Help with education choices?! UK :)

[Feff]

Ughhhh I'm so confused now! when I found out I was pregnant I hadn't long started doing my AS levels in college, and pretty much as soon as I found out I dropped to doing just AS psychology, because I was finding it too difficult anyway and then the stress of being pregnant made it really hard!

Well I've just had my results for the first exam and I had a B, so I was going to try and do the exam in early June to at least get my AS level instead of all these months for nothing, and then in September do health and social care level 3 course so I can get into the health profession.

Now my tutor has phoned me and told me the course is hard, and is assignment after assignment so lots of work and he was surprised that I wasn't carrying on doing a levels. So now I'm thinking of doing just A2 psychology in September, which could be better than the course as it's only 3 days a week so I'll have more time with the baby. Then, when I turn 18 next July, see about an open university course in health and social or social work or something along those lines and try and get a part time job.

Any advice/ideas please? I have no idea what I want to do now! Sorry for the long rant

 

[wellsk]

Have you had a look at the entry requirements for those courses? I'm not sure that just that one A Level will be enough. Particularly something like social work and healthcare that really need to have a more practical side too.

A BTEC in health and social care seriously isn't that hard, and worst come to worst you can leave after one year with a qualification. However it's 100% coursework, so if you prefer exams it might be a bit more tough.

Doing a course like that will also enable you to go to university if you wish too.

(From a third year undergrad student in psychology who got a triple distinction in health and social care )

 

[Feff]

I checked the website and there's no entry requirements, you just work your way up

I'm thinking of doing health and social now instead, I prefer coursework to exams because once I get started on a subject I don't shut up (as you can tell ) it's just the baby will be only around 4 months and I know it's going to be so hard being away from her 5 days a week!

Thanks for answering

 

[divershona]

Having done a full time (5days a week) college course, equivalent to 6 a-levels i will tell you that it is alot of hard work. But SOOOOOOO worth it!!!!

the short amount of time that you are away from your little one during the day means that a) you get a break from being a mum and still get to talk to people your own age b) you know that you are bettering yourself for you little one c) as your little one gets a bit older she will benefit so much from the interaction with other children and will progress so much faster as she picks things up from other kids. (okay those things aren't always good things - kaya learnt how to pick her nose and eat it ... GROSS! but still most of the things she will pick up are good things)

Its so much hard work and yes you will miss out on some time with her but just make the most of the weekends you have with her, and any time after college and before she goes to bed.

When i started working Kaya would go to the childminder at 6:30am and not get back til 7pm and i wouldn't see her all day. but she has learnt so much and has got so much better at things (including her speech!) that she could already do.

 

[Feff]

Wow, I really respect you for being strong enough to leave your LO! I just don't think I could I really want to go into the care profession, and I know because the college course is so broad then I'd have more opportunities but I don't think I could leave the baby for so long! My mam would be minding her and I'd be afraid of her becoming more attached to her if that makes sense? Thanks for your experience about a full on course and a LO though!

 

[divershona]

i didn't think i could either but what got me through was knowing she wasn't too far away, and that she was being well taken care of.

most college's offer their courses part-time, it takes longer to do but its less time every week. Why don't you look into whether your college does the course you want part-time? might only be 2 or 3 days a week then

 

[Feff]

Yeah I didn't think of that lol! Thank you

 

[divershona]

no problem

 

[mrsdcooper]

Hi I'm a teacher and I teach Btec. If you can handle AS and get a B btec will be well easy. You could even use your little one for some of your assignments. The coursework side is easy and you can work at home around little one. Think about work placements you will have to complete. Get your applications for these placements in early so you get the ones close to home etc which will be important with little one.

UNI will be easier to get onto with btec qualification rather than a single a level. Defo go for AS in June that will go well towards your application

 

[Feff]

Do you think doing the A2 in September will be better and then the year after doing the health and social course will be okay? Or go straight into the course this year? If I just did the psychology A2 in September I would be in college for 3 days a week but for only short periods of time.

I would rather stay home for a while as much as I can to be with the baby but I don't want to be in education for years and years!

Thank you

 

[mummytobe_93]

Can you get in with only one A level? I've heard from quite alot of people open university isn't very good, especially where support is concerned.

I think university wise they want atleast 2 A levels!

But you should do what you want, if you want to continue doing psychology or swap to health and social thats your choice- how about doing both or is that completely out of the question?

I did psychology myself and a lot of it is just revising and remembering, and learning how to answer certain questions!

Good luck with whatever you do x

 

[mummytobe_93]

Also forgot to mention- social work is not easy to get in they usually want 3 alevels ranging from 240-300 plus ucas points, and from 200-600 hours experience related to social work!

 

[Feff]

I think if you work your way through the courses/levels then you can but to be honest I'm not sure! I just used social work as an example really, but I definitely want to get into the health/care profession!

I think doing both at the same time would be really hard if not impossible, as the course is full on with assignments and essays and things, and I find psychology quite full in just doing the AS never mind the A2

I think I'm going to see about doing the psychology A2 this September which will give me a whole A level, more time with the baby in her first year and gives me more time to think about my other choices

Thank you x