Access to HE 2012-2013

Original post by sweetiepie82

Hi all

I'm soo desperate to do a business & computer related degree so have been scouring for Access courses that fit the bill.

Anyway, I have found one that really appeals to me & cover 15 credits Mathematics which is really good. Except.. I emailed Manchester (not actually my 1st choice, my third in fact) to ask if the Access course was suitable, as well as my B's in GCSE English Lit & Lang and that I am now studying GCSE Maths again to try & get the B I want.

I received a reply back saying No, that even though the course is Level 3 in some important areas of computing, it doesn't have 15 credits in Maths AND 15 credits in a Science. That's not all :frown:

If I want to do any of the 3 degrees which I had my eye on (IT & Business, Computer Science & Management or Computer Science) then as well as all the other requirements, I will also need an A Level in Maths with a pure element.

I am so totally deflated by this now. I haven't heard anything from my 2 first choices (Liverpool & Lancaster), but now I am worried sick. There is no Access course that combines both Maths & Science in the whole of the North West, and I couldn't find time to study an A level (especially maths :eek:

) as well as an Access course (I have 5 children!!).

I will be heartbroken if this is the case for every Uni, I really feel that I will have to end my dream & just go with what I can. It just seems so unfair when I know that I am perfectly able & know more about computers etc than my IT technician neighbour!!

Anyway rant over. Just thought I would let off steam and ask if anyone has been in a similar situation?

x

EDIT: Forgot to add, that I studied an Access course for nearly 5 months a few years back (I was diagnosed with Crohn's after a loooong stay in hospital & couldn't catch up), in science actually & did really well, I got over 85% in all work I did (I surprised myself), but with it being over 3 years ago I couldn't transfer my science credits over. So frustrating :frown:

EDIT (Again): I have just found out that there are, indeed, Science & Maths courses quite local to me. Only problem is, these will not accept anything less than 5 GCSE grades A*-C. Arrgh. Is anything ever straightforward ??

Firstly I understand the issue with Crohns, a colleague at work had a son who had it very badly and I had to drop out of two OU modules back in the late 80s when my wife had Colitis, which although not the same, is similar. She managed to finish the Mathematics in Computing module, but that was the end of her OU. She is unlucky, she missed her A levels due to being in hospital, losing the hearing in one ear due to an infection. She recovered from the Colitis after two years, which was great as she had been told that it can stay with you for life.

The issue around having maths with an element of pure is understandable, A level Pure Mathematics or A level Pure and Applied have always been the subjects for University. Even when I was in the 6th form A level Applied mathematics carried no value with Universities. So that is why they have made the comment around needing Pure mathematics content. It is not about whether you will use the pure proofs etc that you will study, it is about an aptitude for mathematical reasoning.

Manchester is being honest. Computer Science is very very mathematical and you need to be " No2 in a nappy" hot at mathematics to do well, or even survive, especially at top Uni like Manchester. I would expect the requirement to be A level Mathematics grade A*/A, A level physics A/B, and one other, may be further Mathematics at A/B but any science will probably do.

There are other courses where mathematics is not anywhere near so integral, such as business computing, business computing management, Business Systems Management etc. Have you researched courses of that type at a range of Universities?

I am afraid the local IT technician has very little to do with the price of fish, as what they do has nothing to do with computer science. Anymore than a Kwikfit fitter knows about the fluid dynamics of combustion in a car engine, or force distribution and dissipation in the crumple zones.

I think they are giving good sound advice, do A level Pure and Applied Mathematics as a minimum, preferably do the rest as A levels too. I know that is not easy if you have kids, we still have two of our 4 at home and 1 is special needs.

If you really want to do Computer Science, and why shouldn't you if it is your dream, then follow their advice, it is very sound. Other wise I suggest you research some of the other Information Technology degrees like I suggested above, which are the ones the IT departments in commercial organisations and IT service and Consultancy companies seek. Most commercial IT departments have little use for someone who is ace at the mathematics of queuing theory, nor and nand gate configurations, or polygon manipulation and shading in 3D graphics, Pixar, and EA Sports are though :wink:

.

