Should I quit?
I'm in a real dilemma and need some advice
I am about to start my 2nd year and I am already thinking about quitting.
I am a mature student (36) and left my full time job which was reasonably paid in order to go to university. I guess what drove me to this decision was the fact that I had been doing the job I was doing for 13 years and I wanted to get a job elsewhere when I started applying I quickly realised that the job market had changed and most of the jobs I was applying for required me to have a degree.
I left my job and went to college to do an Access course. I passed this with distinction and had 5 offers at various universities to study Education Studies. I returned to work part time and took my first choice uni. My first year went without a hitch and in my 4 modules I scored 87,85,71 and 62 all quite respectable and I was on cloud 9.
During this long summer off I have had certain personal situations arise and I have had to reconsider my future. I have an interview for a new much better paid job this week and I have to say I am very tempted. It is considerably more money than I was earning before and considerably more than I could earn teaching which was my goal.
If I do get offered this new job it wont be for a few months so I will have already started my 2nd year which causes the obvious problems, also it is shift work so I could try and do both and see how I get on but I may have to miss too much time at uni. If I end up quitting half way through the 2nd year I wont be able to return due to student finance rules on funding. I can quit before I go back but there is no guarantee that I will even get the job.
I know this is a fairly unique problem and not one many people would have been through but I would be interested to know what peoples thoughts are. Maybe I have not considered some things. The course time wise really is not that demanding (well certainly the first year wasn't) If I could get away with missing the odd lecture and seminar I might just be able to get through the year and maybe defer the 3rd year.
I guess I am just writing my thoughts down here in the hope it will help me decide what on earth to do.
I am about to start my 2nd year and I am already thinking about quitting.
I am a mature student (36) and left my full time job which was reasonably paid in order to go to university. I guess what drove me to this decision was the fact that I had been doing the job I was doing for 13 years and I wanted to get a job elsewhere when I started applying I quickly realised that the job market had changed and most of the jobs I was applying for required me to have a degree.
I left my job and went to college to do an Access course. I passed this with distinction and had 5 offers at various universities to study Education Studies. I returned to work part time and took my first choice uni. My first year went without a hitch and in my 4 modules I scored 87,85,71 and 62 all quite respectable and I was on cloud 9.
During this long summer off I have had certain personal situations arise and I have had to reconsider my future. I have an interview for a new much better paid job this week and I have to say I am very tempted. It is considerably more money than I was earning before and considerably more than I could earn teaching which was my goal.
If I do get offered this new job it wont be for a few months so I will have already started my 2nd year which causes the obvious problems, also it is shift work so I could try and do both and see how I get on but I may have to miss too much time at uni. If I end up quitting half way through the 2nd year I wont be able to return due to student finance rules on funding. I can quit before I go back but there is no guarantee that I will even get the job.
I know this is a fairly unique problem and not one many people would have been through but I would be interested to know what peoples thoughts are. Maybe I have not considered some things. The course time wise really is not that demanding (well certainly the first year wasn't) If I could get away with missing the odd lecture and seminar I might just be able to get through the year and maybe defer the 3rd year.
I guess I am just writing my thoughts down here in the hope it will help me decide what on earth to do.
(edited 8 years ago)
So, do you want to be a teacher because of the money, holidays or the appeal of simply being a teacher (I am the latter, have wanted to be a teacher for some 3 years now and not for the wage but because I genuinely like teaching).
So, basically, there is a chance (however good we don't know) of you getting a well paid job without your degree or you can get your degree and have something to lean back on, with or without a job.
Either way, it's up to you but I would say this other job is a bit of a gamble because it could heavily affect your grade next year, however, only you know what you're capable of.
The teaching job, is it in a Primary school or do you want to do a PGCE after your degree?
I am about to start my second year too, except mine is in Biomedicine.
So, basically, there is a chance (however good we don't know) of you getting a well paid job without your degree or you can get your degree and have something to lean back on, with or without a job.
