There are 7 Awards open to public nomination, and 6 of those include $1,000 prize money for the winners to put back into the projects at this year’s Unleashed Awards!

The Unleashed Awards is FYA’s annual celebration of the initiatives that make a difference to our world and the young people that lead them. They’re Australia’s premier social change awards for young people. You can find out more about the categories here.

The nominations for 2017 have now closed but you haven’t missed your chance to get involved! You’re invited to join us for for a night of music, awards, and multiple high-fives. Check out the event details here.

We’ve had a people asking: “I’m involved in a project that benefits the community, but I’m not totally sure it’s what you’re looking for, is it worth nominating them?” The answer is a resounding IT ALMOST CERTAINLY IS!

To get your brains ticking here are 6 example projects off the top of our domes that could possibly bring home the bacon.

1: An app that tells consumers which eggs at the supermarket are the most socially conscious to purchase

Does anyone else have a very large amount of trouble figuring out which egg companies treat their chickens the best? There’s free range, cage free, barn laid and oh so many more. Also how many hens should there be per hectare of space? It’s a bit much for me to be honest. This is a very specific example, but any kind of app that has a social focus would be primo for an Unleashed Award nomination.

2: A program that helps young people find employment

There aren’t many things harder for the average young Australian than finding a rewarding job. If you know someone who likes to help young people put their skills to use in positions they love, I think that’s very worthy of a nomination!

3: A composting program where you collect compostables from local eateries and donate it to communal gardens

Compost! What is it good for?! Lots of things actually, as it turns out. Collecting leftover food from cafes and restaurants near you and creating some nutritious mulch to grow some beautiful botanical treats in your community is a fantastic endeavour that should be rewarded. Hey maybe you’re just doing it in your street.

4: Running a salad bar at your school

Don’t waste good salad.

Sometimes the food selection at the school cafeteria can be slightly sub-par. If you or anyone you know are helping to provide healthy alternatives in the cafeteria, they deserve an Unleashed nomination.

5: Produce a web series where you and your mates discuss health

Maybe you love being on camera, maybe you love discussing mental health and just maybe you love doing them both at the same time. If you’ve ever produced some good stuff for YouTube to help people going through a tough time feel less alone, you deserve recognition. 

6: A free clothes washing service for people experiencing homeless

Ok, so this isn’t the most original idea, but it’s definitely one worthy of some recognition, high fives and seed funding. Maybe you know an organisation that helps provide meals, shelter, clean clothes or safe facilities for people experiencing homelessness.

These are just a few projects that would deserve a nomination. There are literally limitless options out there. Join us as we announce the winners of Unleashed in 2017, and congratulate them on getting the recognition (and the funding) they deserve! Check out the event details.

The post 6 Killer Projects That Might Net You An Award + $1,000 appeared first on FYA.

The possibilities are endless.

And what do you do if you’re finishing school and you feel like you’ve made a mistake? Maybe you thought you were setting yourself up for an Engineering degree so you did all the subjects to get there. But one year out of school and it turns out you really want to do a carpentry apprenticeship. What do you do then?

We have some ideas. But we want to hear from you first. You see, we’re keen to find out what makes high school students choose VET subjects (that is, vocational education and training — the subjects you can take and work towards a certification from a registered training organisation at the same time). Things like woodworking, hospitality, and business administration, to name a few.

If you’ve got some wisdom to impart, head on over here to take our survey.

Then pop on back and read on for some of the options we know are out there post-grade 12. Particularly for those of you who are finding that next step a harder decision to make than ketchup or catsup. We feel that. Truth be told,  there are probably more options than you think.

Know university is not for everyone.

Finishing year 12 with stellar grades and then heading off to university is an option, for some. It’s often assumed this is the only pathway, which can put a lot of pressure on when it comes to senior years subject selection.

If you know that’s what you want to do, then go for it.  But remember there are other options like TAFE which can give you the qualifications to work in a particular field. Think things like sound engineering or child care. Plus, you can always go to uni later when you have a better idea of what you want to do.

Take up a VET subject

We mentioned earlier that VET subjects are available at (most) high schools. You can get a TAFE qualification just from doing your school subjects (sort of).

It means you can get hands on experience of the industry and receive credits that go toward your final grade. Most high schools offer vocational courses (which are practical subjects like woodwork, food technology or multimedia) that give you certificate qualifications. Plus, depending on your subject selection, you can still be eligible for a university admission score. Ask your careers counsellor what VET options your school offers.

You could always test out work life.

School isn’t everyone’s favourite style of learning. Perhaps you work best when you are working as you learn. Apprenticeships and traineeships are excellent after school options that allow you to develop trade skills and work experience as you complete your qualifications.

Other options include entry level jobs like reception work, administration and retail which can give you a taste of independence with on the job training and maybe even the chance to rise in the ranks of the organisation.

So, You finish high school and you still don’t know.  

Like many, many young people before you and many after you, it’s normal to feel unsure about what to do next. Did you know, Scandinavian cultures recognise it’s hard to know what to do at such an age, so they encourage young people to take a gap year.

From my experiences studying abroad in Denmark, it was really common for young people to take time out after high school to work, travel and just be young! I went on exchange when I was 21, with only 1 year to go of my media degree, yet most of my classmates were 24 and they were just half way through their studies. My classmates were mature in ways that school can’t teach, they were far more focussed, confident in themselves and had that extra life experience that elevated their school work. It taught me studying doesn’t have to be a race to the finish.

Do what you never had time for.

Have you always had a keen interest in stand up comedy? Go out and join an improv comedy troup. Have you always had an urge to study the night sky, but the school mornings mean you pass out by 9pm- then go out and star gaze. You Neil Degrasse Tyson prodigy!

The time after school is an awesome moment to explore who you are and what you like, go ahead and invest in yourself.

Scared of making a decision?

Decisions aren’t a life sentence! FYA has done a fair bit of research into the world of work.  In the latest New Work order report, we learnt that the days of one-career-for-life are becoming a thing close to extinction. Work life is now about focussing on skills and being open to re-training and ongoing learning. So whether you decide to first study or work or even travel, remember you are learning every day. It’s about applying those lessons to what you do next.

Now over to you. We are super keen to hear about how you decided on your senior school subject selection. Was it all about the pathway to uni, making sure your subjects balanced out your school-based apprenticeship, or was it a VET subjects dream selection?

Tell us by completing our survey.

The post How Did You Choose Your Senior Schooling Subjects? appeared first on FYA.

Late last year we opened up our own coworking space at our head office in Melbourne. It’s an entire floor for young people to work, learn and network. And it’s free for young people who are running an initiative that’s creating social impact.

Many of the young people we meet are juggling study, internships, freelance projects, and often multiple professional positions — and the future of work is going to look pretty similar, with many overlapping and intersecting career paths. As a whole, Australia needs to invest in developing an innovative, creative and enterprising workforce to make way for a changing job market.  So, what could be better than a central location for all of those pursuits?

Networking guru Kingsley Aikins with our CEO Jan Owen AM at one of our Hub speaking events earlier this year

The FYA Hub is a space to learn, work, meet with collaborators, mentors, networks, and mingle with other young changemakers who are in the same boat. It’s also a venue perfect for workshops, presentations, or whatever your mind can conjure. We know it can be tricky to find the cash to secure a space, which is why we won’t charge you a cent to use it. All you need to do is tick a few boxes:

• You are between 18-30 years of age.
• If you’re not within the age range, you’re FYA alumni from a program such as Young.Social Pioneers, or our past programs like NIYLA or FYA in Asia.
• You’re running an initiative that creates positive social impact.
• At the time of your application, your initiative has earnt less than $250,000 (AUD).
• You have a valid Working With Children Check (or are eligible and willing to apply).

The post We Have Our Very Own Coworking Space For Young People Making An Impact appeared first on FYA.

To me, this feels like a silver lining in what has been a tumultuous time in Australian politics to say the least. This jump in the youth vote enrolment numbers is sure to have a huge impact on the next state and federal elections. The last-minute nature of the postal survey announcement also sparked the possibility that 16 and 17 year olds might get to take part in the survey (however this was swiftly clarified and taken off the table). While some people freaked out about the possibility of senior high school students getting the thumbs up to tick a box, I was left wondering, why it is that 16 and 17 year olds don’t get the opportunity to vote if they want to?

While I’ve been pondering why under 18s haven’t been invited to the election day sausage sizzle, one of our own politicians, Pauline Hanson, has been roaming about town recently saying she wants to increase the voting age, because young people “don’t have any idea”. She gives the same reason that a lot of people I’ve asked have given… that young people don’t understand politics.

The same people who hold these views must also believe that some kind of magical Tony Jones-loving fairy visits young people on the eve of their 18th birthdays, so they wake up the next day suuuuper stoked to finally have the power to exercise their democratic rights… after years of being ignored.

Even as a self-confessed older than 18-year-old, I would argue that people under the age of 18 are not, as some believe, inexperienced humans with no vested interest in the way Australian politics play out. Young people are aware enough to know that they’re being left out of conversations that have a massive impact their lives. They know that others get to decide if they should be entitled to penalty rates, how much they should pay to go to university, and whether or not it’s a good idea to build a big old coal mine in the same neighbourhood as the Great Barrier Reef. Others get to decide what our youth justice system looks like, what to do about the fact that 40% of homeless people in Australia are under the age of 25, and how we should go about making this country a safer place for young people of all identities and backgrounds. It’s exhausting to think about the fact that while these issues disproportionately affect young people, a huge number of them aren’t allowed to get a word in until they turn 18.

It’s not all bad news though, while the oldies are arguing about whether or not 16 and 17 year olds are mature enough to vote, young people have been busy creating new ways to be heard and are redefining what it means to take democratic action. Below is a small and incomplete list of some kick-ass youth organisations and initiatives that are amplifying young people’s voices. If you are under 18 and want to find ways to take action on the issues you care about, check them out! Also feel free to show this list to any jerks who tell you that young people don’t care about politics.

