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Need advice - really want to go to uni!

Hey there,

So I'm 30 years old and looking to go to uni for the first time in my life. Sadly, I'm having some difficulty over how to go about it due to lack of qualifications and financial difficulties. I have GCSEs (fairly good despite circumstances at the time - 7 or 8 A-C grades) but I don't have a levels or a level 3 qualification.

I want to study Japanese at degree level. Theres a few reasons for my interest in this course in particular, and im hugely interested in the language and culture. My first choice for this would be SOAS but I've obviously looked at entry requirements and it looks unlikely I'd even get an offer.

Now I've looked into it as much as possible and I have two options - apply to uni and just hope that I'll get in (though I can see this being really unlikely) or do an access course.

I would have absolutely no problems doing an access course if it were not for one slight problem - finances. I can probably get a 24 plus learning loan without too much difficulty but my main concern is living costs and paying for bills as I would be a mature student living in London which is obviously not cheap!

Does anyone know of any financial help out there for mature students or those on access courses who need help with living fees etc? I know I'm really reaching and it's highly unlikely to be the case but I figured it best to ask before I give up completely on my dreams. Just a note before anyone asks - im currently unemployed but in any case I would find it a struggle to do both work and an access course due to health reasons and that I've started an access course previously (dropped out for unrelated reasons) and I know how intense the course is!

Any advice anyone can offer would be great!

Apologies for the wall of text!
I'm doing my Access course part time, 3 evenings a week. It's hard work fitting it and work and other commitments in, but it's less than a year so very doable.


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Original post by microserfs
Hey there,

So I'm 30 years old and looking to go to uni for the first time in my life. Sadly, I'm having some difficulty over how to go about it due to lack of qualifications and financial difficulties. I have GCSEs (fairly good despite circumstances at the time - 7 or 8 A-C grades) but I don't have a levels or a level 3 qualification.

I want to study Japanese at degree level. Theres a few reasons for my interest in this course in particular, and im hugely interested in the language and culture. My first choice for this would be SOAS but I've obviously looked at entry requirements and it looks unlikely I'd even get an offer.

Now I've looked into it as much as possible and I have two options - apply to uni and just hope that I'll get in (though I can see this being really unlikely) or do an access course.

I would have absolutely no problems doing an access course if it were not for one slight problem - finances. I can probably get a 24 plus learning loan without too much difficulty but my main concern is living costs and paying for bills as I would be a mature student living in London which is obviously not cheap!

Does anyone know of any financial help out there for mature students or those on access courses who need help with living fees etc? I know I'm really reaching and it's highly unlikely to be the case but I figured it best to ask before I give up completely on my dreams. Just a note before anyone asks - im currently unemployed but in any case I would find it a struggle to do both work and an access course due to health reasons and that I've started an access course previously (dropped out for unrelated reasons) and I know how intense the course is!

Any advice anyone can offer would be great!

Apologies for the wall of text!


Hi OP, I reckon you should give the National Careers Service a ring perhaps? Also worth emailing SOAS about what they want from you as a mature student - they do look on a case by case basis but I reckon you will need to demonstrate that you've studied a foreign language before if you decide to apply without Level 3 qualications. I'm in a similar boat to you except I'm 19 (21 when I hopefully start an Arabic degree at SOAS!) so living with my mum while I do my Access course isn't the biggest deal. I'd wanted to move out before but my health has made me unable to handle education on its own before so frankly trying to support myself for the first time in my life and do an Access course at the same time seems suicidal. Feel free to PM me if you wanna chat, I feel rather exposed with my long reply lol
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Avatar for Seiza
Seiza
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Original post by microserfs
Hey there,

So I'm 30 years old and looking to go to uni for the first time in my life. Sadly, I'm having some difficulty over how to go about it due to lack of qualifications and financial difficulties. I have GCSEs (fairly good despite circumstances at the time - 7 or 8 A-C grades) but I don't have a levels or a level 3 qualification.

I want to study Japanese at degree level. Theres a few reasons for my interest in this course in particular, and im hugely interested in the language and culture. My first choice for this would be SOAS but I've obviously looked at entry requirements and it looks unlikely I'd even get an offer.

Now I've looked into it as much as possible and I have two options - apply to uni and just hope that I'll get in (though I can see this being really unlikely) or do an access course.

I would have absolutely no problems doing an access course if it were not for one slight problem - finances. I can probably get a 24 plus learning loan without too much difficulty but my main concern is living costs and paying for bills as I would be a mature student living in London which is obviously not cheap!

Does anyone know of any financial help out there for mature students or those on access courses who need help with living fees etc? I know I'm really reaching and it's highly unlikely to be the case but I figured it best to ask before I give up completely on my dreams. Just a note before anyone asks - im currently unemployed but in any case I would find it a struggle to do both work and an access course due to health reasons and that I've started an access course previously (dropped out for unrelated reasons) and I know how intense the course is!

Any advice anyone can offer would be great!

Apologies for the wall of text!


Good evening

the access programme is a wonderful route into university. As I don't know your specific financial affairs it is difficult to advise if this is practical or not. However, I do know some on my current course have given up work or reduced hours to take on the course. From personal experience mine is around 16 hours per week in college. This does leave time for work.

It is also nice to see you have a passion for Japan. Please don't feel that you won't make it into univeristy due to requirements. I recieved offers from three russel group universities to study japanese this year from the back of an access course alone. So it is possible.


Happy to discuss more about my experiences with Japanese with you.

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