Either way, it's up to you but I would say this other job is a bit of a gamble because it could heavily affect your grade next year, however, only you know what you're capable of.
The teaching job, is it in a Primary school or do you want to do a PGCE after your degree?
I am about to start my second year too, except mine is in Biomedicine.
You could take the job and your transcript (including any 2nd year modules that you finish in one semester), and transfer the credits you have earned to the Open University (then or later). You will be able to work and study part-time (finish the degree with the OU), or just work and resume study with the OU at a later time if you wish. This way you won't lose any of the hard work you have already put in.
It may also be possible to transfer directly into second year at a brick university at some point in the future, but I don't know if that is common in England.
It may also be possible to transfer directly into second year at a brick university at some point in the future, but I don't know if that is common in England.
Original post by mdhayter1
I'm in a real dilemma and need some advice
I am about to start my 2nd year and I am already thinking about quitting.
I am a mature student (36) and left my full time job which was reasonably paid in order to go to university. I guess what drove me to this decision was the fact that I had been doing the job I was doing for 13 years and I wanted to get a job elsewhere when I started applying I quickly realised that the job market had changed and most of the jobs I was applying for required me to have a degree.
I left my job and went to college to do an Access course. I passed this with distinction and had 5 offers at various universities to study Education Studies. I returned to work part time and took my first choice uni. My first year went without a hitch and in my 4 modules I scored 87,85,71 and 62 all quite respectable and I was on cloud 9.
During this long summer off I have had certain personal situations arise and I have had to reconsider my future. I have an interview for a new much better paid job this week and I have to say I am very tempted. It is considerably more money than I was earning before and considerably more than I could earn teaching which was my goal.
If I do get offered this new job it wont be for a few months so I will have already started my 2nd year which causes the obvious problems, also it is shift work so I could try and do both and see how I get on but I may have to miss too much time at uni. If I end up quitting half way through the 2nd year I wont be able to return due to student finance rules on funding. I can quit before I go back but there is no guarantee that I will even get the job.
I know this is a fairly unique problem and not one many people would have been through but I would be interested to know what peoples thoughts are. Maybe I have not considered some things. The course time wise really is not that demanding (well certainly the first year wasn't) If I could get away with missing the odd lecture and seminar I might just be able to get through the year and maybe defer the 3rd year.
I guess I am just writing my thoughts down here in the hope it will help me decide what on earth to do.
I am about to start my 2nd year and I am already thinking about quitting.
I am a mature student (36) and left my full time job which was reasonably paid in order to go to university. I guess what drove me to this decision was the fact that I had been doing the job I was doing for 13 years and I wanted to get a job elsewhere when I started applying I quickly realised that the job market had changed and most of the jobs I was applying for required me to have a degree.
I left my job and went to college to do an Access course. I passed this with distinction and had 5 offers at various universities to study Education Studies. I returned to work part time and took my first choice uni. My first year went without a hitch and in my 4 modules I scored 87,85,71 and 62 all quite respectable and I was on cloud 9.
During this long summer off I have had certain personal situations arise and I have had to reconsider my future. I have an interview for a new much better paid job this week and I have to say I am very tempted. It is considerably more money than I was earning before and considerably more than I could earn teaching which was my goal.
If I do get offered this new job it wont be for a few months so I will have already started my 2nd year which causes the obvious problems, also it is shift work so I could try and do both and see how I get on but I may have to miss too much time at uni. If I end up quitting half way through the 2nd year I wont be able to return due to student finance rules on funding. I can quit before I go back but there is no guarantee that I will even get the job.
I know this is a fairly unique problem and not one many people would have been through but I would be interested to know what peoples thoughts are. Maybe I have not considered some things. The course time wise really is not that demanding (well certainly the first year wasn't) If I could get away with missing the odd lecture and seminar I might just be able to get through the year and maybe defer the 3rd year.
I guess I am just writing my thoughts down here in the hope it will help me decide what on earth to do.
