Anyone under achieved badly then got their act together post dc's (and in their 30's)?

[Meglet]

I will admit I have screwed up big time when it comes to my education. Top marks in CAT tests at primary school, got into Mensa (ok, not that great but it's something!) but bullied out of secondary school at 14 and it's been all down hill from there. I managed 3 GCSE's at college and an E in Philosophy A level a few years ago. Just do a crappy local government admin job and I need to get my act together as I want to set a good example to the dc's (3 & 1).

I'm young(ish), fit and won't be having any more dc's. Is it at all possible to start again and get a good career. I know I can't train to be a brain surgeon or High Court judge but currently feel so bleak about our future and I don't want the dc's to end up the same.

Also, what happens if you go back to education when you were working. Could I get a grant and work p/t to pay the bills?

Hi Meglet,

Similar story here: bright kid, got into grammar school, dropped out, got married, had children, worked in crappy admin and IT jobs. I finally got my act together (education-wise) in 2005 when I started a degree with the OU. I'll graduate next year at the age of 42

Yes, it is possible to start again and get a good career, although that will depend what you mean by a good career. Some professions might be hard to get into if your background is - ahem - 'unconventional'. But certainly I know of OU graduates who have gone on to medical school, or who have gone into law, or who have gone on to postgraduate work at top flight universities.

The OU is a good option if you can't afford to study full-time: you can fit your studies around other responsibilities and the fees are about half what you'd pay at a brick university. The OU also offers financial assistance for those on low incomes. If you were to study part-time it takes 6 years to achieve an honours degree at a cost of approximately £630 a year. You can double up and study the equivalent of full-time to get your degree in 3 years, but be warned, the workload is immense! You could probably manage it if you were working part-time and had sufficient support in terms of childcare.

The other route you can go down is to study full-time at a brick university. This is much more expensive, but it's still doable as many student MNers will attest. Have a look at the "Student Parents" topic and browse through some of the threads there. You would probably need to do either A levels or an Access to HE course first.

My advice is DO IT. I always bitterly regretted screwing up my education, and doing my degree has been an amazing experience.

Have you a particular career/degree in mind?

Do it!! My brother left school with an o level in cooking. In his 30's he ended up working for a company that he worked his way up in and now in his early 40's he has just gained his MBA. My dad got a degree at 50 and got a rewarding job after that. It is never too late, especially not in your 30's, you've over 30 years of employment ahead of you! That's much longer than the time you feel you might have "missed"!

thank you both .

I will do something, but need to decide what to do now!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do Meglet

I went ahead and started studying without any clear idea of a career at the end of it. I don't know if you're thinking of studying something specifically vocational like law or medicine, but, if not, I'd be guided by whatever excites and interests you the most (by this I don't mean to imply that law or medicine can't be exciting and interesting, I just mean that so many degrees don't lead to any specific career ... if that makes sense )

My brother left school at 16 with no qualifications whatsoever. He worked as a chippie, played in a band, got married, then as he had his three children he did evening classes for O-levels, A-levels, then finally went to university as a mature student. Now is marketing director for a major international company and earns loads more than me

Do it, I bet you'll do a fab job.
I really do wish you well

I did really well in primary school (top in everything), went to a sink secondary school though as there was no grammar school. Did naff all work as the class was too disruptive so all I could do was the bare minimum. Home life was chaotic, my father was an alcoholic, mum had mental health problems. I passed my GCSE's with 1B and 6C's, I choose to move schools during my A'Levels, I wish I'd have moved earlier but ended up with 1E, it was all I needed to move out and go to Uni but the habit of doing nothing and scraping through has been a PITA ever since. I am now on my second degree, I still want to do medicine, I'm just messing about. I will get there, I need some decent study skills though, this will help.

Bit late but for what its worth please go for it you never know where it will lead! I had to leave grammar school at 16 to work in shop but I went back to college in my early 30s between the birth of DD1 and DD2. I then did a BSc (at the time they had a heavily subsidised nursery for students) just for interest in a subject - archaeology - I had no hope or intention of working in. I was really worried because I thought everyone would be so clever but most are just normal people and its amazing how organised a mum can be - ask a busy woman etc and you just learn to "work-smart". I got the top first in my year plus best dissertation prize.

