i want to go uni but can i afford it?

Oldernotwiser

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Definitely get some voluntary experience in the field; try the CVS (Community and Voluntary Service) in your area or Volunteering England for opportunities. You will probably need a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check to work with either children or mental heath, even for just half a day here and there.

You may be able to bypass the A-level route if you get a place on a Foundation Degree. This will be full time so you get all the financial support, but only one day of study a week plus paid or unpaid work experience. The Open University run one on young people as do several colleges (accredited by universities). There are also Foundation Degrees in health and social care, and in mental health.

You can then do one more year to get a full degree, and then a PGCE if you are still keen. My local NHS run short courses which are free to access which get you understanding the wider issues surrounding health, and the terminology (e.g. partnership working).

What you describe isn't the route into Mental Health Nursing. You need to do a degree in this (the diplomas are disappearing soon), not available through the OU. However, I do agree about the need for getting relevant experience first.

OP; I really think that you need to make a definite decision regarding Mental Health Nursing and Teaching. You wouldn't normally be able to do a PGCE after a Nursing degree; the career pathways are completely different.

Fire_Fox

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

What you describe isn't the route into Mental Health Nursing. You need to do a degree in this (the diplomas are disappearing soon), not available through the OU. However, I do agree about the need for getting relevant experience first.

OP; I really think that you need to make a definite decision regarding Mental Health Nursing and Teaching. You wouldn't normally be able to do a PGCE after a Nursing degree; the career pathways are completely different.

No it's not; the OP said she wanted to work in mental heath, and was considering getting a job in a related field whilst working towards her A-levels. So I described a route into the field of mental health, which the OP could run alongside paid employment and would get her a degree level qualification after only two years.

Foundation degrees attract Student Loans Company funding, and some attract an NHS bursary. She could then do one year top up to a full honours degree in a closely related subject, or two or three years to get an honours degree in a more distant subject area. I think this is a more flexible route than the A-level route, and an excellent option for those worried about how they will manage financially.

princessbutterpea

i have spoken to someone who is a Mental Health Nurse and aparently i can gain experience while working, earning and gain grades i need for UNI and get grants for UNI by getting a job at the NHS in mental health nursing then working part time for the NHS to pay for the course. It will also give me over a year to really know that i enjoy it before i start a UNI course.

Oldernotwiser

Fire_Fox wrote: »

No it's not; the OP said she wanted to work in mental heath, and was considering getting a job in a related field whilst working towards her A-levels. So I described a route into the field of mental health, which the OP could run alongside paid employment and would get her a degree level qualification after only two years.

Foundation degrees attract Student Loans Company funding, and some attract an NHS bursary. She could then do one year top up to a full honours degree in a closely related subject, or two or three years to get an honours degree in a more distant subject area. I think this is a more flexible route than the A-level route, and an excellent option for those worried about how they will manage financially.

Well, I read the OP as saying that she wanted to go into Mental Health Nursing and her subsequesnt post seems to bear that out. Your route might take her "into the field of mental health" but it isn't a possible route for a nursing qualification.

Oldernotwiser

princessbutterpea wrote: »

i have spoken to someone who is a Mental Health Nurse and aparently i can gain experience while working, earning and gain grades i need for UNI and get grants for UNI by getting a job at the NHS in mental health nursing then working part time for the NHS to pay for the course. It will also give me over a year to really know that i enjoy it before i start a UNI course.

I think that this would work really well although there aren't that many places actually funded for training whilst working. It would certainly be a good starting point and, if the funding weren't available when you are ready to train, you could always do it independently with a bursary and loan.

Whichever route you take, you'll still need to have GCSEs (grade C or over) in English, Maths and a Science subject, as well as the higher level qualifications you'll need for a degree.

Fire_Fox

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Well, I read the OP as saying that she wanted to go into Mental Health Nursing and her subsequesnt post seems to bear that out. Your route might take her "into the field of mental health" but it isn't a possible route for a nursing qualification.

It can be if you select the right foundation degree and have appropriate experience (I know this says honours degree but I have heard of the system being flexible for the right, usually internal NHS, candidate):

"Accelerated programmes for graduates

Applicants will typically be expected to hold a first or second class honours degree in a subject that is relevant to nursing. Examples of relevant subjects are biological sciences, social sciences, psychology, behavioural sciences, and health studies. Other degree subjects will be considered by the individual HEI, based on the amount of relevant content."
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=1944

However if the OP would prefer to go the A-levels route and work as a healthcare assistant that is obviously the way forward. This would mean she has more experience working with severe disorders of mental health; both chronic and acute episodes. The FdSc route would probably mean a community healthcare role, but it is entirely possible to do more than one placement at a time or different placements in different years of the course. The community aspect might be more valuable if the OP might wish to work with young people in the future: the hospital side better if she is more interested in the medical aspect. Horses for courses!

