to not know what to do about university?

[Bloodystupidusernamer00lz]

I'm currently at university studying a 2 yr foundation degree.

Unfortunately the uni I study at does not do a full degree in that subject, nor any similar ones so in order to 'top up' my degree and finish it I would have to move to another uni at least 250 miles away.

Moving would have always been difficult due to dp's son who lives in the area but since it would only be for a year there was a possibility that this might have been an option at the beginning of the course. However, Dp has recently landed his 'dream job', not a very high wage but it is very likely a 'forever' job that he can stay in for many many years. This means the idea of moving to a different uni is now out of the question.

So I'm faced with the difficulty of what I do when I finish my course. There are not a lot of job options in the field for someone with less that a full degree and the options there are don't come up very often. There is a possibilty that I could transfer to a different course that would be a full degree but because what I've done so far and what I would be doing are so different I would have to either transfer into the first year of the other course and do another 3 years, or transfer into the second year of the other course at the end of my second year - either way I'd do 4 years in total.

Aibu to not know which is the best decision? On top of all this is still the high likelihood that I won't actually get a job in my chosen field because there aren't many jobs available in this area. I know I should have considered this more carefully when starting the course but I signed up when I was in the throes of depression and just wanted the chance study and work in something I loved.

In addition I started a job a few months ago working part time in my old career (I'm changing careers by going to uni). The job is really enjoyable and although the money is only NMW at the moment there is opportunity for progression and I am already qualified in this field. Should I just give up on uni and focus more on my current job? I don't want to throw away what I've done but it's all feeling a little bit pointless if I can't get a job at the end of it

Can you not do some kind of distance studying?

Could you get credit transfer from the OU, and put what you've done towards something they offer? It may not help you with your preferred career change, but you could get a full degree with only maybe another year or two p/t study.

Does anything here look helpful?

It is only for a year so could you not go to the other university, coming back every other weekend/holidays?

I'm not sure why moving is now "out of the question"? do you have children with DP?

If not, what's stopping you from relocating for a year?

To be honest, I don't think you should put your career aspirations/education on hold, and certainly not give them up, for the sake of 1 year living away.

My advice is to go and finish the degree at the university 250 miles away, and return home at weekends, in holidays etc.

Do you have young children? If not, what's to stop you living in digs near the other uni for 1yr? It's only actually 9mths and timetable may allow 3day weekends.

I really don't think living away is an option, I work to suppliment my student loan etc as I couldn't manage without it - if I moved away and travelled back in the weekends/holidays I couldn't work and therefore couldn't afford the travel.

Also, I think Dp and I would both find it very difficult to be in a relationship with someone we didn't see most of the time, even if it was only for a year. I know others can cope with that but I don't think either of us would.

Matt, we don't have children together.

Well then you only have one option and that is to spend four years on your degree instead of three. Provided it is something you really want to do. If it doesn't fill you with as much joy - one year of pain away is nothing compared to a lifetime.

Only you can decide. But if you are going to change (I did at uni) do it now so you get more time in your new course.

Open University.
It seems like the relocation issue is not as important as the fact that your two years of study don't fit neatly into a degree you can complete in a year. Whether you move away or not, it seems like you would struggle to find a course which fulfils all your requirements. You need to look at your study options and how they match with the career you want.

It's not even a year though. End of sept/October until end of June with a month off at Christmas and another at Easter. It really isn't a year away. Personally I think you'd be crazy to not do it just because you'd worry about your relationship. It's such a small amount of time and a strong relationship would be fine albeit I'm sure you'd miss each other.

But yes, working may be tricky unless you could arrange weekend work at home?

If there are few jobs in the area you are retraining for at uni, yet you have a foot in the door in a job you are enjoying in your former career, with future prospects, then I would be tempted to stick with that, stay put an investigate distance learning for the type of course you had wanted to do. Keeps options open perhaps.

and investigate ...

How old are you? If you are 40 and you have life commitments other than your dp's son, then, fine, stay in the same place. If not, Then why are you even considering this? Women fought for the right to vote, to become financially independant, blah blah blah.

If I worked in the weekens I don't think I'd be able to actually see Dp, and the travelling involved would make it difficult too.

The uni I currently attend has the same time off 'allowance' as schools, so half terms and only 2 weeks for Christmas/Easter. No reading week either.

I don't think the fact that it would be an extra year bothers me so much if my work/life balance was ok but at the moment I work all the days I'm not in uni and tbh I'm exhausted. I worked constantly over the Easter holidays and I have an assignment due on Friday. I actually should be in uni today but I had to take the day off because I'm just so tired and couldn't face the 2hrs of travelling to uni and back and then a full day of study. The thought of doing it for another year is just about bearable but another 3?

Open University sounds like it might be more feasable, can you still get funding for that or do you have to fund yourself?

Stitch, I am a few years younger than 40 but by no means a teenager.

Dp and I are very much a couple but we keep our finances separate so I have my own job/money and am financially independent from him, which is how I want it to be really. He actually did offer to support me financially once he got settled in his new job but I don't want to be reliant on anyone else for my income, I just feel safer that way.

You can get a loan for fees, not really for maintenance as most OU students do it part time. As you are going into 3rd yr it would be better to spread over two years. On the other hand it would mean that you can work more to avoid getting more debt.

I think studying part time seems like a better option, and a bit of a relief tbh, as I think I'm really burning myself out with studying full time and working

You have to pay for the OU, but can do it in instalments, and some people are eligible for a contribution. I'm not sure how that works, but if you phone them, I am sure someone will talk it through. The instalments thingy is called OUSBA. Search it on the OU front page, and it will take you to a list of options.

I only work part time, but loads (the majority I think) on my course work full time. It is doable, though not a walk in the park.

What degree is this? FDs don't generally involve full time study, and neither does the 3rd year 'top up'. Early years/childhood studies are popular subjects for FDs and plenty of Universities do the 3rd year on a day a week basis. Otherwise, transfer your credits to the OU - I've known a few people do this successfully.

OU all the way. I did an OU degree - excellent teaching, excellent course materials - and you could work.

Silver, my course is not in either of the areas you mention - it is F/T technically but that amounts to 3 days a week. The 3rd year top up that is available at my uni is in a similar but different subject and is also F/T (I think 3 days a week too) but I have no interest in that subject so I don't really want to do that option.

I've spoken to DM to ask her advice and she seems to dislike the idea of OU and thinks that a OU degree will be, for want of a better phrase, less good than one taught at a Uni that you have to attend classes at. Is there much of a difference? I can't see it being much worse personally.

I guess it depends what you are comparing it with. The OU doesn't have the same rep as Oxbridge but it is a well established Uni and easily comparable to many other 60s Unis. Plus employers value the other skills an OU student develops such as self motivation, time management, work experience. More unis now also offer distance learning options. Not as accessible as OU but I did one where you only needed to attend for a weekend at the beginning of each year and an exam at the end. It would be better than giving up entirely.