Anyone else just starting an access course?

[boredandrestless]

Wondered if I had any company? Thought we could have a bit of a support group going on.

I'm doing the healthcare one, planning to do a nursing degree next year hopefully.

I did one a couple of years ago - it was intense but I loved it and got so much out of it in terms of approach to work loads etc.

I decided not to go to uni but have now started an OU degree instead - and I carry what I learned about studying with me

I just wanted to let you know one of my close friends on the course is just about to start her 3rd year of nursing degree and doing soooo well. Most of peeps are also about to start their 3rd years in various subjects.

It is hard work but it's definately worth it.

Hi, I've just started one. I'm doing the healthcare one as I want to do midwifery. Tis really hard to get into midwifery in our Uni, not sure about elsewhere so I have opted to do it over two years. Need loads of distinctions and loads of experience and still have to fit in 4 kids ranging from 2 to 16.
Enjoying the course though, well it is only week 2, I might hate it by week 22

Small world Debs! We are on the same course! My is name paired with Kale.

Mspontipine - thanks for your reply too, glad you found the course a positive experience. Assignments are piling up already and it's a bit daunting!

Very small world. Didnt know you were on mumsnet. How are you finding the stress assignment? I think I know what I want to write but getting it down on paper is harder.

I don't advertise it, I prefer to mumsnet in secrecy. ]

I haven't started it yet as I have two other assignments that are due in Monday and Tuesday, one down, one to go - then the stress assignment. I'm thinking by the time I've done the first 2 I'll be an expert in stress and nail it!

I think having tutor look over it before handing it in helps, I did that with 1 on Wednesday night and it's good to know what's right, what's wrong, and what needs a bit of tweaking. There was a big line of people wanting their assignments checked!

I'm also doing a health access course .

The work's starting to pile up, I'm on week 2 now. I have two assignments in the pipeline, plus two or three tests before half term. My tutor seems really stressed, he's already sprung two surprise tests on us, and told us that he will recommend that anyone scoring less than 50% should leave the course . I do like my tutor, and appreciate his straightness, but he's soooo blunt.

I'm hoping to do optometry, and there are about 8 of us on the course hoping for the same, and we are all realistic candidates. I can't see us all getting in though. The annoying thing is that I'm really restricted in terms of unis that I can apply for. My dc are in school, we have a mortgage, etc, so relocating is out of the question. As this is my second degree, I think my plan B is PGCE. Even if nothing comes of this course, I'm determined to enjoy it!

I'm half way through it now. I hope she doesn't mind having a read through so I know I am going in the right direction.

Madsometimes We were told so much during induction that 'this course will take over your life', 'you are mad for even attempting it' etc, etc.. I too am restricted in Uni's, 4 dc's, 1 disabled. We couldn't relocate as schools are here our support system is here. It wouldbe madness to move if I was never going to be there to help with the whole upheaval. From past moving experience the fallout can take months to cope with.
I want to do midwifery and the percentage which gets taken on is only about 10% 20 actual, there are probably about 40 people on our course who want to do midwifery.

The way I look at it, is that although the probability of getting onto my chosen course is quite remote, I certainly won't get anywhere without trying. I'm no spring chicken now, either. I'm 40 soon, and perhaps this will count against me.

In my first week, I was mortified. My train was cancelled and I was five minutes late for class. As the register had already been taken, I had to fill in a late slip , which will now go on my UCAS reference . I'm never normally late for anything , so now I leave 1.5 hours for a 50 minute journey, and am outside every classroom 15 minutes early.

I now remember why I stopped working 12 years ago. Commuting into London sucks.

I have just started an access to teaching course. We've not done much yet, but I am enjoying it (except for the long division we did on thursday lol)

I left Comp in 1994 with no GCSE's- flitted through various crap jobs. Started an access to health course in 2004- DS1 was 4 and DS2 was only 1! - went onto do my nursing degree in 2006 and graduated in 2009 with a 2.1.

Got a fantastic job within womens mental health care- I am now the ward manager and just (last week) returned to University to start my Masters degree.

Living proof that anyone can do it. If I can do it you can too.

good luck to you all.