Oldernotwiser

I'm sorry, I just cannot see how it would be better for somebody to do the 3 year Foundation degree + top up route with the accelerated nursing programme on top, making more than 5 years to qualification. An Access course will take only one year and lead directly into the 3 year Nursing degree.

Conversion programmes are fine for somebody who's started off in the wrong direction, but for someone who's at the start of their plans it makes far more sense to take the direct route.

I would very rarely suggest that a mature student should do A levels for university entry; an Access course or OU unit are far more appropriate entry qualifications in these circumstances. Apart from anything else, you need at least some qualification to get on a Foundation degree in the first place!

Fire_Fox

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I'm sorry, I just cannot see how it would be better for somebody to do the 3 year Foundation degree + top up route with the accelerated nursing programme on top, making more than 5 years to qualification. An Access course will take only one year and lead directly into the 3 year Nursing degree.

Conversion programmes are fine for somebody who's started off in the wrong direction, but for someone who's at the start of their plans it makes far more sense to take the direct route.

I would very rarely suggest that a mature student should do A levels for university entry; an Access course or OU unit are far more appropriate entry qualifications in these circumstances. Apart from anything else, you need at least some qualification to get on a Foundation degree in the first place!

Mature students are often accepted onto foundation degrees with basic maths and English plus some experience in the relevant field. A foundation degree itself is two years not three and, as I said, it is often possible to get into full honours degrees (e.g. mental health nursing) without doing the standard top-up - i.e. two degrees in total. So it's four years total if allowed entry onto the two year accelerated honours degree programme - the same as a one year access course plus standard three year degree.

This doesn't have to be seen as a change of direction, it can be planned from the start. I am doing a course in Exercise and Fitness and will go onto Health Sciences (one further year) rather than the traditional Sports Studies road, which I never had any intention of taking. Another girl on my course has been accepted onto a Youth Work degree (two further years) - this was actually her first UCAS choice and she now wished to combine the two.

The benefit comes in that one gets two degree level qualifications in the same time frame, the option to change direction halfway through, or to stop altogether if circumstances change. I am not saying it is the answer for everyone, but it can be helpful when someone has two areas of interest (in this case young people and mental health) as she may later opt to combine interests or drop one.

If I thought the OP was set on her future career path I wouldn't have mentioned it, but it's helpful to have several options to explore. I am not sure of the funding opportunities for access courses, but I do know FDs attract full SLC funding yet allow you to work plenty of hours - and worries about the financial side of things was in the OPs initial post. I don't suggest this is the better route, just a different one. You seem determined to prove me wrong when it isn't even our decision, so I will bow out and post on this thread no more.

Oldernotwiser

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Mature students are often accepted onto foundation degrees with basic maths and English plus some experience in the relevant field. A foundation degree itself is two years not three and, as I said, it is often possible to get into full honours degrees (e.g. mental health nursing) without doing the standard top-up - i.e. two degrees in total. So it's four years total if allowed entry onto the two year accelerated honours degree programme - the same as a one year access course plus standard three year degree.

This doesn't have to be seen as a change of direction, it can be planned from the start. I am doing a course in Exercise and Fitness and will go onto Health Sciences (one further year) rather than the traditional Sports Studies road, which I never had any intention of taking. Another girl on my course has been accepted onto a Youth Work degree (two further years) - this was actually her first UCAS choice and she now wished to combine the two.

The benefit comes in that one gets two degree level qualifications in the same time frame, the option to change direction halfway through, or to stop altogether if circumstances change. I am not saying it is the answer for everyone, but it can be helpful when someone has two areas of interest (in this case young people and mental health) as she may later opt to combine interests or drop one.

If I thought the OP was set on her future career path I wouldn't have mentioned it, but it's helpful to have several options to explore. I am not sure of the funding opportunities for access courses, but I do know FDs attract full SLC funding yet allow you to work plenty of hours - and worries about the financial side of things was in the OPs initial post. I don't suggest this is the better route, just a different one. You seem determined to prove me wrong when it isn't even our decision, so I will bow out and post on this thread no more.

I'm sorry, I'm really not trying to prove you wrong but you're posting from individual experience and I'm posting from years of experience as a Careers Adviser. This isn't intended to "trump" you in any way but just to point out that, for most people it's better to go the most normal straightforward route between two points. I'm well aware of the back ways into things and will happily recommend these to people, but when someone's at the start of their career plans, simple is usually best.

You would be most unlikely to get onto an accelerated nursing programme with just a Foundation degree (you yourself quoted the need for a first or upper second hounours degree) so you would be talking about either 2 years Foundation degree plus three years nursing, or 3 years Foundation degree (including top up) plus two years accelerated programme; both would take five years.

I do agree that we've taken too much time on here. I wish the OP luck in whatever she decides to do and whatever route sh chooses.