To think I've left it too late

[focusonthefuture]

I left school at 16 with 10 GCSEs (C grades and one B, nothing spectacular, I'm the first to admit I didn't give my all when it came to exams backs then).

I dropped out of college a few months into AS levels. Big stupid mistake. Unhappy home life, no focus on my future, silly 16 year old mentality.

Drifted through retail jobs until becoming a SAHM 6 years ago.

Have I left it too late to sort my life out?
I'm 30 now. I look back on my life and I could kick my younger self. If I could go back in time and give myself a good shake then I would.

I don't know where to start. I know nothing about higher education, student loans, entering a profession.
I've looked at open university but again, I don't know where to start. I wouldn't know what subject to pick.
I only get one shot when it comes to getting a student loan, is that right? So whatever I pick has to be the right thing.
Even if I were to get qualifications, how do I go about entering back into the world of work?

My children are still very young so I need to work things around them. But I'm tired of feeling like a failure.

Sorry, this is long. I still feel like that lost 16 year old!

You are still young! Open University would probably be a bit much at the moment, it's not an easy option but look at local further education colleges and see what courses are on offer. You will probably find a part time one that suits you, they do all sorts of things.

Good luck and good for you.

What about doing a health and social care course? (Lev 3 and equivelent to A levals - 2 year college course). This would leave your options open while you figure out which direction you want to go in.

I graduated aged 41. Never to late.

You have 38 years until retirement. That is more years than you have been alive. Of course you have enough time to get qualification to help you get a new job.

It's never to late! My mum got a degree at 36 through the OU. After 15 years of working in the nhs and hating it She then decided to become a gardener, studied her ass off and has her own business at the age of 55!

Never too late OP, I started from nothing, not even a GCSE to my name.
I walked into college when I was 35 and asked to do an NVQ, due to my work experience I went straight onto a HND and then hons Degree, followed by a PgCE.
It's never too late, go for it.
You are right though, it's expensive now and you need to know the subject you choose will be beneficial.
I'm at the studying stuff for fun now, but more free courses or relatively cheap.

Your dp needs to be on board and support you through essays and placement if it’s a vocational training
He must look after the kids or you use nursery or cm
And you need to let things slide whilst at uni, be less fastidious about chores etc
Factor in food,books,travel,photocopy,printing

Nope. I went back to uni and changed career at 32. Husband did it at 34. Best decisions we ever ever made.

We both had A levels and degrees but a person on my course did a foundation degree, which essentially includes the A levels in the first year. It makes a course 4 years in total but it's definitely worth it.

One thing I would recommend is do a course with a definite career path, rather than simply studying something you are interested in. Whilst doing a degree you are interested in is important if you do something without a clear career path (such as criminology, I say from experience) you may find yourself no closer to "sorting your life out".

Some courses offer bursary's. And I'd recommend engaging in ad hoc (temp agency/ bank staff) or voluntary work in your field/ closely related field as a way back in to work. Relevant experience is always good.

I was 40 when I took my A levels. id 6 in 2 years (3A*, 2A,1B) and started uni on a 4 year course at 42. Achieved a BSc (2.1) and qualified as a Speech and Language therapist.

Best.

Job.

Ever!

If you have the motivation you can do it - go for it NOW!!!

I haven't read the whole thread, so these things could already have been mentioned.

You will need to retake maths, so make a start on that. Evening courses are free in maths and English

You can google online careers advice quizzes. Some are good, some less so, but its a place to start. It could throw up new ideas and also details of qualifications needed.

Teaching is not compatible with family life, you are right. I'm a teacher, and was in school so far this week yesterday for 10 hours and today until 7pm, and that is in the holidays, in term time I am out of the house 14-16 hours a day, and bring work home. There are no mothers of school age children teaching in our school.

You can look at the govt website "Find a Job" for ideas of what is available locally, you can also look on the guardian website for ideas, and for some understanding of where different qualifications lead to.

Good luck

Never too late. I'm 46; just finishing my MSc. Never thought I's say that in my teens. Seek out careers advice. Do online tests to assess suitable careers - you don't have to like the answers, sometimes a computer telling you would be good at something encourages you to shout, "No I wouldn't at the laptop". And that can be equally helpful to you working out what you would AND wouldn't want to do. You have at least 35 years ahead. Take your time and get back to an access course then university and very best of luck to you.

What is my mum’s friends got married at 18, had 3 children, did the perfect wife and mother thing. Then at 35 she did a degree and now she teaches Arabic writers at Oxford. It’s never too late.

@focusonthefuture pm'd you (twice!)

^ one of my mum’s friends.

