Essential Life Skills

[Eco]

7 minutes ago, Stan said:

Talking of DIY, what's the biggest job that everyone's done/completed (aside from work projects), either inside or outside the house?? Can imagine many on here may have done total redecs or refurbs of inside of their houses. 

 My dad and I laid our patio measuring roughly 6x10m with concrete paving slabs - mum did the design for the layout of the concrete slabs and pebbles around it; we bought all the foundations and slabs for it, took a good few weekends to get it completed but such a good feeling when you see it all finished when you know how much hard work has gone in to it.

I can do a fair amount electrical work, so I'm comfortable with adding fixtures, switches and such. 

Now, I'll brag my ass off here and say my Wife can do about anything after watching a few YouTube Videos. She's replaced a toilet, lead a project to redo some flooring, as well as decorated. 

Outside is nothing more than installing gutter guards, as I'm allergic to grass/weeds/ and the like and so I usually end up paying someone to do my yard work so I don't break out in hives. 

My father in law in great with plumbing so he's helped us out a lot with our house, and is starting to do more house flipping. 

[Beelzebub]

The ones I'm good at

- Communicating with others and that i mean in making friends and acquaintances though I'm not very social 

- Self defense, have fired guns, know some basic stuff enough to protect my pride and life when it matters 

- Budgeting 

[RandoEFC+]

Sitting still and developing an attention span of more than 10 seconds.

[Bluewolf]

10 hours ago, CaaC - John said:

• First Aid
• Survival Courses

 

2 hours ago, nudge said:

 

Also reading a map and using a compass for navigation. And being able to determine direction using the stars. 

Both very useful especially if you are an outdoor type or someone who likes to travel and explore a lot... I don't know if schools do it these days but we used to go on 2 week camping trips/challenges once a year and it was thoroughly enjoyable, I appreciate not everyone is the outdoors type, but you should always be willing to give it a go.. gets you close to nature... I consider myself lucky to have grown up in a time where Health & Safety was not top of the list and where Technology was not really a consideration and allowed you to experiment with stuff and learn from your own mistakes... I really do believe that it was that kind of upbringing that helped develop character in people.. It helped me face challenges and difficulties further on in life.. 

8 hours ago, CaaC - John said:

don't have a credit card and would never touch one, to be honest,

 

7 hours ago, nudge said:

I got one when I was screwed over a lot of money and needed to have a few thousands urgently... But yeah, I closed it as soon as I paid it off and would never get one again (emergency excluded). 

I once had a friend who warned me about getting one before I actually had one, " don't do it" he said " I will be fine" I said.. and I was for the first 2 years of it then every year after that they kept ramping up the credit limit on it until it reached near £20,000 and it was getting a bit out of hand so I got rid of it.. best thing I ever did

3 hours ago, Lucas said:

From a DIY perspective, I'm quite jealous of some lads that have the confidence to get on with some jobs round the house and do them well. It makes you feel such a prick when you hear mates doing their own fence, patio, tiling etc and you're like, fuck that, knowing you don't think you could.

I'm quite new to the game. I'm not a perfectionist but I do like a job to look as nice as possible. I hate to botch anything up. My easy get out is to use someone experienced that can do it in their sleep and I know I'll be happy, I'm lucky to have mates in different trades.

But I do think there's nothing better than taking on something yourself and being proper chuffed with the result, not to mention proud that you did that. Bit like @Bluewolf's garden project on here.

I think I need to take the plunge more and have a go at something rather than fear I'm going to fuck it up royally.

I must admit that you do get a nice sense of achievement knowing it's your own work and sweat that's gone into it.. I could be lazy and get someone in but fuck that?? I do however tend to get people in for the big electrical jobs or major Plumbing, I don't trust myself enough with that to not know I won't be flooding the house out or starting a fire somewhere because I wired up something wrong.. If it goes tits up I can blame someone else..  Basic plumbing and wiring I am ok with but not the entire rewiring of the house for example... I was lucky really, my Dad was a builder and I learnt a lot of stuff from him, sadly he passed before seeing all the stuff I have done because of what I learnt from him but think he would be proud, My younger sister has a shed load of skills in the DIY department as well, must run in the family.. totally gutted a house and started from scratch with it.. It's taken her years to get it the way she wants it but it looks lovely now....  

