Is it right for me, and do i have a chance?

[will bullen]

Hi there, Im currently a student in my second year at Uni studying something ive lost interest in. I've always had a lot of interest in the navy, and vessels in general.

I want to know if it would be right for me, will i enjoy a career at sea? Im scared that being away from home will be too much for me, or that the education phase might make me lose interest. I also only have a C in GCSE maths and English.

Would anyone be willing to share some of their experience or advice on the matter? Should i try finish University first?

Thanks much, Will Bullen

[mikeodude]

clyde marine may take you on. You may find it tought to get on with the C in maths.
good luck

[penfold]

What are you studying?

[GuinnessMan]

clyde marine may take you on. You may find it tought to get on with the C in maths.
good luck

A "C" in maths will suffice as you will receive maths lessons at whatever college you go to. It is a part of the course and if you are struggling with it then Student services will help arrange some extra help for you. They are not there to make you fail, however, due to influx of people who simply can't hack the academics of the course a lot of companies have raised their admissions criteria.

In answer to the OP's question, we basically can't answer that. We don't know if you will enjoy it, we don't know if it will be right for you. We don't know you or anything about you really. To put it mildly, if you can't stand being away from home, then you won't make it to the end of 1st phase as companies try to place you in a college well away from your own area to try and get you used to being away. I know Maersk do this. So come on, man up a little bit old bean.....

Now as you have said, you have lost interest in your current course. This will not help you so if you do get called for interview I certainly wouldn't mention that as it will bring on the next question of "what if you lose interest here?". At the end of the day you are an investment for a company, so if you do drop out because you "lost interest" then the consequences will be a lot higher than that of University. Why exactly did you go to study your original subject if you've lost interest this quickly?

You have to remember that this isn't just a paid course or a job, for some it is a way of life and not all take to it. Something like 1/3 drop out throughout the three years. I saw it in my college. We lost about 6 from my class alone throughout the three years. Those that couldn't take it, those that failed a D&A test and those that simply couldn't be arsed.

I highly suggest you look at www.careersatsea.org and have a good long think about this. If you're unsure about joining and don't think you can do it, then my advice would be don't join at all. You'll only waste your time, possibly quite a bit of your own money and deprive someone else of a place that could be put to better use. If you are looking at this simply because you don't know what to do with yourself, then don't bother joining.

[size4riggerboots]

A career at sea can be great, it can also be rubbish. It depends on many factors, the attitude you go in with, the ships you find yourself on, the crews you work with, the places you go. If you go in with an attitude that you're here to learn, you don't mind the **** jobs, you are willing to push yourself forward and prove yourself in order to be given greater responsibility, then you'll probably be alright. If you go in thinking that it'll be easy, you'll make a mint as soon as you've got your ticket, that people should respect you cos you're british/have seen a bit of life/are doing a foundation degree/are cleverer than the monkeys that work on deck.... then you probably won't last. GuinnessMan is a weeny bit cynical IMHO, but, he makes a good point. Asking us whether you'll like the MN is like asking whether you'll like a food you've never tried. Some of us love it, our peers who don't have generally fallen by the wayside. I'm a couple of months away from qualifying and my drive and focus on getting that CoC has not diminished one bit since the day I joined. However, out of the 12 of us that started the course, only 7 are back for this phase.

Ask yourself this..

Do I get seasick?

More importantly, If I get seasick, can I deal with it and get on with the job anyway?

Do I mind being away from my family/friends/girl/boyfriend for 6 months at a time? (with very little leave in the first three years, you're a cadet, so don't expect months of leave. A few weeks, possibly, but don't hold your breath)

Do I have the ability to get on with/deal with and accept a WIDE variety of cultures, personalities and religious views?

Can I deal with being without alcohol for a long time, but go on the lash as soon as I hit land without throwing up after two drinks?

Can I deal with boredom?

Can I deal with repetitive tasks?

Can I do a job I've been shown how to do once before and not screw it up?

Do I have the ability to take charge of a group of people?