• Seed Mob is building a movement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people for climate justice with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Their latest campaign, ‘Land Rights not Mining Rights’ is aimed at protecting and strengthening Native Title Laws.
• Oaktee is one of the largest youth-run organisations in Australia who are leading a movement to end poverty. They raise awareness, build partnerships and advocate for social change through policy development.
• Plan International’s Youth Activist Leaders are a group of passionate young people between 16 and 25 making change in Australia and beyond, with specific attention to gender equality. It is focused on providing youth-led opportunities to make real-world change.
• The National Indigenous Youth Parliament is a leadership program for young Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 to 25 who are interested in learning about Australia’s democracy.

The post How Young Is Too Young To Have A Say On Political Issues?   appeared first on FYA.

There’s social sports teams. But then they’re pretty much always made up of a mish mash of loosely connected mates all brought together under the shared mission to see who will sprain their ankle first. Or won’t sprain it first. I may have misunderstood the brief. Plus that probably counts as an institution anyway. Work is an institution. School, uni, and the residential college I went to are about as institutional as they come. Is the gym an institution? I mean, I never talk to people at the gym but, like, I could. And is the internet an institution? Don’t answer that.

A small part of me wonders if it’s a personality thing. I do have a friend (who I met while studying overseas — institution) who befriends strangers constantly. It’s like she has some kind of magnetic friendly friendship field. Although she feels to me like the exception amongst most people I know. But should she be? What do we miss out on given our social norms mean it’s pretty uncommon to make friends outside of our existing circle or organised activities (you know — work, high school, a once-off macrame course) as a starting point? My guess is loads. And I am not the first or the last person to bring this up, just the one doing it right this second.

Anyway, the whole thing got me thinking about making adult friendships in general. I have moved a lot — to a uni far away from where I grew up, overseas, to different cities, interstate for a job in a smallish city where I didn’t know a soul unless you counted the three people who interviewed me. In a glorious turn of events, one person I knew grew up in that smallish city and set me up with a group of gateway friends who took me in and made my social life there an incredible, heartwarming time. There was even a social sports team in the mix, and I think I only sprained my ankle once. But each time I’ve moved I’m reminded of the largely shared knowledge that it’s hard to make new friends as an adult.

So, in celebration of new friendships and to spark ideas for gaining potential pals if you’re in the market, I asked some of the team to tell me the last time they made a friend and how. Any friend — those met via mutual mates and institutions included. Because you don’t need another list telling you to join online groups, take a course, and strike up a conversation with that person you see every day at your public transport stop. That list already exists.

Name and job at FYA: Sarah Alexander, YLab Design Director

Tell me about the last new friend you made? A Facebook “friend” messaged me saying ‘I haven’t seen you in years, you’re someone I’d like to be actual friends with, come over for dinner’.

How did you meet them? We kept bumping into each other at after work events in the city.

What’s your favourite thing about them? The combo of having no filter + similar senses of humour. I’ve never skipped the small talk / awkward convo part of a new friendship so quickly.

Name and job at FYA: Sam Danby, Content Producer

Tell me about the last new friend you made? My new mate Chelsea. She says good things at work that are relatable to my life! She has a full, but still light, heart which brightens the room.

How did you meet them? She joined another team at work, and sometimes comes gets a nice lunch with me.

What’s your favourite thing about them? She laughs at my dumb (fantastic) jokes and then makes her own for me to laugh at.

Name and job at FYA:  Edward Vong, Legal Coordinator

Tell me about the last new friend you made? I met an international student studying at the University of Melbourne that is visiting from Denmark. We bonded over our love for Eurovision and have been helping each other learn Swedish and French.

How did you meet them? Every now and again I go to this amazing thing called Mundo Lingo where you get to meet new people and exchange languages. It’s like one big social event for language learners and enthusiasts.

What’s your favourite thing about them? How can you not bond with a fellow Eurovision lover?! Aside from that, getting to learn a new language, learning from and laughing about our mistakes together.

The post When Was The Last Time You Made A New Friend? appeared first on FYA.

This is Sophia.

What kind eyes you have Sophia.

A ‘life-like’ humanoid (yes that’s the official term) that can pull faces and address a crowd of (in her words) “wealthy, smart Saudis”, Sophia was designed by US based company Hanson Robotics.

Apparently she’s meant to look like Audrey Hepburn.

…The technology may still have to be further developed.

The designers say they created Sophia to be a social robot, capable of creativity, empathy and compassion like humans but “smarter”. Their idea is that robots like Sophia will work to help solve world problems too complex for us ordinary homo sapiens to do alone.  They vaguely suggest that Sophia wants to protect humanity.  

A cool idea in theory. I mean hey, if this Holly Golightly can solve global warming I say have at it.

But my question is why make Sophia a citizen? Is it right or fair to give a robot an (until now) inherently human right to achieve this goal? It got me thinking, if robots can be citizens now what exactly does being a citizen mean?

As the descendant of two Australian citizens, and having been born an Australian citizen who, to date, hasn’t given any serious thought to pursuing citizenship anywhere, the question of what it means to be a citizen is one I’ll confess I’ve never given the thought it deserves. But I know that for others citizenship is an integral part of their identity; for many more it’s something contentious and citizen participation can be very difficult.

While there are many philosophical debates on its true meaning, for the most part the traditional concept of being a citizen is about holding a legal status which is central to our identities in many ways and ties us to political responsibility (and benefits) of a particular nation. It’s supposed to be what connects us to a geographical territory and political protections.

Being determined a citizen in the traditional manner doesn’t necessarily mean citizens are afforded equal rights though. For example, women in Saudi Arabia, Sophia’s new home, may hold citizen status but are subject to various restrictions and rules which their male counterparts are not.

This definition of citizenship from ye olde internet actually begs more questions than it answers.

So, instead of trying to answer them all myself, I put it to a few different people to find out what citizenship means to them.

What does being a citizen mean to you?

Kelly Im

Perhaps I am being cynical but I feel that, in an increasingly mobile world, citizenship doesn’t always seem to align with how individuals live their day to day lives. For instance, I am a New Zealand citizen, but it has been 6 years since I actually lived there. I keep up with the politics around election time and my New Zealand friends hound me to ensure I vote. My New Zealand friends now residing in New York proudly proclaim they have voted when they haven’t stepped foot in the land of the long white cloud since who knows when and have no plan to return.

I wonder whether it is worth voting when it’s been so long since I lived in the country and I don’t intend to live there for the foreseeable future. At this point, do I truly merit the status of citizenship, influencing the fortunes of citizens who actually inhabit the country?

Harry Dolenc

As an Australian-born child of two Australian-born parents, my citizenship is something that has never felt especially challenged. Through primary school, all of my friends were also born Aussie citizens and so it wasn’t until I came into contact with people who wanted citizenship of their own, that I became aware that it might also be a privilege. Although citizenship does seem an outdated concept, I imagine to be granted citizenship makes it easier to find comfort in calling a country home.

Along with the liberty to work and vote freely in Australia, there is a comfort in being able to identify with the wider population.

Rachel Mutch

I was born and grew up in Scotland but I’ve now lived in Melbourne for over eight years and I recently became an Australian citizen.

For me, becoming a citizen was the next logical step after being on a working visa for years, then becoming a permanent resident. Citizenship offered me more security, stability and permanence as I built my life in Australia. I feel lucky that, for me, it was a simple and relatively easy process. It’s not that easy for everyone. I also feel privileged that I can be a dual citizen which, again, is not something that not everyone is afforded.

Being a citizen means I now have the right to vote. This means a lot to me as it allows me to have a say on the things that impact me, my friends, and my family living here. Before becoming a citizen, I was a bystander in the country that I had lived in for 8 years, but now I have the ability to participate.  

Do I feel I identify as an Australian after becoming a citizen? Honestly, I still feel more connected to my home country of Scotland in terms of culture and identity than Australia and becoming a citizen hasn’t changed that. My connection to Scotland is obviously more than a geographical or political one. I’m tied by family, friends and memories. While I don’t have the same connection with Australia yet, I do feel very lucky to be a citizen here and expect that my connection will only grow.

The post What Does It Mean To Be A Citizen In 2017? appeared first on FYA.

We had a group of year 10 students in the FYA office recently for a week of work inspiration. We sat them down and asked them to tell us what subjects they chose and why. Because sometimes hearing why other people made their choices can ease the pain of indecision or make you feel less alone!

— — —

Mae

What are the subjects you have chosen?

Philosophy, 20th Century History, Further Maths, Psychology, Literature, International and Australian Politics  

How sure are you about the subjects you have chosen?

I am probably going to change all of them at course confirmation because I am very indecisive, I also like science but I have only chosen one science so I really have no idea.

Who or what influenced decision-making for your subjects?

My school and teachers. Every teacher tells you to do different subjects and it is very confusing.

Do the subjects you have chosen line up with the job you want in the future?

I have no idea what I want to do with my life; I feel like what I want now compared to what I will want in 2 years is probably different.

Are you looking forward to the next 2 years?

Who doesn’t love constant stress? (Everyone) I am sort of looking forward to some of the subjects that I picked, but I think that it will be too stressful for anyone to completely enjoy a class.

Do you have any advice to other or future Year 10 students choosing their subjects?

ATAR (Editor’s note: an ATAR is an Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking, similar to an OP for those of you in Queensland) is mattering less and less to Universities so obviously work hard, but if you don’t get the required mark, there are other ways you can get into a course if you want to go to university.Try and choose electives in year 9 and 10 that are diverse so you can develop an interest (or hatred) for a subject, so when it comes time to choose you choose subjects you enjoy.

— — —

Io

What are the subjects you have chosen?

The school I am attending for years 11 & 12 has a set structure of what subjects you have to do, so I have to do: English, Math Methods, Specialist Maths, Chemistry, Physics, and Extended Investigations. (whyyyyyy?)

How sure are you about the subjects you have chosen?

Not sure because I’m not good at maths or science. I really don’t know how I got into my school. *sigh*

Who or what influenced decision-making for your subjects?

My school. I tried to change one of my subjects to Geography but… no. My parents didn’t really do anything.

