Help me!!

kerrib84

Hi there, my name is Kerri and i am soon to turn 27 years old. One of my biggest regrets in life is not going to college straight from school, but to be honest, when leaving school i had no idea what i wanted to do!
I did a modern apprenticship in hairdressing and worked as a hairdresser for 7 years until i was 23. It wasnt for me, just wish it hadnt taken me so long to realise.
After that i went and worked abroad for a couple of summer seasons and whilst at home i worked in my local pub.
Got myself into a bit of debt with a hefty overdraft, and owed the good old "bank of mum and dad" money that they had kindly loaned and supported me with. Luckily I found myself a pretty well paid job at a local factory assembling boilers which i still work at after 3 years. Still not what i want to be doing in life but with a good wage and regular overtime its hard to give up! Especially now that me and my partner are saving for a house which many will know is not an easy task!
I have now come to realise what direction i would love to take in life, but, i just cant afford to pursue it!!
Since losing quite abit of weight and helping others to do the same i have been researching diet and nutrition and would like to study it properly and hopefully one day become a qualified dietician. I have looked into courses and i am at the moment doing a maths course to get my grades up.
I spoke to my local college and they advised that i would have to do a health and social care course to even qualify for a university place, but the course is part time only (17.5 hours per week) which would mean that i would only be able to have a part time job. . i just cant afford to do that!!
Is that my only option??????
I do not want to get to 30 years old and have not even started the ball rolling to get myself the career i long for!
HELP ME!! :huh:

DVardysShadow

Well done for having ambition and working at it. You are doing the maths course, so you HAVE started the ball rolling. I would suggest that you keep on the day job while the money is good - but you don't live to your income. Have you paid off your debts? If you have not, then get on to it. All the time you keep your current job, you can be putting aside the wherewithal to be able to study - even if it is just getting a larger deposit, which will allow you to have a smaller mortgage.

I am assuming that your life plan includes a family - and I would suggest planning the study in that time, otherwise you will be trying to do too much at once.

williacg

Have you researched any other similar courses that you could carry out from home, or the Open University?

kerrib84

Hi there! Yes thankfully my debts are paid off I still have a small overdraft but that is just there for emergencies.
I am planning on a family but I was hoping to get a career first. Feel like I'm running out of time! People always say to me, ' your still young, you've got loads if time! ' But im aware of how long these types of courses take so with that in mind, I'm not quite young enough!!
I have also looked into home study courses, which I almost just jumped in and purchased, but I thought it best to seek advise first and contacted direct.gov and my local university and they said that because of the nature of the course I would really need tutor based learning and that home study courses are better for further education, not starting education. My head is battered by it all!! I just want to learn and still work and earn money. I even asked about night courses but they are not available either.

Sambucus_Nigra

Could you become a Slimming World Consultant whilst studying, thus working, studying and helping people who need it?

kerrib84

I am a weight watchers member and have looked in to becoming a leader, but the income takes a while to build up i.e building a membership base. My biggest problem is, I have got used to the money that I'm earning and whilst saving for a house it's very helpful! Especially the extra money I can earn from working weekends on overtime. My boyfriend is very supportive and earns great money but I am quite a proud person and very independent! I like to earn my own money. I look forward to studying but it seems so out if reach!! I hate to seem like I'm making excuses :-/ I want a career so badly. Could just do with a nice lottery win really!!

Sambucus_Nigra

Course it does, but if you start now you would be fully up and running by Sept when your course could start.

Lottery wins don't often happen, so you have to plan worst case scenarios.

Raksha

If I had my time again, I'd do it. My marriage broke down after 12 years, I moved house and started an Access course, unfortunatley I had to give it up because of health problems. 20 years on, I am 50 and regretting not taking that chance I was offered back then.

Do it!

Hammyman

kerrib84 wrote: »

, but the course is part time only (17.5 hours per week) which would mean that i would only be able to have a part time job. . i just cant afford to do that!!
HELP ME!! :huh:

Utter codswallop.

My brothers did degrees (Law and Business) and both held down fulltime jobs doing twilight shifts in call centers after Uni. You'd only be able to do a part time job if you're not serious about it and only want to do 40hrs between the both per week.

Sambucus_Nigra

Hammyman wrote: »

Utter codswallop.

My brothers did degrees (Law and Business) and both held down fulltime jobs doing twilight shifts in call centers after Uni. You'd only be able to do a part time job if you're not serious about it and only want to do 40hrs between the both per week.

I agree totally; I did my degree whilst working full time - it's hard work but absolutely do-able.

Oldernotwiser

kerrib84 wrote: »

i am at the moment doing a maths course to get my grades up.
I spoke to my local college and they advised that i would have to do a health and social care course to even qualify for a university place, but the course is part time only (17.5 hours per week) which would mean that i would only be able to have a part time job. . i just cant afford to do that!!

I think that your college has advised you badly as you would normally need a Science Access course to do a degree in Nutrition, not a Health and Social Care one.

These are the universities that run Nutrition degrees.

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/coursefinder/FindCourse.aspx

You can contact any institution that would be appropriate for you to ask about alternative entry requirements as you may find that they will accept an OU course such as these;-

http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/sdk125.htm

http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/s104.htm

If so, you could study part time with the OU whilst continuing to work full time.

Good luck.