One tip, when you apply do not use the "you know more than your IT Technician neighbour" statement in your personal statement, it gives completely the wrong impression. Instead state what you have learnt, i.e. if your writing macro programmes in Excel this is worth mentioning because it has many similarities to programming in assembler. If you have used the performance montior in Windows and used the data to identify and sort out performance issues then that is worth mentioning. E.g. understanding page rates and faults will make you stand out. Anything around the underlying architecture of windows, registry structure, manually (successfully!) editing the registry for example to fix a problem. None of these are computer science, but they and other examples, are beyond the norm for someone not already doing Iinformation Technology as a profession.

Plus as Los lobos said consider a 4 year course with a year zero foundation. My wife spread her applications just as Los Lobos states, a mixture of with and without foundation. She received offers for both 3 year and 4 years courses, and accepted a 3 year. Not for computer science though I should add and not doing Access, but the strategy is a sound one.

All the best with plotting a solution, especially around the 5 kids.

Reply 122

Thanks for the input, it's much appreciated.
I am good at maths, however I don't have a natural aptitude for it, I would say I'm an 80% student in Maths. I excel far more with written pieces & often do excellent on essays that need a lot of thought & a good vocabulary. In the previous Access course I studied I actually took Psychology as one of the subjects & never got a grade lower than 98%. I love writing & I love computers, but I'm beginning to think I may be a little out of my depth.

I have considered another route by means of the Information Technology Management for Business degree. This is quite appealing, however, it's not quite perfect for me & I really want to study what I have an aptitude for & importantly, what I enjoy. Computing is great & I do really enjoy it. The prospects of a decent job at the end are fantastic and that, also, is very important to me. If I am going to spend so many years studying I would like the comfort of knowing that I stand in good stead for a job at the end.

However, whilst all this makes sense to me, I also feel I may be trying to push myself a little to hard into a subject that I am not 100% sure I will a) be any good at & b) enjoy. In all honestly I am a little limited there as there are few things that I enjoy enough to study at such a level, the only exceptions being History, which I absolutely love & think I could write about til the cows came home. Then Astronomy which just fascinates me in all kinds of ways (Prof. Brian Cox is my hero :colondollar:

)

Cons of these two subjects for me is: History - some content is a little too political for me, I'm not particularly enthralled with that part. Also, the job prospects at the end of the course, are there any?
Astonomy: Fascinating it may be, but I can imagine very difficult & more specific like Maths, plus again, job prospects.

I am so confused now, I don't know what to do or where to begin, as each require different subjects to be learnt.

The thought of History excites me, more than any of the other degrees I have looked at, but there is only 1 course that really interests me in our whole region & that is very risky.

Another thing I would enjoy is Journalism I think, but I definitely do not want to become a journalist, unless I am the Louis Theroux type :tongue:

Now I'm just fed up. I'm on steroids (as of today) because I'm having another Crohn's flare up, so I am bouncing on my chair & rather wired, whilst ~~stressing over~~ researching courses :wink:

I know there's nobody that can choose a course for me, but if anyone knows what they think may be a good idea or have any related issues like this, then I'd be super happy to hear :biggrin:

Ooh, also; I have had quite a few different jobs in the past, but the one that I got the enjoyment out of, believe it or not, was a desk job. First one was Human Resources admin & the other was as an administrator in a communications company.

No idea how that impacts on anything, you can't get a degree in 'desk jobs', so does anyone know what I could do there, to get a substantially higher role maybe? I don't want to be a manager mind, not the right type for that.

PS - eveningsunrise - I would never put that about our neighbour on my personal statement, that would be a horrendous thing to do, this I know :eek:

Reply 123

Original post by sweetiepie82

Now I'm just fed up. I'm on steroids (as of today) because I'm having another Crohn's flare up, so I am bouncing on my chair & rather wired, whilst ~~stressing over~~ researching courses :wink:

I know there's nobody that can choose a course for me, but if anyone knows what they think may be a good idea or have any related issues like this, then I'd be super happy to hear :biggrin:

Yep the steriods are not fun, my wife experienced weight issues, when we look at the pictures now, we can smile, but at the time. Whilst I would not advocate this as a treatment, my wife's "cure" coincided with her getting accidently pregnant with our first child, she was off the steroids by then but had been given other "control" tablets which she had been told she would take forever to reduce the incidence and severity of future "attacks". However this medication diluted the effectiveness of the pill. I guess alls well that ends well.

