View more

Hi @Jardin I know that feeling very well! I often get it when I feel like what I'm doing doesn't align with what I thought I should be doing or what my aims for the future are. It often makes me feel anxious and restless. For example, I have been doing law as part of my degree and haven't really ever been enthused about that career path. I was feeling very trapped in it and freaking out feeling like I have to do something that I didn't emotionally want to do but felt like I had to. I then decided to pursue the other part of my degree then freaked out because I felt like I'd wasted years of my life doing something I didn't want to pursue  I had to find a way to re-evaluate my perception of things like work and study to see the value in them in the long-term as something I wouldn't regret in hindsight, even if that's just having a bit of money in your pocket or an extra thing on your resume or a little bit more resilience or awareness for what is and isn't right for you. For me seeing everything as a lesson helps to feel more in control of my life even though nothing has changed. I hope you're feeling okay at the moment! ... View more

Hi @number20 I'm sorry to hear sleep is such a battle at the moment. For me when I struggle to sleep it can be because I've eaten or worked out too close to when I'm sleeping and I'm full of restless energy, especially high-energy stuff compared to lighter conditioning or yoga. Stretching before sleep is something that I find helps, as well as meditating or listening to relaxing music. My dad takes magnesium supplements at night when he can't sleep which help him because magnesium can alleviate muscle cramps and tension- you can buy it as dissolvable powder or they make magnesium lemonades now! Other things I do is having a completely dark and cold room to sleep in, and I listen to music I like until I'm too tired to keep listening and turn it off. I've also read my textbooks because they're so dense they literally put me to sleep   Another thing I've found myself doing is when I have time I let myself take a nap during the day when I'm really tired. Sometimes I think that you can be so tired that you can't sleep. I've also read that when you can't sleep for half an hour you should get up and do something rather than just lying there. Finally, there's quite a few resources out there about sleep hygiene which can be useful because they talk about the behavioural side of sleep. I hope this helps!  ... View more

Hi @JonoG! I want to give you some practical advice  My advice would be to go driving with a friend or someone you don't usually drive with and is chill before your test (someone who did the test recently but is obviously on their full licence helps)  For me this was a friend who gave me some interesting but simple tips and could basically assess my skills on the spot and tell me that I should be fine while correcting some last-minute things. I also got to the area quite early and grabbed a snack before my test because I find that having good blood sugar can help make you focus and you don't feel rushed.   In the actual test, I found that vocalising everything I was doing and repeating the instructions I was given really helped me to feel like I was performing well. For example, if they said turn left, I would say okay turning left now. Another thing that I was told to do is over-exaggerate your head movements. For example, if you need to check your blind spot before you take off from the kerb, turn your whole head rather than just your eyes! It helps the instructor see that you're doing the right thing  You're basically over-dramatising your driving to prove you can do everything you've been told you have to do, plus it makes you feel more confident in yourself that you can do it!   Finally, whether you pass or fail isn't a big deal. Oftentimes people make a very simple mistake like don't stop for long enough at a stop sign or accidentally go a bit too fast because they forgot the speed limit and unfortunately that's enough to mean they don't pass. But that doesn't mean you're a bad driver! I had a friend who had to sit her test six times because she kept making silly mistakes, but she still got it. Even if you don't get it, it's not the end of the world. Book your next test as soon as you get out of the building, you can do it! The joy of being able to drive alone to wherever you need to go and jamming to your own music along the way is worth the stress, I promise!   Good luck! ... View more

Hey @Bento I wanted to chime in on this because I understand what it's like being part of toxic communities. For me, I find that the people who are so aggressive, especially online, are outliers. Most people don't feel emotionally charged enough to get into fights so they say nothing. Also, unfortunately the rise of social media has made the voices of those who don't mean well louder  It's one of the reasons I don't play games with other people much anymore! However, I have heard stories of people being able to single-handedly change the atmosphere of competitive games through being kind and supportive. If gaming is an escape for you too, I would say that you can still keep it that way by disengaging with the toxicity. A lot of social media is always a mess, but I generally follow game news by looking at articles and youtube videos, because the people on these platforms are a lot more balanced and often are really happily passionate about what they do.  As for the state of the world, I think that there are many examples of people in our generation who are not like that, and who have become voices for change that are younger than any generation before then. I like to a look at Young Australian of the Year for this, and also follow a lot of local youth community groups to see what a difference one person can make! I think that you're right though that this isn't a great time in history to be a young person, but I also think back to say the 1930's with the Great Depression, and how young people may have felt back then. And of course, if you don't want to be a part of that, there is a chance to find the people and communities that aren't like that. Sorry I'm rambling a bit, but I have gone through this feeling and I really started to feel better when I changed the media I follow to be only more positive things. It's kind of one of those things where you can control how you feel by controlling what you see, which can inspire you rather than making you feel more hopeless. I hope you're feeling a bit better recently  ... View more