Do the subjects you have chosen line up with the job you want in the future?

We’re 15 (and 16). Yet, so many people ask us whether we know what we want to be in the future. Like, no, I really don’t know what I want to do for the next 50 or so years of my life.

Are you looking forward to the next 2 years?

Yes, definitely! I love moving schools (the school I’m attending next year will be my 7th) and meeting new people. For the work…not as excited. I’m sooooo lazy. And who wants to study instead of binge watching TV shows?

Do you have any advice to other or future Year 10 students choosing their subjects?

You don’t have to stress as much as you probably are right now. You probably do have to take it seriously and try to find the subjects right for you and your future but, in reality, in the following year if you don’t like or suck at a subject, you can switch or drop it. And you have so much time! So use it wisely. You have TWO years. 730 days. 17520 hours. Of thinking, exploring and experiencing things. And after those two years, you still have your whole life to find your future. So don’t stress.

— — —

An

What are the subjects you have chosen?

Maths Methods, Specialist Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Business Management, EAL (English as an additional language) and Vietnamese.

How sure are you about the subjects you have chosen?

Not really sure about having 2 sciences in my list. I chose Physics randomly (ha ha) and will drop that in Year 12. Or I may screw Spec and end up dropping that. Or I will drop Business. Who knows

Who or what influenced decision-making for your subjects?

Mostly my school and friends. My family didn’t really tell me what to do. I did try most subjects in Year 10. It was really helpful for me when it came time to chose my subjects. The prerequisites of the course, ATAR and scaling have a huge impact on the list too. I didn’t chose any arts as it can dramatically impact my ATAR even though I like art.

Do the subjects you have chosen line up with the job you want in the future?

I don’t know what exactly what I want to do. So I tried to cover as much as I can to make sure that I will satisfy all the requirements from the course.

Are you looking forward to the next 2 years?

Yes! It will be extremely exciting as you will have so much more good memories and experience. However, to balance a healthy life with studying, friends, hobby, and works will be a big issue.

Do you have any advice to other or future Year 10 students choosing their subjects?

Try new subjects and see how you go with that. It is not easy to change and follow your desire when you get to VCE (Editor’s note: VCE is a Victorian Certificate of Education, which is what these students receive at the end of high school. If you’re in another state or territory you can check out what it’s equivalent to here). Consider every option and think about how your path will be if you do that. Setting goals and time to achieve them. Grit and strong determination are what you need.

— — —

Brian

What are the subjects you have chosen?

Asian Five (extremely fun): Computing, Methods, Specialist, Chemistry, Physics and English

How sure are you about the subjects you have chosen?

Fairly sure about Computing and Methods but the rest I’m fairly unsure about until I actually study them.

Who or what influenced decision-making for your subjects?

My family tries to influence me but in the end it’s just myself. I feel like I can get a good ATAR with whatever subjects, just some are maybe harder, so I just do what I feel like.

Do the subjects you have chosen line up with the job you want in the future?

Pretty much I guess. I mean I kinda know what I want but I’m still open to anything that’s interesting. Maybe in some years there would be a different interesting career that doesn’t exist now, so who knows?

Are you looking forward to the next two years?

Depends on what is implied by ‘looking forward’. The studying will be intense, so all I think is I’m probably looking forward to some good subjects and teachers.

Do you have any advice to other or future Year 10 students choosing their VCE subjects?

Have loads of fun. JK just choose what you want. I know it’s an outdated advice but VCE is not your final test and your ATAR doesn’t affect you for that long. If you want a specific uni course, take subjects related to it I guess, but get at least one where it’s a little more practical and fun. There’s lots of solutions to any problem, so don’t stress too much about not meeting the requirements of a uni course.

Also if you’re in year 10 take the time to choose a few different subjects to get an idea of what you might want to do in year 11. Don’t overthink or stress it.

The post 4 Students Tell Us How They Chose Their Year 11 & 12 Subjects appeared first on FYA.

For me it means an intense season of mango and lychee consumption; the allocation of at least one full day for my Mum and I to decorate gingerbread exclusively (we’re going for a house this year, team. So long gingerbread shapes!); and an insatiable desire to watch movies I’ve already seen a bunch of times—usually one where New York City plays the best supporting actress role (looking at you, Serendipity) or one that follows an ensemble cast of (mostly) Brits as they’re overcome with the need to tell the truth through varying declarations of love before 25 December rolls around. It’s a very fun month, actually.

It also, inevitably, means I spend some time reflecting on the year that’s past, acknowledging some of the great things that happened, and wondering who on earth I’ll be by next December.

We’ve been doing the same thing at FYA. We’ve realised just how much we crammed into a year and how many great stories we had the chance to share from our community and with our community. We thought we’d share the articles you loved the most this year in case you’re like me and you too love to revisit the hits.

Okay, let’s countdown the top 10 most read articles we published this year. Here we go:

10. Want Your Say On Marriage Equality? You Need To Enrol To Vote Quick Smart

Remember when the postal survey was announced and we all had to update our electoral roll details stat? Same.

Read if: you want to relive the greatest hits of a majority YES vote.

9. How To Raise An Issue In The Workplace, According To An HR Professional

Our People & Culture team put together some tips for speaking up when things don’t feel right at work.

Read if: you’re young and you work. We learnt earlier this year that, while 16% of the workforce is young people, 25% of the calls for help the Fair Work Ombudsman receive are from young people. You do the math.

8. 7 Reasons Why Even Thinking About Brenna Harding Fills My Heart With Pure, Unbridled Ecstasy.

FYA’s Content Producer Sam Danby pens an ode to the MVP of the Network Ten series Puberty Blues.

Read if: you like young Australians doing good things (of course you do).

7. A Complete List Of The 2017 Young Social Pioneers Participants

We welcomed 60 people into the 2017 cohort of our social entrepreneurship incubator. And what a good time it was.

Read if: you want to hear about great initiatives that respond to some of society’s most pressing issues.

6. 4 Secrets Every Teen Keeps From Their Parents

A coming of age tale from a group of smart and/or cool Work Inspiration students who hung out with us for a week earlier this year.

Read if: you want to know the secrets. Not, like, the Oprah Secret. The ones teens keep from their parents.

5. Making Things That Are Pretty Can Help You Learn. Here’s Why.

Turns out colour-coding your notes and getting creative can actually help you remember all that info. And it looks great in the process. Digital Coordinator and lover of organised spaces Lucy Waddington introduced us all to the phenomenon of Studyblrs.

Read if: you want validation for your very specific highlighter protocol used when studying for exams.

4. 7 Social Media Accounts You Should Follow To Expand Your Worldview

7 people doing great things who can take your Instagram feed to the next level.

Read if: you think your digital world needs a refresh.

3. Why Does The Future Look Bleak For So Many Young Australians?

Mental health and wellbeing was brought up a lot in 2017. Not that it hasn’t been a mega important issue in other years, it just seems the data was reminding us over and over this year. The Deloitte Millennial Survey was released and it highlighted some of the biggest issues worrying young people today.

Read if: you want to know what young Australians are concerned about and the areas we’re excelling at.

2. High School Students: Now’s Your Chance To Be On The Q&A Panel

Not once, but twice this year high school students specifically got the call out to impress the Q&A producers with an audition vid for their chance to be on the show. It was great.

Read if: you want to be ready, willing, and able to audition the next time there’s a slot for young peeps to pull up a chair next to Tony Jones.

1. How To Nail The Key Selection Criteria In Your Job Application

Who knew so many young Australian were on the hunt for jobs? Oh.. wait.. we did (ahem see: our research showing nearly 1 in 3 young Australians being un- or under-employed and also our findings on it taking 4.7 years for young people to transition from full-time work to full-time employment). This did indeed come in at number 1 for our most read article published in 2017, with almost 3 times the visits of the Q&A article above. Young people really want jobs. Who knew?

Read if: you’re applying for a job which requires you to address key selection criteria. No other reasons to read this, tbqh.

The post Best of 2017: Our Top 10 Most Popular Stories appeared first on FYA.

We compiled a list of the 10 most watched videos we shared this year. And we’ve decided to share it with you so we can all relive the hits together.

10 Educating Young Workers Ep 2 | 4 Warning Signs

Young people represent 16% of the workforce, yet 25% of the calls for help the Fair Work Ombudsman receive are from young people. Young people are disproportionately exploited in the workplace and we wanted to do something about it. We partnered with the Fair Work Ombudsman to help bring the facts to the people. Episode 2 tells us all about red flags to watch out for when it comes to your rights at work.

Watch if: you work or plan to work at some point in your life.

9 This Robot Can Be Controlled By People With Disabilities

Aubot are on a mission to bring robots into the world to help us with our everyday lives. We shared this video about their second robot iteration Jeva, a robotic arm for people with a disability, which can be controlled with the power of thoughts!

Watch if: you’re not opposed to happy crying.

8 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, Paige Burton, Delivers A Statement About The Year

Australia’s United Nations (UN) Youth Rep Paige Burton spent the last year travelling hundreds of thousands of kilometres across the country and talking to young people about what they wish politicians knew about them when making policy. Then she packaged all that info up and presented it in this speech to the UN 3rd Committee. We helped get the good word out by sharing Paige’s video.

Watch if: you feel like politicians don’t quite get where you’re at.

7 Some Uni Students Are Paying Strangers On Airtasker To Do Their Assignments

We created this vid in early February when it came out that a university watchdog were investigating claims of uni students paying strangers to do their assignments for them. Cheating or nah?

Watch if: you want more info on new technology enabling things that have probably been happening for some time.

6 Educating Young Workers Ep 1 | Work Myths Busted

Episode 1 of our Educating Young Workers series busted some common myths about workplace rights with some cold hard facts.

Watch if: you’ve ever been unsure about things like whether casual workers are entitled to leave or if you can be paid in cash.

5 Mind The Generation Gap Ep 4 | The YLab Director

Could your parents explain your job? Former Engineer turned Social Entrepreneur, Dhakshy Sooriyakumaran, filled us in on a day in the life of. Then we heard from her parents as they explained what they think Dhakshy gets paid to do. This vid gave us a little more proof that people are smart but jobs are changing and it’s not our fault we don’t know what half our friends do all day! Also proof that we all want to unofficially join the Sooriyakumaran family.  