Unless choosing a vocational degree choosing a degree subject as a mature student, when ones primary objective is to improve employment prospects, or earning power, is a very difficult decision and will often conflict with actual areas of interest, those where these two aspects coincide are very fortunate. My advice would always be to do a degree in a field, that you at least like rather than hate, even if you do not love it, which builds on what you have done before, i.e. enhances the CV rather than "starting it from scratch". There is an alternative view, which is not without merit that one should do something one absolutely loves and see where that takes you, performance is often higher in this scenrio in terms of grades / classification obtained. There are business degrees out their with HR specialisations for example.

History despite what you might read in threads elsewhere on here, posted by those too young to actually have any experience or in some instances apparently insufficient time to develop an IQ, provides good employment prospects for those seeking to enter graduate schemes in a number of fields, most of which are not obvious and hence the naff posts I refer to above. Personally I think mature students, as a general rule, should seek something more specific to the intended employment field and where possible complementary to past experience.

I cannot offer any further advice really, for whilst my wife has accepted a 3 year course and would like to find some emloyment, even if freelance, after giving up work and spending the last 18 years as a homemaker, I am going purely for love of the subject and to move onto research so my only decision crisis was which of my two life long interests to pursue. I almost resorted to a coin :colondollar:

but some hard nosed analysis meant I kept the coin in my pocket.

Good luck.

P.S. my wife accepted a 3 year course but does have the option of an additional years placement to obtain experience, and she is 95% certain she will exercise that option.

Reply 124

Thanks. I love the depth & consideration in your posts :biggrin:

I had a very long think last night & realised that I would much rather get a higher classification in a lesser vocational subject than to do the opposite. I do believe that history will a great degree to have studied and I honestly believe it is the most respected of the Arts. I have read lots of success stories surrounding the completion of History degrees & the employment gained as a result, I think people are ignorant if they think otherwise.

After some soul searching & much more researching (how much can you do in one night? You say :tongue:

), I have come to realise that employment prospects, to me, is actually at the bottom of the spectrum. I believe I need to develop as a person, I want to do something for me, to have that time each week to learn what I love to learn & to lose myself in something that satisfies me completely. I am spending 3 years (well 4 with the Access course) of my life focusing on one subject, so I need that to be something that I am passionate about, where I put in the effort but it also comes natural. This is why I quickly withdrew ALL the computing Access applications & have proceeded to apply for Humanities in a variety of colleges.

I was a little worried at first, but now I am so relieved I actually made that step. I'm just itching for it to start now, I'm just ridiculously excited, even though I have yet to apply to the any courses :colondollar:

Well, enough of the cheese!

I would ideally like to complete an extra year within a working environment. I believe you can do this regardless if you find your own arrangements? I know it can stand you in good stead with employers. I also want to take a Masters in a specialist subject of which I am yet to find, but hoping my degree will pinpoint what particular areas I love.

I I am quite interested in Law too, I have been since I went to college & studied a law GCSE. Yes, it was very basic, but the background of it all really intrigued me, I always wanted to learn more. I know with a History degree that I can take a conversion course if I decide that to be the route I wish to take.

I do feel like there are so many options available to me, I was a little naive to it all originally, but I can see what options I have and that is more than enough to convince me that I am doing the right thing.

Now I just have to worry about which Universities I am to apply to, and if I'll even get accepted, as the entry requirements are very high for any redbrick University, and the amount of people that apply to actually being offered a place shows it is very competitive. I'm limited in that I can't really travel too far & there's no option for us to move anywhere.
I basically have (in order of preference) the choices of: Manchester, Liverpool, Lancaster (at a push!), Chester, Liv John Moores or Edge Hill (there may be more I can't think if). I feel that Manchester are a little reluctant to take on Access students, and mature students really as I have heard a lot of negative things about where they stand on that. Liverpool are very encouraging, but I don't believe it's quite what it used to be any more.

