Mature Students?

Hi,

This is a bit off topic, but I was just wondering if any of you have gone back to college to study?  I have been back at work 4 months after being on mat leave and I work part time as a livery yard manager but feel really inspired to do something different.  My job is not the same as it was before I left to have my daughter and it does not pay well at all, by the time childcare is paid for it is hardly worth it but we can't afford to live on just my hubby wage.

I have been applying for lots of other jobs but with no luck and think the only way forward is to retrain to something I really want to do.  I thought the govt were really pushing the mums back to work thing etc but I keep coming up against a brick wall.

I want to be either a nurse or a midwife and have spoken to a local uni who have told me they won't take a mature student unless they have studied recently and I should do an access course.  The 2 local colleges that do this course say no I shouldn't do this as I already have a levels (from 11 years ago!) and I should do another A level.  The only college I can find that will do a levels for a mature student is miles away and the only one which will do the access course part time is on a day I absolutley can't do!  I can't afford to give up work to study full time.

I just wondered how anyone else managed to get back into education?  The more people I talk to the more confused I become.  I was really inspired to do this and was looking forward to it but it is becoming like banging my head against a brick wall. I have spent hours on the phone and net and am none the wiser.  I know it will be hard work but I want my brain to work again! any usefull tips on courses or other ways to get back into education and any funding etc that is available would be greatly appreciated as I'm beginning to give up hope!

Gemxxx

Hi Gem

Im in a very similar position to you. i too wanted to go back to uni to train in midwifery, i actually applied last year and whilst they told me my application was excellent, they needed some form of qualifiaction in biology or health related science. I left school 10 years ago after my alevels and went on to uni to do a degree then, and after making enquiries was told that my degree would suffice and i wouldnt need to do an eccess course. However this seems the only option for me as i need some sort of qualification in biology in order to study midwifery. In order to get this i either have to do a HE access course, of which nowhere anywhere near me provides a relevant one, unless i do a distance learning one which is likely to cost £500. The other option is to take alevel biology, which again i cant seem to do locally. but they do online distance learning for this which costs around £300.

Due to where i live (cumbria) i only really have the choice of one university due to distance restrictions, and there is very little on offer in the areafor adult learning in terms of a-levels and access courses. It seems the only option is to do distance learning, but obv the cost is a major factor.

If you want some info on the providers of these online courses give me a private message and i'll send them to you.

Good luck x

Thanks for the reply.

I had looked at some distance learning courses but they were very expensive and I'm worried about commiting myself to them when you don't get taught 'in person'.  I'm worried it will be quite hard to do on my own.  I worked like hell for my A levels and found them incredibly difficult. (I wanted to be a vet but had to give up that dream as there was no way on this earth I would have got the grades).  Strangely my local uni said there was no preferred subject for midwifery, I would have thought biology would have been essential.

I'll drop you a pm and have a look at the providers you reccomend.

I might just wait till next year and do an access course then.  I just really wanted to get cracking!  I also want another baby in the next couple of years and not sure how this fits in to my plans!  At this rate I'll be in my late 30's before I manage to qualify and will people employ an older newly qualified midwife?

Hi Gem, unfortunatley education is like the NHS is differs so much depending on your postcode, nursing is a it easier to get in to than midwifery and then you can just do the MW course as a postgraduate one of the student MW when I had Freya was taking this route and had obviously been working and getting paid as a nurse while training for her MW qualification.

check out this website its very clear and easy to understand, by no means are you too old to retrain infact it is ageist for a college to not take you on based on your age (within reason!! lol)  but one thing I have considered as I've thought of midwifery as a career change is the shift work, you may be away from your kids for longer than you might with a 9-5 job but there will be days when you aren't working at all (ie 5 on 5 off) and being pregnant is a hazard of the jobs for MW's with all those cute babies around!!  there were 2 PG ones on shift when I was in hospital and another just had hers!! so having another baby will fit in with your plans absolutley fine Im sure, changing careers can be so scary!!

I teach adults students at our local college to be florists and we have all sorts of ages on the part time courses if you passionatley want to change career you can, its about determination and you need support, the fact you're posting about it already shows you want it!!

also the open university has a 'help' checker if you get tax credits or have a household income under a certain amount it tells you how much aid you can get with your fees

good luck Gem, heres the web addresses take care xxx

http://www.acareerchange.co.uk/changing-career-becoming-nurse.html

http://css2.open.ac.uk/FafCalculator/eligibility.aspx?OFS=False&Country=ENI

Thanks Vicky,

It's good to hear from someone from the other side of the coin so to speak!  I'll have a look at your links and see if they tell me anything new.  The money (or rather lack of it) is a real issue but I will never get a better job if I don't do some re training so stuck in betwen a rock and a hard place really!  I really want to do this but it is just a bit of a pain that the final push I needed from my job being so pants has come when it is a bit late to get things organised for this coming term.

Going to explore the links now!

hope they help Gem, one thing Ive learnt is it often gets worse before it gets better financially speaking, you have to step back and look at a 5 year plan or even 2-3 year plan, Im kind of a get it down on paper to see it clearer kind of gal!! lol! although it is late for this term some courses and colleges have an intake in november or after the xmas holidays so keep and eye out!

take care xxx

Hi i have gone back to education this year to train as a teacher after having my son. he is 14 months now. i have A levels but have been out of education for 8 years. i have opted for the access option because it gets me used to what being at University will be like. The main reason for an access course is to get you into University so they focus on this a lot. An access course is equivalent to 2 A levels when passed but you do need to check with indivdual Universitys to make sure they accept access for entry.

the great thing is access can be done full or part time. i am doing full time and i do 14 hours a week. or part time can be as little as 4 hours per week. if you give up work, which i advise as it is as full on as University then there is financial help for low income families. in some cases the tuition fees(up to £400 per year) are free.

any more question about access then just ask

Donna 

Hello,

I'm studying part-time with the OU, can't give you much advice on midwifery courses but I can recommend distance learning with the OU as a good way to get extra quals and there is financial support available, though not as much as there used to be.

I can't give advice with juggling kids/study as I don't have kids yet (I'm TTC) but many of my course students do and seem to get through okay.

I would also suggest that you contact the exams officers in local schools and colleges before taking up any sort of distance learning A Level as not many schools will accept private candidates and you need to sit the exams with an examination centre.  This is particularly difficult when it comes to practical exams, such as those found in science courses.  The deadlines  for applying for entry are 21st October for Jan exams and 21st March for May/June exams but the school/college will have internal deadlines set around 3-4 weeks before this.

Good luck whatever you decide.