Already getting anxious.. and still a year to go!!

fishybusiness

I'm 44 and in the last semester of the last year of a psychology degree.

I was scared stupid when I attended my interview. Had sent in a long winded personal statement, I was proud of it, and the course leader said yeah ok, seems ok, you are a mature student, looks like you are able to do the course, sign here, you have a place!!

To put it politely it has been a journey... of worry, of new friends, of many new ideas, of essays, presentations, long days on the sofa with the laptop, and not forgetting citations!

Well worth every minute and life changing.

Maybe it is worth taking the worries one at a time, go to the open day, get your application in, prepare yourself for interview, get that over with, accept your place, sort out student finance (Ugh), prepare for your first day........take a breath.....jump in with both feet

Mrs_Ryan

thanks again everyone. I recieved the programme for the open day this morning, and I'm going to 'immerse' myself in it - going to the talks on how to prepare for uni life etc as although I'm older and I've been to uni twice before like I said it was a long time ago!
I've also persuaded my best mate to come along to the Notts Uni open day - I'm going to speak to them and explain my previous diploma place and further study and see what they say - she was surprised I needed moral support but shes happy to come with me.
The programme for next Sat at Derby looks pretty good and I'm looking forward to it

V_Chic_Chick

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

I'm sort of limited to where I can get to in terms of travel - my original course was at the University of Nottingham which I would love to go back to and would be very do-able travel wise (I spend a lot of time in Nottingham anyway and know the area well) but I dont believe they will take my qualification - ditto De Montfort Uni. Derby seems to be the only one so far willing to take me - if Derby say yes, great, but I'm sort of stuck otherwise because something like an Access course isnt an option due to shift work. The course Im doing at the moment is work-based learning so it fits around my work - although now people have come to mention it, I might give a couple of other unis a try. Nottingham said firmly they do not accept NVQ's but when I first emailed them the course I was doing was very new and no-one really knew anything about it - I might go along to an open day and have a word - ditto DMU.

What qualifications did you use to get onto your last uni course? Those are still valid you know!

Don't forget that you get 5 choices on your UCAS form, so you may as well use them all. Even if you have asked the university (always a good idea when you're a mature student and have non-standard qualifications and experience) and they have given a distinctly 'maybe' answer then it's still worth applying if you have a spare space on your UCAS form.

nimbo

V_Chic_Chick wrote: »

What qualifications did you use to get onto your last uni course? Those are still valid you know!

Don't forget that you get 5 choices on your UCAS form, so you may as well use them all. Even if you have asked the university (always a good idea when you're a mature student and have non-standard qualifications and experience) and they have given a distinctly 'maybe' answer then it's still worth applying if you have a spare space on your UCAS form.

I totally second this...

I mean obviously be sensible but apply for any that are close enough to home to get to....

Even if you only use them for 'practice 'at interviews - when I got interviewed by a certain university (Leeds) every single person I met was completely rude, (for example the lecturer who interviewed me slagged of the previous candidate while I was sat outside the room)...

It doesn't cost much more to put down more than one place, and once you've got to 2 you may as well fill all the boxes...

And apply for Nottingham the worst they can do is not interview you - at this point you have nothing to loose and everything to gain...

Good luck - and keep us updated - I'm really interested to hear when you get in. xx

Mrs_Ryan

the course has changed now, it used to be a Diploma in HE with qualified nurse status but now its a degree course. The entry requirements for the old course were 5 GCSE' s plus 2 A- Levels (any grade) or equivalent. They now ask for a certain number of points equivalent to higher A- Level grades than I have, hence me ssking whether they will consider my 3 A-Levels plus N V Q 3 and additional City and Guilds English and Maths certificates, plus GCSEs and relevant life and employment experience. Derby have indicated they will accept just my A- Levels but want evidence of recent study hence im applying to start next September.
Theres only three possible unis in the area due to my travelling issues.. theres Coventry and Northampton as well but access could be difficult.

Mrs_Ryan

cross posted Nimbo- thanks! Coventry were quite encouraging when i spoke to them as well so might have a think about applying there too.

Dunroamin

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

the course has changed now, it used to be a Diploma in HE with qualified nurse status but now its a degree course. The entry requirements for the old course were 5 GCSE' s plus 2 A- Levels (any grade) or equivalent. They now ask for a certain number of points equivalent to higher A- Level grades than I have, hence me ssking whether they will consider my 3 A-Levels plus N V Q 3 and additional City and Guilds English and Maths certificates, plus GCSEs and relevant life and employment experience. Derby have indicated they will accept just my A- Levels but want evidence of recent study hence im applying to start next September.
Theres only three possible unis in the area due to my travelling issues.. theres Coventry and Northampton as well but access could be difficult.

TBH, UCAS points are generally irrelevant for mature students who may be offering qualifications which are no longer available or which don't equate to UCAS points.

You really have nothing to lose by applying for all places that are convenient to you.

Mrs_Ryan

I hadnt realised that. Thank you, Dunroamin! Feeling a little more confident about having another crack at Notts. If they say no, they say no. According to my colleague the course at Derby is good and they were very sympathetic to her travelling from Leics on public transport so I've got a few options there.

LunaLady

Good luck - let us know how it goes

Mrs_Ryan

Ok, plans have changed.

NVQ is in the process of going belly up, allegedly my ward is closing and I'm told I would probably be accepted for September :eek:

So now I have to apply (I have the support and encouragement of my manager)

UCAS form looks like some kind of foreign language and the thought of a personal statement terrifies the living daylights outta me :eek:

Can anyone help with either???