Surprised by the comments about not knowing any teachers with children! All my children's teachers have had kids in the school, and several are in job shares. I

That's brilliant tatiana

Go and visit your local FE college, see what's on offer. Some have creches. SIL did Access to nursing and midwifery in her 30s after leaving school with poor A Levels. Did great at it and is planning to try and get on a degree soon but is currently working on a maternity ward doing bank work as a Health care assistant.

I'm 45. I am about to start volunteering in Sept to gain experience to start a vocational degree, probably starting when I am 47. I have young kids too (2 and 5)

So you have 17 years advantage on me, plus I already have a first degree so won't get any student loans.

You probably have 40 years of working age life ahead of you (at least).

And it's not too late till you are dead.

Pick something you like, are good at and leads to a decent job.

Good luck OP. Honestly, I quite envy your situation. : )

I'd like to suggest sales as a possibility? It's very broad, but generally if you're a hard worker, reasonably good with people and crucially at working out what you think the person is after, asking lots of questions and really listening to the answer, you can be very good at it.

It's also a very broad area - there are all kinds of sales jobs which are not 'hard' sales, so a customer comes to you with a need, your job is to help put them together a solution based on that. Getting good at it is about honing your instincts, your listening skills, your problem solving skills and financial acumen - also, it's quite fun and interesting, depending what sector you end up working in!

Advantages include commission - means that it can be very well paid - and it often doesn't require a degree as an entry point, which is a big bonus too. Maybe not right for you, but I always wish someone had pointed it out to me as a career before!

And no, definitely not too late! Good luck!

Not that anyone has asked but my degree is in Environmental Health so I'll have professional registration when I finish. I can work in Health and Safety (Not for me I don't think) housing enforcement, food safety, public health and pollution/waste. I thought I'd mention it in case it gives anyone an idea.
Also OP this time last year I hadn't even applied... got my place direct with uni and applied through UCAS. So you could start this year! Get a uni prosepectus ASAP and look for Foundation or your local college for Access courses. You can do this

it's never too late. My Mum didn't go to college until she was 35, she then rose to the top of her career.

I’m about to be 41 and about to start a level 4 qualification alongside full time work and kids. Gulp. Not too late though!

Absolutely not! I went back to uni as a mature student and Lp at 30 to do my second degree. The plan at the time was to retrain but unfortunately poor health has put paid to that, in part due to a car accident the week after finals.

If my health had been ok I'd have done a postgrad qualification for the career I was planning to retrain for.

Not easy, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and got a lot out of it and hope in the future if I can get my health sorted I can still use the degree. And I'm 46 now.

There were people on the course in their 80's doing it for fun!

30 is still young especially when you consider you could easily still have 40/50 years of work ahead.

Their software usually has psychometric tests too that help you decide on a career/course of study based on likes/dislikes, current qualifications, skills, hobbies etc.

Find your local careers service, yes they're mainly aimed at 16/18 yr olds but they have all the info and will know where to signpost you to. They could even suggest something you've never even heard of.

fourplusonemore heads up for you:

A friend became a barrister last year aged 45, another aged 47 has just qualified as a radiographer and is currently job hunting, another qualified 2 years ago aged 43 as a pharmacist.

Where in uk are you? Because in Scotland there's Ila's (individual learning accounts) which is a form of funding of post compulsory education (equivalent to a-levels and similar level qualifications).

When I was a student there were bursaries and grants for childcare, books etc.

"Accountant - there are actually many different types of job that accountants do, it’s not all ‘Bean counting’ and some are very interesting." Yes I've a friend who's a forensic accountant she spends a lot of her working life giving evidence in court. She loves it, especially as she's very "mumsy" looking and the people she's investigating often underestimate her.

It's not too late OP. You're young and now is a good time to start being proactive and making some changes to your life. I suggest you sit down with a piece of paper and write down what qualifications, skills, experience you have along with hobbies and other things you are good at. Also write down all the things you enjoy doing. The next thing is to find a career that you will enjoy doing as well as having the skills suitable for that career. It needs to be a career you will enjoy and will get a lot out of and one where you will look forward to going into work each day and will be happy . If you do not have all the skills etc for the career, you can train and study for it. Especially as you have young kids, it won't be easy , but you can do it. It will be hard work but you need to be determined. It might help for you to make an appointment with s careers advisor to get things started. Good luck! Don't give in!

I retrained at 28 as a single parent of 2 kids .I then had another career change at 37( still a single parent) into teaching ,I am now a deputy head. Think I still have another career change in me yet! So definitely not to late for you. The thought of doing these things is often harder than the reality. Although you think it might take you a few years to retrain,these years will pass anyway you might as well get the most you can out of them