Little bit of advice if you would please?

Hi! I'm a 22yr old 2nd semester Access student ( Social Sciences pathway: Bio, Psych, Socio) and GCSE Maths on the side..and about to finish in two or three months. Missed out on uni the first time around because I scraped through school and didn't do A levels. Anyway, my choice of University course has changed quite a few times but always human health based. I've just applied for nursing actually but here is my problem.

I've found the access difficult and at times very stressful but I've pondered through. I'm not 100% happy with how I have done as I've taken about the equivilent of two-three weeks off each semester and I have only just become organised and passionate about my work. I know for sure I will get a good reference and that the teachers don't think I'm a bad student. I don't feel ready for university or 100% sure about the course, particularly because I've gotten a real taste for Biology/ Genetics but I feel like I should continue with the app process and go with it just for the sake of fresh start because I find things at home with my family tough (moved back a year ago after working away and travelling) and I don't want it to seem as though I'm not moving forwards.

But deep down I feel like withdrawing my application until next year, taking up my hospital voluntary placement in Dec and paid work to move out, doing AS Chemistry and Biology to gain a bit more confidence then applying for a science subject at uni and doing nursing post grad if it is what I still want.

I know it is my choice at the end of the day but it is really difficult to speak to tutors at college as they are so busy and just want people to go to uni no matter what the course/ Uni.

Reply 1

samba

Yea, I can only echo the above. Additionally, if you're struggling with you're access course, you'll REALLY struggle at any half decent uni if you're not 200% motivated and wanting to do it.

Reply 2

clementinek

lilyfern

If you would be happier withdrawing your application until next year then I would do that. You don't want to end up in a Uni course you're unsure about and then have to quit and be back at square one again. Doing As Chem & Bio and a placement would be moving forward towards a more confident, more certain you and that would probably benefit you more in the long run. I know it's easy to get caught up in the short term side of things, but in the grand scheme of things an extra year is not that long, and it will be over before you know it. Don't be pushed into going straight to Uni if you're not ready for it. It's YOUR future you're working for, not your tutors!

Thanks so much for your advice. I do feel a bit pushed into going this year and I do understand that they want everyone to get to university but when I started and chose the course, I assumed I would want to get it over with and get straight to Uni but now that I have really gotten into it I don't want rush things and the very last thing I want is to have to drop out. Thanks for replying!

Reply 3

clementinek

samba

Yea, I can only echo the above. Additionally, if you're struggling with you're access course, you'll REALLY struggle at any half decent uni if you're not 200% motivated and wanting to do it.

This is what I thought. I am definitely motivated to actually go to uni but I just think I should be absolutely sure what my area of passion is rather than what I *think* I want and run the risk of dropping out and feeling like a failure. Thank you for your input :smile:

Reply 4

clementinek

lilyfern

I can understand why they want people to go to Uni, but they should want people to go to Uni and to succeed. If they push you into it and you fail, not only does that not help you, but it doesn't reflect particularly well on them either. Don't let yourself be rushed, just take your time and figure out what you really want first, because like I said, it's your future you're working for here, what's taking an extra year now to make sure you're 200% sure you're happy about what direction that future will take compared to the rest of your life?

Also, if it helps, it took me forever to work out whether I even wanted to go to Uni, let alone what to study, and I know many other people who are the same, so you are certainly not alone!

It does help alot because one of the reasons I keep talking myself into going is because I have taken so long to even brush the edges of the area I want to work in and often feel like my family get tired of me not knowing ( possibly because I'm the first to want to achieve higher education) but your absolutely right, it is my future!

Reply 5

Kyoujin

It seems there are mixed experiences of the different Access courses out there. The one I am studying, Access to Bioscience, the whole class is finding it very hard. The workload is immense and everyone is just about keeping up to date. I did my A levels (not in biology -hence the access) a couple of years ago and it was nowhere near as intense as this. We had a trainee tutor in the class the other day and I got talking to her, and she said she did an access course. She felt that uni was a hell of a lot EASIER than the Access! I can almost see where she's coming from, as I have a few friends who are in their final years of uni now and they've pretty much just gone with the flow, and hardly felt stressed at all. So it's the big YMMV - your mileage may vary. The best people to talk to are your tutors, that's what they are there for. Ask them the exact thing you asked us. They will be able to tell you whether it's normal to struggle under their course's workload or if they think you are ready for uni.

Also, a lot of Uni's run courses with a foundation year. Basically, if you didn't get the grades you expected or you're lacking a subject required for the course, you do an extra year before the normal course which will prepare you for the Degree. I plan on doing Pharmacy with Foundation Year at Manchester, as my Bioscience is very intense biology but no chemistry :frown:

Little bit of advice if you would please?

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