Hello, thank you for taking the time to come back and check out my second entry about being N.E.E.T in Cambridge. I left you all on a cliff-hanger when I had just received a call from a woman named Paula. So without further ado – let’s dive back in!

Confidence is tricky; particularly when other people are doing you down, you have low self-esteem or haven’t formed a very high opinion of yourself.

I never had enough confidence as a child, and this bred a shy girl, always hidden within a shell to protect myself from the criticism and opinions of others, wilting in the shadow of social and parental expectation. If your experiences are similar to mine, then I would like to tell you about the wonder that just having confidence can bring.

Thank you for reading this blog about myself. I’m hoping to explain to you and everyone else who chooses to read this, how I became N.E.E.T and how my life is now getting back on track.

I will be splitting this into different entries. Thanks once again and read on!

In the past few months there has been a post circulating the internet talking about the rules they never teach you in school. I came across it, and even though it’s very directly put, I wanted to post it here.

As a young person you might think that it’s all rubbish, but these are life lessons I had to learn on my own, and I’m sure this is true for many people. I think if someone said these words to me at the age of 17 it would’ve made a big difference not just in my career, but also in my personal life. It would’ve saved me a lot of heartache and trouble along the way.  

The thought of being locked out of one’s home and having nowhere to go is pretty scary. It’s even worse during all the cold weather we’ve been having.

People find it easy to ignore those who sleep rough on the streets, touting the passers-by for spare change. Often they think these people are responsible for their situation or if they are given money they will just abuse it, spending it on drugs or alcohol rather than food and shelter.

What are the effects of peer pressure?

In some cases, peer pressure can be positive. For example, you might be encouraged by your friends to watch a certain TV programme or listen to a particular band. The effect of this is harmless. However, peer pressure can sometimes have a negative effect that is dangerous or harmful. Some people may be influenced by their friends to do something that they don’t want to do in order to fit in. Or they may influence others to act in a certain way because they want to feel better about themselves.

Feeling like you’re stuck is definitely not a unique problem, whether you’ve grown up with very little or come from a middle class working family, many people get to a point where they feel stuck in a situation and can’t see a way out. Learning how to deal with the feeling of being stuck is perhaps one of life’s most important lessons because if you know how to deal with this, no matter at what point in your life, you’ll be able to get “un-stuck”.

It’s good to have a rough idea of what money you can earn or are entitled to when looking for a job. Starting a course or apprenticeship can be expensive, transport in particular. It’s great to aim for the sky and it’s fine if you want to earn lots of money but you also need to be realistic about salaries and what to expect when looking for work or entering training.

Let’s face it, you are going to need a job at some point! There is only so far that living on benefits can get you, and having a steady career is a sure fire way to success and happiness in other aspects of your future.

The festive period has been a time to eat too much, drink too much and spend far too much time watching TV!

However, if you are feeling overwhelmed by the January blues and cursing that newly-formed post-Christmas belly, then never fear, for we have a number of solutions that will get you in shape in no time.

In October of this year, the country was shocked by allegations made against Sir Jimmy Saville, the late BBC TV and radio presenter, as police pursued 120 leads of sexual abuse that were made against him. The abuse spanned decades and involved more than 50 potential victims, from Stoke Mandeville Hospital where Saville volunteered, to the BBC’s Corporation House.

Why should you budget?

Whether you are living with parents or in your own housing, it is important to learn how to budget in order to keep on top of finances. It is one thing that all adults must learn to do, some of you may already be doing it. It is particularly important if you already have to look after someone else, such as a baby.

Although the legal age to purchase alcohol is 18, statistics show that few young people wait that long to start drinking. By the age of 15, 80 per cent have already tried alcohol, so perhaps you have started drinking too.

What do these successful people have in common other than being well known?  Beethoven, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, Christopher Reeve (Superman), David Blunkett and Admiral Lord Nelson....they all are/were disabled.

When it comes to choices about what career to follow, this can often be a difficult thing to do. The decisions we make when we are 16 and 17 years old can affect the rest of our lives, so it is important to think long and hard about the type of work you might enjoy and what steps you are going to take to get there.