I'm sure I'll get there. At least I have enough to take my mind off this awful pain & even worse side effects (hairy, roid rage, shaky.. you get it :wink:

)

Have you decided on your University? How have you got on with offers?

Reply 125

I've nearly complete access to HE humanities and social science course, best decision I ever made!

Off to do History myself in September, love it! :biggrin:

Reply 126

Oh that's really encouraging, and good on you!!!

Where did you apply & what offers did you get?

What areas do you enjoy the most? And did you manage to get all distinctions? Finally, is it difficult?

Sorry for all the questions :colondollar:

I'm just really excited & keen to know how others have fared :biggrin:

Reply 127

SloaneRanger

Original post by Threxy

Sh*tsh*tsh*t. I feel really stupid, like a damn thick idiot. I passed the English test with flying colours and missed out on the Maths test by one question which I somehow got wrong. I feel like such an idiot for rushing it and because I don't have a functional skills qualification in maths already, it doesn't matter if I have a C in Maths, I have to wait until next year before I can retry at this college, which feels unfair but I can understand, because the computer room was full of people (around 30+) taking the tests so obviously there's no shortage of applicants. :

Luckily, it's not the only college I applied to, I applied to another one yesterday which I still to hear back from and I definitely won't screw up on such a simple test again, although I don't particularly like this college, the staff are rubbish and apathetic and I've heard many things about them not turning up to lectures etc despite the college being the most popular in the city, but hopefully it'll do. If something somehow happens, I'm definitely not giving up, though. Not because of a crappy maths test which I made a stupid error on.

Try Lambeth College.

Reply 128

Original post by sweetiepie82

Thanks. I love the depth & consideration in your posts :biggrin:

I believe I need to develop as a person, I want to do something for me, to have that time each week to learn what I love to learn & to lose myself in something that satisfies me completely. I am spending 3 years (well 4 with the Access course) of my life focusing on one subject, so I need that to be something that I am passionate about, where I put in the effort but it also comes natural. This is why I quickly withdrew ALL the computing Access applications & have proceeded to apply for Humanities in a variety of colleges.

Have you decided on your University? How have you got on with offers?

Well what decision you come to is neither right or wrong, what matters is that after due consideration you make the correct decision for you. Whether that is computer science or history or law.

I had 5 unconditional offers for 3 year Archaeology courses from York University, Nottingham University, Newcastle University, Sheffield University, and Durham University. I have firmed Durham.

My wife applied for BSc environmental science and had unconditional offers for 3 years courses from Newcastle University, and Northumbria University. She also had an unconditional offer for 4 years with foundation from York University. She was rejected by Nottingham for 4 years with foundation (she initially applied to Nottingham Trent for 3 years but changed it under the OFFA report mechanism) and she withdrew her application for a 3 year course at Sheffield Hallum, once we both had offers at York and Newcastle / Durham. She has firmed Newcastle University.

Neither of us have insurance choices because our firms are unconditional. But it would have been York for both of us.

We are relocating, with the two of the fours kids still at home. Initially we were going to sell up and buy, and still may do so, but it it is looking more and more attractive to rent out our current house, and rent for 3 years in Durham. Staying put whilst we study was not an option, commuting into London is too expensive and given the trend in petrol prices there is only one Uni commutable by car and neither of us want to go there.

Cannot wait until October, after a 30 year career in IT I cannot wait to do something interesting instead :biggrin:

But computing will be very interesting and rewarding to someone new to it.

Good luck whether you go computing, history or something else.

PS. to be clear on context we did not go the Access route we used existing, although somewhat old, qualifications, career, plus hobbies and interests as basis for our applications.

Reply 129

Not sure why I received negative rep above ^^^ I don't think I was offensive. Ah well.

evening sunrise: It sounds fantastic for you!! I admire your dedication & I wish you all the best on your journey :biggrin:

Thank you for your input & you really have made me feel a lot better about the path I am choosing. I have a lot of options & I realise that there are many further study options should I want certain careers once my degree is completed.

All my children are young and settled into school so I don't feel like I could uproot them & move away, but in all honestly, I would move in a heartbeat if I could. My partner suggested that I study wherever I wanted, acquire student accommodation or a small flat & then commute on the days I am not in & on weekends. It's a nice though, haha, but I really don't think I could do that and leave the children. So, I'm kind of stuck with the local universities.

