Not to want to go back to college next year, am undecided.

[lilacclaire]

Brief history.

Worked full time in fab career until had ds, went part time after mat leave, then with commuting et al decided to leave.

Got crap job full time, left and went to college.

DS now 4.

Still at college, have fab part time job (relates to what im doing at college).

Im doing an NC Higher (for the oldies , its one up from an ordinary NC and one down from an HNC).

TBH, im finding it a struggle, I am intelligent but not academic, never done well at school but excelled greatly in work.

I can cope with the 2 and a half days at college and working 2 days per week.

Next year the HNC will mean 2 days at college, 2 days on placement and 2 days at my normal job. I am struggling with the actual college work, I think my brain has ceased to function at all on an academic level .

I have basically got the job I wanted to get and achieved this by going to college currently, but I will not be professionaly qualified (work will put me through this eventually in a few years, if I do not do the HNC).

DP will be furious if I decide NOT to do the HNC, as even by completing this year (and im struggling now), the NC Higher does not lead to any actual equivalent professional qualification.

I know DS will be at school after the summer, but I really would prefer JUST to work part time (in my current lovely job) and spend the rest of the time just being there for dp and the kids (also have dss who lives with us, 15 and low maintenance).

Not doing the HNC would mean I am tied to the company I am with for a good while until I get a few years experience and Im aware that things can change and it might not be such a dream job in a year or so's time (although no forseeable reason why this should happen).

I don't know what to do, Im aware that this might be a bit more boring than your average AIBU post, but all feedback welcome.

If I disappear its because DP is around and I haven't mentioned any of this to him yet.

TIA

You've come this far, get your piece of paper, nobody can ever take that from you.

I just think study/qualification is never wasted. If you want to go on to a 'professional' qualification it will count as credits.

for example in the job I'm in the qualified staff earn about £10,000 a year more than the un-qualified staff and really we are doing the same job pretty much.

Pieces of paper DO make a difference IMO

And btw I do sympathise, I think on most courses there is a crunch point where you just think "I can't do it and I don't even want to" but my advice would be to soldier on, but also speak to your tutor and say how you're feeling.

I agree with both posters so far - and would add that qualifications of any kind never go to waste, even if you end up in a completely different career eventually. Employers like to see that you take responsibility for your own professional development. I'm in my final year of a degree, and I fully understand that feeling of wanting to quit at every level, thinking "I can't effing do this anymore!", but I'm so glad I've perservered. It's hard, but you'll never regret getting fully qualified.

If you leave at this level, you may lose momentum to pick it up again in the future - it's difficult to get back into a mindframe of studying again.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.