One person helped me on here and I now wish to Thank her!

Mental health
1

Hi All,

I'm not writing this because I'm depressed, I am still on medication for depression - Yet, 18 months ago I looking for help, when I had a complete breakdown, and I felt terrible about it.

One person that really gave me an idea was a woman, whom asked me if I had ever tried online courses, more specifically with Future Learn - part of Open University here in the UK. I tried a few courses very interesting and it took me away from the depressive state I was in, at the time.

Since then I have acquired over 30+ certificates from Digital Antropology to Advanced Mathematics and Cyber Security.

In that time I studied The "Trachtenberg Speed System" in Mathematics, I wish I knew this when I was in school many decades ago. I can now work out huge logical mathematics faster and further than a calculator. The stupid part about it was you do not need to know any multiplication or division, as long as you can add and subtract either on paper or in your head, to be honest I find it quicker in my head.

I didn't stop there I re-applied to MENSA again, when I was just 17 my IQ was 165. I assumed it would change over the years and with what I know now, it would of increased. Never assume as many people say, that is a true fact because my IQ after all these years was still 165! The average IQ of most people is between 130-140.

And now for the reason why I am so happy today. Yesterday, I received an email from the Open University, asking me if I would be interested in taking part Mentoring Teachers, basically giving them ideas to put forward for the current school curriculum within the UK. I replied yesterday stating I would be grateful for the position. It is an honorary position (in other words, I do not get paid for accepting the position). The main benefit to me as the role holder would be kudos amongst peers and/or professional development and CV enhancement.

This I did not see this coming, it was out of the blue - but my intelligence and high IQ, along with my 100% Activity and well over 200+ followers placed me in the same league as the Team Leaders at University.

I wish what I know now, and wasn't disabled so much physically - I could change the decades of pain and hospital appointments of Botox injections and taking 40+ tablets a day, it is horrid but now I have learnt one thing - I can now make a difference to junior and secondary school education. This is one area I have never looked in to before.

So, to the woman that gave me the idea of doing free University courses, I must thank you in a very big way, if it wasn't for yourself and your friends that see people everyday on here with depression. I appreciate everything that turned my life around.

I am still emotionally depressed, but no where near what I was like 18 months ago. Anyone I missed off, please accept my apologies for - so many of you have told me your stories about depression, in many cases much worse than myself.

I used to use the alias username of Les63, which I changed to SteV3 - long story. lol 

Regards,

Les.

2

Hey there wat an inspirational story for us guys on here. Glad ur doin so well. Hope u find the special person who helped u back then. Lovely post. Mandy xxx

3

Hi, thanks for sharing a positive story! I didn't know that the OU got involved in school curriculum issues, that's really interesting. What's a mentoring teacher?

Shaz

4

Hi Shaz,

You're very welcome.

As for your question, I'll answer that to the best of my ability.

I have done many OU courses over just 18 months, some in the UK, others in the USA. By completing the courses I received CPE's, Badges and Digital Certificates, along with Skill Micro-courses if I wish to take them as well.

In the UK, you can do free courses on over 600 subjects, I covered about 5 of them, but I did not do them just once.

I put together what I had previously had learnt in US and UK courses, so I had a better understanding than the new students or teachers.

I have studied electronics and computers for decades, so I have plenty of experience in many areas, of all three worldwide webs. And, beyond that I can code in numerous programming languages.

The Team Leaders noticed from my answers to other students asking questions, that I had a very high intellect in Cyber Security and Computers, and put ideas to teachers previously which they could use to create more of a bond between students and teachers regarding the numerous subjects.

I posted resources and content, along with easy to understand ways of introducing computer programming in to the classroom.

Teachers from all over the world attend the courses, basically to find better ideas that they could introduce in to their classrooms. Students can easily get bored of subjects, so by bringing in new ideas is a good idea.

A "Honorary Mentor" means I will be working in a team and putting new ideas forward to Teachers for them to try out, hopefully with better results, and students taking more interest.

I was asked back last year to become an "Entrepeneur Mentor" by a very wealthy known person, but because of my circumstances and disabilities I no choice, but to turn it down. I would of been Mentoring 12 young men giving them a chance in life to open their own business, with the best one being given a £1 million injected fund. Good money as well.

Regards,

Les.

5

Thanks for your reply and the insightful update! I have looked at the courses on future learn but due to current time commitments haven't done any (yet). I work full time and am nearly 50% through my degree with the OU. I am hoping that once I have submitted my end of module assignment next week, to revisit future learn. Also then means when I start again in October, I will still be in the studying mindset.

Posts like yours help to make me know that what I am doing is worthwhile.

Best wishes - Shaz