OU biology study then teaching?

[Giraffesarecool]

Sorry, posting here for traffic.

So as not to drop feed, I went to university after a gap year to study veterinary medicine. I became seriously depressed due to family issues, my boyfriend at the time being a complete and utter arsehole, and struggling with being away from home and in a city. So I quit after a year, also partly because after being blinkered to wanting to be a vet all my life it didn't actually suit me. I passed every exam that first year but one.

I then went straight in an online BSc in psychology, where I did pretty well but again, due to dickhead BF ended up quitting at the last semester but passed everything up to that.

After dickhead BF was no longer about I went back to the uni I did veterinary at and travelled from home to do a BSc in Biological and Medical Sciences. It was a fab course but realistically commuting from home was too much, my parents were still making life difficult and I was a bit burnt out and still struggling somewhat with depression and anxiety. I'd completely lost my mojo and work ethic. So decided that there was just no way I was getting a degree at this point in time. It was all very gutting and upsetting but it wasn't happening. Fwiw I'm not a very clever person, I have to work extremely hard to get grades etc.

So, a few years on and me and new, amazing DP have an almost 1yo DS. I'm not skilled enough in anything that'd pay enough to cover nursery fees, and I'm a bit bored of SAHP. At least I will be for another 3 years. I also find it largely depressing that once DS is in school my prospects will be fairly shit. I've also had a bit of an itch to start studying again. Plus I have a years student finance left that I could use.

So, my question is, does anyone have experience of credit transfer with OU and could maybe shed some light on whether I could count all credits from previous study? Is there a limit to how many credits you can transfer?

I had a think last night and wondered as to whether (in an ideal world) I could transfer credits, hopefully have a year, or just over of study needed to gain a BSc. I could use student finance for a year then fund a few other modules if needed.

I could do this whilst DS isn't insl school, and use student finance maintenance to up nursery hours (currently in 2 afternoons a week and loves it). Once that's completed, and he starts school I wondered about doing a PGCE with the view to becoming a biology teacher, thus giving me a job that is going to hopefully enable me to get into lab work etc once DS is older, but give me all school holidays off.

I feel like I've found the answer, in theory!

Can anyone see any gaping holes in this plan, or can offer advice about OU study? Would an OU degree get me onto a PGCE?

Any advice would be much appreciated. I have one year funded left and I need to get this right!

Dont underestimate how demanding the PGCE is - it's the hardest thing that most of the teachers I know have done. Some did it when they were single/no children but I also know single parents who did it. The dropout rates and placement failures are huge. I know people who were angry at being told (not by me) how much they'd hate it but most of them later said the person who told them was right to say how hard it is.

Sadly, it wouldn’t surprise me (as I’ve seen it so many times before) if you started the PGCE course and ended up dropping out due to stress. It’s a stressful course-though, nowhere near as stressful as the actual job.

Why don’t you use your credits (how many modules have you passed-how many credits do you have?) and get a biology degree and apply directly for lab work?

Don’t make the mistake of doing teaching for the holidays and family friendly working hours.

@holidayshopping I think that's a good idea. I perhaps naively thought a PGCE would just be another year of study really! The degree is definitely priority, and potentially could.lead to some lab work.

I know a few teachers and tbh they made it sound pretty breezy! Which it obviously isn't from the general consensus on here!

I'm not sure exactly how many credits I have, but it's probably very close to 240, but I'd have to call the universities to ask. Think it's a job for nap time!

I perhaps naively thought a PGCE would just be another year of study really!

It is but it's 9am-6pm most days and then you have the placements where you are constantly scrutinised and have to be on top form all the time - one bad lesson can end your placement. When you are on placement you still have essays and projects to work on as many PGCEs include Masters credits as well. I've seen numerous stressed PGCE students at work.

I am a secondary school teacher. I did my PGCE with the OU. I didn't find my PGCE year hard at all but, at the risk of sounding like a prat, I have a very academic background and had worked in academia/research/writing and done a couple of degrees before teaching. I mean I don't find learning difficult.

Teaching though is tough. It's tough not because of the hours (although depending on your teaching load it can be) but because it is the most emotionally draining job I think you can do. You can never switch off during the day. You're always on and responding to other people's wants and needs. If you are a committed teacher then it's hard not to take some of the issues home with you. I wasn't prepared for how emotionally draining teaching is.

@Giraffesarecool Hi- Biology teacher here. You simply cannot picking teaching because of the holidays and because a few people have given you the impression that it's 'breezy'. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and love going to work, but the hours I work are crazy, and that's after several years in the job. I don't have children and yet I still struggled in the first few years to fit work into the limited time I had- last year at my previous school my alarm was consistently set to 3am (no exaggeration) so that I could get up before school and try to get everything done. I would then be in school at 6.30 (and not be the first one in by a long stretch), home again at 6-7 then fall asleep at 8.30-9pm, only to repeat the pattern the next day. Also worked at weekends and holidays. My current school is much better (it does vary massively school to school, and gets easier over time as your resource bank fills up) but PLEASE do not think that teaching is an easy route, as you will crack quickly. It's an amazing profession and hugely enjoyable IF you want to do it and have the correct expectations of it.

Brizzlemint. 9am!? When I did mine last year I'd be up at 4am, do 2 hours work and be in school for 7.30am. And worked constantly at weekends and holidays.

I wouldn’t recommend teaching to someone with a history of burnout and anxiety as teaching is well-known for causing those things.

Cross post with bumbling whose experience is spookily familiar.

Pressed post too soon. I would say don't get into teaching because you think it's easy or will make life at home easier. Also I'm not a teacher for life. I came into it later and won't be teaching until I retire. I've never had any negative reaction from other teachers around that. I think any reactions you've had on here are more to do with the suggestion that this is a family friendly, somehow simple solution to your predicament. That it isn't I'm afraid.