@A_Friend That's awesome! And such an important thing to focus on in these times where people need support  I think you'll really enjoy it!   @AmazingPUMP I love TKD, I did it all through high school and then did jiujitsu for a while! Good luck with your double grading    @Mars_Elliot Congratulations! I hope you really enjoy your new school  ... View more

Hi @Blurryphaced, I'm sorry this is happening to you  I also struggle to sleep at night and what has helped me is putting on white noise, having complete darkness (using an eye-mask) and also having natural sleeping aids to help me. My friend wears earplugs. I'm wondering if there's any way you could make your house feel more homely. Could adding a pet or some house plants or old furniture or new artworks, decor etc. in your room and elsewhere help? ... View more

@Bella2 Love this! My stomach completely knots up when I'm stressed so taking deep breaths is something I work on. @TawnyOwl I also love how you plan holidays! It's such a good way to make yourself have hope for the future. And @ayrc_1904 to-do lists are always good when you need to figure out how much you actually need to do.   - Get out and exercise! Extra points if you can make a social out of it  - Creative writing, or some sort of expressive art! I also do cross stitch or embroidery - eat outside of your room so you get away for a bit!  - Set aside a couple hours or a morning/evening every week where you promise not to do work. It's like setting aside time for a doctor's appointment. - When I'm about to sit an exam, I actually pump myself up by moving around and shaking my body down so I can get rid of the nervous energy. ... View more

No worries, that's so exciting! Just be careful you don't go on a 40-degree weekend otherwise you'll be spending your days not doing much  gazebos are a lifesaver! When do you think you'll go? ... View more

Hey @Kinkin I'm sorry to hear about the accident. I've been in two the last few years which I caused, my most recent one was only a couple months ago. I really struggle with that sense of being 'stupid' for doing something like that. In both accidents I've been quite emotionally drained (funnily enough both happened when I was writing psych reports I didn't know how to write...) so I've planned not to drive anymore when my mental health is bad. I've also had to remind myself that literally everyone gets into accidents. That's why they're called 'accidents'!   Hope everyone is doing okay! ... View more

@Andrea-RO Omg in class mental health support?! I'm in love with that idea too   Someone else was talking about getting a job as a peer support worker on another thread. This week has been very eye opening for my career prospects  I'm so excited to one day be in the field! ... View more

@KPaterson1997 Welcome to yoga! I remember when I 'rediscovered' it a couple of years ago when I was in a bad depressive phase. I actually left the class and got home and started crying and freaked out my poor mum  What part of yoga do you like the most? Strength, stretching?   @VirginiaWH Yoga at home is good but I also think classes are great for accountability and staying safe  I'm glad the breathing practice has been something that has helped you, I use it a lot too in my daily life. ... View more

@mrmusic As another bipolar person I'm so excited to have a listen to this when I get the chance!  ... View more

@MemphisBelle @Love_elmo77 These aren't silly questions at all so don't feel like they are! I understand how it feels to love things which seem to be geared towards a different demographic to me now. But I wanted to add... adults our age and even older are the content creators for all of these wonderful things we've enjoyed maybe from our childhood to now! What would happen to the world if we didn't have people like the creator of Pokemon or Disney Pixar who refused to listen if people said their interests weren't 'adult' enough? I heard a saying which is 'grow old, not up' and that's the way I try and live my life ... View more

@Saltwaterdreamtime Am I allowed to pretend this is unironic and try and figure out how it could happen??   Great idea @Hello_There! Honestly, I LOVE the year in review on Spotify! It kind of makes me proud of my niche music taste to see it being written down somewhere, somehow!   Alright everyone, let me know if anyone recognises any of these artists  The best gift I received this year was a high quality audio driver which means I can completely jam out and drown my ears with bass!   Top 5 Artists Jason Ross (I was in the top 0.05% of their listeners  ) ILLENIUM RUNN Seven Lions Galantis Top 5 Songs Letting Go- Jason Ross (ft Runn) Long Way Home- Tritonal, HALIENE, SCHALA, Jorza Mellow (Calvo Remix)- Showtek, Technoboy, Tuneboy, CALVO When the Night Falls (ft Fiora)- Jason Ross ...Spring Rain (Rain for deep sleep  ) Need to sleep somehow right?   Minutes Listened 42 224   Top Genre EDM    Was anyone else confused about some of their top hits? Let us know!   ... View more

