to start a degree at 28?

[PenguinBollard]

At 16 years old I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and my school did not provide career advice nor guidance when choosing A-Level subjects. As a result I chose 2 "traditional" subjects (English, Biology) and 1 subject I thought "sounded interesting".

I didn't have a genuine interest in any of my subjects and that, combined with some moderate health issues at the time, meant that I didn't do particularly well. My attendance was low and I came out with an A, B and C grades. (There were no A*s back then).

I left school and volunteered abroad for a year and then went straight into employment, mid level administration work initially and then nannying, as the money was exceptionally good considering my lack of qualifications.

For the past 4 years I have run two small businesses on the side which provide a tidy supplement income (all above board tax wise!) but I can't dedicate too much time to them as my day job is 60 hours a week.
I also have spent the last 4 years studying with the OU, but again time constraints mean that I'm averaging at about 2:1 level and it isn't in a specific subject.

It's taken me a really long time to realise that I have a real passion for business, something that hadn't really occured to me before. I live and breathe it really, its what I do with my spare time.
I would adore to go to University and study it properly, and would likely do much better than my OU degree as it would be full time and taught, rather than reading a textbook juggling ten other things!

The problem is that I would be starting at age 27/28 and not completing until I was 30/31 - a cursory look online suggests I'd really really struggle to find a graduate job as a mature graduate.
Plus there is also the additional £5 billion in debt I'd be in with the SLC.

AIBU to consider it? I know people do it (I used to work at a University and there were plenty of mature students) but my A-Levels aren't great and I'm not sure the good universities consider students who have retaken A-Levels as adults? And then I'd have a very expensive degree, 4 years used up (which I could have been earning £35k+ as a Nanny) and no job prospects?

I am a Careers Adviser in a HEI. Please contact the OU careers service, they are really good and will offer you telephone or e-guidance. Postgrad qualification seems the most practicable solution.

magicalmimi I'll do that this week, thank you

In 2 weeks I start my second degree and I'm mid thirties.

Penguin I love maths too and did module MU123 and really enjoyed it.

I actually changed career after starting this degree and will need to get further qualifications as soon as I graduate. I've chosen modules that give exemptions towards the qualification I need so it's not as painful!

Maybe look at your open degree as a stepping stone to a masters in business?

I started my degree with OU at 27, will finish when I'm 34, then I'll do my qualification and become a teacher. My grandma did her first degree at 45 and finished her last one at 80. Never too old in my opinion.

Started my degree in my early thirties, didn't have very good A-levels, I did them at nightschool when children were small, but I got into a very good university. They were OK with the A-levels, didn't seem to matter. After I graduated, I managed to find work and got a reasonable job in the civil service. So go for it. You will probably have to work until you are 70, looking at present pension forecasts, so if you graduate at 35, you still have 35 years of working life ahead of you. Someone will employ you in that time! And employers don't seem to think as much about age these days, I think.

YANBU, I quit my career at 29 to go to Uni. However, discovered all of my school qualifications out of date and so had to do a year at college or a summer school to qualify for entry.

There's nothing wrong with a 2:1!

From experience of both, I think OU teaching and materials are easily as good as, if not better, than what you get in a 'brick' university. And from what I've heard, many employers really value OU degrees, since they know what a lot of self discipline it takes to get a degree that way.

I finished an OU degree a few years ago, and found the standard expected for good grades very high, certainly not an easy or soft option. I would not have been nearly as satisfied with my 2:1 if it had been a bit of a doss.

It might be better to start at age 28, than at age 29... or 49...

I would love to go back and do a social work degree age 36 but with two young children from my ooint I can't finance it, how do people do this? Never to late to do anything

I started my degree at 32 and studied part time due to health issues.

The only advice I would give you is don't finish your OU degree because if you have a degree you will not get a SL under the current rules.

My sister started a nursing degree at 40, full time, 3 years at uni and she's married with 3 kids and had to work part time as she still needed an income. She did it and is now a nurse!

Good luck!

I started OU aged 30. I am 35 this year and currently have 240 credits, so the end is in sight next year. My sister went back to brick at 29, and graduated last summer. As did my mother. Never too late.

