Your thoughts on university

flea72

BunnieJ wrote: »

Lots of things interest me, I just don't know exactly what I would like to study/do as a career.

I've been out of education for about 5/6 yeras now, so the idea of writing essays and exams scares me! I enjoy creative subjects, but don't have any qualifications/A-Levels in this field so am unable to get onto most arty courses.

My OH is supportive of me, but he doesn't have the money to fund us while I'm studying either!

I went to uni 24yrs after leaving school and yes it is scary, but nowhere near as bad as i thought it would be.

Doing an Access Course might be a starting option as its more about giving you a grounding for what is expected at uni, rather than giving you all the subject knowledge. Tbh im surprised at how little subject knowledge, the fresh from A level students have, as i thought the 2yrs they spent at 6th form would have been a bit more indepth than my access course.

What do you mean by arty courses? Im quite an arty/visual person, but didnt really see myself making much of a career from what i would call proper art. Im studying to be a radiographer and although its science based, you do need to have a good eye to make the images visually appealing. The degree is also funded by the NHS, so no/little student debt at the end and you do get a smallish living allowance (but if yr in a Min wage job, the drop in income shouldnt be that noticeable. Alot of people on my course also maintain a p/t job, so thats some extra income)

Youre never too old to think about going back to education, you still have lots of time to change track, espec as they keep raising the retirement age lol

poet123

TopQuark wrote: »

Hi Poet,

Did you receive my PM? Not sure if it was sent or not!

Yes, thanks so much. I have replied.

Person_one

BunnieJ wrote: »

Thanks for the help

I think my studies have gone badly in the past because I've made the wrong course choices, therefore not enjoying what I'm studying.

I'm not on any benifits so I think I would have to pay the full cost of any course I take up

The courses I'm thinking of aren't especially expensive, They wouldn't get you a qualification but they might be a gentle introductin back into studying or a way to try something out and get a little bit of experience.

I spotted that you're in the South West, so as an example this is the catalogue of adult learning courses that Bristol council offers:

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/leisure_and_culture/adult_education_and_learning/Bristol%20Adult%20Learning%20course%20guide%202013-14.pdf

Most councils offer something similar.

lazer

I went to Uni - although didn't eavem realise until I looked it up there now that it was a Russell Group University.

IMO the only good thing i got of it was my husband.

I did a 3 year degree, and followed this by a 3 year training program, and am now doing quite well in my career - have what the recruitment agents call the perfect CV. I own my house, have some savings etc - I didn't find the degree hard work really, or the post graduate training even - I sailed through them with the minimum amount of work required.

So financially and on paper, I'm doing brilliantly - everything is working out as it should be - however it isn't.

I feel that my school and everyone around me thought I was reasonably clever and that I had to to somehting good with my life - thats why I am here - 10 years into a career, making reasonable money etc, but in my head there is only one job I have ever wanted, and if I hadn't have been pushed academically I would be doing it now - and hopefully I still will someday.

I have taken the first steps towards it - have started to volunteer in a related area, testing the water before I go ahead and more from a my good paid job into a career which is all about job satisfaction with very little money to show for it.

theoretica

poet123 wrote: »

I think you have my youngest son's ideal job. He is a maths/science geek and spends his time when not studying watching You Tube vids of science experiments and dreams of the Hadron Collider!! He is doing AS levels at the moment but he hopes to be where you are one day. For his birthday I am trying to arrange for him and my OH to visit Geneva. I believe the facility is open to the public now?

Has he been to see the Collider exhibition at the Science Museum in London? Open until the 5th of May. http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/collider.aspx

poet123

Thanks, TopQuark pointed me to some links and it looks like that exhibition moves to Manchester in May so we will definitely be going to see it. Thanks for posting.

Confusedandneedhelp

I went to a top 15 uni, did a generic politics degree.

I'm bright, even intelligent. But I found my niche in public engagement. Doesn't require a degree, but can be lucrative with the right contacts.

So I'd suggest going to a prestigious uni and making friends, never know when u can latch on to another's success to make your own

keith969

claire21 wrote: »

My 3 kids go to private school all about just over average in school sets eg no super bright child (debate not about that please) but I have no urge that they go to uni, only if they want to. But should I be thinking they have to in this day and age to get somewhere?

You can probably fund them through Uni then? The biggest obstacle in going to Uni is the fees - when I went, there were none, we got a grant!!! When my son went 6 years ago it was £3K tuition fees, I paid all his living/accomodation expenses (because I could) so he left with relatively little debt and managed to walk into a well paid job in the city.

Now if you go and have to pay £9K/yr tuition plus who knows what for accomodation and living, you've got to be pretty sure of getting a well paid job after. It only makes sense if you are pretty confident you will get a good, and I repeat *good*, job after and can pay off the debts.

And that's even before you start wanting to buy a house, have a family etc...

I'd certainly not discourage anyone wanting to go to University. But its not a holiday any more, you have to pay for it and you have to work out if it's worth it for you.

ViolaLass

keith969 wrote: »

You can probably fund them through Uni then? The biggest obstacle in going to Uni is the fees - when I went, there were none, we got a grant!!! When my son went 6 years ago it was £3K tuition fees, I paid all his living/accomodation expenses (because I could) so he left with relatively little debt and managed to walk into a well paid job in the city.

Now if you go and have to pay £9K/yr tuition plus who knows what for accommodation and living, you've got to be pretty sure of getting a well paid job after. It only makes sense if you are pretty confident you will get a good, and I repeat *good*, job after and can pay off the debts.

Except that if you don't get the good job, you don't have to pay the tuition fees loan back. You can also get a student loan for living expenses, for which the same terms apply. Deciding not to go because of that loan doesn't stack up, IMO, since it also won't affect your ability to get a mortgage and will have a minimal impact on your ability to save a house deposit.

aimeemum

ViolaLass wrote: »

Except that if you don't get the good job, you don't have to pay the tuition fees loan back. You can also get a student loan for living expenses, for which the same terms apply. Deciding not to go because of that loan doesn't stack up, IMO, since it also won't affect your ability to get a mortgage and will have a minimal impact on your ability to save a house deposit.

This.

I just said to my husband that I think I may be a bit to blase about this as everyone else seems worried.

I've had my SFE student loans for nearly 10 years now (graduated in 2005) and I've probably repaid less than £100 in that time as I've only earned enough to repay a little each month in 1 job since then. All the rest have been below the threshold and at the moment I'm not working.

SFE don't come knocking down your door if you can't/don't repay them. It's linked in to your NI so you don't even notice it......it's linked to payscale - when I earned £16k a year I payed £9 a month! I dread to think how much I owe (I've moved and don't get updates) but I know it does accrue interest with inflation. I got full loans, grants and all my fees paid as my parents earned less than the threshold. To all intents and purposes my degree has cost me nothing so far which is a pretty good deal. Whether or not I'll pay for it eventually is anyone's guess. But I feel no pressure to repay it. It's not on your credit score, and the bailiffs are certainly not going to be sent. In this respect you should not avoid Uni to avoid this type of debt. This is not going to hinder you - if it did it would be totally pointless exercise and no-one would go to University. It would revert back to the 'Old School Tie' brigade that it used to be a century ago.

The 'debt' I accrued at University in this respect is not this loan. That's the personal fincancing that I stupidly took out with my bank. The £2k overdraft I was handed and used within a term. The credit card that I filled then defaulted on as I had no income other than my loans that got swallowed on a semesterly basis by the overdraft. I was silly.....I know that now......but this is easily avoided with a bit of education and support (and a part time job! lol). So this also, is no reason to not go.