2 hours ago, Stan said:

Talking of DIY, what's the biggest job that everyone's done/completed (aside from work projects), either inside or outside the house?? Can imagine many on here may have done total redecs or refurbs of inside of their houses. 

My dad and I laid our patio measuring roughly 6x10m with concrete paving slabs - mum did the design for the layout of the concrete slabs and pebbles around it; we bought all the foundations and slabs for it, took a good few weekends to get it completed but such a good feeling when you see it all finished when you know how much hard work has gone in to it.

When I think about it.... In the order in which some of it was done ( best I can remember.anyway... )

• Fully fitted wardrobes in our room and the kids rooms ( the missus designed them and we worked on them together ) 
• Fully fitted flooring in the loft
• Done our own carpets ( the missus likes doing that bit ) 
• Ripped out and replaced the wall that divided the toilet and bathroom and refitted the whole lot including tiling and shower fittings 
• Repainted the outside of the house ( twice ) 
• Built a patio along the back of the entire house
• Turfed the garden ( 3 times in total )
• Built a wall to divide the front lower and back upper part of the garden with steps plus fencing ( 2 lots over the years ) 
• Built 2 ponds ( one that was 5FT x 4FT and 2.5FT deep ) then the second one which was ( 28FT x 9FT x 4FT deep ) the big one has a pergola built over it 
• Built a second patio in the next section of garden 
• Built a decking/seating area then covered the whole lot along the entire back of the house with a canopy that reaches all the way to the big pond
• The Garden Project for the rear part of the garden which most of you have already seen
• Countless times we have stripped paper and painted and decorated and tiled the placed ( @Lucas knows what a tiresome job that is ) 

We try to have a rule, the missus decides what goes on in the house and I don't interfere with that, I just get the big jobs done, and I decide what happens outside the house but...  she always interferes and meddles in it... 

[Stan]

Been busy then @Bluewolf

 

[CaaC (John)+]

4 minutes ago, Bluewolf said:

I appreciate not everyone is the outdoors type, but you should always be willing to give it a go.. gets you close to nature..

I love the outdoors and being with nature maybe that's why I chose the army, training on the Salisbury Plains in a billet then getting stationed in Dortmund, Germany, going on a two-week exercise in the Black Forrest, pitching a 2 man pup tent, eating meals out of a mess tin in the middle of the forest and in summer times you would eat ants and flys that decided to make their way into your mess tin's but you were that hungry you just swallowed the lot, dig a hole for a toilet, line it with lime at the bottom with an open canvas tent around it, no roof, so if you were sitting doing your business and it was either raining or snowing you would get soaked to the skin... sigh, memories.    

[Dr. Gonzo]

It really depends on how you define essential, really. Not everyone has the same essential needs or does certain things - if I don't have a car, learning how to check my oil isn't essential; but also I think if you've got a car or a motorbike you should know basic automotive care (as has been discussed on here).

Generally speaking, I think everyone needs to know a few things to be able to survive in the 21st century.

