I a 25 years old and have no GCSE's and want to achieve a degree

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I think you should not bother with GCSEs or A levels really and maybe just go for an apprenticeship or traineeship. I suggest you go for a traineeship first and than an apprenticeship as you have no GCSEs including Maths and English.

https://www.gov.uk/find-traineeship
https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

sorry i forgot to mention i am working and i supply for myself, does apprenticeship mean i have to leave my job?

Reply 21

niteninja1

Original post by SirMilkSheikh

Why are you asking me? Go and ask people directly who are studying for a degree.

Anyways i can say what I think. Most people go university for the social life, the unrestricted freedom and hedonism. A degree comes second.

A minority of students go university for the degree and then the social experience. And an even smaller minority go just for the degree, mainly with the Open university.

I'm going for the degree so I can get a job.

You need a degree to become a manager a Waitrose for ****s sake

Reply 22

Schadenfreude65

As a mature student, you won't need 5 GCSEs. You should definitely take maths and English. Self-studying is the cheapest way, but if you can manage financially, taking a pre-Access course might be a good way to do this, as you will get support from tutors, along with the opportunity to take other options too.
Once you have your GCSEs, there are several routes you can follow: A level, Access to HE, or BTEC are all possibilities. If you are determined to get into a high ranking university for Computer Science, you will almost certainly need A level maths, but the other routes can get you into slightly less prestigious universities.
I suggest that you start taking steps immediately to get your GCSEs, and from there, you can take a look at the entry requirements for the kind of courses you are interested in before deciding what your next steps should be.

Reply 23

SirMilkSheikh

Original post by niteninja1

I'm going for the degree so I can get a job.

You need a degree to become a manager a Waitrose for ****s sake

Lots of jobs and managerial work don't require degrees.

Reply 24

niteninja1

Original post by westeros_maester

sorry i forgot to mention i am working and i supply for myself, does apprenticeship mean i have to leave my job?

It affects the working time directive so if you did 20hours that's 20 of the 40

Reply 25

Tsrsarahhhh

I think you can do your maths and English language GCSEs and then apply to a foundation course at the uni you want to study at. However I'm not entirely sure if you need any other qualifications apart from eng and math GCSEs, you will need to check the entry requirements.

Reply 26

Tinka99

Original post by westeros_maester

sorry i forgot to mention i am working and i supply for myself, does apprenticeship mean i have to leave my job?

An apprenticeship is like a job where you work and also gain certain qualifications that depend's on what apprenticeship you go for. You also are paid a certain amount depending on the apprenticeship also you have to attend college for a certain amount of days a week to gain your qualifications.

Reply 27

niteninja1

Original post by Schadenfreude65

Cardiff are top 20 computer science they take BTEC and don't require Alevel maths

Reply 28

markova21

I would suggest you make an appointment to see your local college's Careers Advisor. I'm pretty sure they will suggest you do an Adult Access Course though. They are equivalent to 5 GCSE's at Grade C and three A levels. A friend of mine had no qualifications whatsoever. He did the Access Course, then did a Humanities degree part time at Uni, then a Masters, and is now a Lecturer at college teaching adult Literacy and Numeracy classes. he only works part time, but earns £400 a week.

Reply 29

Schadenfreude65

Original post by niteninja1

Cardiff are top 20 computer science they take BTEC and don't require Alevel maths

Cool. That's why the OP needs to check entry requirements before making a decision.

Reply 30

stereoashhh

Original post by SirMilkSheikh

Seriously? You want to waste 4 years of your life just to put something useless down on your CV? Don't waste your life like that.

If you have a driving license then you can easily find work as a courier. If you have a moped then you can easily find work as a delivery guy. There are usually jobs advertised in newspapers and outside newsagents, most don't care about qualifications. You can make a decent CV without qualifications, however a lot of the time you don't need one.

There is lots of work in construction, you can take a short course in various construction roles for a fee, that will give you a competence card and good employment. The opportunities are out there, but most people don't want to do the hard work.