Does anyone know what University is best in the North West? The most valued by employers maybe? I realise there is the 'elite 6' but they are just not an option for me. So, I need the best of what I can get. Any advice is greatly appreciated :smile:

Reply 130

Original post by sweetiepie82

I'm just really excited & keen to know how others have fared :biggrin:

I applied to York st John, Liverpool Hope, Manc met, Leeds met and Newcastle. Got conditional offers from all 5! Accepted Newcastle as firm and York as insurance, need 3 distinctions and 2 merits for Newcastle but York only wanted passes. So far I have got 2 merits and 1 distinction, still doing the last two units (sociology and access project) so if all goes well I'll get distinctions for them two!

I haven't found it particularly difficult, the good thing is, is you're assessed as you go so everything you have learnt is fresh in your mind; not like sixth form where you are getting tested at the end of two years on something you learnt at the beginning. Only had one written exam on the access course as well, rest is essays and presentations.

I have enjoyed all of it really, good to be learning again. I'm a complete geek for written essays though, so all the independent work has been really good. The only negative thing I can say is, when you are graded for group work, it sometimes can get a bit frustrating as some of the older students can be really shy and tend to either not put in as much as others, or refrain from being too vocal.

Hope that helped!

Edit: Thought I would add that the modules we did was English + Maths level 2, Social Policy, History, Psychology, Sociology and Access project. Though this will probably be different right across the country.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 131

Well done!!! I hope to do as well as you, and thank you for your reply, it's very encouraging.

The MMU degree in History looks amazing, it has so many subjects that I am interested in & it looks versatile. The only problem is, it isn't a high regarded University & worry what that would mean to potential employers. Would I still be able to aim for a 1st or does the teaching methods reflect in the grades (is the teaching up to standards etc)? Liverpool Hope also has a great looking degree, Manchester is good, Liverpool doesn't go into much detail & I'm not drawn to the Chester, John Moores or Edge Hill ones.

It's so much to think about. I know that a degree from Liverpool or Manchester would count for a lot more than say MMU or even Hope, but am I willing to give up what I would absolutely love to study for the employment opportunities? I am not doing this for employment reasons, but I do need to bear it in mind.

I'm thinking I may have to throw a wild card in, in case we have the choice to relocate :wink:

Reply 132

Threxy

Original post by SloaneRanger

Try Lambeth College.

Isn't that in London or something? I don't live anywhere near London.

Original post by eddy4483

Sorry to hear you've been going through a difficult time. I myself have been to, but have decided to keep pushing on to start an Access to Sports Science course in London in september, although, funding it is becoming a bit of a challenge. However, I'm not going to let this deter me... I know if I don't do it now, I might not get another chance and would hate to wonder what it would have been like to do it. Also, the course has been the thing that has kept me going recently, and I'm looking forward to it.

Good luck. Nice to see you seem quite determined. :smile:

I have been warned about pushing my education back (I've done so twice now), but it seems when I have something planned, other circumstances get in the way or something and I don't feel in a rush or anything. I feel like a bit of a waster, but meh. It happens.

Original post by petite fille

Sorry to hear about your tough situation - I would imagine it would be incredibly hard to juggle an access course alongside these problems, and the extra year would allow room for plenty of preparation.
I, myself, have been debating about whether to enrol on to the Access course for a number of years and after masses of research I've finally decided to go for it - I have decided exactly what I want to study now, after changing my mind quite a few times. I think it's important to feel completely ready to start studying again, rather than starting for the sake of getting to university quicker and thus not being able to put your all in to it. As I can see you're still very young too :smile:

I hope things get sorted for you and wish you all the best!

Thanks.
Good luck to you s'well.

Yeah, I also might be moving up to Leeds (if I don't get thrown out) within the next few months, so it's pointless continuing an application to start a course at a local college in September.

Reply 133

Original post by sweetiepie82

I've never really understood when people say that a degree from one university is more highly regarded than another; surely it's the time and effort you put into a degree that counts.

I based my decision pretty much around what is covered in the course, Newcastle looked really interesting, but was also ranked highest out of them all; so entry requirements are higher.