• How to cook for yourself - being able to feed yourself is a pretty basic life skill and you can't survive if you can't eat
• Basic fucking housekeeping - don't live in your own filth it's not hygenic
• Fixing shite around your home - not everything necessarily, like I don't know how to deal with a burst pipe and I doubt I ever will I'd call a fucking plumber for that - but leaky faucets, caulking a shower, that's not bad
• Time management - we live in the age of smart phones and Google calendars, it's easy to manage your time properly so you can take care of things you need to take care of for work or whatever personal responsibilities you have in life... and to make sure you're giving yourself enough time to do enough things you do want to do in a day; I started doing this because I am busy with work all the fucking time and was getting overwhelmed and I found myself managing everything much better and now I have managed to balance my workload and my own personal interests much better. And it wasn't even that hard for me to make a small change that made a massive impact on the quality of my life
• Face to face communication skills - some people are just so fucking shite at communicating with people face to face, and I feel like I used to be like that when I was younger (like much younger though, still a kid). Life is easier when you can effectively communicate with people and people can effectively communicate with you. I realise that for some people this might be because of social anxiety or similar issues that can be hard for them to control... and that's shite and I hope those people that have social anxiety that want to communicate better get through their anxiety because it really does just make life easier.
• How to use the internet - this probably isn't a problem for anyone on here... but some of the older people I've worked with (and my parents, oh my god) as well as people like my fiancé's brother (who's pretty young) are so technologically stupid it's ridiculous and in this day and age is probably a handicap
• Basic first aid - I could have died if my fiancé didn't know how to make the bleeding stop when I hurt my hand a few months back! I lost a fuckload of blood
• How to write a C.V./cover letter - getting a job is important
• Money management - budgeting changed my life

[Bluewolf]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

Been busy then @Bluewolf

 

Just a bit mate yea.. 

I am trying to get the little pond revamped this year and now they are asking me to do stuff out the front of the house as well, I know it needs doing but I only have one pair of hands.. 

[Bluewolf]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Face to face communication skills - some people are just so fucking shite at communicating with people face to face, and I feel like I used to be like that when I was younger (like much younger though, still a kid). Life is easier when you can effectively communicate with people and people can effectively communicate with you. I realise that for some people this might be because of social anxiety or similar issues that can be hard for them to control... and that's shite and I hope those people that have social anxiety that want to communicate better get through their anxiety because it really does just make life easier.

I like the face to face communication that way everything is clear and I like the personal aspect of it, I have known some completely daft idiots that can be actually sitting right next to you in an office and still send an e-mail to you asking for something!! I am like " What the fuck dude, I am right here" I just can't be arsed with all that stuff... people like that just trying to cover their arses via e-mail but unwilling to actually try and talk to you in the first instance.. 

[nudge+]

2 hours ago, Stan said:

Talking of DIY, what's the biggest job that everyone's done/completed (aside from work projects), either inside or outside the house?? Can imagine many on here may have done total redecs or refurbs of inside of their houses. 

Have almost always rented so never had to do any major house maintenance for myself as I just get the landlord to do it... We completely renovated a friend's loft condo once during the summer break though when we all were still students; the three of us did pretty much everything from flooring to painting to electric wiring to wallpapers and kitchen fitting etc. Took us well over two months; had a great time though... We helped for free and she took care of drinks and food; many hours spent there and I still love that place as we basically "built" it and used to crash there so often afterwards.

[Beelzebub]

How to survive in the bed 

[nudge+]

When it comes to non-practical skills, I'd add (mental) resilience, resourcefulness and adaptability to the list of essentials. Basically the capacity to adapt to changes and challenging circumstances and being able to deal with stress, endure hardship, solve problems and bounce back. 

[Beelzebub]

Considering that ww3 might happen in the next 20-30 years learn to build a nuclear bunker and storing all the basic needs is on the top of my list 

[Carnivore Chris]

20 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

 

• How to write a C.V./cover letter - getting a job is important

It depends on what type of work you're looking for. On building sites(whether you're a bricky, joiner, plumber, groundworker, labourer or whatever else) it's usually just a case of phoning them up(or them phoning you) and starting the next day, barring you have all the correct certifications for the job of course. No cover letters, cvs, interviews, fuck all.

The job I'm currently on now was simply a case of my mate phoning me up in February while I was in Amsterdam and asking if I wanted to start with them on the following Monday.

[nudge+]

1 minute ago, The Rebel CRS said:

It depends on what type of work you're looking for. On building sites(whether you're a bricky, joiner, plumber, groundworker, labourer or whatever else) it's usually just a case of phoning them up(or them phoning you) and starting the next day, barring you have all the correct certifications for the job of course. No cover letters, cvs, interviews, fuck all.

