Rant.

Before I start this rant let me start by saying; I know I am lucky to live in Perth. I know I am lucky to not have been devastated by floods, fires, tsunamis, volcano eruptions, earth quakes, poverty or any of the other terrible things the world faces at the moment. Like everyone else, I hate the dire situations happening in Japan, New Zealand, Queensland and everywhere else. I understand how terrible it is, I wish I could help and my heart completely and utterly goes out to anyone who was involved or knows someone involved. So if after reading this rant you want to make a comment on how I should consider myself lucky, I know I should but I want to rant, this in my blog and therefore if you don't like my opinion stop reading.

Now. For what I was really here to rant about. Yes, I know I am using the word rant a lot. Why? Because that's what it is; me bitching, complaining and being angry. To the point.

For those of you who don't know me, or my situation, or possibly have forgotten. I live out of home, have done so since I was 18. I chose (yes KEYWORD chose) to move out young because my boyfriend and I wanted to live together but both being the stubborn idiots we are didn't want to live exclusively with one of our families. When I first moved out I rented, went to uni and worked quite a lot. Since I moved out I have always worked, again by choice. I chose to work 20-35 hours a week (it slowly went up) not because we 'needed' money, but more because I wanted to enjoy life. I have been on a holiday every year since I have moved out and I worked very hard to give myself a 70+ average at uni and still be able to do what I love (like dinners and travelling). Recently, I went to Europe. So for 6 months before I worked 32 hours a week, did part time uni and saved for our trip. That was great. So as you can imagine, I have paid my fair share in taxes, and as mentioned worked extremely hard. The beginning of 2010 I worked myself too hard. I was doing full time uni and way too much work, so basically I completely run myself to the ground which resulted in continual painful migraines and my body crapping out on me.

So, to bring us up to date at the end of last year, I quit my job and decided I needed to focus on uni. My old job stressed me out a lot and I found I was becoming unhappy which lead to me being mentally exhausted.

Currently, I am unemployed. Don't assume I am a bum because I work (FOR FREE) as an intern 2 days a week and I go to uni 2 full days a week. This means I have very limited free time. Financially, not working is a larger burden than I assumed, we have a mortgage which continually rises in repayments so I find we are surviving but struggling, and the once luxurious life I led is now gone. This is where the rant begins. Uni is pretty much taking everything out of me, mainly because I do 5 units. So I made the decision that for the year it would be best to either find casual work (which is almost impossible) or go on student centerlink. You would think after all my hard work, dedication I would be assisted by the government to finish my degree. Wrong. Firstly; to get on Australian youth allowance you need to have worked full time for 24 months....which I am just short of. Secondly; I have a boyfriend. So because I have a boyfriend who earns a decent wage and technically classed as defacto I am entitled to no compensation from the government to study.

How is it fair that my boyfriend (for which all they know we have been together 6 months) is expected to pay for my living expenses? How is it fair that though I have been working since I was 14, and earning enough money to pay taxes since I was 16 I am not entitled to help when I need it. The government try push for you to go to university, yet offer you nothing in return. I think the whole system is pathetic. Yes, there are people who may need it more than me...but at least I have given my fair share and deserve to ask for help. Yes, I maybe shouldn't have moved out of home, but I did and it happened. We have a government which donates a quarter of the money they donated to Indonesian Tsunami Appeal that it did to the Queensland Appeal. A government who shelters, houses and assists people from other countries seeking refuge yet pays single parents barely enough money to live on. A government which has a 5 year waiting list for state housing.

Yes, I know they do a lot of good too. But it seems to me, the Australian government are set on helping anyone and everyone but their own people. So I am done with my rant; bring on your comments but just remembers- this is my blog, not yours.