Student parent support thread - New for Sept. 2010

[MiaWallace]

Starting a new thread for a new academic year.

Previous thread here

If you are currently studying a course or about to start one (at any level) please come and join us. We offer each other support, tips and encouragement, plus we use the thread as a means of procrastination

We started off the previous thread with a short introduction so here's mine -

I'm 30 years old. Recently married with a 5 year old dd. I completed my degree in Education studies in July and I'm about to start my primary PGCE in September.

hi :)

im 24, married 3 years with a 3 children boy whos 4, girls whos 3 and boy whos 13 months.

hubby just finished his degree so will home full time, enabling me to start my foundation degree in september.

may also be pregnant

ok im insane!

Hi!
I'm 33, married, have two DS's. My oldest is 3 and a half and my little one just turned 1. DS1 starts pre-school and DS2 starts at nursery on the same day I start my course. I feel more sick and nervous about this TBH!

Like Mia, I'm doing a Primary PGCE. Have been working for 10 years as a freelance drama teacher/performer.

CC, I take my hat off to you!

Hi
I am 33 have 2 ds's, eldest one is 7 and the youngest is 11.75 months, and I am clinging on to his babyhood .
I stated an open degree in 2006, am currently doing my first level 3 maths course, exam in October, then doing my last level 1 10 pointer, then have just 90 points at level 3 to go. Then hopefully a PGDE in secondary maths.

Good luck to Mia and theluckiest on your PGCE's this year, and congrats to CC
Prolesworth what is your degree in?

OU is fab and soooo adictive isn't it! I have a fair bit going on at the mo, we are currently extending our house and doing it ourselves, amongst other things, but I still signed up to do the little 10 pointer!

Hello ladies! (artist formerly known as Ewe here)

Entering my second year in September of studting for a BA in Politics and Sociology. modules this year are Democracy and Authoritarianism and British Contemporary Politics. Also potential of doing a cheeky little module on gender at LSE that I am currently waiting to see if uni will allow.

I have a 2year old and work two days a week. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Hi, I am 44 yo, married for 10 years with 2 dcs aged 9 yo and 7 yo. I am about to start my 3rd and final year of a BA(Hons) in Early Childhood Studies degree - can't believe I'm on the home straight.

Hello!

I am 31- Have my DS who is not quite 3- my partner has recently moved in and has 2DCS aged 9 and 5 who we have 3 times a week.

Am about to start my Social Work degree- am most worried about the 84mile round trip each day- hate driving and going to take soooo long!

Great to see so many people joining this thread.

FranSanDisco your 3rd year will fly by. Can't believe I've actually finished mine. What do you plan to do after your degree?

Hiya,

I am going into my second year of Psychology (not starting until Mid May because of the Ryder Cup using the premises for something!).

Have two children, ds is 6 and dd is 4 (starting full time school mid Sept which I hope will help).

I am also self employed and working around 14hours a week (along with volunteering for another charity which I need to do for the second year!).

Hi,

Can I join in again, I was really bad at keeping up with the last one

Im 30, have a dh a 17mo a part time job and im about to go into my 4th year of hy history degree.

Im a bit scared, my average is sitting at 55 so if I want a 2:1 I need to keep my marks above 66%...Im sure it can be done...maybe!

I could do with support, I cant spell or construct proper sentences but need to write a 12,000 word dissertation.

Will try very hard to keep up with this thread this time.

hi,

I'm 37, have a dsd (15), ds (11) and dd (9 months) and am half way through my psychology phd!

I went to uni at 30 following my divorce as a single mum to do my bsc in psychology, and got married halfway through my mres, and had dd during my phd which i returned to on a full time basis in april! I need motivation and support as dd still bf and not sleeping through the night!(although dh has no problems sleeping :) )

Hi

I am almost 33, have a 3 year old son and am about to start my Accountancy and Business Law degree at Uni full-time in September.

At the moment I am looking forward to it, but I am sure I will be bricking it in the next couple of weeks! Lol

gosh lots of ppl studying this year then. nice to know im not alone. :)

well no period and no positive test here.. so i dont really know whats going on

dh has told me to do the course anyway, and if i am we will deal with it.

Ooh goody can I join please? :)
Technically I'm not at the start of an academic year as my courses tend to run jan-oct.

I'm a SAHM (DH works FT), have DD 3.2, starting nursery soon, and DS, nearly 1. I'm doing an OU maths degree, am about halfway now and loving it. Hoping to do a primary PGCE after that.

Got 2 TMAs left, then a 3hr exam mid-oct. I really need to fit in more studying but it's so hard at the end of the day when you're exhausted and just want to fall into bed!

Hi Algebra what maths course are you studying? I'm currently doing MT365.

Prolesworth my exam is on the 20th.

CC I think your dh is right, just go for it,I found out I was expecting ds2 a few days after I signed up for a 60 point course and it all worked out fine

exam on 13th oct. good thing I'm not superstitious :)

I'm doing M208. already done 121 and 221 as well as a 60pt social science thing.

also did 209 last year, was doing quite well - 95ish% average until near the end when DS was born. I asked to defer the exam as I was already doing 221 exam, but they never got my Dr's cert so they failed me!!! :( so I have to do 209 again next year, but hopefully it'll be pretty easy as so much is familiar.

I have to complete my degree in 6yrs total to get funding, so I'm trying to work out if that's enough reason to attempt 209 AND my first level 3 30pt course. hmm.

Vjay, glad to hear that. i wish mine was OU, but i need the one on one tutor support and the reasons to get up and out in the morning with classes to get to. i dont think id be disciplined enough to do ti from home!

Algebra I did 209 last year too (and 121 and 221 the previous year), ds2 was 6 weeks old when I sat the exam, I missed out on a distinction by 1%, did fine in the exam, but due to me rushing to get the tma's in before I gave birth I was 1% short on my OCAS, I was going to complain, but didn't think I would get anywhere.

So crap they failed you. If you do 209 next year, why not do MT365 with it, i have found it easier than 209!

CC I thought that too but have suprised myself with my motivation.

i think for me where i only have one child im school ft, i wont get the time to do it, well more the peace. because its programming one little mistake can take hours to find and fix and i need silence to be able to work. so a least at college its halfway really, uni would be too structured, and home too relaxed. happy medium. i hope. lol!!

i do find alot of the open uni stuff confusing with points and that but im sure i will pick it up along the way on this thread. :)

OU is actually changing the way they do things to be in-line with brick unis, or so I read the other week on my homepage. Courses will be called modules, points will be credits and something else but I can't remember what it was.

what is mt365 about please vjay :)

DS was 6 weeks old when I had my 221 exam too! I had an invigilator at my house so I could BF :)