The job I'm currently on now was simply a case of my mate phoning me up in February while I was in Amsterdam and asking if I wanted to start with them on the following Monday.

This. And it's not exclusive to manual labour either.

I had a shitload of different jobs in my life so far and I only needed to send a CV once - and even then, during the work interview they admitted they hadn't read it  

I think the only time someone actually read my CV and cover letter was when I was applying for my master's. And even then I'm not sure. 

[Lucas]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

Been busy then @Bluewolf

 

To be fair, he's got to do something to keep himself occupied other than bowls or bingo.

[Bluewolf]

1 hour ago, Lucas said:

To be fair, he's got to do something to keep himself occupied other than bowls or bingo.

If only I had enough time left to indulge in such pastimes... 

[Carnivore Chris]

15 minutes ago, nudge said:

This. And it's not exclusive to manual labour either.

I had a shitload of different jobs in my life so far and I only needed to send a CV once - and even then, during the work interview they admitted they hadn't read it  

I think the only time someone actually read my CV and cover letter was when I was applying for my master's. And even then I'm not sure. 

You can also lie out of your teeth on CVs quite easily.

The worst is when you send out a CV, cover letter, fill out an application form, etc(pretty much taking a few hours of your time) only for the wankers to not even respond to you letting you know that you haven't got the job.

 

 

 

[Toinho]

7 hours ago, Stan said:

Talking of DIY, what's the biggest job that everyone's done/completed (aside from work projects), either inside or outside the house?? Can imagine many on here may have done total redecs or refurbs of inside of their houses. 

My dad and I laid our patio measuring roughly 6x10m with concrete paving slabs - mum did the design for the layout of the concrete slabs and pebbles around it; we bought all the foundations and slabs for it, took a good few weekends to get it completed but such a good feeling when you see it all finished when you know how much hard work has gone in to it.

Nothing. I’ll pay people if I need things doing or get mates around...

[RandoEFC+]

I know I touched on this earlier but I'm posting again anyway and yes I'm posting it from my phone when I should be getting to sleep for maximum irony.

From what I see in schools, I'm actually terrified of what the population is going to look like in 10 year's time. These kids are totally incapable of taking responsibility for their lives.

They can't concentrate in school because their attention is constantly at least partially focused on the next chance to get their phones out and see if they have any new snapchats/Instagram notifications.

The older ones are getting to exam season now and we're talking about 16-18 year olds that don't see a problem with having their phone on the table while they're studying at home because they have to keep in touch with their friends.

They don't know how to maintain any sort of healthy sleeping pattern because they stay up as late as they can be arsed every night either on their phones or consoles.

When they talk about their boyfriends or girlfriends or people they're 'speaking to' or 'getting with', half the time they're talking about someone across the country that they've never actually met and know somehow from online (thankfully this seems to be other teenagers not weird paedos).

It's genuinely really worrying because I can't see how some of these people are going to become functioning adults in the near future yet they're the next generation of our society. They grow up so addicted to their phones that they lack the following basic life skills:

- Ability to communicate with other human beings face to face.

- Ability to express feelings and emotions outside of their comfort zone because they'll wait until they're hiding behind their screen at home to do it via WhatsApp.

- Ability to give a task 100% concentration.

- Ability to take responsibility for the basics of their own health, tearing themselves away from screens long enough to cook actual food or sleep for 8 hours.

- Willingness to have the discipline to work hard for something. This growing cancer of instant gratification, whether it be Snapchat or Netflix dumping an entire season of a show online so you can watch it one go, is killing our ability to look forward to something that we're going to enjoy in a day, a week, a month, and our ability to work away at something that might not pay off immediately but will in the long run.

It's worrying me a lot lately. Those on here that have young kids or go onto to do so in the near future, as someone that's seen a lot of teenagers who haven't been made to manage their screen time and discipline properly throughout their formative years, I'd fire a huge word of warning about making sure you raise your kids properly and don't leave it to the internet. Right now nothing depresses me more than seeing families out together and seeing a 6 year old playing games on their iPad instead of interacting with their relatives. Make sure they appreciate the people around them because that might be the most important life skill of all.

