course postponed - what now?

UKroseblue

I have just heard today that the course I was offered a place on to start in September has been 'postponed'!

It was the only course I applied for - I'm a mature student and don't want to travel far so it was my nearest Uni and the course sounded perfect for what I wanted.

I'm quite annoyed as although the course was 'subject to validation', I emailed the course administrators a few weeks ago, before accepting their offer, to be told the course had been validated and is 'on track to go ahead this year'. On going into the website yesterday, I noticed it said - 'initial intake Sept 2010' so I emailed again to check and was told the decision had been made to postpone the course for a year 'due to there not being enough applicants to sustain a workable cohort' - I'm guessing that means not enough people applied to go on the course this year. I wish they had informed me sooner. I want to go to Uni this year for domestic reasons and not leave it another year - and even then the course isn't guaranteed to go ahead!

I called UCAS who said I'd be eligible to apply for another 5 options but of course, the choice is limited now.

I suppose I shoud have applied for more courses in the first place but as the Uni was my nearest and the course sounded perfect, I only applied for that one.

It was a combined education/languages course - I want to get into careers advice/welfare advice/international student advisor in education establishments or to do something with adults in education. I was advised there were options around adult eduction/work based learning/life long learning on this course, that's why I chose it....

Oh well, any ideas which courses would be suitable now?

Thanks.

littleredhen

could you distance learning instead on the same kind of course

UKroseblue

Thanks, but I considered the OU but feel I would learn better from attending lectures each week. I also want to experience the whole student thing - I never thought I was clever enough to go to Uni and have spent some time gaining the confidence and studying to the required level (access). I'd prefer to go to Uni full time, this year.

cardiffforthefacup

If I were you I would apply to the other universities anyway especially if they offer similar courses. They usually keep a couple of places available for clearing, dropouts and mature students like yourself, you could always phone the department in question and speak to the course coordinator, they are quite friendly and it may be favorable if do apply for a place. If you have to travel a great distance you may be able to get some help from student services.

Fire_Fox

It may be the university of your choice is offering many of the modules you would have taken anyway, and an appropriate negotiated pathway?

welf_man

Whereabouts do you live? And do you have any advice-giving experience?

I'm a University Welfare Adviser, and you'd probably do better volunteering for CAB while doing some part-time courses in social policy, legal studies and the like.

If you want to study full-time, then Stafforshire and Northumbria do Advice Work / related courses.

I got into the field by studying Social Work and then bring elected Sabbatical Welfare Officer - though that was in the days when officers dd casework, which is unusual these days.

Mel.