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Original poster

Student parent support thread - New for Sept. 2010

373 replies

MiaWallace · 23/08/2010 12:01

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 Grin

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.

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Coleysworth · 21/01/2011 10:33

Excellent news! Grin

pinkhyena · 01/02/2011 17:07

Hi ladies,
Haven't been on for a while but hope you're all well and getting on with your courses.
Did want to ask a question though: how are you doing in terms of money? We're really struggling at the moment and student loans are right bastids. Does anyone have any tips?
x

LB29 · 01/02/2011 20:59

Sorry to hear about your money situation. Have you considered taking on a part time job or would it not be possible? Census 2012 were recruiting recently so could be part time and temporary. They mainly wanted evenings and weekends to catch people who don't return while they are in.
Apart from work having a good clear out and selling on ebay is always good, get rid of all the clutter.
What are you studying and and what level? If you have a degree you could possibly tutor. There are a few websites that give good advice on how to start up.
I can't really think of much else but i have found the moneysaving forums helpful.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting
madwomanintheattic · 04/02/2011 04:12

i've had to work all the way through tbh as self-funded. tis a beeatch. although as i said upthread i've handed in my notice and am planning three months without working to get my masters finished.

that said, flaming dh obviously thought that was a brilliant idea, and handed his notice in yesterday and is now job-hunting. his last day at work is about 7 days after mine - so if he doesn't get a balardy job he'll be cluttering up the house instead of leaving it free for my creative juices to flow.

bum. bum. bum.

sorry lb, no other ideas really. i used to work weekends when i was studying ft, as then dh could have the kids...

threefeethighandrising · 04/02/2011 05:03

pinkhyena my tip would be to go to your student advisors and check you're getting everything you're entitled to. Also mention you're struggling financially and see if they have any ideas.

We found Student Finance England to be completely misinformed WRT student parents. so, for example both myself and my partner are studying, and SFE repeatedly told us that only one of us was eligible for the extra money you get if you're a parent. In fact that's not true - the money is per parent not per child, but it took the involvement of our student finance support person at the uni before they accepted we were right and they didn't know what they were talking about Hmm

We supplement our loans etc by taking in lodgers. DO you have the space to do this?

Are you able to work in the holidays?

Are you a full time student? Have you got the young person's railcard - you can get it at any age if you're studying (it saves me a little on trains fares - unfortunately you can't use it on morning rush hour trains).

threefeethighandrising · 04/02/2011 05:06

madwomanintheattic it could be worth checking to see if your mortgage lender offers mortgage holidays. Mine did and I wasn't even aware they did, I found out by accident, very luckily just before I went on maternity leave. They had a list of standard reasons they'd grant a 6 month mortgage holiday, maternity being one of them.

It might be worth checking out, just to see what they offer as standard, and if they do it'd give you some peace of mind to know it's an option (if it is, of course!)

madwomanintheattic · 04/02/2011 05:07

oops, not lb, pinkhyena Blush. rtfq and all that.

wabbit · 04/02/2011 05:25

LB would a career development loan be a possibility for you?

Go online and look them up - the loan's from the bank and needs repaying when you finish your course and are free to work again.

HTH

wabbit · 04/02/2011 05:26

I've done it too! must be the time of day - Pinkhyena - CDL post for you - Sorry LB29 Smile

wabbit · 04/02/2011 05:29

Oh I've not introduced myself - I'm Studying Steiner Waldorf EY Education and working towards my Professional Status... I run a Kindergarten and have a DS of 5 and a DD of 19

Hello parentystudenty people Smile

madwomanintheattic · 04/02/2011 14:19

oo wabbit, i think we were on a thread together somewhere in the mists of time... can't remember which one though! glad your kindergarten has got off the ground iirc i think you were very new at it at the time? (hopes it's the right wabbit)

applying for a cdl with barclays made me close every bank account my family had with them as they messed me around so much. in the end i took out a normal personal loan with first direct. still paying it.

hope you find a way, pink.

pinkhyena · 04/02/2011 16:14

Thanks for the lovely messages and suggestions ladies! Well student loans have finally sorted out my applications and the money went in today - only applied in November Angry but at least for the time being I can breathe a sigh of relief that I can actually pay the mortgage this month!