[Toinho]

5 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

It really depends on how you define essential, really. Not everyone has the same essential needs or does certain things - if I don't have a car, learning how to check my oil isn't essential; but also I think if you've got a car or a motorbike you should know basic automotive care (as has been discussed on here).

Generally speaking, I think everyone needs to know a few things to be able to survive in the 21st century.

• How to cook for yourself - being able to feed yourself is a pretty basic life skill and you can't survive if you can't eat
• Basic fucking housekeeping - don't live in your own filth it's not hygenic
• Fixing shite around your home - not everything necessarily, like I don't know how to deal with a burst pipe and I doubt I ever will I'd call a fucking plumber for that - but leaky faucets, caulking a shower, that's not bad
• Time management - we live in the age of smart phones and Google calendars, it's easy to manage your time properly so you can take care of things you need to take care of for work or whatever personal responsibilities you have in life... and to make sure you're giving yourself enough time to do enough things you do want to do in a day; I started doing this because I am busy with work all the fucking time and was getting overwhelmed and I found myself managing everything much better and now I have managed to balance my workload and my own personal interests much better. And it wasn't even that hard for me to make a small change that made a massive impact on the quality of my life
• Face to face communication skills - some people are just so fucking shite at communicating with people face to face, and I feel like I used to be like that when I was younger (like much younger though, still a kid). Life is easier when you can effectively communicate with people and people can effectively communicate with you. I realise that for some people this might be because of social anxiety or similar issues that can be hard for them to control... and that's shite and I hope those people that have social anxiety that want to communicate better get through their anxiety because it really does just make life easier.
• How to use the internet - this probably isn't a problem for anyone on here... but some of the older people I've worked with (and my parents, oh my god) as well as people like my fiancé's brother (who's pretty young) are so technologically stupid it's ridiculous and in this day and age is probably a handicap
• Basic first aid - I could have died if my fiancé didn't know how to make the bleeding stop when I hurt my hand a few months back! I lost a fuckload of blood
• How to write a C.V./cover letter - getting a job is important
• Money management - budgeting changed my life

Pretty much this adding the ability to swim and basic car maintenance (if owner of course). I’d also throw in being able to deal with defeat/disappointment, we need to teach resilience skills essentially daily from an early age and it’s something that’s really important. 

[Mel81x+]

A lot has been made of swimming in this thread. Can I ask if schools don't teach this anymore? When I was in school we had 7 years of swimming classes and it was only excusable if you had a medical condition and we were graded on it too. 

 

[Stan]

48 minutes ago, Mel81x said:

A lot has been made of swimming in this thread. Can I ask if schools don't teach this anymore? When I was in school we had 7 years of swimming classes and it was only excusable if you had a medical condition and we were graded on it too. 

 

When I was at school we had swimming classes but nothing graded. They were separate to P.E. classes so school took it somewhat seriously. Obviously their way of keeping kids active on top of P.E. lessons or 'Games' where we'd play football, cricket or rugby. 

[Mel81x+]

30 minutes ago, Stan said:

When I was at school we had swimming classes but nothing graded. They were separate to P.E. classes so school took it somewhat seriously. Obviously their way of keeping kids active on top of P.E. lessons or 'Games' where we'd play football, cricket or rugby. 

Yeah when I think back on it was a bit weird because I had friends who went to other schools who had swimming but it was more on the line of what you said. I wouldn't really consider it an Essential Life Skill and that probably stems from the fact that I don't really think it was something I thought essential due to the way I was taught it. 

Another life skill I think people should certainly have is basic math skill reinforcement. Its amazing how many people you see pulling out their phones to calculate the bill at the end of the night or how when you ask them simple stuff like giving you an average of some numbers that they won't get to a close approximation without resorting to some device to get it done. I don't expect complex boundary value analysis but I do think it goes a long way to also knowing things like your bank balance and helps in budgeting on-the-fly.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

Attractive women

Spending money

Blogging

Sucking rich dick

 

Everyone else

All other skills.