Watch if: you want to know what an entrepreneur does when they aren’t pitching their ideas on Shark Tank. 

4 Mind The Generation Gap Ep 2 | The Mechanics

The second episode of the series we created to show just how much work has changed between generations. Sure, a mechanic is still a job today, but it’s pretty different day-to-day compared to what it was, say, 50 years ago. We didn’t go back quite that far, but we did find out just how different it is to be a mechanic 28 years apart.

Watch if: you want to know how technology is changing hands-on jobs.

3 This 14-year-old Created A Petition To Save Hospital Visitors $$

A coming of age tale of one 14-year-old who prompted the NSW government to cut hospital parking costs.

Watch if: you love a good news story.

2 Headspace And The National Union Of Students Survey On Mental Health

Mental health was a big topic of 2017. This vid covered the release of survey results that shone a light on the mental health and wellbeing of Australian university students. The results were pretty alarming.

Watch if: you want to know what’s impacting the study of tertiary students across Australia. 

(P.S. Need help? Contact Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 – 24hrs)

1 Mind The Generation Gap Ep 1 | The Enterprise & Changemaking Manager

There’s a lot of change happening in the world of work, y’know? To explore this a little more we had Theatre Production graduate, now Enterprise & Changemaking Manager, Rita Khayat, generously share what on earth she does all day. Then we asked her Mum Feyrouz to tell us what she thinks Rita does at work all day. If you’re wondering why this was the most watched video we published all year, let’s just say Rita’s Mum is all our Mums. Feyrouz for Queen!

Watch if: you haven’t already.

The post Best Of 2017: Here Are The 10 Most Watched Videos appeared first on FYA.

When did it become ‘the norm’ to keep our emotions hidden, to stand and sit in certain ways, to wear expressions on our faces and keep a certain tone of voice? When and why did we allow other people’s acceptance or rejection of us and our differences influence the ways in which we act and simply are in the world?

I notice it in myself when I’m acting or reacting in certain ways because of my environment. My chest tightens, and I notice that I feel as if I am behind a wall. My voice feels muffled. For some reason, I am not able to show up as my whole self. But, I often catch myself wondering — who am I doing this for? Am I altering my behaviour because of how I believe another person is perceiving me? Why does it even matter to me?

Why do I keep changing to fit into boxes I don’t want to be put in?

So many of us place a high value on how others perceive us, but what if we challenged this and ensured we placed the highest value on how we want to be, ourselves?

I feel like a ‘new normal’ would look like showing up as ourselves and working to create a world that is safe enough to do so. First, reflecting and beginning to ask ourselves – what do I do, think or feel that sits weirdly in my body? What doesn’t feel right when I’m doing it? What feels awesome? When I say certain things, am I sincere about the words coming out of my mouth, or do I think someone else wants to hear them? What do I want to say? How do I want to sound? How do I want to be? What happens when I feel like I can’t be myself?

I think we’re often under pressure to perform and be certain ways that are so far removed from who and how we naturally are. The most common example I can think of is when we’re around peer groups, feeling like we must do certain things and perhaps be a certain way around others to fit in, even if it makes us feel uncomfortable. Often, it’s a perceived way of being to ‘fit in’ anyway, so why do I find myself doing it? Or when people tell me I should be something other than what I am, through words or even just their actions, I find myself questioning why I can’t just be myself in the first place? It can be an incredibly difficult thing to unashamedly be who we are amongst others.
Some of my hardest times have been when I’ve realised I’ve been acting or behaving in a certain way and it’s become a daily mask I wear.

There have been times in my life where I have watered parts of my true nature down, in order not to be ‘too much’ or ‘too little’ for others. An example of this, one I still work to overcome as I’m getting older, is speaking up and not fearing the fallout. Knowing that I have something to say, particularly on issues I’m passionate about, and saying it can be really challenging – particularly at a time where the detached nature of social media inflames and polarises people’s differences and creates environments of shame.

What I’ve realised is that I’m always going to be too much or not enough of something for some people and that’s okay. I don’t need to embody the judgements of others. When I do, I become smaller and more dependent on the approval of others in order to exist.

So, what if we all simply existed in the ways we wanted to? What reactions do we see from others? Where is this invisible contract we have all signed, demanding we act, look and behave in certain ways? Who are the people that police these silent contracts? Looking at it in terms of the social contract opens up a whole other realm of discussion, which you can read more about here and here.

But for now, what I do know is as I am getting older, I am realising there are lots of people out there who love me just the way I am. I’ve realised these are the people who affirm me, and are the people I feel the most myself around – you know, when you can be completely yourself and loved for it anyway? I’m looked at with eyes and hearts of curiosity and acceptance. We can still disagree, but be in each other’s space completely as we are and encourage one another to be more of ourselves, not less.

What might the world look like if we all felt safe and free to be who and what we truly are? Quirks and all? I know for me, it feels good to imagine opportunities for difference over conformity. There is a freedom that exists in our ability to be who we are, which also inspires and ignites others to be able to do the same. That’s a world I want to help create and realise for myself, and for others.

The post Let’s Talk About The Things That Stop Us Being Ourselves In Public appeared first on FYA.

Growing up, I would often watch shows and movies with my dad and younger brother — classics like Terminator, Indiana Jones and Seven Samurai — but I started to realise I was sitting in on a bit of a boys club. I ventured off, picked up a remote, started to explore things for myself and found a lot of strong female leads along the way.

So, in celebration of these powerful — albeit fictional — women, I thought I’d share a list of my favourite female heroes at every life stage who have helped me on the way to becoming the person I am today…

Serena, Sailor Moon (Pre-school)

Fiercely loyal to her friends, family and pet cat Luna, Serena was always fighting to protect her nearest and dearest. Every episode always had a theme in which defeating a villain would symbolise overcoming a personal struggle — like learning to stand up for yourself or combatting the pressure to perform in school. It made a huge impact on me to be so young and see a group (yes, Sailor Moon had quite an entourage) of empowered women acting as champions of love and justice for all.

Lisa Simpson, The Simpsons (early Primary School)

Lisa wasn’t ashamed of being an overachiever. Even at elementary school, Lisa had #goals. She joined MENSA, was the best musician in the jazz band, and had an IQ of 159. She taught young girls that it was never too early to dream big, challenge yourself and build your skills. One of my favourite episodes is “Lisa Vs. Malibu Stacy” where she goes up against an all-male board of directors to call out the production of a sexist children’s doll. Of course, Lisa has no luck and instead goes ahead and makes a rival doll called Lisa Lionheart with catchphrases like “trust in yourself and you can achieve anything.” Pure gold.

Eliza Thornberry, The Wild Thornberrys (early Primary School)

There’s a theory that Eliza’s character is actually based on Jane Goodall — a female anthropologist who kicked off her career as a young scientist who literally lived among chimpanzees to study them. Eliza was motivated by discovery, connecting with the natural world and immersing herself in strange and superb cultures. She was such a refreshing female character among a slew of others who seemed only to care about finding a boyfriend or having shiny hair. Eliza would happily crawl through mud, study creepy crawly insects and often go on wild adventures with animals she could speak to (so cool, right?). She made me want to get outside and explore our amazing planet, no matter how messy, strange or challenging it might be.

Lizzie McGuire, Lizzie McGuire (late Primary School)

Like so many teenage experiences, Lizzie’s life was full of awkward pre-puberty moments — whether it was finding a happy middle-ground in an argument with her parents, going to the school dance with friends instead of a date, or needing to buy a bra simply because everyone else had one. It was reassuring to see that being a teenager was weird, wonderful and an emotional rollercoaster for other young women. I always felt an affinity with Lizzie while she stumbled through teenagehood with plenty of curiosity.

Hermione Granger, Harry Potter series (late Primary School)

In a trio with two boys, Hermione had no qualms about being the most highly educated, skilled and self-assured one in the group — to top it off, she was often the one rescuing everybody in times of crisis. It literally took years for other students at Hogwarts to stop targeting Hermione as a bossy nerd, and instead as the powerful witch, loyal friend, and the wonderful leader she is. I never saw Hermione as the sidekick, she was the smart girl who would save the day. She also had to work twice as hard behind the scenes to be recognised as equal with her male counterparts, which speaks to a sad truth of what so many women encounter in the real world. She reminded me that when times get tough, smart girls know there’s only one thing to do: get to work.

Chihiro, Spirited Away (early High School)

For everyone who hasn’t seen Spirited Away I’ll quickly fill you in: Chihiro is in the car with her parents when they pull up to investigate an abandoned theme park. They wander through the ruins and as dusk falls, they cross over into a spirit world and become trapped. Chihiro is suddenly on her own and must navigate this strange world to eventually rescue her parents and find a way home. A once awkward, nervous Chihiro, becomes a strong and independent young woman who learns how to stand her ground. Her journey is transformative and inspiring, and ends with a message that the only person who could ever save her was herself.

Leslie Knope, Parks & Recreation (late High School)

Leslie is a character who bubbles with positivity, optimism and sheer enthusiasm. She lives each day hoping to change the world for the better, championing the abilities of her colleagues, challenging policies and climbing her own professional ladder (aspiring to one day be the first female president of the U.S.). So often, women who are hard workers are portrayed as being cold, unforgiving and bossy, but Leslie is a high-achiever with a glowing warmth and kindness. She is testament to the fact that women can be friends, mothers, wives and bosses, without compromising one position for another. To be honest, I’m still hoping to see Leslie run for U.S. president.

Ilana and Abby, Broad City (First year University)

Not only are Ilana and Abby best friends on screen, they are soul mates in real life. Broad City is a show that is particularly special to me as I find it to be one of the most hilarious and honest commentaries on what it’s like being a woman in the modern world. Every story line is written from a female perspective — uncovering some uncomfortable truths and plenty of relatable moments. The conversation between characters doesn’t shy away from real talk about relationships, sex, being broke or trickier topics like finding your purpose. Abby and Ilana ultimately live for themselves and for each other, enjoying the wild ride of living in New York with unstable jobs and weird housemates. One of the best parts of the show is that they both disclose their successes and mishaps in a way that not only demystifies them, but totally embraces them.

