Becoming a middle aged student

[MontyVeda]

@MontyVeda - is it undergraduate or postgraduate?

...

undergraduate.

 

[screenman]

it's something i do as a hobby and the 3D design module was the most interesting aspect of the Btec A&D course i did years ago... it's just a case of whether i can afford to be a student or not. It'd certainly broaden my horizons in the long term.

I have found if you want something enough then usually you find the way of getting it.

 

[DCLane]

OK - then you would be one of the few older students but there's more than you might think, particularly on vocational courses. They tend to do better as well once they're back into learning again.

You would be eligible for all the fee support and the course should offer some time for part-time work in addition, depending on the institution. They may even have in-house 'job shop' type support.

I'm guessing it's Lancaster-based? Besides that fact it's not my uni, best wishes in applying.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

The main difference between undergrad and postgrad is that undergrads smell.

 

[Dayvo]

In 1995, I was 35 and started as an immature student at UEA in Norwich. It was a 4-year language and literature-based course, and I received a grant and a student loan.

I didn't (and still don't) have any kids, only a lazy ex-girlfriend to 'worry' about, but I was able to study and do all the homework on time without any problems, and still be part of sports clubs and organisations.

I left with a good degree (cushy course, see) and debts of about £12,000 (my Dad, who had waited yonks to see me graduate paid off £2,000), and I was 'fortunate' enough not to earn enough money after graduating, therefore was exempt from paying any of the student loan off, and when I became 50 (but still immature) it was written off by the Student Loans Company (thank you very much).

If you can manage the economic challenges, I would definitely advise you to study; apart from a good qualification, you will enjoy yourself and have a great time.

Good luck.

 

[ASC1951]

...product and/or furniture design...

Is it the theoretical knowledge you want, or the qualification? TBH I wouldn't have thought that as a very late entrant into that market (who already has a BTec) you would be any more employable with a degree than without one, provided you had the knowledge and some experience; in which case you might be better getting an apprentice-grade job in that sector rather than forking out for the next three years of a degree course with no guarantee of anything at the end of it.

Oh, and don't forget that there are huge numbers of free online courses, some of them of real quality. It's not just our own OU - most of the big US universities have such schemes. For instance MIT is part of a programme called EdX www.edx.org

 

[screenman]

Dayvo, did your degree help you get a better job or better wages?

 

[ASC1951]

I have found if you want something enough then usually you find the way of getting it.

Now that's just not true. Party Animals screened six years ago and Shelley Conn still hasn't turned up on my doorstep with her road bike!

 

[screenman]

Now that's just not true. Party Animals screened six years ago and Shelley Conn still hasn't turned up on my doorstep with her road bike!

Maybe you were out having a ride at the time.

 

[martinireland]

I spent 4 years from 2006 till 2010 studying Honours Degree in Architectural Technology. It was an awful lot of work...... looking back on it probably wouldent do it again, not without a fully supportive partner in what your trying to achieve. My youngest was born at the start of second year so a combination of sleepless nights and workload plus commuting 35 miles each way each day nearly became to much. I am happy I stuck it out but the training did not lead to a job, although I did have an unpaid internship for a few months.

One thing I would advise anyone doing any course is to check what professional membership it is accredited with as it will be very important as and when you may want to progress your career or set up as a sole trader offering professional services to the public.

 

[Dayvo]

Dayvo, did your degree help you get a better job or better wages?

Well, my first job after uni was as a caretaker at a hospital in Stockholm (so the language bit helped, but the money was crap) then I did freelance translating for a while, which was fun and OK paid, then worked as a greenkeeper (great job low wage) in Stockholm, before getting another (great) greenkeeping job in Norway (where I am now) with a very good (for me) salary.

Only my language skills got me the jobs, I suppose, but experience, common sense, willingness to work hard and getting on with people often lead to openings.

 

[screenman]

So is that a maybe.

 

[Dayvo]

So is that a maybe.

It might be.

 

[screenman]

 

[Beebo]

In 1995, I was 35 and started as an immature student at UEA in Norwich. It was a 4-year language and literature-based course, and I received a grant and a student loan.

I didn't (and still don't) have any kids, only a lazy ex-girlfriend to 'worry' about, but I was able to study and do all the homework on time without any problems, and still be part of sports clubs and organisations.

I left with a good degree (cushy course, see) and debts of about £12,000 (my Dad, who had waited yonks to see me graduate paid off £2,000), and I was 'fortunate' enough not to earn enough money after graduating, therefore was exempt from paying any of the student loan off, and when I became 50 (but still immature) it was written off by the Student Loans Company (thank you very much).

If you can manage the economic challenges, I would definitely advise you to study; apart from a good qualification, you will enjoy yourself and have a great time.

Good luck.

I was at uni at the same time, and You didnt have to pay fees back in 1995. If i had to pay £9000 Per year i might give it a miss now.