Help! 35 and going back to college. Any advice, please?!?

[Shirazzamatazz]

Hi. Am very excited but TERRIFIED at the thought. Haven't used my brain for god knows how long. Do brain cells hibernate while you're mummying? Have I still got 2 brain cells to spark together? DS already at school, DD starts in Jan. I start in Sept. (also need to get a GCSE maths - failed twice at school - great!) Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

you wil havea ball.

make an area for studying. some where that is yours.

Tee - Hee!! My house is an AMAZING bombsite! I'm in DH's study at the mo. elbows tucked against my side in case I upset one of the piles of amassed books & papers and start an avalanche!!! Thanks for that. Maybe I can get rid of him for a bit and liberate a bit ofg house for me!

I loved going back to college as a mature student- gave me a new lease of life. Its not easy with kids- but makes you feel important as an individual- not just someones 'mum'

good for you shirazzamatazz! i have spent the last 2 years flicking through the prospectus and not ever doing anything about it. maybe next year.....

how exciting for u well done ...what are u planning to study

i loved uni had a ball..andf got a degree along the way too

Thanks everyone. I'm going to do a Teaching Assistant course to get me going. Also need to get myself a GCSE maths because I got a D twice at school . Then I'm going to hopefully specialise in Dyslexia.
Careful Harleyd! The first evening class I ever went on I sat next to this gorgeous bloke & married him a year or so later. Keep flipping those pages!
How about my brain? Is it just rusty? Most days I couldn't find my a*se with both hands!

not sure what my dh would make of that lol.
did you always know that you wanted to go into teaching? i still dont know what i want to be when i grow up (grand old age of 32!)

I'd love to be be to give up work and go back to college and study things that really interest me (history and similar boring things!).
Good luck, I am sure you will be fine. I think the fact that you are a mature student will offer you many advantages in that you will have a better/maturer perspective on matters.
What course are you studying?

Good luck, am sure you will be fine. I did GCSE Maths last year (awaiting result) I got an F at school! But I actually was interested and tried hard this time (and had to pay for it!) so hope I pass. The modular course is good for mature students.

No worries on the pregnancy score! The DH was very precious about his precious bits so before I ended up with a footie team booked myself in! Highly recommended - by the way!

No. I definately wasn't choosing a new career as such but DH works irregular shifts; so I can only work in a school to look after the offspring during the hols etc etc. Having said that I'm looking forward to it! I've been doing work with 5-8 girls for near enough 20 years and still love it!

Careful BigGitDad! did you just call me boring?!? I met DH on an pre-history archeology course!

Wow, Jellybeans! How do you think you did? When will you know? Let us know when you get the result.

HarleyD I blundered about in electrical wholesaling for ever until I got pregnant. Unfortunately once you get in you never seem to escape it. Crap pay, long hours but usually a right laugh.

A Joke My Husband LOVES
Wife to husband: "Oh Darling! you're just like Spiderman!"
Husband to wife: "Why's that? Because I'm so attractive & virile?"
Wife: "Er.. No... Because you can't get out of the bath!"

Forgive me - It's friday night! XXX

Don't worry, just enjoy it and do it for you.... I'm in my 3rd year of a criminology degree and have got married, and had a son (2 years) in my first year, took 6 months off, had a daughter (5 months) in my 3rd year and went back 3 weeks later! It is tough trying to manage motherhood and uni but I wouldn't change it at all and a great inspiration to me is my mum (46 years old) who has just finished uni and has got a BA first (highest grade you can get for a degree) in Child and Adolesence Studies. She has been a mum since she was 18 and has raised 5 children mostly on her own, it took alot of encouragement for her to do it and at times she questioned whether she could do it, often on the phone to me worried about essays and tears over exams but she has done it and i'm so proud that she has finally achieved something for her!

Loads of luck Shiraz! I think studying as an adult is amazing. I did an Access Course at 33 and it changed my life - I went on to a degree and a Masters, and I had an absolute bloody ball (socially and personally too - in all sorts of ways I didnt expect). They say youth is wasted on the young - well so is education Its hard, its true, but your motivation is so much better when you are older, and you will be doing it for you, which is the only valid reason.

Am sending you lots of good luck vibes, but I am sure you won't need them. Enjoy!

I hope I passed! I tried very hard. I got a BCB in the other modules (top grade we can get is a B) so the next two that we get in Aug determine the overall grade! (hoping for a C) If not passed then I will keep on at it until I pass! (we would only have to sit the last exam again and carry forward the other results, so not too bad) I am considering doing an OU course soon as it is very flexible for me. Good luck

Jellybeans, hope you get what you worked so hard for. I got a maths Letts book out at the weekend and freaked!!! I don't think an A* is beckoning for me! Even lovely DH who's been really supportive and offering to help me went a bit green and said 'Er.. Maybe we'll get you a tutor!' Grand, I don't think. He's the bright one, too!

Congratulations on making a start. I'm a college teacher and have just finished a part time MSc, so I know how hectic it can get. Be reassured that mature students almost ALWAYS do better than the immature ones. You have life experience to pin the theory to.
Some tips:
Set aside time that you know you won't be interrupted (i.e. when little ones are asleep/at school) Sit down and start immediately, don't put on that extra load of washing or just tidy up a little. Set a finish time and work until you reach it. Don't make your studying hours stretch on and on, you get less effective.
The more grades you manage to get in the coursework, the less you have to get in the exam. This simple equation seems to escape many students. If you go into the exam already sitting on an A average, then you really only have to spell your name correctly to pass.
Try and relate everything you learn to a real life example. It will make it easier to understand and remember. This may seem obvious in the teaching Assistant course (good choice btw, I started out as one of them) but also is true of the maths. Remember you have been running a household for years. You know instinctivly how to do averages (sharing out sweets amongst the little ones) Areas, (ever painted a room and needed to work out how much paint to buy?) ratios and algebra(think recipies) If you really can't get to grip with trigonometry, then why bother? It's only worth a few marks. Spend your time on the stuff you can do.

Yay for you!!!! It is different when you are an adult, and you are doing it for yourself. If you are worried, most colleges have alot of learning support..I would suggest finding out about it asap, and using it if you find yourself not understanding some things. Don't let yourself get behind!!! You know what though? I did my gcse french last year, and we got coached sooo much, and i thought the exam was easy. I know it is probably different with math, but it seemed that everything was geared toward making sure that we passed the exam. You'll be fine!!! Have fun