Hi @Clementine75 I hope you're doing okay. I agree with what everyone else is saying, and as someone who also likes to think things through I relate to the idea of feeling anxious when I'm unprepared, especially when it turns into a confrontation when you don't know! I see your mum has tried to compromise maybe about not asking? Is there a way you two could possibly work together to make a list early before events so that you have time to think about it and will have answers written down somewhere or planned ahead? ... View more

@ayrc_1904 Yes a puppy, a little Italian Greyhound  He is so full of energy and clingy omg. I let him in my bed once and now he's in my bed every single night, it's a good thing he doesn't take up much space  Apparently that's a classic breed thing though.   Omg my exams were exactly the same! I was lucky enough to have my special provisions extended and I spent my time (since they were online) trying to find the answers I didn't know somewhere or another. I have no idea how I'll do in two if I'm honest. And I ended up finding out that the new lecturer who was from my friend's uni actual gave them the same factual scenario in our exam  if only I'd asked him for notes. I had another exam which was multiple choice but a lot of the questions seemed subjective? Only time will tell!   That sounds amazing! Are these some new years resolutions?  What kind of organisation are you looking for? And I hope your P's test goes well! Let me know if you want any tips.   Hmm I'm pretty busy! I got elected as President of the Writer's society at my university! Which is going to be a lot of rebuilding work. I've taken on some volunteer work which involves public speaking and storytelling and despite my work I actually haven't written a speech myself since first year uni! Also I'm doing a summer unit and was really stressed it would ruin my December but all of the practical stuff is due in January so I just need to do all my prep work All of my friends are born in October to December too so I've been busy working on presents. Other than that, eating too much and trying to get back into exercise  So I guess the question comes now: do you struggle with the holidays and feeling overwhelmed because there's no guidelines and nothing to do? I feel like I struggle more in the holiday season than during semester with my anxiety sometimes!    I also feel obliged to complain about work, last week on Friday, Saturday and Sunday I had four students I had never met before come in and ask for help for assignments due THIS WEEK. Two of them had done no prep! Never in my years have I had this happen all at once at this scale   ... View more

@viktory That's awesome! You sound like you've got a lot of talents  Maybe you could consider comic writing! ... View more

@jlw13 Yeah it was pretty good! If I had more space and lived in the right place I might have done an ALS placement. But go for it! I want to do it for relationship counselling too.   @A_Friend What course?? It's so nice to hear that you're finding your purpose  ... View more

@lemurien I was going to go to Ottawa, that's awesome you lived there! Whereabouts? Yeah, it's all been a bit of a mess, but one pro of it all is I've been able to start saving to move out sometime  which is combined with the disappointment of my degree taking longer than I expected, but hey, can't do much about that. I got an Italian Greyhound! They're like greyhounds but a quarter of the size and super clingy  but also fast! His name is Valentino    ... View more

@Andrea-RO Thanks! It's all about finding out if the job I want actually exists and more importantly if I could get paid for it  ... View more

I'm glad to hear it! Another thing someone recommended to me recently was SAE which is another place with a lot of creative degrees but I feel like that might be more on the art/technical side. Who knows!    Haha just look up the places in advance is my advice! The national parks website usually tells you about different places and what amenities and local walks or areas they have. You could always start somewhere where there's a town nearby in case you forget something  Park BBQ's are also a good option if you don't want to bring your own grill. Waterproof lights and portable chargers etc. also. I think it's one of those things where it's a trek the first time and then you get the hang of it once you have everything  Oh, and an inflatable mattress is a lifesaver! ... View more

@Lost_Space_Explorer5 @MB95 Love this idea so subscribing myself to this thread for when I have to complain about doing summer subjects      Some fun tips for studying:  - I listen to videogame soundtrack music when I'm studying! Particularly something fantasy-based like Skyrim which has a lot of ambient natural sounds. It's made to be supplemental to you focusing on something so it works really well for me!  - I've also read that having your Word doc have a yellow or green page rather than white can help with eye strain  - Drink water! I always drink so much more water when I have a glass next to me.   ... View more