College/University Thread

I decided to go back to Uni myself. Hopefully start on the 22nd August.

PGCE School Direct teacher training.

People say that GCSE's are worthless, that's until you try and go back to Uni... and find that no matter what level of higher education you have.. Unless you have a C in English Language you are rejected. I have a GNVQ Ict, BTec in Games Design & a BSc in Artificial Intelligence... Yet its all about the GCSE's :/

I retook it (iGCSE) and did a test at uni and they have allowed me to start in august, but if i get less than a C on result day (26th August) i will be kicked off.

Also i need to pass the QTS Maths Skills test on the 9th, so this week each evening i will be revising maths as much as possible.

Next year will be fun / hard.
 
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Well, it's fair enough really - you can't be expected to be able to teach/lecture unless you have a solid grasp of basic English and maths.

Good luck with the tests, I'm sure you'll be fine. I have a b in maths and c in English GCSE but as I took them so long ago I had to do the functional skills test when starting uni - still came out top in the group - simple life experience equips you well.
 
amigafan2003 said:
Well, it's fair enough really - you can't be expected to be able to teach/lecture unless you have a solid grasp of basic English and maths.

Good luck with the tests, I'm sure you'll be fine. I have a b in maths and c in English GCSE but as I took them so long ago I had to do the functional skills test when starting uni - still came out top in the group - simple life experience equips you well.
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Yea it's fair that they apply it to all.

I was given my test back after i did it (month after) and i have noticed a few obvious faults, hopefully they are not too bad. Time will tell.

They do make you jump through so many hoops to be able to train as a teacher.
 
malolo said:
I wasn't questioning whether that was the case, I was stating that's the case.
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I'm just being cynical. It is heavily oversubscribed and sports therapy I could do but that's a different degree and I want to treat conventional Joe Blogs not Mo Farro. I understand and agree with your points. It just got me thinking as I was told 'there are no jobs for a man' at the job fair and it was so brazen. Universities go on 98% employed straight away etc and it got me thinking. I've tried applying for anything in healthcare to get experience but nothing. I want it so much but guess that must put them off. I'll check clearing and then if no guess I'll just find another direction as clearly university is not for me.

Shame to waste a year of college and GCSEs and a year lost in wages and the cost of college. Think this year if wasted has cost me about £30k lol.

Hey ho.

Thank you for your time.
 
You're being pretty disparaging to physiotherapists in sport if you're calling them sports therapists, they're different things, and you'll find the majority of the physios involved in sport started off by treating Joe Bloggs, it's not like you just walk into elite sport straight after completing the degree!

University employment percentages have nothing to do with the field you're studying, it's all to do with whether you're actually employed, stacking shelves at Tesco would count towards their percentages so you can't get too hung up on them.

My advice would be to try and get on to another allied health professions course (if you don't get on to physio) and then try and transfer over to physio during or after your first year. Have you not had the chance to look at clearing yet?

What are you actually applying for in health care to get experience? Are you meaning actual jobs or just shadowing?
 
malolo said:
Have you not had the chance to look at clearing yet?

What are you actually applying for in health care to get experience? Are you meaning actual jobs or just shadowing?
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Apologies, I was being a bit succinct about it. I completely understand but my point was maybe competitive sports encourages a more male arena.

Clearing starts after 15th August according to UCAS and according to a uni I asked 18th August. I've tried applying for any assistant jobs in the NHS and privately in care. Shadowing I've done. The only trouble is volunteer work is great but unfortunately won't pay my mortgage. :( I dunno. I'm just very lost. I'm cynical because I have a lot to do with drug users, dealers, police etc so I know first hand not to trust anyone or anything as there is an underlying reason they don't want you to see.

Anyways, thanks for the advice and I'll leave it there as it's already turned into a 'woe is me' thread. Apologies all.
 
You'll get there chap - and remember, even if you don't get onto the exact course you want, as long as it's still somewhat related to your future career ambitions it's still a degree at the end of the day and will open doors to you.

Hell, my friend has just been taken on with IBM on a solutions specialist grad scheme and he has a 1st class History degree!
 
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Passed 4th year. Entering final year next month. Then begins the lifelong job of repaying student finance.
 
Hoping to start an OU course come oct or feb (whichever is easiest to arrange) in computing focusing on networking. Will be my 2nd degree but hey ho its something to do to pass the time.
 
Is it an MSc?

Unless you're transferring credit I'd be wary of taking an OU undergrad course when you've already got a degree - the 120 credits of level 1 modules are generally a bit of a time waster.
 
Thanks! I'll have a break, get further into my current role, get bored and probably do a master's or something in a few years. Quite happy doing what I'm doing for the time being (for now at least!).
 
Finished year one of a Chemical Engineering degree with an average mark of 85%. I'm very pleased with this as two years ago I re-entered education after doing distinctly meh as a teenager.

Just re-enrolled for year two, I've been told that it is much harder than year one but I'm ready to get stuck in!
 
Should be starting the MSc Software Engineering course at Oxford in January.

£26,000 for a two year part time course, my last MSc cost €18,000, paying more for a premium brand obvs.
 
dowie said:
Is it an MSc?

Unless you're transferring credit I'd be wary of taking an OU undergrad course when you've already got a degree - the 120 credits of level 1 modules are generally a bit of a time waster.
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bsc computing and IT (hons) shd take 6 years distance learning. I should also be getting funding from SAAS. My previous degree was not IT related though so not sure on the transferability of credits. Im phoning OU scotland on monday to find out. :)
 
I had to redo my GCSE English Language to get into teacher training. Finished school around 11 years ago... and have no idea about English (the subject)

I collected my results on Thursday.

I got an A*!
 
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