Anyone else wondering if uni is going to be worth it ??

[mayb_baby]

I mean I'm 19 I will be 20 and will have my baby boy if I go to uni I will have no benefits at all and the grants and loans are expected to cover EVERYTHING along with full rent. There are many courses I can do that are a year or two and lead to a job immediately and the government will help pay and give free childcare and transport in uni I will be in for 4 years and will have to sort and pay for these things

 

[vinteenage]

Is your OH in uni?

Really, I think one of the parents in a relationship should have a form of higher education. My OH is in school full time and I'm taking a class on line, so at least I can slowly knock out credits.

Is there something like that available in the UK?

 

[mayb_baby]

He's working but his income is low, but as he has income that would strip me of benifits
I might do a 2 course and get a 'teaching assistant job' and go to an open uni when I have an income it's a longer road but I dont see us copeing if I go to uni xxx

 

[pansylove]

to be honest hun, i went to uni, realised it wasn't worth my money and quit.
uni is only good if you're living in halls and getting pissed every night, it's crap if you don't do the 'student thing'. i was living with my OH so i didn't do the student thing, and the course was apparently the best in the country yet they were teaching me things i already knew. waste of time and money for me personally.. but i work freelance in television so it's not really an academic thing. if you're going to be a teacher or doctor i suppose you sort of have to go to uni...

 

[_laura]

Me and the oh are halfway through our degrees and going back to finish them because we still get the same money from loans and grants that we do on our wages and benefits. Also I only have 1 year left and feel I should really finish it. Taking this year out but I'm only going back to get the piece of paper that says I've got a degree. And my Uni is a 5 minute walk away from my flat with free childcare on site for students

 

[2011mummy]

Uni isn't just about 'living in halls and getting pissed' and to be honest isn't worth going if that's what your expecting.

First of all you need to decide what you want to do. I have a ridiculous amount of friends who have all just graduated with degrees such as 'art history' and even business, and can't get jobs anywhere. One graduated business with a 2:1, and is currently working for £6.24 an hour in Asda.

My partner is an accountant, and has an accountancy degree, but even he agrees that looking back, if he could do it again, he wouldn't go to uni, as you can become an accountant without a degree and without £30,000+ debt.

Where as other jobs, you have no choice but to go to Uni. I have a place for September 2011, to study Midwifery, but the only way to become a Midwife, is to go to Uni and get a degree, and your pretty much guarenteed a job afterwards.

My advice is to decide where you see yourself in ten years time, then research how to get there. Choose the most time and cost effective route, and do it

There's no point in going to Uni 'just to get a degree' unless you know it will definatley get you where you would like to be

 

[2011mummy]

Oh, and if your partner is on low income, you will be able to claim for up to 95% of your childcare, through tax credits.

My partners job is fairly well paid, and we're still eligable for tax credits etc to cover childcare whilst I'm at Uni. And you'll get a fairly descent maintenance loan, and maybe even a bursary, because you will have a 'dependant'.

 

[pansylove]

well as i was doing a creative course, the only reason everyone there was at uni was for the student life. which is living in halls and getting pissed.
but i did say, if you're looking to be a doctor or teacher etc, then yeah you need to go. but otherwise it is just for the experience which you wouldn't get if you had a baby and therefore is a waste of time and money.
(unless like laura you're halfway through it, and therefore might as well finish)

 

[_laura]

Yeah half of me wishes I didn't have to go back cause I do a commercial photography course and I know to a certain extent I could do it on my own but I feel I should go as there's only 1 more year and I could do with using the free equipment! Haha
But agree with the others. If you can do it without Uni then don't go but have you looked into an open university course as you may be able to claim & work when doing it.

 

[pansylove]

"free" equipment

 

[_laura]

Haha yeah paying for the privilege of using it more like. But hey I can't afford 3k worth of lighting!
My bubs will have some awesome portraits, everyone on my course wants to take photos of her haha.

 

[Eliza_V]

There will definately be ups and downs to going to Uni with a baby, and with your OH on a low income and not being able to have benefits. If there is a course you really want to go for, I say go for it You will be entitled to at least the minimum in loans, and as you have a child dependent you will be entitled to more.

