I have got to choose between college and getting a job

[nutcracker]

I have just been offered a place for a part time college course starting in september. It is for one day a week over 2 yrs and on completion I would hopefully get a place on a nursing diploma coourse lasting 3 years full time.
I really want to do this course as childrens nursing is what i really want to do BUT we are so broke at the mo that the only way out i can see is for me to get a job.
I know alot of you will say well you can do both but I know I can't.
I started the colege course once before and because of situations at home i gave it up. From doing the little bit of the course that I did, I know that it has to be one or the other. You get given alot of work on the course and I am not the most organisaed of people so I would need the rest of the week free (well free ish cos of ds) to sort work out. I think if i tried to combine a job and college I would soon fall behind with college. My old tutor agrees with me and said she wouldn't advise me working whislt on the course.

So do i get a job to keep us afloat and try and do the course in several years from now or do we live like church mice whilst i go about getting a career ???

this is from the NHS careers site...

There are no national minimum entry requirements for entry into nursing and midwifery as each Higher Education Institution (HEI) set it?s own criteria.

However, these are generally around 5 GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or above in English language or literature and a science subject for a Diploma programme and 5 GCSEs plus 2 A? levels or equivalent for a Degree programme All applicants must be able to demonstrate evidence of literacy, numeracy and good character.

so you may only have to do english....

Well when i checked before the uni said they would only accept access courses or a levels or 5 gcse's, I only have 2.

I could do the course full time but ds doesn't start school until sept 07 so i would have to organise childcare for 1st year of uni, and plus i can't drive yet.

imo they do like you to have the maths as well, really... If you had practical experience as well it would probably be an advantage.

My gut feeling would be to do the course because you've wanted to do it for so long. Or is doing english & maths GCSE an option like Starlover says? Will this get you into nursing too?

I don't work at all at the mo.

sorry have to agree with gomez about becoming more organised in order to cope. i was shockingly disorganised before i started the course but have had to quickly get organised, ok not to the level of my friend who batch cook and freezes meals ready for the following month, but using days off to study and not to go shopping and stopping coffee mornings because i had college work, housework to do.
trying to keep one day for me and the weekends for family free so that i had time and ddn't feel too bogged down.

What about working for this year, clearing your feet etc. Starting the access course full-time next year and then you are ready to go to Uni in 2007?

well then you may just have to grit your teeth and do it alongside a part-time job.
TBH I did it as an evening course and there were people on it who worked full-time and still passed it.
They WANT you to pass... it looks bad on them if you don't, so you will get a lot of support from your tutor.

If it is something that you really want to do then you either have to put up with having no money, do your hardest to do it alongside working.... or just wait!

But i'd have to do more than english and maths surely because I only have gcse's in english lit and textiles now.

You don't need English at all if you have English Lit from what someone else said.

Is it not access course or GCSE's? Didn't realise you needed both - sorry.

I did think about that Gomez.

You have to have english language.

why don't you ask to see someone at the uni, and explain the situation. ask them if you did the english and maths gcse;s AND got some experience working in hospital if they would consider you?

IME the entry criteria CAN be flexible, and if you can prove that you will stick the course out and that you really want to do it then they might just say yes

You could probably find 2 GSCES that work with your strengths (plus the maths if necessary or 1 other).

I did enquire about cadet nursing schemes but apparently i'm too old.

i would have said that the access course would be the best to do as many of the uni's run access courses that are specific to the nursing/midwifery course and so they know that if you pass that course then the standard of your ability will be adequate for the course.
investigate other access courses in your area. they may have alternatives.
which area do you live in?

english can be language or literature according to the NHS site.

Yes i think i'll have to do that starlover, cos i'm going round in circles i think.

I'm in birmingham.

it's definitely worth talking to them. I got offered a place even though I didn't have enough UCAS points and it was stated that you needed them in the prospectus... so I do think they're flexible to a certain extent.
And bear in mind they're desperate for nurses!

oh well, i was going to recommend where i did my access course, but its a bit far to go. (Slough)
have you tried asking the uni if they have an access course or which ones they recommend?

O.k thanks everyone.

Have you actually spoken to the college or Uni where you hope to do the nursing course? They should be able to set you straight on exactly what you will need.

Work and do your NVQ 3 in care which in another way to get into nursing