To ask if you have completely retrained in your 30’s or over?

[Thunderbuddies]

Particularly interested in people who have already got a degree’s experiences. I got a Sociology degree in 2009. Never did anything with it. I’m now 33 and in pretty much a dead end job and feeling really depressed and unfulfilled. I want more out of life, I keep thinking I’ve got another 34 years at least of work left and I want a ‘career’ rather than a job.

I’m worried about funding, I doubt I’d be eligible as I’ve already got a degree? Also, at 33, we had hoped to start TTC in the next few months, but then I think if I were to wait another few years I’d then be 36 and feel even more stupid at the thought of retraining? Also, it could take years to get pregnant or one of us could be infertile for all I know and we may never be able to have children. But then if I got pregnant halfway through, what would happen?!

Sorry for the rambling, I’m just feeling really confused and SO depressed at the thought of going into next year with just more of the same.

So has anyone completely retrained in their 30’s or older and logistically how easy was it to do?

No degree. Was an avionic engineer in RAF. Did IT certification in spare time. Quit avionics and went to IT full time at 40 years old.

Hard work and a lot of luck has given me a great career.

Never too old for a change.

@Thunderbuddies - they will accept voluntary experience. There was a real mixture on my course from those of us with lots of experience in the field to others just graduating from their degree with very limited experience. They are competitive though so the more experience you can get the better.

Yup my first degree was marketing.
I've just finished my second degree as an adult nurse.
I want to move into health research so I'll probably do a master's at some stage.

I'm almost 50 years old, I reckon I'll still be working at 70 if I don't sort out my retirement fund & pension.

I am back at uni in my forties. I am managing. Very excited about my new career. (AHP so I get loans etc)

Well looks like I won’t be retraining anytime soon

Just been on the phone to 3 unis. The Open University won’t accept you onto any of their courses unless you are already working in social care.

The other 2, I have pretty much missed the intake in now as they started last week, however they said they would accept a late entry except I don’t have a C in maths and it doesn’t matter that I already have a degree she just told me to do my functional skills in Maths and then apply again next year. Which is fine but that doesn’t help me right now and I’ll be even older

God I feel like such a failure, I could cry. I’m so awful at maths, I mean I’ve managed in day to day life and all of the roles I’ve undertaken but I genuinely don’t think I’ll get a C grade, I genuinely think I have dyscalculia

I did a pgce when ds1 was 2, I was 31.

@Thunderbuddies do the functional skills qualification instead. It is (or at least it used to be) a lot easier than GCSE maths. I've got both and the functional skills qualification was much easier. I sat an exam for it years ago as part of another course I was doing and the tutors didn't even tell us we were doing an exam that day yet we all passed!

Never too old but yes do it before kids.

You can do functional maths with DLC or Learn direct.

A diploma in SW should be ok to register to practice as one; just check that the course leads you to be a qualified practitioner and you get the right placements?

Don’t give up plenty of
Courses start in October or January

Not all jobs need time out of the workplace to train, perhaps prioritise those sorts of careers? Wife was looking at 2 years out training then found something with on the job training. Might not have quite as much earning potential but could start earning immediately so about £60k up by the time she would have finished training which would take years to catch up.

Ok OP time to think positively! You’ve made a lot of progress today, well done. You’ve identified the career you’d like to switch to, found relevant courses and established the entry requirements. Your next step is to get your maths sorted so you qualify - well, that’s not an insurmountable problem. You can do this! Sign up for the course you need to do and you’ll know you’re another step closer to your goal.

Yes. Did a teaching degree in the 80's,left teaching after 2years. Faffed around doing legal sec & banking EA maternity contracts (better £ than perm) for years. Finished my Counselling Diploma last year. 1year course. Couldn't believe how sailed thru it, after being petrified i'd fail. Got a study loan after going on Gov.uk ; you don't pay back until earning over £25k. The short evening course required beforehand was free as I was unemployed for that bit (Level 2&3 Counseling skills).