Next I got funding to do a PhD (very flexible hours). I wrote that up whilst pregnant with DD3. Then I got a research fellowship and spent a wonderful three years doing my own research (again, pretty flexible). I had my fourth child and am now a lecturer and (so I'm told ) an international authority in my field. To my ongoing amazement I get invited and paid to speak at international conferences and even get to be on TV occasionally .

Its all a bit bewildering because I would never have dared to plan it or think I could do it but I have had so much support from DH and colleagues and my age has never been an issue. I currently have three mature female PhD students starting over just like I did!

There are always great jobs and opportunities out there and somebody gets them - there is no reason why it cant be you!

My grandmother in her late seventies just completed a MEd with flying colours

Never too late!

I'm doing GCSEs...I really screwed up as a teen, I'm doing much better now, after 3 kids!

It's never too late!

Go for it I am!

3rd DC is 4 months old and I have just applied to local college to do an access to education course. I screwed up at secondary and at college in my tens but figure if I can get through this course and get onto the degree of my choice I stand a better chance of increasing my earning potential and giving the kids a good example to follow. Working as a cashier in a supermarket for the next 30 years is not going to enable us to move house take holidays etc but if I get my act together and study hard I can get into a much more fulfilling career and provide a better environment for my children than we have at the momment.

To clarify, I meant to write I was a bit late responding to the thread. Just realised it might have sounded like I thought you were a bit late to start - sorry, never meant to imply that for a minute!

I'm doing an access course atm, i'm a bit younger than you but there are a wide range of people in my class. I'm doing two evenings a week (6-9.30) for one (academic) year which will hopefully get me a place at uni.

It is cheap, as dh has the kids so no childcare costs but easier than OU as i do see tutors each week

Hi meglet sorry for slow reply just seen your post. You sound like me!!! I am knocking on 30 now and have two young children. I have a fairly well paid job but would like a career and to earn more money and have an opportunity to get promoted. I started by ringing careers advice and they were brill. If you go on direct.gov/careers advice on the left is a jobs profile page. Even though i am not totally driven by money it shows all careers descriptions and what you can expect to earn. It shows what qualifations you need to complete and there are other links to show the demand for that job, as you would not want to spend six years doing a degree only to find no job!! But like you i still did not know what to go for. On the same website there is a questionaire section which asks all about you and very detailed topics. Not hard questions,answer them honestly and at the end it gives you jobs that you are most suited to. For instance i love diy and enjoy building programmes and am very mathematical. I did not even think about it as a job but am going for a career in quantity surveying. I have only GCSES and level 2 hairdressing so i need to either go back to college in the evening to achieve three gcses at c or above and at least one a level. Or do an access course which enables you to qualify for a degree course. Depending on what subject area you want a career in, a lot of colleges do access courses in the evening. Unfortunately for me i cannot do an access in construction course part time. There is only one college which is in greenwich which i can do the course on my current qualifications full time for one year. I can afford to do it (£1200) but childcare and school drops are an issue time wise and extra cost wise. So i have also looked into ics home learn. They do a btec course in construction. No prior qualifications needed and will allow me to go on to do a degree. I also checked that ics is recognised. The btec is edexcel examinging body.
Sorry to bombard you its just taken me a long time to research all the info and hope it helps you. I just think if it takes me ten years to qualify i will be 40 and thats great. My partner was my age when he wanted to start again and had no gcses at all (CSE they were called) he started from the bottom at the council and they do this 'investor in people' programmes. He went back to college part time whilst working at the council and achieved his national certificate and onto a degree course. All funded by the council. He is now an environmental health officer for the council and has never looked back. His children were my childrens ages and he said it was hard work and he was poorly in the last year of his degree with stress but boy was it worth it. Definately look at the careers advice website and the questionaire it will help you choose. They are also great on the phone and email you all sorts of helpful info. I have just bought a few books off ebay. Maths level two and three, and two different construction books. Even though i achieved a d in maths GCSES my partner said it would be a good idea as he struggled in his degree maths wise and found school eductaion books very helpful. Go for it. Let me know how you get on x