You definitely don't need to have studied business at undergraduate level to do a master's in business. The vast vast majority of people on MBA or masters of specific business related subjects will have studied a different academic subject at uni. This would be even more so at the top unis (because they tend to take more students with undergrads from top unis and many top unis don't offer business undergraduate courses)
You seem really close to finishing OU. I would really really think about cracking on and doing it and then doing a master's in a normal aka non distance learning uni. Many of the postgraduates will be the same age as you and the network of peers you would build can be really valuable. Postgraduate courses like relevant real life experience so running your own businesses will be really attractive to them in your application.

My dh has just started one at 39

Go for it! I began mine at 29 and got a first, was valedictorian of my class in fact. It's never too late and as a mature graduate I think your 'grit' will be respected and admired by potential employers.

As suggested above a master's sounds like a good option if you are close to finishing your current programme at the OU. Best of luck.

I work in a uni - Seconding the person who said to see the OU careers people.

I think finishing your OU degree is the best way to prove to a good university that you are capable of doing well academically. Do that, then choose a pg degree in a specific area of business - generic business studies at a medium university won't get you very far. And graduate employers on the whole will really really care where your degree is from.

Choose the best uni you can get into that has a specific course that really interests you - Get your maths up to scratch too as that's always useful in business careers.

And also, top business schools aren't always at the toppest of universities so check the separate rankings for the business school as well as the uni. And never rule out Oxbridge - if you phone them for a chat about pg study the worst that will happen is that you'll get told you need stronger qualifications in X.

I've been taking a look at the Masters courses at the top ten Unis (for Business/Management) and most want a 2.1 degree in any subject, some actually specify any subject that is NOT business.

Problem is my degree is a real mess of subjects - 1st year psychology, half of year 2 and year 3 in Creative Writing of all subjects and I've got 120 credits left - 60 at Year/Level 2 and 60 at Year/Level 3.

With the businesses and my job I work 70+ hours a week so I chose "fun" modules that I knew wouldn't require me to have to read/analyse too much
I think I've just missed the mark on a 1st for this module but if I get a 1st in my next module, my degree should be a 1st overall.
But a 1st class degree in complete randomness.

My concern about masters is that I still won't know what to do afterwards, the uni I was looking at for BSc actually had two 6 month placements in business and looked like it would really help me understand what careers I could do.

Will get on to the OU careers advice as soon as I have a spare min. I need to call to see if I'm still tied in to doing the module that I paid for but haven't actually done yet.

TheProblemOfSusan I've considered calling them before I've been rather petrified that they'd just laugh at me with my average a levels and random degree though

Call them and ask! I was petrified but would rather ask anonymously on the phone than apply with the wrong qualifications and be laughed out the building.

So I rang admissions for the Cambridge college I want to go to and they were so incredibly friendly and helpful, even ending the conversation with a 'thats great, go for it, and please do phone if you have any more questions' because admissions and helping people get there is their job.

If you can afford it, why not?

I'd quite like to do a masters but can't afford it, plus Ive got somewhere around £25k student loans I will never pay back already.

My DS went to uni at 43. She received Loads of awards - and the highest first in UK and Ireland in her subject when she graduated. She then got full funding for her masters which she passed with distinction. She's now doing a PhD - again fully funded, has just returned from 3 months (funded) research in Africa and is teaching a class at uni. She was a lousy student first time round but is now on fire and hugely fulfilled- we are v proud of her- do it- you will never regret it. Good luck

fj3568 that's amazing!

I've just spoken to the OU.
To cut a long story short, I should be able to transfer my finance to a different module essentially meaning that of the 120 credits I've got left to do, 60 of them are already paid for. I'm on transitional fees so I could complete by June 2018-June2019 and pay £800-£1200.
A new degree would see me £30k+ (probably more like £50/60k) in debt, completing June 2021 or June 2022.

So when I look at it like that, seems like a no brainer IF I get a first, which is touch and go.

They are having an educational advisor contact me to figure out which subjects I should finalise with and I also will have a consultation with a careers advisor at some point - so thanks for everyone who recommended that

Started at 30, finished at 36. Completely different direction. I am so much happier, have landed my dream job and have only come across admiration from employers for going back to uni. Do it do it do it!