Going to university in your 30s :o

Ur not old im in my third year of a web development degree and i'll be graduating age 30, i am older than most on my course but at least 20-30% of the people in my department are similar age or older.

Two guys i converse with reguarly are aged 38 and 51, they are both doing just fine on the degree.
 
It's funny how I came across this thread just now!

Anyhow, I am 33 years old. I will be 34 years old early next year.

I decided a few years ago that I wanted something different from my life - I was in the IT industry for over ten years, I learned a lot about myself and about others. However, something didn't sit right with me, so in true style after splitting with my girlfriend I quit my job and spent 5 weeks in Australia trying to gather my thoughts and I met a whole load of interesting people.

I went back to IT to get some money together and by 2016 I signed up to university as a self-funded student (I had studied Computer Science in University before). I am now in my third and final year of Biological Science. It has been mentally, physically and financially challenging...but also very rewarding - and I believe we do our best when we are challenged, well that's how I work ha ha.

Anyhow, I decided not to go for a placement year and instead go straight into my third year. In the next few weeks, I am going to apply to an MRes and MSc course in Imperial College London, a number of PHD Studentships as these are starting to both open up and of course jobs in certain areas. My areas of interest are in Immunology, Genetics, Nutrition and Conservation which are the areas I will be undertaking further study in, or hoping to work in after my undergraduate degree is finished.

Enough about my background, if you want to go back to University, definitely go for it, I have always been in pursuit of knowledge and University does just that. I am not the oldest student on my course and age was never a problem in the group of friends I have made at University, because we are all peers and all have similar goals in Life Sciences.
 
The placement year thing bugs me. The University is constantly trying to sell it, using the maxim "Two graduates have the same degree, the same grade. One has done a placement year, the other hasn't. Who is more employable?". The one who has done the placement year, obviously. But is the comparison reasonable? The sandwich degree takes four years. Could the extra year be used differently to get an equal, or better, result? Does a graduate with a sandwich degree have an advantage over one who has been in work for a year? Or over someone with a Masters Degree? There are so many ways the extra year could be used, yet it's seemingly disregarded for comparison purposes.
 
satchef1 said:
The placement year thing bugs me. The University is constantly trying to sell it, using the maxim "Two graduates have the same degree, the same grade. One has done a placement year, the other hasn't. Who is more employable?". The one who has done the placement year, obviously. But is the comparison reasonable? The sandwich degree takes four years. Could the extra year be used differently to get an equal, or better, result? Does a graduate with a sandwich degree have an advantage over one who has been in work for a year? Or over someone with a Masters Degree? There are so many ways the extra year could be used, yet it's seemingly disregarded for comparison purposes.
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I think it's useful in a situation where both graduates are 21 and have zero life/work experience. I skipped sandwich year but graduated aged 30, with experience in several fields and with self employment. Obviously I was more appealing than a 22 year old with a year's internship.
 
That was my thought process - I had ten years of real world employment experience behind me before the degree - communication skills, transferable analytical skills, team working skills, time management skills..I didn't want to spend an extra year away from completing my degree ultimately.
 
TBH I wouldn't even be entertaining the idea if it wasn't for the 40 extra credits. As the University put it; 93% of students who do a placement year graduate with a 2:1 or a 1st. Looking at the numbers, it's easy to see why.

40 credits is 33% of the third year mark, or 17% of the degree overall. It effectively lowers the bar for a 1st from 70% to 53%, and a 2:1 from 60% to 43%. If you do well in Year 2 then you're already most of the way there. The third year becomes a bit of a doddle; pass and you get a 1st.

I don't need to do a placement. I've got work experience already. And I plan to do a Masters degree after I graduate. But doing a placement basically ensures a good grade. It's one of those moments; the placement will only be a good idea in retrospect. If I wind up with a 2:2 or a 3rd, I'll be kicking myself for not doing the placement :p
 
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Haha :D I can certainly see your viewpoint with those extra 40 credits!

I did apply to some placements when I was undecided and was only successful for one application, but it wasn't well paid and meant commuting to London every day so I wouldn't have been able to save anything towards tuition fees. The placement can be cancelled if you do struggle to find one and you'll just go straight into third year.

I was 2% away from getting a first in second year, kicking myself still, but I know to work harder this year!
 
Dis86 said:
That's my situation - when i finished school i applied for medicine and mech eng - did mech eng and it was fantastic. Its lead me on to some good jobs since and I get paid a decent amount. I'm fully aware I'd lose income for 5 years and then be on substantially less than I am now but I'm really tempted.
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Make sure you go in with your eyes open. The NHS is a meat grinder at the moment. Seen a lot of colleagues give up/move away recently.
 
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