Eleven, Stranger Things (Becoming a real adult with a real job)

Far from being any kind of damsel in distress, Eleven is a girl who can hold her own when the universe is literally fighting against her. Played with a quiet intensity by a then 12-year-old Millie Bobby-Brown, Eleven has an immense level of strength for her age. This is a story of a girl who took back control of her life from a man intent on controlling it for his own personal gain — and that sort of story couldn’t be more timely. She is a loyal friend, intelligent and curious, empathetic and insightful, and her alien-like perspective (a result of being shut away in a lab) offers a really honest commentary on the world and people in it. One of her most inspiring traits is her ability to find confidence and feel empowered as she propels herself forward, away from the shadows of things that have happened in the past.

So, here’s to good women. May we know them. May we be them. May we see them on our screens. And may there be plenty more fictional female heroes dreamed up along the way.

The post I Can Map My Life According To The Women In Film & TV Who Helped Me Along The Way appeared first on FYA.

Just joshing, New Year’s resolutions aren’t really a big deal and are 100% non-essential. But the start of a year can be a good opportunity to take a look at your life think about which parts of it you love and which parts of it you could maybe love a little more with some effort. And what better time than a few weeks into 2018 when we’ve all had the chance to see how the year is feeling?

No pressure, but if you’re not quite sure what your resolution could be, let an internet quiz help you.

The post QUIZ: What Should Your New Year’s Resolution Be? appeared first on FYA.

For me, one of the most difficult periods in my life was the transition from being a soldier to a civilian. I spent 6 years in the Australian Infantry where my daily life consisted of hard physical training, firing weapons, practising combat warfare techniques and playing out combative scenarios.

For the most part I loved my career, but towards the end I knew the time had come for something new. Upon discharge I, like many other soldiers I know, jumped straight out of this high intensity and stimulating work environment, into doing… nothing. When this happened I experienced a disconnect between myself and members of my community who just didn’t understand the life of a soldier or hold the same values and belief systems that had been ingrained in me every day for the last 6 years. It was a recipe for disaster.

I often found myself alone at this time wondering what I was doing. I wondered who I was, what I stood for, what I was doing with my life and whether my years in the army were a total waste. I had been trained to kill an enemy and go to war. It seemed to me that none of this was useful in the real world.

In hindsight, I was wrong. I had learned so much in the military and at an accelerated speed in comparison to almost any another other job in the world. Yet, I still experienced problems. These are some of the main problems I experienced and how I went about addressing them.

Not knowing how to do new things

For years I was focused on being a soldier and being the best at it. So I spent my spare time training rather than pursuing any other interests or hobbies. I invested everything into it and when that changed I had no idea what I actually enjoyed doing. I avoided doing anything new by telling myself things like, “I never did it as a kid, so i’ll be no good at it now,” or, “none of my friends do that so I probably won’t enjoy it”.

Eventually, after a long time of doing nothing, I became sick to death of myself. At this point I was offered a simple building block to complete each day with: conduct 3 practices each day.

Meaningful exercise – Not just running for the sake of running but doing something I enjoy that wears me out. It could be running the dog, playing football, going rock climbing or dancing.

Meaningful relationships – Connecting with someone, rather than isolating myself. Having a chat on the phone with a friend or spending some quality time with a family member.

A meaningful task – This is where I would conduct something I have an interest in. It may be reading a book for 10 minutes, watching and practising something I want to learn on a YouTube tutorial or picking up a guitar.

In addition to that, I decided to really give new things a go, sometimes they developed into hobbies or formed new habits. A rule of thumb on habituation is that it generally takes a minimum 30 days to form, so if I didn’t like it the first time I would keep going back and give it another go. I figured if I didn’t like it at the end of that time, fair enough I would try something different.

I found that if I didn’t know anyone who did this new hobby or pastime I would have some anxiety about joining and I’d avoid it. After some time I learnt that I was not alone. Everyone is a beginner once and everyone has their first day. I  found groups like Meetup were a great platform to connect with people in a similar situation.

Not knowing my purpose

When I joined the military I had a plan and thought it was what I wanted to do with my life. Once I left the army I found it very difficult to find meaning and I felt like I didn’t have a reason to jump out of bed each morning. Finding this has been an ongoing struggle. Since the army I have undergone a lot of trial and error in an attempt to find my purpose. An important lesson I’ve learnt in this time has been to welcome change and allow myself to go through this process.

Knowing what my purpose IS NOT was a step closer to finding out what IT IS. I tried multiple new jobs. Knocking on doors one week, packing milk another and landscape gardening another. I approached these these jobs with optimism and I moved on when I realised it wasn’t for me. By doing this I now know what I don’t like and am closer to knowing what I do like.

Additionally I asked people around me what they thought I should pursue. My friends and family know me the best, so I asked them what they saw me being or what they thought I would be good at. It didn’t mean that I went straight ahead and did it, but it has helped me to identify my strengths. When I wasn’t enjoying my work I found that setting time to try new or develop existing pastimes was really beneficial.

These resources were also helpful for developing meaning in my daily life if you’re interested in working on this too. This YouTube clip or this sample of the purpose project by Carolyn Tate.

Not seeking any help

In the army I needed constant resilience and determination to get through the toughest times, so I took this approach to most things. Generally I didn’t talk to anyone about how I was really going or feeling. I was just trying to fake it until I could make it. But at times in my transition I actually felt a little lost, confused and down.

I’ve learnt there is no shame in seeking out help from the professionals. I’ve realised my mind is just like physical abilities — injuries and fatigue will always occur. Talking to friends and family is a good start, yet I found seeing a professional who is removed from my personal life enhanced my understanding of what I was going through and ability to cope.

I’ve also found it useful to continue seeing someone when I actually feel good and have no major issues in my life. There’s some research that shows it’s not necessarily the treatment or the particular therapy that is the most important factor to the recovery of the patient/individual as much as the relationship between the practitioner and client. With persistence I found a practitioner who I feel understood my needs. And that feels good!

Not understanding different perspectives

Indoctrination and stringently following orders is part of the military, there was not much room for questioning orders. To do so would be seen as an act of insubordination (defiance of authority; refusal to obey orders) and is punishable by military law. An X on your file for this type of behaviour is not good for career progression or status within the group, so I always did what I was told even if it did not sit comfortably with me internally. My behaviour and way of thinking became more about conforming.

This was hard to address upon my discharge. I thought the way I did things were simply the ‘right’ way! I was challenged with this when I returned to a university setting and was forced to think more critically.

Initially I attempted to argue my way through topics, but I didn’t get very far. After a while I found it more beneficial to try to place myself in other people’s shoes to try to understand an idea or viewpoint from their perspective. After making myself do this, I found I could think about ideas differently and critically, rather than either accepting or rejecting it from the outset. Additionally, this created a mindset where I became open to experiences even though they seemed odd or initially uncomfortable. This opened more doors for me, I networked with more people and I grew as a person.

Walk a mile in someone elses shoes

Recently, I was starting to believe I had successfully transitioned. What had seemed like a long and tiring journey of self discovery, was finally coming to end and I felt like I was back on track. I was kicking goals and I truly felt I was on my destined path. I was wrong!

Once again the unexpected happened and I found out my circumstances were about to change in a big way. My partner fell pregnant. I was going to become a Dad. We then found out it’s a dual pregnancy. We’re having twins! But… it wasn’t happening when I wanted it to happen.

having a baby

I asked someone for advice and he gave it to me straight. He said, you can’t plan everything in your life, sometimes life makes plans for us instead.

This reminded me of my time in the military. We could do all the planning and preparation for a mission and include all the actions to be taken given any possible scenario but sometimes crazy stuff just happened. We couldn’t change the situation so we adapt to it and overcome it. In times of transition I offer the same advice to myself and others — try to adapt and overcome. It is difficult to begin with and although not apparent at the time, I’ve found there are usually lessons to be learned and silver linings in every situation. I just try to breathe, stay calm and enjoy the ride.

If anyone out there is experiencing difficulties with their mental health, or this article brought up any issues for you, here are a few quick details for organisations you might want to consider getting in contact with:

Beyond Blue: www.beyondblue.org.au

Headspace: www.headspace.org.au

Lifeline: 13 11 14

The post Why Leaving The Army Is The Most Painful Transition I Have Experienced appeared first on FYA.

I kept thinking about this over the next little while, probably somewhat consciously looking for opportunities to do kind things for others. In this time I was reminded of something I’ve come to realise before — doing a good deed can be a bit tricky to execute proactively. Often I find myself waiting for the opportunity to come to me — whether it’s finding someone’s keys and going to great lengths to return them, or giving up a seat on public transport. The opportunity tends to present itself before I take the time to seek it out.

After discussing this at length with Chelsea, we decided to do an experiment to see which acts of kindness we could actually do for people and write all about it. So Chelsea, Sam, FYA’s Content Producer, and I all committed to seeing how many kind things we could do in a day.

Firstly, we set some ground rules:

• You can’t tell people you’re doing it. Firstly they might think you’re being disingenuous because it might seem like forced kindness, plus more honest reactions from people means more satisfaction for us (this is about us, right?).
• We each have 24hrs to conduct the experiment. But you can keep doing it beyond that point if you like. There’s no cap on kindness. Obviously.
• This is not a competition, but depending on your personality maybe it is.

Then we did it. And here’s what we learnt:

Chelsea Lang, YLab Associate

My day of kindness got off to a rocky start. I attempted to give up my spot on the train but no one wanted it, so I just ended up standing awkwardly next to an empty seat for a while.

Things started looking up when I paid for an extra coffee at my local cafe though – the lady behind me said thanks and told me that she too had paid it forward. That free caffeine hit was going to someone who really needed it! ????  

