TTC at Uni/training?

[toffee87]

Hello!

I have a smallish dilemma. We want to TTC in a couple of years, but I have decided that I might go back to Uni to do a 4 year part time course in Occupational therapy. I would have to do it part time so that I could work most of the week. OH is a teacher, so he is ok for his , providing he passes this first year (which I have absolute faith he will).

I wouldn't start until September 2011, as I want more time to decide and not to rush into things, which would mean I wouldn't graduate until 2015, at the age of 28. I don't want to leave it later than that, but I have to be sensible and consider maternity pay/child care etc.

I'd be working for most of the degree 4 days a week (30ish hours), and assuming I'm doing the same job as I now as a carer, that'd be £750-800 a month, and my OH bringing in atleast 1,200 after tax (he'll be more experienced and it's likely his pay will increase a little each year. There will be about 7 months out of the 4 years where I' be on placement, they are split up into blocks like 6-8 weeks, and the final year is 3 months. My job is flexible in that sense, lots of evenings and weekend work, and also Uni holidays I could squeeze some in. Maternity pay would be SMP as the company I work for doesn't provide it's own. So it'd be:

# or the first six weeks at 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings with no upper limit
# for the remaining 33 weeks at the lower of either the standard rate of £123.06, or 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings

Is it unrealistic to juggle ttc, a job and part time uni?

If/when I had the baby, I'd continue uni but take mat leave from work. The majority of the time Uni is just one day per week at part time, unless your on placement which varies depending on which year you're in.

I don't want to wait till I'm 29/30, I really don't. I'm almost 23, and 6-7 years is just too long!!!

I know people do cope, there's people on teacher training courses which are pretty intense, and they have babies.

I'd love to hear from anyone who ttc whilst at uni/training, or fell pregnant unexpectedly and still managed to study etc!

 

[lizzieandzara]

hiya! Im 7 month pregnant and studying full time at leeds uni, in my second year. Im currently on track to finish this years work 3 month early. I plan to go back for my 3rd year in september and finish my course and hopefully back to my part time job.. It will be (and has been) hard work but worth it when i am qualified x

 

[toffee87]

Thanks

We've actually thought about a different way...

I go to uni to do the 2 year fast track route for graduates, if we live at OH's mums. We get on really well with her since her husband left, she's come to us for support and the past issues she had with me have gone. We don't have to stay there for the full two years, but even 6-12 months would help us save to rent some where else for my second year. I wouldn't TTC until Ihad a job, but 100% of graduates get a job!!! So 4-6 months into my job, we'd TTC.

 

[mazy]

Hiya im 7 months and in my third year at uni. I won't lie its really hard especially at this stage when your feeling tired all the time. I have now decided to suspend study until after the baby is born as I am due April and would have soo many essays due, disseratation and 3 days of all day placement. I don't feel I can concentrate and try my best with my work so will go back in sept this year and finish my last year. Even though my pregnancy was unexpected I would'nt change anything. All I would say is that if you put your mind to it, you can do it. And it would be slightly better for you as you plan to do part time.

 

[snailien]

I was just starting my first year of accountancy training when we fell pregnant (it happened the first month we tried! - expected it to take 6 months - a year) and I spoke to an advisor at my college who said women who have babies after Christmas (I'm due in may) have a very bad pass rate on this course and advised me to change courses. I ended up having severe 'morning' sickness all day, every day for about 15 weeks and quit. Luckily they refunded every penny!

Every pregnancy is different and you just don't know what you're gonna get!

I'm going to start my training again when the babber's 9 months (evening / or distance learning). It's gonna take me years doing it this way but it'll be worth it in the end.

Good luck with whatever you decide works for you. x