Looks like someone had a horrible uni experience and is now projecting on everyone else.

OP has said he wanted computer science. Why do you want him to drop his ambition and do things like construction? Saying lots of jobs don't require a degree adds nothing to the conversion. There are people that want jobs that are only available to those with degrees too.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 31

Arianax

Go to enrol at College in GCSE English, Maths and Acess to Higher Eductation course, you'll be at university within a year guaranteed if you get the good grades. Good luck! :smile:

Reply 32

elisha22

My mum continued her medical training at 40 after taking 18 years out to have children. it's never too late. Just make sure it is what's best for you.

Reply 33

westeros_maester

thanks a lot for the answers everyone, i have decided to go start of with getting english and maths gcses for now then from there i will take the next steps :biggrin:

Reply 34

SirMilkSheikh

Original post by stereoashhh

I don't want him to do anything, I was merely advising - there is a difference. In construction employment is good, the industry is booming and wages are quite decent. You can find work instantly after getting training, which doesn't cost 3 years of your life or £30,000. You make it seem as if construction is something lesser beings do, that requires less ambition than other types of jobs.

That is true, some people want exclusive jobs which you need a degree for, but at what cost? And a lot of these jobs might have access through different routes. Programming is no exception - you don't need a Computer Science degree. A simple Google search shows some highly rated courses teaching coding. That is a far quicker, and cheaper route into programming and software developing. And can you tell me where I told the OP to drop his ambition? Being able to know how to code is a good skill to have. Perhaps don't lie next time about things I never said.

University was pretty useless and I'm glad I got out without incurring a mountain of debt and wasted years. In the end I don't care what others do, I just give advice if I feel like it.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 35

Klix88

Original post by niteninja1

It affects the working time directive so if you did 20hours that's 20 of the 40

Just to clarify, the WTD for those 18 and over states a maximum 48 hours a week, averaged over 17 weeks. That averaging seems to makes it quite difficult to hit the maximum. If you have a week's leave at any point in those 4+ months (which is likely with most permanent contracts) this takes the average down with a bump.

I once worked four 70 hour weeks in a row and didn't manage to breach the WTD when they were taken as part of an average (as my manager was happy to point out when we complained) :/

Reply 36

gdunne42

Original post by westeros_maester

thanks a lot for the answers everyone, i have decided to go start of with getting english and maths gcses for now then from there i will take the next steps :biggrin:

You should be able to do that for free with part time evening courses. Your local colleges / adult learning service should be recruiting new students now. Have a look at what's available but don't delay as they won't usually take people after the course begins.

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Reply 37

Quixic

Original post by westeros_maester

do i need 5 gcses for A levels or can i do just English and Maths?

Hi Westeros,
There are some fab access courses at many colleges you could try. Last year I enquired about one for my son. They are very full on, with a heavy workload.

You may try the Open University. I've found the OU ideal for studying my degree with, and they seem more open to accept and support mature students regardless of previous qualifications. You do need to be very disciplined, as it is self and distant study, however the online modules are very good at keeping you engaged.

If you visit their openlearn pages on the Internet you will find a wide example of taster courses you may find useful.

Hope this helps
Sue

Reply 38

BROOCEYLAD

Original post by westeros_maester

i have no gcses due to personal problems in the past, however i was very smart at school and i dont want that talent go to waste so i am planning on getting a degree in computer science from a good university, what will be a good start for me?
Also do i need 5 gcses for A levels or can i do just English and Maths?

If your'e going to go the online route, I cannot stress the importance of past papers. Practice them under exam conditions until you are confident in taking them.

Reply 39

Mitro1308

That’s not true or helpful. I obtained a degree and have done pretty well within three years. Without a degree, I’d have not even had access to the jobs I’ve done so far.If you’re looking at a tech career (full-stack development etc.) then it is possible to get there without a CS degree, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work and a portfolio to evidence the skills employers are looking for.