After a few more F2F (that’s “face to face”, for those of you playing at home) kind moments with strangers, I was all peopled out. So I used my lunch break for some down time and picked up rubbish on the street. This was both extremely satisfying and extremely gross.

I spent the rest of the day yelling compliments at anyone who’d listen. I wrote a thank you note to someone who had helped me out through a rough time, and attempted to make dinner for some mates. They were either really into it, or really good at pretending.

Even though I was super tired by the end of the day, I went to sleep feeling a little bit lighter than I did when I woke up. This experiment helped me realise that by making my way through the world with the intention of being kind, I didn’t have as much space in my brain for all those little anxious thoughts that sneak up on me every now and again.

I’ve worked out that being kind isn’t always easy. It requires putting yourself out there, and being alright with the fact that you might not get kindness back in return. But that warm, happy feeling I got when I helped someone made it all totally worth it.

Sam Danby, Content Producer

The hardest part of an attempt to do as many kind things in a day as possible is, as I quickly learnt, remembering which day you decided to conduct the experiment.  But after a false start, I was ready to try and make a few people smile.

The biggest learning: squeezing as many nice deeds into a day as possible is expensive. Maybe I wasn’t experienced enough in being able to identify cheap opportunities to complete nice deeds, wasn’t creative enough or potentially I wrongly assumed the things that would make people happy are can be bought. Whatever the cause, it was an expensive experiment for me.

I was shouting my mates meals, drinkies, public transport costs and donating all the cash I had leftover to people selling Big Issue magazines. Throughout the day I spent over $100 giving the people around me nice treats. For a stingy and money hungry individual like me, this was quite a big deal.

But I do think this experiment brought me some happiness. Shifting my brainspace to focus on other people’s issues replaced the brain space I used dwelling on my own bulldust. I wouldn’t say I forgot about my problems or promise anyone that doing an experiment like this will make you a happy person but for me, it helped.

Anna Hill, Content Manager

My kindness day started with me mostly wondering whether things I usually do would count for this experiment, like washing dishes for other people or telling someone when they have a little something on their face. I couldn’t decide. Then I remembered it’s not about the points system, and got to it. The first opportunity presented itself to me when a child’s toy fell out of a pram as a family walked past while I waited for the tram. Paddington Bear’s boot was returned. This was exciting for both me and the small child.

On my tram ride, a woman was wearing a very good casual look with a bright red lip. Statement lipstick is basically the way to my sartorial heart, so I complimented her as we got off at the same stop. She laughed at me in a confused way, so I gave her a double thumbs up to convey the seriousness of the situation. In hindsight, my double thumbs up was probably not an act of kindness. I don’t think this counted in the end.

I later paid for the next person’s coffee while ordering mine. I also bought cards and postcards to send to friends who live far away. And I sent a very encouraging text along the lines of this to a friend who hates her job. Finally, in the evening I phoned both of my grandmothers. These things were all enjoyable for me too.

At the end of my kindness day I felt largely tired. Thinking of acts of kindness and doing them, particularly if they make me feel a little awkward (LET US NOT FORGET THE DOUBLE THUMBS UP), can be quite exhausting I found. It’s the thinking and the doing and then going about my day that is tiring. (I think I’ve just described day to day living, but you get the idea. Or maybe I have low iron?) Anyway, I also found it was hard to do acts of kindness that didn’t involve buying things for people. This realisation didn’t sit very well for me. But for the most part it felt not so far outside of my daily life and activities, and the recipients of the kindness seemed largely into it.

The post We Tried To Do As Many Acts Of Kindness As Possible In A Day. Here’s What We Learnt. appeared first on FYA.

At the beginning, it was difficult to adapt to the new language, culture and people. It was like a different planet. My parents found it difficult to obtain a job, and my sister and I experienced bullying when we were enrolled in year 6, just after attending 6 months of an English Language School.

As my sister and I grew older, we started to become aware of all the opportunities we were offered in Australia, that we never had the chance to experience back home. In mid-2017, we began volunteering at SYN Media and Radio (Student Youth Network). It was probably the best decision we made that year. At SYN, we met so many wonderful people who truly believed in us! Refugees On Air was always an idea that rattled around my sister’s head, but now she had the opportunity to make it, so we got to work!

Maya (left) and Sarah

A month later, Refugees On Air published its first episode! It’s a podcast we made in partnership with SYN Media, it aims to shine light on inspiring refugee stories from all across the world. So far, 5 episodes have been released with refugees who are authors, actors and youth advocates! My sister and I started this podcast because we felt like there wasn’t anyone else out there telling these stories.

We have met so many wonderful refugees who told us their inspiring stories. We felt like they were underappreciated and we wanted to radiate their voices further out. We decided to use the resources around us to bring these stories to life. Nowadays we have listeners in 4 different countries, we receive help from refugee agencies to keep our podcast going, and we have hundreds of listeners per episode!

Obama enjoying the podcast

I wanted to share my story because it made me realise how many people have great ideas for podcasts that tell stories not being told, they just need a push to start them. Thinking back on how my sister and I took her idea for Refugees On Air and put it into action, I have come up with some tips on how others can start their own podcast too.

1: Figure out what makes you bubble on the inside

What is it that you are passionate about? Is it filmmaking, drawing, or helping others in need? What’s one thing you see yourself putting your time and effort into doing in the future? Focus on that. You’ll be putting in a lot of time and effort and you’ll be doing a lot of talking about it, so it needs to be something you’re passionate about.

2: Ready, set, plan!

Open up one of your notebook and start jotting down some points and plans. What is going to be the purpose of your podcast? Why do you want people to hear it? Make sure you have some ideas of the number of episodes you are planning to do, and what each episode will be about.

3: Put yourself out there!

There are hundreds of opportunities for youth like us to be more involved in our community and get experience in our field of interest. The truth is, no one is going to knock on your door and present you with what you desire. Start becoming comfortable with uncomfortable situations! One of the refugees I interviewed, Abdi, said that “success is that turning feeling in your stomach!”. Learning to put myself out there put me on a pathway towards the many things I wanted to achieve.  

4: Seek and exhaust your resources

There are endless organisations that aim to help the youth of Australia get started on their own projects. Never be afraid to contact them and ask for advice — you just need to do some searching to find out what is out there.

In terms of equipment for your podcast, I’m able to use the SYN studios to record each episode, but if you don’t have access to a studio, do not stress! It’s as easy as purchasing a handy recorder. They are a bit of an investment but worth the money!

5: Use social media to your benefit

Social media has a huge influence on how people view your podcast. Consider making a page/website to promote your work and continuously share new episodes and events! It gets people together and reminds them that you are truly, a hardworking podcaster!

Starting from scratch is definitely tough, and it’s not easy to find your passions and the courage to follow them, but when you do, the whole world opens up. So, if I can do it, you can!

If you’d like to listen to these inspiring stories of refugees, listen to the Refugees on Air podcast via the iTunes store. Or find out more via the SYN Media website, Refugees on Air Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The post How I Went From Syrian Migrant To Podcast Superstar appeared first on FYA.

The thing is, this is actually fairly true. I pretty much do work on the internet for a living. A lot of my days are spent editing articles and overseeing the production of online videos, researching on media sites, reviewing data and analytics, creating strategies, reading about what other people have to say about publishing online, going to IRL conferences about the internet and digital technologies, and sometimes I even deliver workshops where I talk to people about talking to people on the internet (it’s all very meta). Essentially, I spend a lot of my time figuring out the best way to communicate things digitally. And that means a lot of screen time.

At the end of most days I find myself very over staring at a screen and mildly concerned about my posture. Yet it comes as a surprise to many people that I try quite hard to not spend much time online in my actual life, and by online I mostly mean my phone. This is not a new thing for me, but my current job has definitely prompted me to investigate how I can stay away from the digital realm in my non-work time and to be very intentional about the way I engage with the digital world in my work time (although, realistically digital world and non-digital world aren’t really two discrete worlds, but you get the idea).

In this quest to make the most of my on and offline time, I’ve tried a lot of different things — some super successful and some not so much. If you too are interested in being more intentional with your digital time, I’ve pulled together a list of the methods I can remember that I’ve tried and their varying levels of success.

I should also mention, the purpose of this piece is not to convince anyone of whether phone and computer time is good or bad or on a spectrum in between. That’s totally subjective and unique to everyone’s circumstances. If that is something you’re interested in exploring, I’ve quite enjoyed reading this piece from The Guardian on phone addiction from some of the people that made it that way. Plus this piece from Buzzfeed News on different ideas about what actually constitutes ‘time well spent’ on the internet, and whether a digital hiatus actually proves anything more than a personal PR stunt. Okay, now onto the list.

What: Deleting the Facebook app from my phone

When: some time in 2015

Still in place: yes

This was probably the gateway change I made which led to more attempts to address how I engage with the digital world, or more realistically, my phone. I realised I was mindlessly opening Facebook every time I had to wait for anything — an elevator, a bus to arrive, my takeaway food to be ready (pre-UberEATS days, people). As a result, I felt like I was neither paying attention to my surroundings or what was happening on my feed. So I decided to delete the app to make it more of a deliberate decision to engage with Facebook each time I used it — whether that meant logging in on a desktop or opening the browser on my phone and logging in if I really wanted to check something. This one really lasted and I’ve only ever installed it again when travelling overseas on holidays, along with the Messenger app.

What: signing out of Instagram every time I finish using it

When: slightly later in 2015

Still in place: sometimes

Not long after my Facebook app deletion I thought about what other social mediums (I don’t think this is plural for social media platforms but I’m going for it)I could be more intentional about engaging with. As Instagram is an app-based platform (or at least was only an app at the time) I decided to sign in and out after each use to limit mindless opening and scrolling. After a few frustrating days of not remembering my password, resetting it, then going through a similar loop, this one worked well. I found myself only checking it once or twice a day and really enjoying those times, some days I didn’t sign in at all. I still do it from time to time.

