[Beholden]

I'm being made redundant from my good Civil Engineering job I've held since A levels for the last 3 years this month. So I have a 'Gap Year' of 5-6 months before I start. Suits me! I'm going to be in the hilarious situation of already having a 9-5 'professional' job, a gap 'year' & a redundancy under my belt and starting university by the tender age of 22.

I always planned to go to University once I had enough money behind me to do it comfortably so what with being made redundant, state of the job market & £9k fees in 2012 I think I've timed it quite well!

All my friends who went straight into Uni after A levels are kicking themselves under a pile of debt with no job but to be fair to them nobody has a crystal ball to tell them what it's going to be like after Uni.

[katee85]

My husband and I have a small haulage company. After slogging away at it for 7 years, I gradually began to realise that it would never be any easier, enjoyable or less stressful; it is the nature of that sector. Like for others on this thread, it will be very tight financially but I have found, from Access alone, that any shortcomings here are more than accounted for in general life fulfilment. Well, the latter is what I comfort myself with when I open my bank statement! Seriously though, really glad I took the plunge.

[DannyOT]

I gave up a job working in the jobcentre to start an access to business course.

Oh wait......you said a good job.

[mike101]

Sorry for the bump.

So this year is the year I finally leave my apprenticeship (right at the end!) and go to uni.

Decided not to do it last year for a few reasons, I am in a much better position now, and despite the increased fee's am a lot better off for waiting, both financially and in terms of the course I will do and uni I will attend.

I have 5 months of work left, 4 months before I tell my manager I'm leaving (can't see that going well, not right before I go on the standby rota!). Really looking forward to leaving my job, which feels more and more dead end every day (it's getting me quite depressed some days), and starting at university from a fresh.

Bit of a pointless update, but I enjoy hearing about other peoples situations!

[SammySnips]

Good to hear things are moving on for you!
Since my post in March 2011 alot has happened; I did leave my fulltime job, I sold my car and bought a cheaper one, I passed a progression to access course to get me onto my access course, I started a part time barman job, I applied to UCAS and............ got an offer for Paramedic Science!!!!!

Literally over the moon and would say to anyone thinking about changing their career to take the plunge!

[elchilds]

(Original post by SammySnips)
Good to hear things are moving on for you!
Since my post in March 2011 alot has happened; I did leave my fulltime job, I sold my car and bought a cheaper one, I passed a progression to access course to get me onto my access course, I started a part time barman job, I applied to UCAS and............ got an offer for Paramedic Science!!!!!

Literally over the moon and would say to anyone thinking about changing their career to take the plunge!

Amazing well done. I left my job as a qualified veterinary nurse to become a paramedic. Where and when did you get your offer. Congratulations x x

[SammySnips]

My offer is for Greenwich Medway and found out a week ago! That's an interesting change in profession!! You must be the only Paramedic just as capable at looking after the patients pets as the patients themselves...

[elchilds]

(Original post by SammySnips)
My offer is for Greenwich Medway and found out a week ago! That's an interesting change in profession!! You must be the only Paramedic just as capable at looking after the patients pets as the patients themselves...

Lol... After 5 years of animals I'm well and truly DONE with the veterinary world!

Congrats on your offer, I have got one for Worc xxx

[TheNod]

I'm thinking about giving up Open Uni and full-time working in a couple of years to go to a bricks and mortar uni.

I'd be giving up £30k, with little prospects but a job I quite enjoy; something some graduates would dream of. Why do I want to do it? I'm still asking myself that. Something along the lines of intellectual fulfillment, more authority and the dream of a 36 hour flexi-time week, haha! I can always go back to my old job...

[BigV]

(Original post by mike101)
Sorry for the bump.

So this year is the year I finally leave my apprenticeship (right at the end!) and go to uni.

Decided not to do it last year for a few reasons, I am in a much better position now, and despite the increased fee's am a lot better off for waiting, both financially and in terms of the course I will do and uni I will attend.

I have 5 months of work left, 4 months before I tell my manager I'm leaving (can't see that going well, not right before I go on the standby rota!). Really looking forward to leaving my job, which feels more and more dead end every day (it's getting me quite depressed some days), and starting at university from a fresh.

Bit of a pointless update, but I enjoy hearing about other peoples situations!

What type of apprenticeship did you give up? Do you mind me asking how old you are?

Right now I would probably give up uni for an apprenticeship or decent job with some prospects (although at 26 this year I'm probably too old to train as an 'apprentice'), so I find it interesting to see someone go the other way..... Horses for courses I guess.

Never a pointless update... I always enjoy hearing about others situations and it is clear from the replies that others do too.

(Original post by TheNod)
I'm thinking about giving up Open Uni and full-time working in a couple of years to go to a bricks and mortar uni.