Ive done around a month of mine and Im struggling terribly with anxiety disorder, its plagued me for as long as I can remember and Ive tried everything. Im on beta blockers now, but think I'll be dropping out. I cant spend 6 months feeling like this, nevermind the 3 years of uni too

I have a thread in further education if anyone would like to contribute. Im having trouble with the simplest of decisions lately

Oh Dillinger I may well have started a thread incredibly similar to yours. Am finding myself in the exact same situation - anxietyland!

I will put a link to my thread, if you put a link to yours I am happy to support you on it.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/what_would_you_do/1582781-Need-advice

Bored - thankyoy. I'll read yours now and will try and post a link when I get to a laptop.

As you can see, I can't sleep :(

Sorry for thread hijack

Has anyone else noticed the huge drop in numbers already? On my 4 lessons this week numbers were down about a third!

Bored hope everything is ok not seen you this week.

Yes, certainly on my course that's true. There are about three people who are not attending regularly, out of a group of about 20. It is full on, so it's not too surprising.

Debs am really struggling with anxiety, am off this week as DS is poorly, threw up in the street Monday morning.

I noticed even last week numbers in my classes were down by a lot. I may be joining the drop outs if I don't get back on an even keel and get back on track!

Hope he is feeling better soon. Mine started with it at the weekend but are all better now.

I hope you don't drop out, if it helps the new Health Studies assignment is pretty simple and most of it is classroom based so less time at home spent on it.

Gah! Another assignment. It's the health studies stress one that I stumbled on, think it might have been because I'd handed 3 assignments in the week before rather than the actual task, but I just can't focus enough to do it!

Am stressing that I am off this week too as I can't afford to come in on other days to different classes as that would double my childcare bill for the week. Feel I will be missing a lot of in class stuff. Will have to check on Moodle and see if there is any PPoints on there I can print out.

DS should be back at school tomorrow fingers crossed.

When I went in today, I noticed that a lot of people are feeling the strain. I had another mature student burst into tears over a coffee.

The problem with our course is that the tutors are not particularly caring. They are funny, knowledgeable and intelligent, but fall down on the pastoral care. Sometimes it seems that we are being set up for failure. My public transport fell down again today, and I pushed myself onto crowded tubes, tried and failed to walk up the stairs because there was a long queue for the escalator and somehow got myself there on time, but felt shattered all day.

Some days I come back revitalised and energised. Today, I just want to go to bed.

Mad it seems my pastoral tutor (who also teaches me one of my 3 subject) has a pretty rubbish reputation and I'm already beginning to see why.

I got into my evening class last night and the teacher actually came over and asked me how I was getting on generally. I nearly fell of my chair in shock, then had to stop myself from crying all over him. First member of staff I have heard asking any students how they are getting on. Considering it is an intense course you'd think there'd be more pastoral support wouldn't you!

I got in to a class this morning that I had missed on Tuesday when DS was ill so feel a bit better for doing that but still have a lot to catch up on.

How is everyone else getting on?

Glad you are getting back to classes bored was starting to worry for you.
In general I am definitely feeling better than I did last week. It probably wont last though.

My tutor seems nice enough but some of the others are quite harsh. I think its because they do this course every year and see so many drop out that they actively try and weed us out. Maybe if we stick it til christmas they might get nicer.

What results do you need in your access course?

I need 45 credits at level 3, all at distinction. It seems very difficult to achieve this. I may be heading for clearing to look at other courses.

I need the same for midwifery. I have heard that some Unis dont want that much though so, maybe rethink your uni of choice.

Did the uni open day and they were very blunt about what they expect from you. very interesting but not looking forward to looking round 4 next year with dd1

That's interesting Debs. A friend is going for medicine, and she also needs the same score, but plus a good ukcat, which she has, so fingers crossed for her.
I'm absolutely tied to one uni, so if I don't get the required score, I will rethink courses. At least we will know part way into the course if we have a hope of achieving the required levels.

I know that the requirements for radiography are lower. I think that being an obstetric sonographer could be a really interesting career, and that needs radiography. They want 45 credits at level 3, with 30 at merit or distinction, which is much more manageable. Still early days, I haven't handed in any assignments yet, but my first is due in two weeks. I have a test next week too, but only L2 functional skills maths, so it's only pass/fail.