What: Setting an automatic switch to the Do Not Disturb function every night

When: mid-2016

Still in place: yes

After many years of not being great at getting to sleep, I tried a number of ways to change this.  One of them was automatically switching to Do Not Disturb on my phone every day — for those of you playing at home, the Do Not Disturb function is controlled by the little moon button in the control centre on an iPhone. Android phones have this function too. Your phone still functions as usual, and will receive calls and messages but it won’t light up or make any noises. If someone calls twice within 5 minutes the phone will ring, plus alarms still go off as usual, but aside from that, it’s a silent blissful black screen until you pick it up. I set this to turn on automatically at 10pm and turn off at 9am each day. It’s helped make getting to sleep less disrupted. And it has reduced my bad habit of getting a notification at night, checking it, then still scrolling through Instagram 30 minutes later. I haven’t turned this setting off, so I’d say I’m still into it. Sometimes I also manually  turn it on, or airplane mode, when I need to concentrate on a big piece of work or not think about my phone for a while.

What: deactivating my Facebook account

When: mid-2017

Still in place: yes

This one was probably became the biggest stunt if we’re talking about all of these in terms of PR and my personal brand (aren’t we always?). It was around the time I finished watching season 1 of The Handmaid’s Tale and found myself with the general feeling that we were on the precipice of entering a dystopian future. I may have been acting, um, slightly dramatic, but I felt like what I wanted out of Facebook I was getting from other platforms or in other ways. And to be honest, Facebook just wasn’t really bringing me a lot of joy. I may have misinterpreted the KonMari method but I decided to go for it anyway.

The only two things that had really stopped me before were firstly that my Spotify account was linked to my Facebook account and, secondly, I felt like I needed to be on Facebook to be good at using it for my job. I jumped the first hurdle in about half an hour with the help of a Spotify live chat assistance window — my entire account was migrated and I got to keep all of my playlists. And I solved the second by creating a work-only Facebook account that has no friends, is a member of a few groups, follows publications only relevant to work so I don’t miss industry happenings, and moderates work-related pages. I thought I would test out whether taking a step back from the platform might actually make me better at using it for work. I’m not totally sure on the answer to the second one, but the Facebook hiatus has stuck and I still have a job. Plus this overall choice has definitely led to less mindless online time.

What: Changing my phone screen to black and white

When: about a month ago

Still in place: nope!

So I read about this a little while ago and decided to see if changing my screen to black and white would make my phone less appealing. This is actually an accessibility setting created to make phones more usable for people who are colour blind or who have low vision. I wasn’t the user it was intended to benefit, but I decided to try it anyway. I did it for about 24 hours and realised it worked almost too well. Taking out the colour in things that I had been able to see just the day before made me less compelled to look at my phone. But I quickly realised that wasn’t the result I really wanted. What colour was that dress Charlotte wore to her sister’s wedding? How can I tell if we are the blue or grey bubbles in a text exchange Samantha just screenshotted and sent me? Was Miranda’s new cat the colour of Garfield or Lil Bub?

I wanted to know. As a person with essentially no vision impairment, this was not a setting I wanted to use. I had been making changes to be more intentional about my use of digital things, and making changes that impacted the way I engaged with digital content didn’t seem to fit the bill. I turned it off and haven’t really felt compelled to use it again. One upside, however, this did make me think about my access to so many things people with low vision don’t have and empathise with that, so that’s a plus I think.

Overall, I didn’t really set out with a long-term mission to reduce my digital time, but it’s kind of ended up that way. And it’s been quite effective, I am less mindless about it and feel like I’m aware of what I do get out of it. I’ve learnt that I’m pretty into digital technology, as well as varying tools and social media platforms. There are so many things that are more efficient in a digital format and I get access to so much more information — whether it’s about the people I know or about people and things I don’t know. Overall, this whole experiment has left me feeling more in control of the way I use these things and that’s a plus.

The post All The Ways I’ve Tried To Switch Off From The Digital World appeared first on FYA.

Up until February 14th, 2018, she was a regular student at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. On that day, 17 of her classmates were shot dead. Emma is now the face of the gun control movement in America. She’s 18 years old.

Three days after the shooting, in the midst of a media frenzy around the tragedy,  she called bull sh*t on policy makers, politicians, and the NRA in an 11 minute speech that soon after erupted online.

‘We Call BS’ – Emma’s original speech that has since driven the conversation on gun control.

But this activist spirit isn’t new for Emma. She’s been the president of her school’s Gay-Straight Alliance for three years. When discussing what drives her to be a spokesperson against violence, she’s stated “if I wasn’t so open about who I was, I never would’ve been able to do this.”

Emma’s involvement in the gun control movement has prompted her classmates to join the cause, who recently starred alongside her on the cover of Time magazine in an effort to rally students across the US to join them in the March For Our Lives protest.

March For Our Lives has is now the largest student-led protest in American history. During the march, Emma delivered a speech – where she stood silent for the majority – that lasted exactly six minutes and 20 seconds; the same length of time the gunman firing at her fellow students at her high school.

All the buzz around Emma hasn’t just contributed to the conversation around violence and gun control, she’s changed how people perceive young people. A whole generation is now seen as the driving voice to put a stop to school shootings. And they’re backed by Lady Gaga and Obama.

Today and every day, listen to young people. #MarchForOurLives #guncontrol. Follow @ChnlKindness for more reports from the March today and for youth stories every day after. https://t.co/UdfKGp5xS3

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) March 24, 2018

Michelle and I are so inspired by all the young people who made today’s marches happen. Keep at it. You’re leading us forward. Nothing can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 24, 2018

While she’s one of the best examples of young people stepping up and demanding action right now, she’s not the only one. In Australia last year, young people played a pivotal role during the Marriage Equality plebiscite. They led the charge and encouraged their peers to enroll to vote with an extra 98,000 young Australians getting on the electoral roll and tipping the balance for marriage equality to win.

All the fab things that are being said about Emma Gonzalez hold true for another young legend, Sally Rugg, who was a key leader in the youth vote for marriage equality campaign.

I guess what I’m saying is – seeing all these heroic young people brings a tear of pure joy to my eye and fills my soul with hope. I couldn’t be any bloody happier about it.

The post A Love Letter To Emma González And All Young People Speaking Up appeared first on FYA.

You can think of blockchain in utopian terms. It has a radical capacity for complete data security and transparency, potentially tracking many different kinds of transactions. It captures transactions and encrypts them, creating multiple copies that are stored in multiple access points (or blocks) along (you guessed it) a chain.

Let’s say someone illegitimate tries to access one of these copies. The system will detect the hack automatically because there’s a sudden discrepancy between the data they’re accessing and the other identical copies it’s synced to. So the system automatically shuts down the compromised entry point and eliminates the intruder. You need only consider security compromises that seem to make daily news across the world to see the implications of implementing blockchain technology to store precious citizen data.

Beyond this, of course, lies a more philosophical victory — this new, decentralised way of storing information is not only incredibly secure, but also opens the door for better distribution of power. It hints at the possibility of a new world order where money and data are controlled by people rather than powerful singular entities like banks. Information can be stored and accessed by any number of users, rather than being owned by one, potentially corrupt, entity with a vested interest in it. Consider the recent data breach  involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica— it’s a classic example of how a massive deposit of data was stored centrally and exploited.

Simply put, blockchain is the internet we’ve been waiting for. So how can we take advantage of it in Australia in a way that improves democracy, public services and the use of taxpayers money?

Public services already using blockchain

Much of the public sector has been slow to fully embrace digital technologies due to its complexity and security risks, which are really valid concerns. For example, while we ostensibly have the technology to conduct entire federal elections online, we continue to use paper ballots for a reason — all those easily manipulated digital votes would be a honeypot for hackers.

But blockchain offers a new, immutable method of digital record keeping. It is highly likely this is the solution governments have been waiting for in order to fully embrace going digital. There are lots of great examples around the world of blockchain being trialled in partnership between startups and governments. The implications of these trials on public services is a serious game changer. Here are just a few of them:

Elections: The election process, let’s face it, does not reflect the way we live. That is to say, in a world where we can check our bank balance, purchase a birthday present online and send it overseas, sign a contract, all while sitting at a cafe eating brunch. Yet citizens who are eligible to vote are required to spend entire Saturdays travelling to polling centres, lining up for potentially hours then filling out pieces of paper by hand to vote for an election candidate. So many steps in that process leave room for user error and become automatically void if a simple mistake is made. Meanwhile, electoral officers are under incredible pressure to make sure voters are counted both incredibly quickly and precisely.

Clearly a digitised voting system would make life easier for everyone. Not to mention the potential for a more participatory democracy overall, where citizens can vote on any manner of local issues as simple as swiping left or right like you do on dating apps. There’s potential to make participating in democracy as accessible as it is to find a date. People often comment on the political apathy of the younger generation, but there’s something to be said for the archaic processes making it unattractive and difficult to engage with.

Australian-born blockchain startup Horizon State is leading the way in this field, with partnerships including United Nations Intergovernmental Organisation to help enhance global standards for justice through stamping out electoral corruption. Not to mention that traditional methods of voting cost taxpayers upwards of $7 per vote to facilitate — and $25 in some cases. Horizon State’s blockchain voting solution is clocking in at under $0.50.

Horizon State is leveraging the latest breakthroughs in cryptographic and distributed systems to protect the record of results on the blockchain. Not owned by any individual or institution, blockchain’s transparency and inherent resistance to tampering makes digital voting viable for governments.

Identity management: Think of all your different usernames and official identifications online and offline (Passport, medicare, drivers license, bank logins, email and social media logins) and the pain of remembering and keeping them updated. What if there was one version of you instead? An ultra-secure digital passport, virtually impenetrable to fraud, that you could use to enter or login anywhere.

SelfKey is one example that shows the potential for blockchain technology to help with all this. Instead of giving out personal information to organisations and trusting it’s kept safe and used appropriately (remember all those data breaches I mentioned earlier?) it allows individuals to retain ownership of their digital identity. The data and documents sits with the person on their device, rather than on a server or in the blockchain, and the user shares their identity documents with verified notaries via blockchain technology. Rather than handing over identification documents, the information stays with the owner and they choose when it’s accessed. The potential for this to solve problems with citizen identification management, a problem that has plagued governments for centuries, is huge. Think about how that would impact on countries that experience natural disasters or citizens who flee due to conflict — they could easily recoup their identities via a blockchain-based application.

