Looking at Training to be a Midwife.. has anyone else been back to uni as an adult??

flea72

uptomyeyes1984 wrote: »

As far as I can remember...
English - C
Maths - D
IT - B
French - C
Textiles - C
Music - C
i'm sure there was somthing else I wish I could dig out my folder but we just moved house.
As for 6th form I studied Advanced Business and was graded distinction
Is this of any help? sorry i cant be more accurate.

i think you will have to go down the Access route, as basic qualifications would be min 2 A levels (or equiv), pref in science based subjects - you dont seem to have any at GCSE level either?

Flea

uptomyeyes1984

thank you for your help

unluckyone

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Specifically, what GCSEs do you have at grade C or higher and what qualification did you do in the sixth form? With this information we could see whether you need to do a full Access qualification or whether you already have what's needed.

Care work would be a step in the right direction or even better you could see whether your local hospital employs part time HCAs, possibly on a bank basis,[/QUOTE

the good thing about an access course is that it not only gets you the entry qualification into university (they call it a diploma in higher education as of this academic year) but it is also subject specific to your desired discipline which gives you good insight into elements of what you may also study at university and also, for someone who hasn't studied for a while it will teach you how to write essays etc, which you will need for university.

midwifery is a competitive course, more competitive than nursing or social work but the access course and the access tutors are dedicated to preparing mature students for university life and the level of academic study that you will face.

the poster is right, midwifes do partake in shift work and is usually hospital or community based.
when choosing any career it is sensible to think about the whole package, i.e. salary, working hours, environment, training, occupation shortages or not as the case may be! look at a careers book by penguin, it really is very good and gives you a complete breakdown of life as a midwife, also most universitys now do taster courses, where you visit a "talk" at the university and guest speakers will talk about the whole package, they are very good.

you talk about been "old" but you are far from it.
the majority of midwifes are mature students or returning midwifes you have left to raise a family.

you have your children to think about, and to do this study now would absolutely give you and them a better chance of a great future.

i wish you lots of luck and courage.

uptomyeyes1984

unluckyone wrote: »

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Specifically, what GCSEs do you have at grade C or higher and what qualification did you do in the sixth form? With this information we could see whether you need to do a full Access qualification or whether you already have what's needed.

Care work would be a step in the right direction or even better you could see whether your local hospital employs part time HCAs, possibly on a bank basis,[/QUOTE

the good thing about an access course is that it not only gets you the entry qualification into university (they call it a diploma in higher education as of this academic year) but it is also subject specific to your desired discipline which gives you good insight into elements of what you may also study at university and also, for someone who hasn't studied for a while it will teach you how to write essays etc, which you will need for university.

midwifery is a competitive course, more competitive than nursing or social work but the access course and the access tutors are dedicated to preparing mature students for university life and the level of academic study that you will face.

the poster is right, midwifes do partake in shift work and is usually hospital or community based.
when choosing any career it is sensible to think about the whole package, i.e. salary, working hours, environment, training, occupation shortages or not as the case may be! look at a careers book by penguin, it really is very good and gives you a complete breakdown of life as a midwife, also most universitys now do taster courses, where you visit a "talk" at the university and guest speakers will talk about the whole package, they are very good.

you talk about been "old" but you are far from it.
the majority of midwifes are mature students or returning midwifes you have left to raise a family.

you have your children to think about, and to do this study now would absolutely give you and them a better chance of a great future.

i wish you lots of luck and courage.

Thank You Unluckyone, i wasnt the best thinker at school but wasnt totally rubbish lol but my grades did suffer. now i know i have soooooo many more years of work left in me but i want to do something i really want to do i feel very passionatly about this and excited at the thought of being able to do this even if it is in a few years time.
thank you :j

unluckyone

uptomyeyes1984 wrote: »

unluckyone wrote: »

Thank You Unluckyone, i wasnt the best thinker at school but wasnt totally rubbish lol but my graders did suffer. now i know i have soooooo many more years of work left in me but i want to do something i really want to do i feel very passionatly about this and excited at the thought of being able to do this even if it is in a few years time.
thank you :j

the access course should be your starting point, you can do this full time for one year (which full time sometimes means 2-3 days per week) or over two years part time.

do this course, it will likely be free for you to do, see how you manage the academic side of things and the study/life balance, and mostly see how you enjoy studying?? it may not be for you or you may love it.

most good colleges have nurserys now, look into it.

nothing worth doing is rarely easy.

tiny_courageous

Just a thought but have you considered becoming a health visitor? I'm not sure about nationally but where I live there is a desperate shortage. As it's not generally shift work the hours are more friendly if you have children, and it can be just as rewarding as midwifery in its own way. The health visitors I work with are wonderful, dedicated people.

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=807

If you consider that as a career you can consider both nursing or midwifery as a pathway

2234

uptomyeyes1984 wrote: »

unluckyone wrote: »

Thank You Unluckyone, i wasnt the best thinker at school but wasnt totally rubbish lol but my grades did suffer. now i know i have soooooo many more years of work left in me but i want to do something i really want to do i feel very passionatly about this and excited at the thought of being able to do this even if it is in a few years time.
thank you :j

Good luck to you, I know especially with mature students, candidates are often assessed on how they are as an individual, as well as their qualifications. By going back into education, as an older student with other commitments i.e. your children, shows how dedicated you are to the course and will hopefully mean you get onto the course you want!

Absinthe_Fairy

I don't know tons of details, but my auntie went back to uni to train as a midwife - she was in her 30s and had two school-age children at the time. She was successful and is now working. So it can be done!

Good luck! :j

Oldernotwiser

unluckyone wrote: »

the good thing about an access course is that it not only gets you the entry qualification into university (they call it a diploma in higher education as of this academic year) but it is also subject specific to your desired discipline which gives you good insight into elements of what you may also study at university and also, for someone who hasn't studied for a while it will teach you how to write essays etc, which you will need for university.
.

Do you have a reference for this change of name? It seems to me to be unlikely as a Dip HE has always been equivalent to the first two years of a degree and an Access course isn't even an HE qualification.

Oldernotwiser

uptomyeyes1984 wrote: »

As far as I can remember...
English - C
Maths - D
IT - B
French - C
Textiles - C
Music - C
i'm sure there was somthing else I wish I could dig out my folder but we just moved house.
As for 6th form I studied Advanced Business and was graded distinction
Is this of any help? sorry i cant be more accurate.

Entrance requirements will vary from university to university but you'll normally need a minimum of 5 GCSEs (A-C), including English and a Science subject, with Maths often been required. In addition you're likely to need an A level equivalent qualification, which may include your business qualification.

You should check entry qualifications with any university which interests you and make sure that any course you do will be acceptable. Access courses can vary in content but you should make sure that you do one with a Biology component as a minimum; many will be specifically aimed at health service careers.