Wabbit i've never even heard of a career development loan, i'll keep it in mind but maybe as a real last resort as will already have massive amounts to pay back to student loans.

As it is we've cut back on certain things like sky and weaved some magic with the mortgage so the payments are a bit more flexible for a few months. LO is still going to be at nursery 2 days a week during my holidays so i'm going to try and get a job for those days - possibly working as a nursery assistant doing bank shifts.

ManateeEquineOhara · 04/02/2011 20:44

Student loans can be a nightmare, mine were stupidly late each time for my first year because I had put my surname in the first name box on the form! While that was a bit dim of me, it was awful not getting my loans on time.

I also worked all through UG and work even more now I am doing a masters as I have to self fund. I have also applied to do census work, it would be a handy bit of extra money!

Hi Wabbit - I have had an awful experience with Steiner Ed, and a lovely one too, which is overshadowed by the awful. This post will probably get deleted like they do on MN if you mention the 'S' word with any negativity...I just hope you are being critical in your reading of the original rantings of Rudolph :)

pinkhyena · 05/02/2011 04:51

I do like the ideas behind Steiner and I think Steiner schools seem pretty cool - kind of like the Swedish system. Just did a big essay on Swedish education think Britain could learn a few things!

threefeethighandrising · 05/02/2011 09:24

pinkhyene I thought I liked Steiner too until I realised that actually I was making assumptions about its ideas. I thought it was like the Swedish system too, but
DP explained to me that Steiner is actually based on a religion called anthroposophy.

I hope I'm not opening up a can of worms with this as debates can get pretty heated on this subject.

DP knows about Steiner because three of his friends went there and from what we know from them, we wouldn't touch Steiner with a barge pole I'm afraid.

threefeethighandrising · 05/02/2011 09:33

Here's the anthrosophical society's website: www.anthroposophy.org.uk/

They describe anthrosophy like this:

"Anthroposophy is a modern spiritual path that cherishes and respects the freedom of each individual. It recognises however, that real freedom is actually an inner capacity that can only be obtained by degrees according to the spiritual development of the individual."

threefeethighandrising · 05/02/2011 09:40

There has been a lot of discussion of Steiner on mumsnet. Here's one thread

wabbit I certainly don't mean to attack you, I hope it doesn't come across like that. But if you're going to go into Steiner you will come across critics of the system and so I hope this is of some use to you too, I have tried to be gentle!

Right, time to stop procrastinating, back to studying!

ManateeEquineOhara · 05/02/2011 15:26

What Threefeet said :D

Coleysworth · 05/02/2011 18:24

Feeling a bit downhearted at the moment tbh. I applied for an MA course at the beginning of December and still haven't heard anything. This is pretty normal, right? Or does it mean that they think I'm crap Confused I'm applying for a scholarship with a February deadline and can't apply without an offer, so I'm starting to really jitter now. OK, I probably won't get the funding but I'll be so pissed off if I don't even get the chance to apply because the decision is so slow in coming.

Moan whinge gripe

pinkhyena · 05/02/2011 18:34

Oh oops :s didn't realise hope I haven't trodden on any toes!

ManateeEquineOhara · 05/02/2011 22:45

Coleysworth - I had to get back to the admissions office for my MRes application. They told me they thought I had been told I had been accepted - I hadn't Hmm.

It is far more likely to get a place on a masters than UG. It is more like you apply, and you get a place. The funding is the issue sigh.

Coleysworth · 05/02/2011 23:00

There was a problem with the online application system (one of my references wasn't there even though the system said it was) so I've already hassled admissions twice to check that the other reference arrived Blush No reply :(

Oh well. Must try to be patient!

madwomanintheattic · 08/02/2011 05:03

oh, threefeet, i just read your post from ages ago suggesting a mortgage holiday - sorry, i must have missed it! a mortgage holiday would be lovely, but unfortunately my mortgage is currently a staff mortgage with my current employer - the job i have just resigned from Blush i'm not sure i've got the balls to go and ask for a mortgage holiday because i haven't got any money coming in! Grin my rate will go up as a result too... Shock

we'll manage. dh will be paid until end july i think as he has lots of time owing. he might even be earning again at that point!

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