I really wouldn't sacrifice changing a degree from something you love, to something you think is more employable. History degrees are really highly regarded by employers; the skills are transferable to a number of areas and careers and you can always do a conversion course to something else if you wanted. I'd definitely stick with what you enjoy, at least you wont get bored with it and give it 100%, all of the time. That way, the university you go to shouldn't factor too much in your resulting degree!

I've actually been having some second thoughts myself, with regards to switching to a joint honours degree when I start; I'm really interested in philosophy and politics. How old are you? If you don't mind me asking lol. Are you going to be staying in halls or living elsewhere. It's just because I have mates at both manchester met and liverpool john moores, so if you were going to try and still have the 'uni' experience, I can vouch that the night life, in both cities, is probably the best I have had.

Reply 134

Original post by Pitt1988

Accepted Newcastle as firm and York as insurance,

I haven't found it particularly difficult, the good thing is, is you're assessed as you go so everything you have learnt is fresh in your mind; not like sixth form where you are getting tested at the end of two years on something you learnt at the beginning. Only had one written exam on the access course as well, rest is essays and presentations.

Congrats on Newcastle, you will no doubt bump into my wife as that is where she will be from September.

A levels have not been like that for quite a while, you do exams on the modules, and you can resit the modules along the way. Certainly when I did A levels it was the mother of all exams after 2 years. Plus an A/Os you did in the first year did not contribute to your final A level grade, where as AS results do contribute to the final A2 grade.

Reply 135

Cheers! Oh, is she doing History as well?

Oh right, I didn't realise it was like that; just the impression I got. I never went to sixth form myself, only educated as high as GCSE and that was 7 years ago :smile:

Reply 136

Original post by Pitt1988

Personally I don't understand why anyone would think that degrees from different Unis are not regarded differently, as there is no standardisation. The whole premise of the UK university system is: I have this degree from this institution. Rather than I studied a standard national syllibus in subject A at this Uni and scored B%.
In the recently published data (which caused a lot of froth in the media and political circles) one Uni when it was subject to external verification had 2% 1sts, now it can verify its own (since 2006) it has just under 20% 1sts, there is another Uni on the south coast which also went from a similarly low level and now has around 23% 1sts and is the current "record holder" for classification inflation.

It is not a politically correct position to articulate I know.

Your second paragraph would seem to indicate that you also hold a similar view, given you accepted the Russell and refer to ranking and entry requirements. Given you viewed the course content at Newcastle more favourably, why shouldn't an employer who has years of experience of taking people from a variety of Unis, do like wise when comparing two graduates from different Unis with the same class of degree, in the same subject. Due to the years of experience they have this will manifest its self as Uni X being "better" than Uni Y.

Entry requirements are also material in terms of applying for places on graduate in-take schemes. Many, but by no means all, of the larger employers apply a UCAS points tariff filter on the candidates A level results as well as assessing their graduate status and subject suitablity, plus of course interviews and assessment days. There is a defacto outcome of such filters, which seem to range from 260 (ABB) to 320 (A*AA) points.....no extra credit for working this out :smile:

This is because of the classification inflation for 1sts and 2.1s, referred to above. Access is not included in the UCAS tariff, unlike BTEC, hence they have to review a candidates application without the filter. Such UCAS tariff filters apply to graduate in-take schemes and not normal applications for jobs based upon CV content, ticking the graduate box, and of course interview.

However for a given subject a "new Uni" may offer the "best" degree with the "best" reputation, compared to a pre 92 Uni. Even years ago for certain applied sciences, engineering courses, and social science courses certain Polytechnics were regarded the highest, in particular in terms of the graduates being well prepared to contribute to an employer, due to the pragmatic and real world nature of what they had covered and the focus of that coverage. My mate went to Nottingham Poly (now Trent) to study BSc applied chemistry, and his third year research project was done in conjunction with a company, reducing the curing time and improving the physical characteristics of the artificial materials used to contruct the hulls of pleasure boats. A successful solution directly impacts the companies bottom line. He went on to do his Phd at the University of Hull (no pun intended.)

All the best with meeting your offer at Newcastle.

Reply 137