[henriklarsson]

Basically I'm 24. I left school 6 years ago with AAA in my A-Levels but through naivety I ended up doing a course that was next to worthless so dropped out after two years. I can't blame that completely on the course as I messed about and was more interested in going out drinking than going to class.

As a result I've been messing about in different jobs for the last 4 years, moved about a bit, haven't been well for a while and have had a few ups and downs.

Lately, as in the last year months I'm decided that I seriously need to start thinking about what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.

One area of work that has consistently interested me is the oil and gas industry, it is a career area which I think would suit me down to the ground. So I've been looking at the degrees I would need to get into this career area.

From what I can see they are Geology/Geoscience/Marine Engineering/Petroleum Engineering.

So I'm at the point now where I'm 80% sure this is the route I want to go down

I have the A-Level grades required for entry but not the subjects unfortunately.

So I've been looking into doing another 2 A-Levels, in Maths and Physics. I have an A* in GCSE Maths and an A* in GCSE Triple award science and I know I'm more than capable of doing these A-Levels while still working and getting a top grade.

So thats my plan, 2 years for my A-Levels while working, saving a few quid along the way and then 4 years at University studying one of the above degrees. I know I'm more than capable of doing both. So that would take me up until I'm 30 which in my opinion is still quite young.

I'm planning to do my degree if all goes to plan at either the University of Glasgow or the University of Aberdeen, which are good universities and should enhance my career prospects.

So basically the advice I need is whether what I've just said above is feasible or ifs it's all nonsense in my head. Also am I likely to get offered a graduate job of the back of the degrees I mentioned or am I wasting my time?

This is something I really want to do as I can't see me staying where I work now forever, I would go mad and I know I am capable of so much more

Would appreciate any advice

[gary101]

im just going back to aberdeen uni to do geoscience and im just turning 23, i think the best option would be to do the aberdeen summer school it's only 10 weeks and quite easy to pass. I had a great time doing it and accomodation is free aong with meals and there are bursarys available. I reckon this would be a better option than taking 2 years to do your A levels.

[Umairy363]

(Original post by henriklarsson)
Basically I'm 24. I left school 6 years ago with AAA in my A-Levels but through naivety I ended up doing a course that was next to worthless so dropped out after two years. I can't blame that completely on the course as I messed about and was more interested in going out drinking than going to class.

As a result I've been messing about in different jobs for the last 4 years, moved about a bit, haven't been well for a while and have had a few ups and downs.

Lately, as in the last year months I'm decided that I seriously need to start thinking about what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.

One area of work that has consistently interested me is the oil and gas industry, it is a career area which I think would suit me down to the ground. So I've been looking at the degrees I would need to get into this career area.

From what I can see they are Geology/Geoscience/Marine Engineering/Petroleum Engineering.

So I'm at the point now where I'm 80% sure this is the route I want to go down

I have the A-Level grades required for entry but not the subjects unfortunately.

So I've been looking into doing another 2 A-Levels, in Maths and Physics. I have an A* in GCSE Maths and an A* in GCSE Triple award science and I know I'm more than capable of doing these A-Levels while still working and getting a top grade.

So thats my plan, 2 years for my A-Levels while working, saving a few quid along the way and then 4 years at University studying one of the above degrees. I know I'm more than capable of doing both. So that would take me up until I'm 30 which in my opinion is still quite young.

I'm planning to do my degree if all goes to plan at either the University of Glasgow or the University of Aberdeen, which are good universities and should enhance my career prospects.

So basically the advice I need is whether what I've just said above is feasible or ifs it's all nonsense in my head. Also am I likely to get offered a graduate job of the back of the degrees I mentioned or am I wasting my time?

This is something I really want to do as I can't see me staying where I work now forever, I would go mad and I know I am capable of so much more

Would appreciate any advice

I think it's a very good plan.

I was in a similar situation as you 2 years ago. I did a degree that i didn't really want to and hated it in the end. I want to do Mathematics and i have been working and studying for my A level Further Mathematics. I am now in a position where i can apply. If it's something that you really want to do, then just do it. Give it your all and you will see that it will be all worth it in the end!

[Origami Bullets]

You may find that either a foundation year, or an access course, would be better options for you than doing additional A Levels.

However, the problem that you are likely to have, is that student finance won't fund your first year at uni, because you have already had two years of funding. Whilst they will fund subsequent years, you will have to pay upfront for that first year. You'll need to double check that this is the case in Scotland, however, as their funding system can be quite different.

As you're only 80% sure that that's what you want to do, how about doing some reading on the subject, and some work experience in the field?

[Palatial Veranda]

Yeah.

All of the above sounds perfectly conceivable. I'm 23 at the moment and a combination of disillusion with mainstream corporate culture and the feeling that I was stagnating encouraged me to leave the job I was in for five years to do A-levels again so that I can go to university.

Maths and Physics are great subjects for what you want to go into. It may be worth considering a third A-level such as Geography as this is both well respected and it ties in with your interests to a considerable extent (geology, energy, sustainability) these are all touched upon in the OCR syllabus. The reason I say this is because although many universities will probably happily accept you with what you are offering plus your two A-levels, with three it means that you are both offering experience and matching the workload level with that of their incoming undergraduates. It sounds like academically, you are more than capable of this.

Obviously if your heart is set on Glasgow and Aberdeen then you may aswell engineer your choices towards their mature student requirements.

Either way, good luck with it . . .

[brownrob]

This is like looking in a mirror!

I went to Edinburgh Uni to study Chemistry in 2001 and dropped out in 2nd year after repeating it, got a Cert in Education. 2001-2004

Came home and did a Foundation degree in Computing in my local college, which was run by the University of Ulster, I passed with Commendation. 2004-2006

Since then I got a job as a Science/IT technician in a secondary school (2008 - present) and have been topping my Chemistry up to a BSc(Hons) in Molecular Science through the Open Uni, and should finish October 13 with a first hopefully.

I really want to work as an analytical chemist but as I will be 31 when I graduate I just wonder if I have wasted my time and if I will ever get a job or if I will be stuck here forever!

[henriklarsson]

(Original post by gary101)
im just going back to aberdeen uni to do geoscience and im just turning 23, i think the best option would be to do the aberdeen summer school it's only 10 weeks and quite easy to pass. I had a great time doing it and accomodation is free aong with meals and there are bursarys available. I reckon this would be a better option than taking 2 years to do your A levels.

Never realised you could do this!!!

Seems a great idea and is exactly what I'm looking for.

I've been reading up on it and I'm obviously too late to apply this year, but it seems that if I apply through UCAS for September 2013 entry, get an offer, then complete the Summer school, I'm guaranteed a place on the course.

Brilliant, that's a year saved if I can get this sorted

[henriklarsson]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
You may find that either a foundation year, or an access course, would be better options for you than doing additional A Levels.

However, the problem that you are likely to have, is that student finance won't fund your first year at uni, because you have already had two years of funding. Whilst they will fund subsequent years, you will have to pay upfront for that first year. You'll need to double check that this is the case in Scotland, however, as their funding system can be quite different.

As you're only 80% sure that that's what you want to do, how about doing some reading on the subject, and some work experience in the field?

When I said I'm only 80% sure, that was more about the timescale that was kinda putting me off, I'm 100% sure about the subject, its definitely what I want to do

I've been thinking about finance as well, the tuition fees won't be a problem and to be honest I don't want to take out any more student loans, so hoping that some part time or weekend work will get me enough to live on.

It's a big move but it something I'm gonna do as if I don't do it now I know I'll regret it badly in a few years time

Thanks for the replies folks, been very helpful