I'd be giving up £30k, with little prospects but a job I quite enjoy; something some graduates would dream of. Why do I want to do it? I'm still asking myself that. Something along the lines of intellectual fulfillment, more authority and the dream of a 36 hour flexi-time week, haha! I can always go back to my old job...

Just out of interest, why do you not want to continue with the Open Uni and work? Sounds like you have the best of both worlds at the moment; is there something you want to experience (education/intellectually) that you feel the OU doesn't offer?

[mike101]

(Original post by BigV)
What type of apprenticeship did you give up? Do you mind me asking how old you are?

Right now I would probably give up uni for an apprenticeship or decent job with some prospects (although at 26 this year I'm probably too old to train as an 'apprentice'), so I find it interesting to see someone go the other way..... Horses for courses I guess.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and I am 22 now. I started it after my A Levels at 18.

I'm one of the youngest apprentices at my work, the 2 who started before me were in their 40's and the 2 who started after me are 18 and 30. So a good mix of ages, I think companies prefer older people now, as they are more likely to be committed to the job and the college work too.

[BigV]

(Original post by mike101)
Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and I am 22 now. I started it after my A Levels at 18.

I'm one of the youngest apprentices at my work, the 2 who started before me were in their 40's and the 2 who started after me are 18 and 30. So a good mix of ages, I think companies prefer older people now, as they are more likely to be committed to the job and the college work too.

Why did you give it up, was the job not interesting or?

Coincedentally, the degree I am meant to be going on to do is Electronic and Electrical Engineering...............

[mike101]

Well I haven't given it up just yet, but will in August, as I come out of my time so to speak.

I don't particularly enjoy the job, and I will hit a bit of a wall in terms of future prospects. The job is so specialised that not many places have a role I could move into, most want you to be an electrician as well, which I aren't and never want to be. Also, the promise of a degree in my current role which fell through, and now gets avoided every time I mention it makes me think I may as well just go and do one myself.

The team I work in is severely understaffed, so if uni wasn't to work out I'd be surprised if I couldn't go back (not that I particularly want to!)

The part of my job I do enjoy is the programming and fault finding on code. But my knowledge and experience is limited. A degree in Computer Science to me feels like the right step towards a job I want to do.

[BigV]

(Original post by mike101)
The part of my job I do enjoy is the programming and fault finding on code. But my knowledge and experience is limited. A degree in Computer Science to me feels like the right step towards a job I want to do.

wow this is freaky, my original course was a computing based (although not straight CS), but I took a break and I'm going back to do a foundation year and then probably EEE.

If you enjoy programming and are not scared of maths or techy stuff then Comp Sci is a good way to go. From what I saw at my Uni there is some really interesting stuff to learn in the CS field and with your background I imagine you will find the first year a doddle as well.

Which universities are you applying to?

[mike101]

Cheers, yeh I love techy stuff and maths was always my strongest subject .

I've firmed an offer for York, it's the only course I want to do tbh. It does depend on my final HNC results which i should know by July but the offer is easily achievable

[TheNod]

(Original post by BigV)
Just out of interest, why do you not want to continue with the Open Uni and work? Sounds like you have the best of both worlds at the moment; is there something you want to experience (education/intellectually) that you feel the OU doesn't offer?

I feel like I will learn more, in more depth, if I had a more structured learning program. I've found I can skim and process enough information from the books with in a couple of nights just to pass each TMA. I'm getting good marks (90+) but I don't think I've truly learned and internalised the information.

It would help me keep focused and committed if I was around people with common interests and ambitions. It is hard to keep focused working full-time with overtime.

When I started the OU, I wasn't in a financial situation where I could afford to take a year out to do an Access to HE course but now things have changed.

[scousefowler]

(Original post by sparky86)
I gave up my job as an industrial electrician last august to go along the uni route for accounting. I had been working for the same company for 6 years, 3 were apprenticeship, and had the carrot dangled many times with promises of HNC's and other electrical qualifications, but they never seemed to happen. I was earning good money, 35K and had a company van, but worked 60 plus hours every week and would most likely have been in the same position in ten years time, much like many of my colleagues were.
So I think this route will be beneficial in the long run, even if the money takes along time to get back to what it was, at least I'm not slogging my guts out, lining somebody elses pockets.

I've given up my job as an electrician to study a degree in accounting!

I decided i didn't want to be doing that job when I was 45 /50!

I'm a mature student though (35) so not sure how I'll do about getting a job but f#** it

[Forge]

Hi all, slightly different situation for me. Up until a month ago i was doing a rather dull Admin job with very few prospects with not a very good salary but at least it was a job, i had been with my company 8 years. I was made redundant 3 weeks ago as the business went under. My mind set is to try and use this as an opportunity to look and see what i want to do with my life. Now im stuck at home pondering what i should do.

I have been racking my brain the last few weeks trying to work out where i go from here, perhaps starting my own business but i cant come up with anything or face the prospect of doing another possibly dull Admin job but like the as poster said before, i would just be changing one 9-5 job for another just in different office.

