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.

hey guys just marking my place before it drops off my thread in on bit.

im attending the college offical enrollement day (they do one of their own as well as the ucas application)

very nervous! wish i had the funds for a haircut.

Hiya

charlottesclan hope your enrollement went well today

I'm posting my last tma for this course tomorrow, yay!, full steam ahead for revision now. I'm trying to decide which course to do next year but it's doing my head in now because I just can't decide. Will look at it again in a few weeks I think once the exam is done, after all I don't need to sign up until early December.

Happy birthday to your DS algebra

hi can I join this one too?

I am 29 have just completed my Ba(hons) Early childhood Studies and am about to start my primary PGCE.

I plan to actually do some of my pre-start work this week once I have finished sewing in the name labels to dc school clothes. I managed to sew in two labels before somehow my laptop turned itself on and I found myself here

Hi dyslmum it's a bugger when that happens isn't it , I was just making a revision list when my laptop turned itself on

Well done on completing your BA

It is, although I did manage to sew in all of dd's name labels last night eventually.
Now I have sat down to do ds's labels and I'm here again

I'm sat here, thinking I really should do a stationary shop or something, to at least prepare for third year. I know I need a diary, and some new pens, and some new arty stuff, but can I be bothered to find it all online? No. I'm surfing every other site apart from Amazon. Wish someone would invent a "complete university stationary set" or something!

LollipopViolet you could always try papernation.co.uk - gorgeous stuff and it's amazing what you find you suddenly can't live without...

Cool! I was looking at digital notepads but they're far too expensive :( Will have a look on there now :)

almost as bad as www.organisedmum.co.uk!! It is like porn for listmakers! Lol

Hi

I'm doing Biology with some chemistry modules...should be fun

Hi,

Can I join in please? I'm starting The Arts Past and Present (AA100) with the OU in October. My aim is to study for an English Language and Literature degree over the next 5 or 6 years and then do a PGCE Primary course when the DC's are at school.

I a SAHM to DD (21 months) and DS (7 months) so I'm sure it's going to be tough going at times.

I'm hoping to try and synchronise their afternoon nap over the next month to free up a bit of time in the day so that I'm not only left with evenings to study so if anybody has any tips they'd be greatly appreciated.

I'm very lucky that my parents usually have DD overnight at least once at the weekends so that will help but DS is BF and very attached to me so I'm going to have to work around him as much as possible.

All my course materials arrived today and I've got all the set texts so I hope to get around to starting some reading over the next few days

wow Phew. I'm really impressed that you are studying with two young babies.

Good luck. I'm sure that you will do well with such good support from your parents.

wow wish I had spotted this earlier :) hello all

Im 23, DD is 3, am PG and due Dec 1st and about to start my 3rd year of my English Degree, WOOOOOOO

I've finished reading 2 of my 4 set books for my course it's taken the whole holidays though. I used to be such a quick reader

I can see that I'll have to timetable quite a lot of time for just to read my books.

Hi everyone, can I join in?
I'm 21, I have a 5 and a half mo DD and I'm starting my Animation BA in a few weeks time (eeek!) is it normal that I'm more nervous about leaving DD for the first time than I am about starting my course?? I'm having all sorts of crisis this week, everything from stressing over how I'll manage to express enough milk for her to how we're going to manage to find somewhere to live (myself and DP both being full time students, nobody seems to want to let us rent anywhere!). Any advice on any of the above topics would be very much welcomed :) glad to know there so many others in my boat.

hi all.

xmaximumx Perfectly natural to be more worried to be more nervous about leaving dd than your course. is she going to nursery/ other childcare?

With expressing milk, work on building up your stock now if you aren't already. Express as much as you can now to increase supply and freeze what you aren't using as this can be used later. (not sure on exactly how long breast milk freezes for but know it can be)

Bloody hell! How am I ever going to get a degree? I sound like English is my second language.

Can I join? Been a lurker on here, but no more! Am starting a MA in Oct. Have DS1(10yrs) and DS2(4yrs). Trying to do some reading before I start but will get in a routine once DS2 starts school. Am very excited and nervous. I graduated in 2008 and had DS2 in my 3rd year of a PT degree. I must be mad to go back!

Hi

Can I join?

I'm 40 have 4 DC's 20 18 11 8 - The DS's are both off to uni this year and so am I - yikes

Start my Law degree on 13th Sept

hi - another joiner over here!

I'm about to start a Theology Hons Degree at end of the month.This will be my second time round at uni - graduated 12 years ago with a History Degree. Had one dc then, with one on the way - now I have 3 so its a different prospect altogether. Haven't written an essay in all those years - hmm. Could be interesting...

Hi, can I join?

I'm 26 and I had just started my phd (second week i think!) when i found out i was pregnant! studying while pregnant was awful, it made me so sleepy and brain dead. i'm on maternity leave at the moment and tying not to think about going back. i wish i knew other student parents round here!

I want to go back to uni, but I'm SO scared :(

It's my final year of education, at least for a while! I've known nothing else! It was school > college > uni and after that I've no idea what I'm going to do.

I know I'll need to get a job, and I'm definitely moving out, probably up to Manchester. I need to start applying for jobs for July really but don't know where to look! Do I just send CV's to post production companies saying I finish in July and will they keep me on file??

Hi can I join please?

I am not soing anything as high brow as you intellectual lot but its a massive step for me after being a SAHM for 12 years (2 DC 11 and 9) and never studied since leaving school at 16 before going into fulltime work.

I have just enrolled on a full Travel Agency Course at my local college. Although I do have an interest in the subject matter I am trying so hard to gain some self confidence and self esteem for myself in the "real world". I am fine in my mumsy bubble but after so many years of being at home I have sort of lost my real world skills and the confidence to beleive in myself out there. I have been job hunting for 18 months and only had 1 interview and still unemployed. I think its partly because I lack any qualifications but also because I just cannot sell myself because I dont believe in me iykwim. I am therefore hoping this course will give me some self belief back as well as some qualifications.

To say I am nervous is an understatement. I start 9am next Wednesday.

I am not looking forward to the child care juggling. My DC are at Boarding school but Fridays will be a problem on the weekends they come home and their school holidays are alot longer than the college ones. DH is going to try and put in leave for all the problem dates to help with this but it wont cover it all. Having just moved to the area, we know few people and family is miles away, but hey ho, I am sure we will manage somehow.

Can I say, I'm TERRIFIED about how its going to be

I'm so OLD I'm worried about making friends.

I'm also worried about getting the time to study - girls are at school though, so in theory I should have time during the day - evenings are going to be difficult though, what with all their activities.

And I'm still waiting for a load of bumph that should tell me what days I have to go in for induction.

Ah Botty you are NOT old. there were many mature students on my BA, 4 of the group were over 40 (we had a group of 28). Our whole group mixed and got on despite our age range/ different circumstances.