Mature student advise

albreda

try here https://www.open.ac.uk

[Deleted User]

Hi I am a sixty-year old grandmother I recently passed two GCSE s in English and History I am about to start a part time CCS course at Uni tomorrow. Age has nothing to do with ability I left school at 14 without any exams at all. If you feel that you want to do something then GO FOR IT.Life won't knock on your door you have to make the effort yourself.Good Luck I hope my fellow students will be able to get along with this old granny ,if not, then tough, 'cos 'this lady aint for turning'

anneANNE_3

Uni's prefer access courses. They show a commitment to study and they are taught in line with the degrees.
I did an access course and i could have gone to Durham if i had wanted to move.

the*dark*one

I just wanted to add I did an Access course last year and it was one of the best years of my life :beer:

We had students ranging from 19 (the youngest) to 51. The average range in my class was 23-27 and we all bonded so much we would all go out after class every week.

My fellow classmates got into Kings, Queen Mary & Westfield and one even got a place offered at Cambridge! I deferred my own place for a year because I want to save but overall I would say that uni's prefer mature students.

I have also done 3 A-Levels when I was 16-18 and an Access course is much easier. I found the Access course enjoyable and because it can be so general, there is nothing really stopping you from choosing what you really want to study at uni. My advice would be to go to all the uni open days and get a real feel for the place, I never had to have any interviews with the unis I applied for and they do look favourably on you because of your age/work experience.

Good luck in whatever you decide :j

jobbingmusician

So it sounds like an Access course is a good idea.

But you are worried about the maths.

Hmmm - I would tend to endorse what an earlier poster said. It sounds as if you are confident about your ability to manage intellectually - why not sign up for a 2nd level maths course at the OU (or even 2, if you can cope!) which might well achieve your aim (I assume) of upgrading your uni admission qualifications, AND might even give you some credit exemption for a degree!?

silaslang

Im currently on an ACCESS course and have been told that Uni's prefer the mature students on these courses as the dropout rate is less than younger students and it shows you can juggle work and study already.

Best of luck with what you choose.

IvanOpinion

JackieO wrote:

Hi I am a sixty-year old grandmother I recently passed two GCSE s in English and History I am about to start a part time CCS course at Uni tomorrow. Age has nothing to do with ability I left school at 14 without any exams at all. If you feel that you want to do something then GO FOR IT.Life won't knock on your door you have to make the effort yourself.Good Luck I hope my fellow students will be able to get along with this old granny ,if not, then tough, 'cos 'this lady aint for turning'

Found this interesting but the one question that comes to mind is 'Why?'. If you are 60 then I doubt if it will make much difference to your career, your English is probably better than the majority of those being turned out from school and GCSE history could be learned by buying a couple of books and reading them at your leisure. Why not use the money for a nice holiday instead?

I appreciate that this is what you want to do with your time but 'Why?' - much more education can be achieved through travel.

Ivan

superscotsman

If you have a university degree, whether you have got to university via access or a-level would be insignificant. I have an open university degree. Nothing wrong with that - except that "it is the hardest way known to man to get a degree", and I am quoting a former vice chancellor of the ou. So if you can go to a regular university do so.
From doing the odd college course recently, I can tell you that the tutors did their utmost to keep the oldies away from the youngsters. The reason was plain to see: we oldies had a completely different attitude: we were more willing to learn, and were more conscientious. Many of the youngsters were there so they didn't have to get a job. The behaviour of some youngsters - even when sober - is abominable. I never thought I would ever say this, but we never used to behave in such a way. Some of them will grow out of it, but if you can avoid people who are constantly disrupting the tutor group, go for it.
It's a jungle out there, and you've got to look out for Number One.
I've got a physics degree, so I can give you the following advice. If you are doing any science or engineering degree where math is a component, do the math first THEN do the science.

Raquela

I started an access course (having already done A-levels). I gave it up in the first term because i didn't feel at all academically stretched. It was akin to basic reading and writing. It was 2 year part time evening course, and there was no choice in the subjects studied because of this. I decided I couldn't stand the thought of it.
Instead, I enrolled on a 1 year part time course in London, commuted to it. It was a specific law foundation course treated like an access course by Universities because they didn't know what else to call it. I am quite certain that had I not done this course I wouldn't have got on to the degree course that I did, nor at the University that I'm at. It's a sad fact that some universities take a dim view of access courses and mature students in general, whereas others are much more accommodating. I am glad I'm studying where I am, but I wish it had a more open outlook towards mature students.

I guess the person who started this thread has made his decision now, so good luck to him!