I have for a few years now wanted to go to Uni as i see this as the best way for me to really do something with my life but it has never really been financially possible for me to do this, the last time i seriously thought about it was 2 years ago but i was not in a financial position to do so. Im now very lucky in that my partner now earns more than enough wages to cover my salary plus i have savings and my redundancy behind me.

Im very much looking to possibly getting onto an Access course in September as i left school with not that great GCSE's and it has been 14 or so years since any kind of education. I have no idea at the moment what i really want to do but intend on taking the first step in doing the Access course and see just what i capable of. My only problem is im not all that sure how i go about it so any advice i would appreciate. Sorry for the long post, just a lot on my mind lol.

[Chrisrp]

(Original post by mike101)
This is my plan this year.

I'm currently year 3 of an apprenticeship, I've finished the main modern apprenticeship qualification and am now in my first year HNC which I am doing purely because my workplace want me to.

It suddenly hit home a few months ago that this isn't what I want to do with the rest of my life so I've applied to uni.

I am still unsure if i'll go through with it, and just wanted to know if anyone else is/has gone through the same?

(Original post by mike101)
This is my plan this year.

I'm currently year 3 of an apprenticeship, I've finished the main modern apprenticeship qualification and am now in my first year HNC which I am doing purely because my workplace want me to.

It suddenly hit home a few months ago that this isn't what I want to do with the rest of my life so I've applied to uni.

I am still unsure if i'll go through with it, and just wanted to know if anyone else is/has gone through the same?

Hi Mike101.

I'm 25, and gave up my job last year to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
When I left school I was lucky enough to secure an advanced apprenticeship with Mercedes-Benz and spent nearly the next 8 years of my life there.

I was earning good money when I left and had a brand new C-class. (320CDI) But I looked at guys that I worked with that had been doing my job for 30 years and it scared the **** out of me how miserable they were doing that job.

I could not sit by and waste my one chance at life doing something I despise and don't really give a **** about. What's the point? You'll only get 30 years down the line and think "if only I'd gone to university and done something that means something to me". The money and car literally meant **** to me.

Since leaving work my life style has changed drastically. At this present moment I haven't got a pot to piss in, haven't even got a car and sometimes struggle to pay my train fare to college. But, you know what... I’m the happiest I’ve been in the past 6 years.

I can still afford to go out for a good beer (priorities!) and have a wicked time with my mates, and I have the prospect of going to uni in September which I can’t bloody wait for!!
I’m staying in halls and I’m going to party and embrace the whole experience (and of course be thankful that I have been in a fortunate position to go university).

I know I have the best times of my life ahead of me within the next 3 years.
If you’re unhappy with what you’re doing, and have no ties then bloody go for it head first my friend!! DO IT, IT'LL BE AWESOME!!

Chris x

[mike101]

(Original post by Chrisrp)
Hi Mike101.

I'm 25, and gave up my job last year to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
When I left school I was lucky enough to secure an advanced apprenticeship with Mercedes-Benz and spent nearly the next 8 years of my life there.

I was earning good money when I left and had a brand new C-class. (320CDI) But I looked at guys that I worked with that had been doing my job for 30 years and it scared the **** out of me how miserable they were doing that job.

I could not sit by and waste my one chance at life doing something I despise and don't really give a **** about. What's the point? You'll only get 30 years down the line and think "if only I'd gone to university and done something that means something to me". The money and car literally meant **** to me.

Since leaving work my life style has changed drastically. At this present moment I haven't got a pot to piss in, haven't even got a car and sometimes struggle to pay my train fare to college. But, you know what... I’m the happiest I’ve been in the past 6 years.

I can still afford to go out for a good beer (priorities!) and have a wicked time with my mates, and I have the prospect of going to uni in September which I can’t bloody wait for!!
I’m staying in halls and I’m going to party and embrace the whole experience (and of course be thankful that I have been in a fortunate position to go university).

I know I have the best times of my life ahead of me within the next 3 years.
If you’re unhappy with what you’re doing, and have no ties then bloody go for it head first my friend!! DO IT, IT'LL BE AWESOME!!

Chris x

Thanks for the reply Chris

So good to hear stories like this. I'm similar in that I can order my company car next month, albeit we don't have mercs on the list!

But a company car and decent wage doesn't substitute for enjoying your job like you say, can't wait to start uni in Sept and so glad I didn't go last year since I am now able to move away to a good uni and if everything does fail then I have my completed apprenticeship with HNC to fall back on.

I am worried about not having any money, trying to save like mad now but with 2 holidays approaching it's not easy! (Guess I won't be doing that next year lol)

I do hope to keep my (personal) car though, although I might downgrade to a cheaper one. It'll stay at home the first year since I'll be in halls anyway.

Mike