Can I get on with study work with a deadline that's months away and no-one standing over me?

That's a few I can think of right now, as a taster. If you say yes to most of them, then go for it. Leadership is a skill that can be learnt, getting on with work on your own likewise, it all depends on how you approach things. If you want it, go for it, if you think it might be an easy option, maybe not.

[will bullen]

Hi there, Thanks for the replies!

Sorry i should have explained a little better. I'm studying Video Games Design which has been a hobby of mine for years prior to Uni, now i don't want to come across as big headed or a smart ass but since i taught myself for years, the first year of Uni i didn't learn a thing as they were teaching us as if we'd never used a computer before. This year (second) doesn't look much better, the area of games design i want to get into, isn't even covered by the course and its a position most people train themselves to do. I love the subject, but the course is sending me in directions i don't want and I'm just not suited to.

I've also been put off by the fact if i do end up in a games design career, ill be stuck in front of a computer day in day out. I want to have more of an active life, I've looked into joining the Territorial Army which still interests me. I'm having to make some very difficult decision here, I'm 20 years old which i know isn't that old, but if i see this course to the end, ill be 23, and if i don't like the career and actually go into the merchant navy, that's another 3-4 years so i could be 30 by the time i know what i'll do with my life.

As for my original questions :

I want to know if it would be right for me, will i enjoy a career at sea? Im scared that being away from home will be too much for me, or that the education phase might make me lose interest.

I think i was looking for personal thoughts and feelings from others. So if anyone else could share their's, that'd be great.

Cheers

[GuinnessMan]

GuinnessMan is a weeny bit cynical IMHO, but, he makes a good point.

Cynical Moi?

Maybe just a little, but hey, at least your one who hasn't asked about sodding cruise ships yet!

You also have to remember that no one here is a marine recruiter and all you are getting is our personal opinions and observations. You should also remember that this being a public forum all the recruiting agencies do poke their head in from time to time and you have used your real name and it is a fairly unusual one, one that they may remember. Lots of people apply for a career in this industry and some agencies don't need much of an excuse to reject you, so I would consider changing your nickname.

As I said, think very hard about this as this is not a career one can easily jump into. It's a big change and a big shift away from what most would consider "normal" and if you don't believe for 100% that you can do this and see it right through to the very end then don't do it. Life on ship is hard for some as you are away for up to 6 months at a time, minimal contact with home (emails if you're lucky), with decreasing turn-around times there might not always be a chance to go ashore and if you are incapable of accepting or integrating yourself into a completely foreign culture and in all likelihood do every **** job under the sun (including washing out the sewage tank on occasion) then you will most likely be miserable and hate it.

[penfold]

I'm not enamoured by the fact you started a degree without a clear idea of what was involved and have decided half way through that it's not for you; do you normally approach life-changing decisions with that devil-may-care attitude? That, paraphrased, is a question you will be asked if you apply for a cadetship. Do you have an answer? It doesn't have to be the real one, just a plausible one. I got really fed up with my degree in 3rd year, but I stuck it out because to do otherwise was madness; nobody is going to be impressed by someone who's spent a vast amount of money and 3-4 years at uni with nowt to show for it. Apologies for bluntness, but I'm just in from the pub; truth tellin' time.

[will bullen]

I researched the course at the Uni a lot, found out what was involved and was told what was involved. There are certain modules where my favored subject IS covered, but not to the extent of others. Other area's of game development that are being covered could be getting in the way of valuable time I could be spending learning more about my area. The main reason I would want to stop now is what I have stated before, there's not enough teaching on what I would like to do, generally in game development each member of the team is recruited for a specific role they specialize in, the same with most businesses. I'm not just some dosser that thought 'i want to make games', its been a hobby of mine for years, and will still continue it even if i do end up leaving Uni. I'm only just a quarter of the way through, sure stopping now would be a bummer, but if it means having a more rewarding and challenging life then so be it. Please understand that I have come here under a lot of pressure, looking to gain more knowledge of what path I want to take in life.