Also, some Unis have childcare facilities! I didn't realise the one I went to did 'til I found it out by accident! Also they are generally very child-friendly, with areas you can go to feed your baby away from the public if you want to etc. They are generally ok with having to leave lectures for baby needs etc. There was one girl who used to bring her baby to Uni with her, and sit on the edge of the theatre in case the baby needed feeding or changing

It may be worth contacting the Unis you are interested in to see how baby-friendly they are, and it could help in making your decision xx

 

[rubixcyoob.]

I go to uni, have a LO and work part time in McDonalds

Is it hard? Hell yes. Is it worth it? In so many ways.

In Scotland SAAS pays all the tuition fees for your first undergrad course so I do not have to really about paying loans for that, I had one living accommodation loan in my first year which was less than £3000 and do not plan on taking any more out. So I will only pay back the £3000 once I have graduated and earn more than £15K a year, it will come straight from my bank account in monthly payments with a low, fixed, interest rate.
I get a grant each year from SAAS which I don't have to pay back for being a loan parent since OH doesn't live with me nor are we married. I could also get another non-refundable grant for childcare from SAAS.

I also get CTC and CB as well as WTC.

My uni also gives hardship funds for having a dependant and living costs which don't need to be paid back either. It has a creche within the uni for 3-5 year olds, a creche in a builiding next to the uni for most ages and two private nurseries nearby have student discount and take from 6 weeks or 3 months plus. Not to mention council nuseries/family/childminders etc.

The fact that in another two years I can have a Law LLB degree and work either in social work, government etc. with a very nice salary or I can do one other year of uni and then try to get a placement in a top Scottish law firm and earn £30K per annum for my two years trainning and over £45K when qualified makes uni very appealing to me. If I became a single mother for the rest of my life earning that my son would never go without.

OH is trainning to be a teacher so in 2 years will earn a fair wage also, hopefully we will stay together and then LO would never want for anything.

Btw, I did not take a year out and had LO on 25th July and went back to uni on the 15th September.

 

[blinkybaby]

What about doing an Open University course? I've completed my first year at uni and I'm considering transferring my credits over to the OU to do a distance learning degree with them. If you're on a low income, you would most probably be eligible for full or part payment of the course fees which are nothing like uni fees - when I looked into it a couple of years ago it was something like £700, all of which I was offered for it to be paid for. xxx

 

[mayb_baby]

I need to talk to citizens advice to see how it will fair out as atm I just don’t see how I will manage at all even if I'm able to get a part time job

I had to take this year out as I got my place in Sept but bubs will be here December 21st and I would fall behind and struggle and I knew I would need more than 6-8weeks with my LO

xxx

 

[rubixcyoob.]

How long is your university course per week btw, you should look into that, mines is 7 hours in class, 2 hours online per week and I do around 2 hours per day also. So not much when it comes to it. Knowing that would really benefit because you could work out childcare costs and see if family could help etc.

Theres no need to just settle on a job if going to uni was your dream, it can be done.

BTW, not saying a job is just settling! Just htat if she always dreamed of going to uni then she shouldn't give that dream up.

 

[mayb_baby]

I won't give it up I really wanna be a teacher lol
Im going to weigh up my options and if it's too much it will have to go on hold
xxx

 

[rubixcyoob.]

I doubt you could do a practical education course in an open university since you need placements for that but you could do another degree in the subject of teaching you are interested in through and open university and then later on do a one year post-grad in teaching.

My OH did education in first year university, along with R.E and Philosophy but realised he would have to do another one year post-grad in another university to teach in Catholic schools, regardless of him doing education right now or not. So he dropped it to focus on his two subject areas more and is doing a year post-grad afterwards.

Always something to consider so that when LO is small you can work towards a degree from home and then when they are in school you can do your one year post-grad teaching and become a teacher in a short period of time without anything being on hold really

 

[mayb_baby]

yeah im looking to do an english degree then do pgce after, well I will see how it fairs out!

Thanks you have gave some great info I need to find out more from the uni, and OMG you'r little ones near 3months!

Going to head to bed Im dosed we the flu xoxo

 

[rubixcyoob.]

It's alright hun, PM me if you want to know anymore and I'll try my best to help

Hope you feel better soon! xx