Healthcare: Through the safe storage and transfer of information, blockchain could have a significant impact on the healthcare industry. It could enable easily accessible electronic medical records, promote integrity along pharmaceutical supply chains through immutable records of a product’s origins, make Medicare claims much easier and quicker, and reduce the number of times people need to repeat themselves to health professionals. Even more broadly, medical researchers would be able to easily share and access results from trials and studies conducted all over the world to accelerate new discoveries without the risk of personal identities revealed thanks to blockchain’s inbuilt encryption protocols.

For example, in Estonia, a country recognised as a global leader when it comes to digitising citizen data for the past two decades, has more than a million healthcare records using blockchain. Once you add an artificial intelligence layer to these records, the possibilities get even more exciting.  AIDOC is one impressive project, with a highly regarded partner that’s utilising AI for super doctor-like capabilities. Think of it like this —a decentralised network and database that no one owns or can hack which contains millions upon millions of medical data. An AI, which is more intelligent and powerful than a million human brains sits on top of the network and processes all the data to gather new medical insights quicker than we can blink our eyes. It can also take data you provide regarding a pre-existing health issue or as a general checkup and give you personalised recommendations. It also knows not only about your medical history, but that of your families. Therefore, it can predict and prevent you from experiencing hereditary medical issues.

Land registry, title and ownership: Contracts back and forth between multiple parties, revision after revision. Paperwork you need to print, sign, scan, email, repeat.  It’s an expensive and complex process. Imagine the impact a blockchain-powered online ledger that records these transactions in real time with complete transparency and reliable security could have. There would be no need for buyers to fork out for costly middlemen (like real estate agents, banks and solicitors.). A lot of the middlemen in these transactions exist to legitimise and verify the transactions taking place.

With blockchain, property purchasing would become a far less painful and more straightforward experience — even comparable to other kinds of shopping. Such systems are currently being trialled in the US state of Vermont, as well as Sweden and Brazil. Propy, a marketplace to buy and sell homes all over the world have a functioning site that the new crypto rich are using to convert their Bitcoin into bricks and mortar.

Don’t wait, it’s coming, ready or not.

You’ve probably been talking about blockchain already, if only because you regret not bothering to mine or buy Bitcoin back in the day. Yet this is still only the start. Blockchain is still an emerging technology, but that’s all the more reason to start exploring and taking advantage of its potential right away. It’s certainly taken me many rounds of conversations with friends and experts to get my head around it. A number of US states, as well as countries like the United Arab Emirates and Estonia, are already experimenting with its capacity to transform voting, banking, healthcare, and business services. Why shouldn’t Australia also lead the way?

Like most good ideas, they start with informal conversations in informal settings. Grab a chair, grab a bite and grab a peer for chat.

This article was originally published under How Blockchain Could Improve Australian Public Services on Medium.

The post What Would Our Lives Look Like If Governments Used Blockchain? appeared first on FYA.

What do I want to do with my life? What’s the best way to utilise my energy and resources in my work to contribute to something I believe in? What do I believe in?! What does life even mean?!?

Pretty simple questions, right? Nope. And it certainly doesn’t help that as I’m navigating my way through these watery questions of life – head just above water – so too are all my friends, peers and colleagues. And as we look to each other to for some guidance, we are only met with similar nods of empathy.  

It’s moments like these that having perspective becomes even more important. Of course, it’s not always easy to maintain perspective… but sometimes a few stats can help keep us grounded.

Stat: A young person today is like to have 17 jobs over five careers throughout their lifetime.

Now, let’s throw this number into a context: after primary school, high school and university… we pretty much have the entirety of our lives to work.  

That is, we have the rest of our lives to dabble around various jobs, career paths and opportunities to figure out what it is exactly that makes us tick, where our skills are best placed and to deep-dive and explore our interests. We have a lot of time to figure out what it is that we enjoy and find fulfilling within our work life.

It took me a while to truly accept and recognise this, but as I did, not knowing where I want to go in life exactly became less and less nerve-wrecking. So what if the first job I get out of university ends up being something that’s not for me? At least I’ll be able to cross that off the list. The opportunity in and of itself will at least be a formative learning experience, and I’ve got the rest of my life to learn, upskill and apply what I know in different jobs and career paths.

We set the rules. And the sooner we recognise this and use it to our advantage, the less nerve-wracking it can all seem.

Stat: On average it takes young people 4.7 years from leaving full-time education to entering full-time work. This is compared to the crazy one year it took three decades ago, in 1986.

You’ve graduated, congratulations! And now you’re ready to take on the world and have your voice heard. But first, getting an actual job.  

It’s not the easiest thing in the world, and a lot of the times the post-qualification job hunt can be brutal and personally taxing. But, more than ever maintaining perspective is crucial. Because, even though it might not always seem like it… at the end of the day, a lot of us, we’re all in the same boat.

While it’s not the most positive statistic in the world, it is a necessary reminder to us all that we are not the only ones in this position, and the struggle to find a job after study is not necessarily a reflection of our personal capabilities and achievements.  Sometimes it helps to be reminded that this part of our lives is part of a wider systemic issue that goes beyond just one person to try and fix.

While I was attending a conference on youth research hosted by Junkee Media, it was revealed that 80% of young Australians agreed with the statement “at this moment, life for me is about finding my passion and purpose”.

In the context of life after post-structured education and job hunting, this existential crisis — it’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, on one hand, maybe it’s actually a positive symptom.

We now exist in a much more complex labour market than our parents’ generation, but, of course, you didn’t need me to tell you that. We’re a different generation facing very complex challenges — in fact, we stand to become the first generation worse off than our parents.

But it’s not all bad news.

There are some things coming out of our generation entering the labour market that makes me feel positive about what the future may hold. These days, when job hunting, young Australians are also concerned with the ‘why’ factor of their job and understanding how their work contributes to the wider visions of the organisation and society. And, perhaps this is because so many young Australians are fortunate enough to receive educational and co-curricular opportunities that foster a desire to do more with their life than just bare minimum or whatever the status quo says. Of course, our desire to pursue work that aligns with our values doesn’t necessarily contribute to the structural challenges faced by young people in transitioning to employment, nor should it be. Rather, the rapidly changing world of work is reflective of some big global forces.

Life after structured education is a daunting shift into an unstructured world that can lead us down a lot of different paths, many we don’t even know exist yet. And while these existential questions of whats and whys can be personally challenging, perhaps we should all take a moment to recognise and appreciate that some of us are fortunate to be afforded the choice and opportunity to interrogate these questions.

So, graduation year (so far) at university hasn’t been the celebratory see-y’all-later-suckers experience I had thought and hoped it would be. It’s been infiltrated by one too many existential crises and one too many evenings spent madly typing away at graduate applications.

But a lot of us are all in the same boat, just trying to navigate the same unchartered waters. I’ve come to realise that a little bit of perspective goes a long way. If you are someone like me who is lucky enough to have the option to — maybe we can persevere and place our values and beliefs at the forefront of decisions and not take for granted the world of choices we are fortunate enough to have. And then maybe this existential crisis, and graduation year, won’t seem so ominous.  

One thing’s for sure though, I’ll definitely be dropping moves like this kid at my graduation: 

The post Here’s What Made Me Feel Better During My End Of Uni Existential Crisis appeared first on FYA.

Over the past few years we’ve seen an increase in cheating in universities, largely enabled by new technology that allows channels such as subscription-based assignment sharing sites or full service assignment writing services. A recent(ish) report from The Feed revealed some services will also sit exams for you. There are more ways to work around the system than ever before.

Back in April of last year, a research report revealed that 6% of University students have admitted to serious cheating with students studying engineering and international students topping the list of those most likely to cheat.

The director of academic integrity at University of South Australia, Tracey Bretag was quoted on an ABC report saying “the nature of cheating has changed. Also what’s changed is the ubiquitous nature of the cheat sites that are available.”

She’s right. Cheating has always existed to some degree, but what’s changed is the relative ease of cheating and the increase in the availability of ways to do it. It has given way to an epidemic of digital scandals in Universities. But what’s driving the need for students to want to turn to these services?

Think about the penalties if you fail a subject — you lose time while you repeat it, you enter the workforce later, many students would consider it to be downright embarrassing and, of course, within the Australian system you would have to pay for the subject every time you do it until you pass it. The stakes are high. But for international students the punishment can be even more severe.

For an international student studying in Australia, you have to pay the full cost of your degree upfront. Day 1. Often with a higher price tag than local students fork out. So if you fail a few subjects, you may not only have to pay for them again, but there’s the real risk you might get dropped from the course altogether, at which point you would have to examine your visa situation or risk being sent back to your home country with nothing but a hole in your bank account to show for your efforts.

Tracey also spoke about international students in the ABC report mentioned above, stating “We know [international students] need more resources, we know they need to come in with a higher level of English language competence [if they are from a non-English speaking background]. We know those that are struggling need to get more help earlier on.”

Personally, I am 0% surprised some students would rather run the risk of cheating. Considering all the reasons that a student might want to take the easy way out of an assignment and find someone online who’s offering to take a massive weight off your shoulders for a few thousand bucks. I would be tempted.

To make matters more complex, education remains Victoria’s number one largest service-based export. So despite the very clear link between our massive intake of international students and the income of universities, things are unlikely to change while so much money is being poured into the system.

If I was an international student studying in Australia I would feel pretty betrayed after paying tens of thousands of dollars for a degree that I needed more support to get through and may not have received, that was run in a language I might not have a  great fluency in. The knowledge that it takes Australian students 4.7 years on average to go from full time study to full time work is already a huge challenge, and course structures remaining stagnant in a time where what employers want from workers are rapidly changing, it’s getting harder and harder to justify putting in the hours for a piece of paper.

The post What’s Driving University Students To Cheat? appeared first on FYA.