A "I have zero qualifications, but would like to go to Uni" thread

OpenToSuggestions said:
Or save yourself a lot of time and money and go somewhere good in the first place :p.
I realise my views are strong, but I feel that they can help the OP.
The last thing he wants is to do some form of degree and find there is no work out there in that field.
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If your wasting an extra two years, doing a-levels full-time, it's not that simple.
 
OpenToSuggestions said:
Two years of Alevels are a LOT cheaper than one year of University @ £9000 for the course, plus living costs!!
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Plus the fact, you have 2 or 1 fewer years of full-time work...

That is the main hit you will take.

I got 25k job after university, so it would cost me 25k(Not excluding tax).
 
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Bengaboy said:
So, I only have GCSEs, but am currently starting an A-Level in business studies.

As far as I am aware, you need 2 (ish?) A-Levels to be considered for Uni ACAS points wise. But the thing is I am 22, and would like to start Uni ASAP as I eventually will be too old...

Question is, is UCAS points the long and short of it? No way around it? I am currently in the Navy - maybe this would go in my favour for maturity reasons? I wouldnt have thought so, but worth a go...

Full time uni aswell, so I would leave the forces. Unless part time courses are maybe viable?

Any help would be great - Uni noob!
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If this is your way of losing your virginity then there are other ways...
 
OpenToSuggestions said:
To get into higher education, no.
To get into higher education at somewhere decent, yes.
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I was not aware that the OU was considered that poorly.......Neither Exeter or Oxford seemed to mind. Strange.

OpenToSuggestions said:
We are talking of a debt of £50,000. Half a house!
You must be confident that it is worth it before dedicating yourself to it!
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We are not talking debt of £50k and given the way Student Loans are funded it isn't going to adversely affect him financially in any case...not to mention the financial options open to him through the Navy and various other agencies because of his circumstances.

It still doesn't answer why you advised him that University isn't for him....
 
Castiel said:
It still doesn't answer why you advised him that University isn't for him....
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Cut to the point, it was about elitism(The bad kind), and fact he thinks his not very smart. So don't bother aiming for the university type careers, sort of attitude.
 
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Castiel said:
I was not aware that the OU was considered that poorly.......Neither Exeter or Oxford seemed to mind. Strange.
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I did not mention the OU.

Castiel said:
We are not talking debt of £50k and given the way Student Loans are funded it isn't going to adversely affect him financially in any case...not to mention the financial options open to him through the Navy and various other agencies because of his circumstances.
It still doesn't answer why you advised him that University isn't for him....
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I don't think University is for him because he has no intermediate qualifications. As such he will probably not do them and go to a University who is desperate for students and will accept him. If he plays the game properly by doing Alevels, getting respectable grades, then going to University, then it might be worth the £50,000 debt.

Unless I am missing something here, 3 x £9000 plus three lots of student loans comes to £40,000, with a Masters it adds another £10,000. Either way, it is some serious debt to have over your head, even though whether it counts as proper debt is debatable.
 
OpenToSuggestions said:
Two years of Alevels are a LOT cheaper than one year of University @ £9000 for the course, plus living costs!!
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It may come as a shock to you but people manage to do degrees part time while holding down full time and demanding jobs.....and his being on the Navy will go a long way to negating the need for student loans as he is entilted to a certain amount of funding for further and higher education.

I did it...the Navy (or rather the RM) basically funded two thirds of my education....
 
UK-AL05 said:
Cut to the point, it was about elitism(The bad kind), and fact he thinks his not very smart. So don't bother aiming for the university type careers, sort of attitude.
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If he is in the Forces then he is probably better with his hands.
That is mutually exclusive to being clever or not.
It has nothing to do with Elitism at all.
Go to Univeristy if you wish, you may land a good job, you may not. I am just suggesting to choose wisely with whatever you do.

I went to University and often wonder if I would have been better learning a trade such as Plumbing.
People pay a lot of money to have pipework done, but they won't pay a penny for your opinion on what the Romans may or may not have done for us.
 
OpenToSuggestions said:
I did not mention the OU.
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Yet it is the primary option open to him given his circumstances and the fact that as a Naval rating he can access certain facilities and program's to help him both fund and access OU courses and modules.

OpenToSuggestions said:
I don't think University is for him because he has no intermediate qualifications.
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As has been pointed out, you do not need intermediate qualifications, or A Levels as you specified (there are a whole range of intermediate qualifications such as HE diplomas and depending on what he does in the Navy, other accepted equivalents).

I work with someone who has no A levels, yet studied at Balliol primarily on the strength of her GCSEs.
 
OpenToSuggestions said:
It has nothing to do with Elitism at all.
Go to Univeristy id you wish, you may land a good job, you may not.

I went to University and often wonder if I would have been better learning a trade such as Plumbing.

People pay a lot of money to have pipework done, but they won't pay a penny for your opinion on what the Romans may or may not have done for us.
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Depends where you live, london or other cities plumbing is paid well. In rural areas and such it can lead to poverty. Trades tend to be very location based.

The average plumber earns 27k. Now factor in the high salaries they get cities, and wonder how much plumbers in rural areas must get paid to bring the average down so much...


OpenToSuggestions said:
they won't pay a penny for your opinion on what the Romans may or may not have done for us.
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But they may pay someone to be able to design circuits, program microprocessors, or design business systems.

Not that university is purely about economic return, doing it because you like the subject is a valid reason to.
 
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OpenToSuggestions said:
If he is in the Forces then he is probably better with his hands.

That is mutually exclusive to being clever or not.
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I was in the Forces, but while I can shoot a moving sparrow at 500 yards and do a whole range of other stuff with my hands, I can't hang a shelf to save my life........I wouldn't call myself overly stupid either.
 
OpenToSuggestions said:
Yhey won't pay a penny for your opinion on what the Romans may or may not have done for us.
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I wouldn't be so sure about that.....I get paid a pretty penny effectively for telling people what the Romans may have said and done and how that affects us....and not only the Romans.

You'll be surprised what people pay for.
 
I couldn't see this mentioned when I skimmed through the thread(apologies if it has) but since you've not done any form of higher/further education in your life you could have the course fees of your first degree paid for by the RN. That is assuming you've done 4 years of service.

I don't think the scheme will be going for much longer as the course fees have sky rocketed over the past few years, but its an option.
 
I tried to help with information that I know to be true but people aren't interested in what I have to say, so this is me done with the thread.
There is always someone who pipes up with a story of how they are not like the majority of people, but the majority of people need A Levels to get a degree.

Good luck OP and I wish you the best with whatever you choose :).

I am off to bed, night :p.
 
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