I would add that the course tutor at an open day for the Diploma at North East London College literally up the road, was very anti me as soon as I sat down & said "you might be over committing yourself, (I was WFH p/t) come back to the next open day". I promptly went to the College 2miles away & was welcomed with open arms. And their course was much better/ more solid theory wise. So sod her & her snotty attitude!

Posted too soon: your local Colleges next intake for evening & day short courses is Jan/Feb. They would probably be able to help re the maths. Volunteering in the area you want to work in will also weigh in any decision,can you do something at weekends carer related? I found OU too stringent & expensive, research your options a bit more. Do not give up! Some Uni's offer social work degrees subsidised as there's a shortage . Essex University would have been my 2nd option, very flexible re older students.

For those who did it, how did you know for sure what to retrain in?

I have just finished my 2nd degree in an entirely different field at 38. I also needed my functional maths to get on the programme as had failed maths at school. I took the year did my maths got an A and here I am starting my new job at the end of this month.

I retrained for a completely different career in my 40s and my employer funded my professional qualifications. My husband similarly did a PGCE in his late 40s. A friend of mine retrained as a social worker in her 40s and with 4 kids but it was a good while ago and the routes to training may be different now. She worked and studied part time.

@Penners99 sorry to jump on the thread, but would you have any advice for my daughter? She's 14 just taken her options and chose construction and engineering, she wants to join the RAF. Is cadets the way to go?

I am just about to start a Radiography degree at the age of 40, you are never too old in my opinion x

I worked in media for years, not really using my language degree. I did a postgraduate course in Speech and Language Therapy at 37, before I had children. Been working in the NHS for 15 years now. Had my DC at 40 and 42. You can do it. You should do it.

I'm in a similar boat OP except I don't really know what I want to do so at least you have an idea which can now lead to a plan.

I'm 41 and also have a sociology degree. I did my GCSE's then A levels and it was just the next step as I didn't really know what else I wanted to do. Now looking back I wish I had chosen a different path, but it is what it is.

Those with 2nd degrees how did you pay for it? What was the gap between the degrees and did you have to do an access course due to the time in between? I'm only asking because I have got the grades, but being nearly 20 years ago since I left Uni never mind A levels etc I'm not sure if they would be accepted.

I'm the same OP. I'm 33 and have enough UCAS points from previous study to get into uni but I got a D in Maths, so I need to do functional skills first. I just signed up to do it at our local college and hoping to study Operating Department Practice next year.
I wish I could start this year too but hopefully it will fly by!

For those questioning the funding for a second degree, most STEMA degrees are eligible for student loans. The degrees that fall into the STEMA catagory can be quite broad as well. I think with the OU, sport and fitness does. Their combined STEM degree let's you include quite a high proportion of arts and psychology modules as well.

@RunningNinja79 I had a 20 year gap since my last degree. OU wouldnt take my first degree into account as it was so long ago, (& is hideously expensive). So I did evening course Certificate Level 2&3 first,free at local college (£500 if I'd been working). For the Counselling Diploma , Gov.uk has study loans details. You pay it back once earning over £25k.

Thank you so much for all of the responses.

Straight after I posted on this thread I signed myself up for Functioning Skills Level 2 Maths (which is what the uni told me to do, apparently it would be an equivalent to a GCSE?) and I actually start on Thursday evening, though this a 6 week course and I’m wondering if that’s going to be too much for me. There is a 34 week course starting in November that has space so I might book myself onto that one instead, I need to do the ‘assessment test’ tomorrow to see which one would better suit me.

Still feeling a bit down but at least now I’ve started on the Maths thing. Really worried though as I’ve always been so useless at maths and HATED it at school. I know it’s a must but I’m so worried that I’ll be the most inept person they’ve ever had on the course and can’t pass it

It's never too late!
I went back to uni in my late 30s - married with 2 kids. Studied part time whilst working part time.
Best thing I've done (apart from the marriage & kids bit!!)
Go for it, life is too short to be in a job you don't like.
Good luck!