Studying A Levels 8 years late...

kittykat7210

Hello,

I am in the situation now where I wish I had paid attention/actually bothered with school. I barely ever even went, but managed to get good GCSE’s (Christ knows how) I also did a dos BTEC course, that I never intended to do anything with. I am now in the position of being much older and far more mature, in a job that is fairly well paid but a long way from being worthwhile. I now feel like I am wasting my life and that I’m worth so much more. I want to retrain and study proper A Levels, and go to university and do something meaningful.

However at 24 it’s been a long time since I was in education! I was thinking of studying Biology, Chemistry and Maths as those were my favourite lessons at school, and I got A’s/A*’s in those subjects at GCSE. I was planning on doing the Open College courses and studying 1 at a time because I would still need to work full time whilst doing my A Levels to ensure that I can afford the time off to go to university (I have a mortgage and a baby)

Has anyone done this? Then gone to university full time with a young child? I’m just wondering if it’s do able/ worth the stress/strain?

Mojisola

kittykat7210 wrote: »

I want to retrain and study proper A Levels, and go to university and do something meaningful.

Before you decide on doing A levels, look at the Access to Uni courses - may be a better use of your time.

Pension_Geek

Mojisola wrote: »

Before you decide on doing A levels, look at the Access to Uni courses - may be a better use of your time.

This is a very good bit of advice. It also means you are in the University enviroment early, and can get into your stride before things start to count.

Studying 1 A level at a time might not get you into Uni, as they look for people that can do the work at the same time. Obviously, for mature students the requirements may be slightly more lenient, but this will vary vastly depending on Institution and course.

kittykat7210

I did think about those but I don’t actually know what I want to do career wise and I found that a lost of the access course were very specific, and also the access courses seemed to be more intense than a Levels and I’m not sure I could carry on looking after my daughter, work full time AND study an access course whilst doing it justice! That was my reasoning for A Levels vs Access course, obviously if I’m misinformed about anything then let me know haha!!

Mojisola

kittykat7210 wrote: »

I did think about those but I don’t actually know what I want to do career wise and I found that a lost of the access course were very specific, and also the access courses seemed to be more intense than a Levels and I’m not sure I could carry on looking after my daughter, work full time AND study an access course whilst doing it justice! That was my reasoning for A Levels vs Access course, obviously if I’m misinformed about anything then let me know haha!!

Are you a single parent? What support will you have re child care if you go to uni?

kittykat7210

I’m not a single parent, I have a husband, whilst at uni I will be entitled to support from student finance re childcare, tuition fees and living costs due to the fact it will only be my husbands wage coming in.

kittykat7210

Also I will have the money I will have saved in the 4 years I’ll be doing my A Levels in (could equate to up to £48,000 saved, if we work really hard on saving)

[Deleted User]

What level is your BTEC?

trailingspouse

Have you thought about the Open University? You don't need A-levels, can go straight to a degree course, which will save you a couple of years at least!!

I did my degree through the OU while my children were little (in fact I had #2 child during the course!), and it worked very well - and opened a lot of doors.

It's hard work, and a big commitment - but doing any sort of degree course is hard work and a big commitment!! I did one full-credit course a year for 6 years. When I started, I was studying while my daughter was at Nursery, by the time I finished she was getting homework and we would sit at either end of the dining room table and work together!!

kittykat7210

My BTEC is an A level equivalent but in hospitality management and I would love to do something medical!

I will take a look at open University thank you! X

Mrs_Soup

I would also suggest looking at the OU, even if you don't want to compete a degree there you could do some foundation level work and use that to get back into studying and use to apply to university. eg they do an access to science technology and maths module


http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/modules/y033


Science a levels are going to be harder to do part time than some other subjects as they require lab time which you can't really do at home. I wouldn't worry about doing them one at a time though if that is the route you follow. Universities look differently at applications from mature students and may not require specific qualifications but probably will look for evidence of recent study, so you might need to do only one a level for example.


It is possible to study at university full time with children but its a juggling act and you would be in a minority- some universities/courses cope with it well, others less well. It will be harder if you do anything that requires lots of lab work or even placements as those are less flexible in terms of attending.