And as someone with a history of anxiety I echo nobegiraffe.

I would however also agree with @PBobs that I didn't find the PGCE year that challenging- I do think that was down to luck and the placement schools I was in though as I had a lot of support and was given lots of resources. From NQT years onwards though it was a whole different board game.

Also with regards to the financial side, just so you're aware, I'm on the upper pay scale now (so will only be paid a couple more thousand pounds max and then I'm at my pay maximum unless I go for any promotions) and I am currently pregnant- having looked into nursery fees I will only be taking home £200 a month which is a pretty galling thought.

Don't mean to come across as very negative, as I really do love my job, but I do think it's important people enter the profession without any misconceptions. I once mentored a schools direct student who was an accountant and training to be a teacher so he could 'spend more time with his family'- he unfortunately was pretty shocked at the reality of the situation a few months in and is no longer in the teaching profession.

Final thing to note about the holidays is that unless you teach in the same school as your children you won't be guaranteed to get the same holiday time off as them. A have a couple of colleagues with children who haven't had a single half term line up with their children's half terms this year, meaning they still have the holiday childcare issues to contend with!

Have you not considered going into biomedical science OP, or something like pharmacy, sounds like something you'd be better suited to, though not without its stresses (my DH does it). My BIL is the most easygoing, upbeat person and no children to think of, his PGCE he enjoyed but the actual reality of teaching in his first proper post broke him. He now works with children but not teaching, his teaching qualification has helped him get those jobs but wasnt mandatory.

Another science teacher here. Don't think you'll have an issue with getting into a PGCE course (or Schools Direct) from the OU. In terms of teaching, the holidays are great to spend time with your kids. It really depends what school you're at as to how much work you have to take home - but it is an emotionally and physically exhausting job wherever you work. If you have a history of anxiety and burnout then I would seriously reconsider as it's not friendly in that respect. You mentioned being a lab tech in schools - it's terrible pay but you do get the holidays you're after. Some schools are so short of lab techs you may find you could get a job in a school as a lab tech now without any further study - worth giving it a go if you think it might be for you. Good luck!

It would be good for you to actually achieve your degree, you deserve it after all that work you put into the other ones. You'd feel a lot of satisfaction from actually graduating I sense, that's if it not an issue financially. Doing your final year studies might give you more of an idea of what to do if not teaching. I think most universities will help you with credit transfer.

I enjoy tutoring younger family members, and I do a bit of instructing littlies on ponies.

I would look to do either of those as a stop gap while your child is young. They will take up the number of hours you want them to and will fit into the evenings and weekends so you may not need to pay for childcare. You will need a completely different skill set to undertake lab work, in a commercial or university setting, and teaching will take you away from that. I tend to agree with others - you don't sound like you have a good understanding of the job and how it impacts on family life.

Can't comment on the teaching part but the OU is hard work and you have to be very organised. If you contact them they'll come back to you pretty quickly about transferring your credits.

There's a time limit on transferring credits - I think it may be 3 years. otherwise you are thought to have forgotten/be out of date. Best to check that.

I didn't find my PGCE year hard at all but, at the risk of sounding like a prat, I have a very academic background and had worked in academia/research/writing and done a couple of degrees before teaching. I mean I don't find learning difficult.

I agree with this. The ‘academic’ side of the pgce was a total doddle-that wasn’t the hard bit!

I don’t agree with the person who started at 9am on their PGCE! Lecture days, maybe (there really aren’t very many of those though), but not teaching days which was most of the course.

Thank you all so much for your replies.

It would seem I am totally naive and I'm so sorry if I offended anyone. I know teaching isn't easy, I'm just a bit worried about starting a career and it not fitting in with family life and wondered if teaching may be an idea. My DP cannot be factored into childcare as he is away at least once a week on different days, does not finish at a set time and if DS was sick I would have to deal with that. But I can't bare the thought of waitressing/shop work etc for the next however many years. I NEED to find a way to start a career, as I know I'm capable, I've just had a shit run of it.

I think teaching isn't what I thought, in terms of the work load you take home. I'm not in a position to start working full time yet, I want to be home with DS but also start working towards a career. Namely finishing a degree! I've studied at university level for three years and have jack all to show for it, despite working so bloody hard to get there.

DS is about to have a nap and I'm going to call OU about credit transfer. I think PP are right, I need my degree first, then options open up and I can take it from there then.

Thank you all so much for your advice, it seems it's done exactly what I hoped, and uncovered a huge flaw in my grand plan!

To be fair, OP-lots of people think that teaching is a lovely job, family friendly, all holidays with your children and good pay. It’s best that anyone is fully armed with all of the facts they need to know before applying.

I agree with what pps have said about teaching, it’s got a high burnout rate, and isn’t just 9-3.30, even if the daily mail wants everyone to think it is. Focus on the degree first, and maybe try and get something in that field.

I would say don’t limit yourself to OU, lots of places do online courses now and are absolutely brilliant. Also, if you’re worried about an online degree being seen as lesser, lots of online courses linked to unis just put the name of the uni on your degree.

I wish you the best of luck OP and agree that you need to do something for yourself. Finishing your degree sounds like the right decision. Honestly I loved my OU course for the freedom and flexibility it offered. If you can get credit transfer and get onto one of their courses to finish up your bio work do it. There is a shortage of good lab techs so if you can highlight your practical skills etc to schools that would be a solid option totally workable with a family. When I was in the UK our school lab techs worked part time and we had a rota of 4 members in the team. They loved it. Never had to take work home, no weekends and only a bit of overtime once or twice a year for open evenings/open house.