Has anyone gone back into Higher Education?

[susanb]

I am looking for advice; I am seriously comtemplating giving up my parttime job and going back to University to do a degree with the aim of becoming a teacher. I have weighed up the pros and cons and have worked out that with the financial help I'm entitled to we would be slightly worse off than we are at the moment (although obviously I would have to pay back the Student loan in the long term). Presently I would say we are comfortable financially - we don't have any problems paying the bills but haven't holidayed for years and have one old banger to get around in.

Basically I'd like to know if anybody else has attempted a degree full time with kids. I have a supportive partner who works full time, and a couple of family members who could help out with our son who also starts nursery in September 5 mornings a week. Does anybody think I'm nuts or should I just keep plodding along with my present office job (which is pretty boring but very flexible!!). The university is also about 20 miles away so I'd have to look at travelling time/costs as well and I'm not sure about book costs and things like that.

I would appreciate ANY advice. Thanks

[susanb]

Hi Custardo - you are full of very wise advice!!

Deep down, I know I really want to do it, I'm not afraid of the hard work involved and would embrace the chance to actually use my brain. Its just the practicalities of life getting in the way. I phoned my tutor today and she is going to try and find out the timetable (if its been done yet) then I can get an idea of when I'm expected to be there. My partner works shifts every week (he's a fireman) so with regards to spending time in the library, etc, he does get time off during the week to help care for ds.

Keeping ds at his present nursery shouldn't affect his school place so I guess I should stop feeling guilty. Basically the pros are looking ahead to get a decent job for my family and myself and probably feeling that I'm achieving a hell of a lot more than I am now. Cons are less money, perhaps more stress with sorting out childcare, running up a Student loan debt of about 10K whereas, at the moment, although I don't earn a great deal at least I'm now living on borrowed money and lets face it, with a child, mortgage and a house to do up, we need every penny we can get!! Saying that, we don't live on the poverty line, it would just be a case of learning to be more economical.

By the way, I completely admire you for your obvious dedication to bettering yourself.

[susanb]

Hi everybody

I'm afraid I'm still after advice; to save you reading down the whole thread, I posted about giving up my dire part time office job and doing a degree full time with the aim of becoming a teacher.

You are all very kind and gave me some fantastic words of encouragement but I still cannot decide what to do! I've been accepted with open arms to a university but have also spent lots of time researching into teaching as a profession and have found that it makes grim reading. Basically, everybody I have spoken to/read about who has gone into teaching has negative things to say with regards to the heavy workload/inflexibility etc, and how so much is expected in the first few years. Don't get me wrong - I didn't for one minute think of teaching as an 'easy' option and am prepared to work damned hard if I choose to do this. If I was a childless woman I would definitely pursue this. I guess what is holding me back is the effect on my son. If I do this, I would qualify when ds is nearly 8. If I went straight into teaching after this, it would obviously take up a huge amount of time (as I have frequently been warned) and I would still need a childminder before/after school plus I've been told about various other extra curricular activites that teachers are expected to get involved in. Do you think it would be better to wait 5 years to start studying and at least then my son would be older and of an age where he wouldn't be so dependable on me. I am also worried that by doing this, I'll regret it and wish I'd waited and focussed far more on my ds.

I suppose ultimately I have to make the decision of where to concentrate. A fulfilling career is extremely important to me but so is spending time with ds in his early years. I am also 25, so am thinking that I have plenty of time. On the other hand, I don't know if I can stand my job for the next 5 years.

Out of interest, how did others get involved in whatever careers they are in and why?

[tamum]

Hi susanb, this isn't answering your question, but something relevant just occurred to me this morning. I had taken time off work to go to my ds's sports day, and was wondering who else would be there. A friend I usually see at these things wasn't there, because she's recently taken up a teaching assistant post. Now, I know this is a terribly minor thing, but it just hit me that although you get the holidays, by going in to teaching you lose all flexibility during term-time, and I started to think about all the plays, concerts, sports days that I would have missed if I'd been a teacher. Trivial, but worth considering maybe?

[susanb]

Hi tamum

Yes, thats another thing that cropped up from my 'research'. Obviously being a teacher means I could miss out on all ds's plays/sports days etc.

[medicmum]

Hello everyone,

I'm a 25yr old mature student studying medicine(2nd year) and i have a 2yr old daughter. i'm currently having difficulties with childcare due to finances and long hours. I also have to commute everyday as i live 2 hours away from uni. would like advice and chat from mums in similar position or otherwise.

[susanb]

Hi medicmum

I've only just started uni this year and have a 4 year old son and a partner who works shifts = nightmare!

My address is [email protected] if you want to chat.

Susan