I understand that a career in the merchant navy COULD suck, but life doesn't come without difficult decisions and chances.

You should also remember that this being a public forum all the recruiting agencies do poke their head in from time to time and you have used your real name and it is a fairly unusual one, one that they may remember. Lots of people apply for a career in this industry and some agencies don't need much of an excuse to reject you, so I would consider changing your nickname.

Let them see it, I don't mind others seeing I am taking my future into consideration.

Thank you for any more responses.

[penfold]

If your abilities are that far ahead of the level of tuition, have you asked about the possibility of skipping modules or even a whole year? There will be reluctance to make special provision just for one student as it's probably an admin nightmare, but it does happen. If you are finding the work easy doing two years courses in 9 months is not impossible, especially if it's modular. You still have to do the dull pedestrian stick stuff, but this way you get the carrots of graduating early and getting onto work/learning that challenges. If you don't ask you won't get.

There's also a point that routine, boredom and drudge is part and parcel of being a seafarer; it isn't all excitement and really wild things. Ask any qualified deckie about ISPS, SMS and the associated paperwork mountain and likely their eyes will roll you hear complaints about how they didn't go to sea to become a secretary! To be a successful seafarer you need to be able to cope with a level of tedium.

A slightly leftfield suggestion; the army are making surprising use of people with flair for software tinkering, have you looked at becoming a regular rather than TA? There's also Qinetiq who work with the MoD and forces; game-based training is the future as far as they're concerned(it's a lot cheaper to blow stuff up virtually and you don't get cold and wet in a simulator), although they would really want you with a degree.

[will bullen]

I'll look into skipping modules, but if they gave me the opportunity to work on multiple modules at the same time, i think i'd go for that. As for the army, i was approached last year asking if i'd like to join the TA whilst continuing as a student, they are much more flexible with students. I gave it a lot of thought but at that point i hadn't even settled into uni yet, it was only the first week so i thought if i were to join my second year would be more suitable. But if i were to join, as TA or regular, i wouldn't want to be anywhere near a computer!

Cheers for the advice.

[GuinnessMan]

If your abilities are that far ahead of the level of tuition, have you asked about the possibility of skipping modules or even a whole year? There will be reluctance to make special provision just for one student as it's probably an admin nightmare, but it does happen. If you are finding the work easy doing two years courses in 9 months is not impossible, especially if it's modular. You still have to do the dull pedestrian stick stuff, but this way you get the carrots of graduating early and getting onto work/learning that challenges. If you don't ask you won't get.

There's also a point that routine, boredom and drudge is part and parcel of being a seafarer; it isn't all excitement and really wild things. Ask any qualified deckie about ISPS, SMS and the associated paperwork mountain and likely their eyes will roll you hear complaints about how they didn't go to sea to become a secretary! To be a successful seafarer you need to be able to cope with a level of tedium.

A slightly leftfield suggestion; the army are making surprising use of people with flair for software tinkering, have you looked at becoming a regular rather than TA? There's also Qinetiq who work with the MoD and forces; game-based training is the future as far as they're concerned(it's a lot cheaper to blow stuff up virtually and you don't get cold and wet in a simulator), although they would really want you with a degree.

It's not just the deckies who have to deal with the ISPS and SMS. They affect all on board, the SMS even more so in the Engine Room as there are more permits and Risk assessments for us than there are for the deckies (i've just completed the comprehensive revision of my companies SMS a few months back).

[The H]

If you have considered the TA and the MN then have you considered the RN? This combines the excitement and camaraderie of the military with being at sea.

[ETwhat?]

Its interesting that you want a more 'active' job and that you liken the Ta to the MN, which role would you go for and how do you think that it would be physical? theres certainly a huge amount of looking at computers and doing what it tells you to then when youve done the work coming back to the computer and filling it all in. If your in the engineering side your not going to see a huge amount of day light and even the deckies dont get much fresh air.

[AlternativeNavs]

"QM would you mind opening the bridge wing doors while I fetch my sunglasses", ........ "Ah thats better!" :-D