Any occupational therapy students with primary school aged children?

[philbee]

I've worked in information jobs in health and social care for ten years now, and am very interested in retraining as an OT. I'm sorting out volunteering, and hope to get some practical volunteering experience over the next year or so. But I just can't work out how I can do the course with DD at primary school. Part time isn't funded, so we can't afford it, and the BSc and the compressed MSc are both full time. Teaching is four days a week, which is sortable during term time, but I can't work out whether there are university holidays to match the school hols. If not it's going to be tricky to work out. What do you do? Do you get school / uni hols off or are you on placement then? Any advice welcome!

Hello! I'm starting an Occupational Therapy MSc this September - I'm not sure if my university is like others but basically the 'main' holidays eg Easter Christmas and summer are the same as the schools but I don't think there are half term hols at university. The placements on my course seem to all be within the university term time. I'm currently trying to get a hold of a timetable as I'm desperately trying to sort out what childcare I need (dh works full-time and no family locally) which is proving to be a bit of a nightmare. I am fretting about the childcare bigtime but we will just have to sort it out. Good luck!

Hello! That sounds good. I have emailed South Bank to ask about holidays, as that's the nearest to me. We do have family locally, who do lots of childcare for us already, but my DH works full time as well, so it would have to be precision planning! I need to see how DD gets on with school, as she's only starting this September, but maybe next year or the following year I could try to do it. It's difficult, isn't it? I was thinking of the part time course, as it's funded in other areas of the country, but when I've been on work experience the OTs have been massively in favour of the MSc and just getting it done and out the way so you can start working.

Sorry I am doing the BSc not the MSc! Yes I can understand just 'getting it out the way' although part of me hopes that the extra year of study means the job prospects will have improved further as there's not a lot out there at the moment! However, there's no other job I want to do!

I did a year of OT about 5 years ago and in the first year we had lectures on 3-4 days including at least being 9-5, then we also had a 7 week full time placement (could be placed anywhere in a wide area but thy take caring responsibilities into account) which is 'usually' 9-5 but not always... Year two is 10 week placement and year 3 is 13-14 weeks....

I am doing an Msc in OT and get the results of my dissertation today! (aaaaaargh).

Anyway, at my uni we get all the main hols off APART from at the very end where our last ten week placement is over the summer holidays. Also reading week may or may not be half term. It has varied. I would say uni have let me do the placement in the autumn but this was recently agreed and may not be something to bring up at the start depending on your uni. I know mine would have said no if I had asked at interview.

Placement is the equivalent of full time work so you will need to think about before/after school.

The course is intense with loads of reading etc especially if like me, you haven't studied for a while and I sometimes think the Bsc may have been easier to manage albeit over 3 years. At our uni the Bsc also don't do the summer placement as they aren't cramming it all into two years. I think they were also "taught" more rather than having an emphasis on independent research at masters level. That said a masters is an achievement (if i get there!!) and they tell us it will stand us in good stead in the job maket.

Well done on completing the Msc Everybodyneedswine! What an achievement! That's interesting that the MSc may be an advantage in the job Market - have you started looking for jobs yet? I won't be graduating til summer 2015 but am concerned that things won't have improved greatly even by then .

I still have a couple of placements as they let me take some time out due to family commitments and some other stuff going on so not job hunting yet. Some of my cohort who have just started their last placement have though and there are some jobs around. One person has been offered a job!

Good luck with the masters. It's hard work but worth it. I was shell shocked at first and had a wobble but glad I stuck with it.

Can I ask philbee what sort of voluntary work you're doing? I really want to apply for this course this year to start nxt yr and am desperate to be accepted. I applied when I left school but couldn't get the grades to get in. I discounted the msc on the basis that I'd not manage the commitment with 2dcs.
Well done everyone!