I've just taken a year off work to do Access and I assume even if I did want to go back to my old racket, software dev - and I don't - that my market value has dropped. Well done on getting a pay hike after a couple of years being largely on the bench (professionally speaking)!
The advice that follows is based on the assumption that this comment means it's an either (take this new and better-paid job) / or (stick with studying to be a teacher) situation. Are you able to keep going financially with your studies as you are? If so, this dilemma seems to be really about what's more important to you. (Forgive me if I'm wading in and not getting the gist of this problem; it's been a long day!)
I'm not that clued up on the pay scales for teachers, but my assumption is that, while you can make a decent living (and a very good one if you go significantly further up the ladder), you need to have a fundamental passion for teaching if you intend to make a fulfilling career out of it. It seems like at the first whiff of something better elsewhere, you're considering ditching it and running off. I wonder if that's an indication that it's not really the right career for you. From what I understand, one can earn the same or more as a typical teacher does doing far easier work in various other professions.
I think you really need to ask yourself what you'd be happy doing all day over the coming years of your life. Is this new job a good opportunity or just offering more money? If it opens up doors, maybe it is the right thing for you. But if it's just a case of an offer of more money at this point in time, it seems, imo, to be a little short-sighted to ditch (or risk not being able to finish) a degree you've already started.
Original post by mdhayter1
It is considerably more money than I was earning before and considerably more than I could earn teaching which was my goal.
The advice that follows is based on the assumption that this comment means it's an either (take this new and better-paid job) / or (stick with studying to be a teacher) situation. Are you able to keep going financially with your studies as you are? If so, this dilemma seems to be really about what's more important to you. (Forgive me if I'm wading in and not getting the gist of this problem; it's been a long day!)
I'm not that clued up on the pay scales for teachers, but my assumption is that, while you can make a decent living (and a very good one if you go significantly further up the ladder), you need to have a fundamental passion for teaching if you intend to make a fulfilling career out of it. It seems like at the first whiff of something better elsewhere, you're considering ditching it and running off. I wonder if that's an indication that it's not really the right career for you. From what I understand, one can earn the same or more as a typical teacher does doing far easier work in various other professions.
I think you really need to ask yourself what you'd be happy doing all day over the coming years of your life. Is this new job a good opportunity or just offering more money? If it opens up doors, maybe it is the right thing for you. But if it's just a case of an offer of more money at this point in time, it seems, imo, to be a little short-sighted to ditch (or risk not being able to finish) a degree you've already started.
(edited 8 years ago)
I think if you get the job and can transfer onto a OU course this would be better than trying to work shifts and carry on with your course full time. the work load from year 1 to year 2 is quite a jump for most courses, not necessarily the amount of work but the content. on my course a lot of people that did okay in first year thought they could sail through second year as easily as they did first and failed. just something to think about.
so in my opinion if you have the chance of a well paid job that you will enjoy I would take it but would seriously consider OU to carry on with your degree, its a big step to start an access and finish 1st year..... would be a shame to give up without having a degree to show for it.
so in my opinion if you have the chance of a well paid job that you will enjoy I would take it but would seriously consider OU to carry on with your degree, its a big step to start an access and finish 1st year..... would be a shame to give up without having a degree to show for it.
my gut reaction is to say carry on w/ yr degree, but if you really think the job is too good an opp to pass up then why not see if you can take a year out?
Thanks for the responses, they have been very helpful.
The job is with Transport for London (TFL) and has good prospects... i went to the interview on Monday so I am waiting for a response to that before I need to make my mind up although I'm still not 100% I am closer to a decision. Like I said teaching primary school starts at around 27k in London and this job is paying 40 at the start of the pay scale with the opportunity of earning considerably more than that as I climb the pay scale and move up the career ladder there... I think it is too much of a good opportunity to pass on. I can always take the credits from last year and do OU like others have suggested.... Fingers crossed I get the job now.
The job is with Transport for London (TFL) and has good prospects... i went to the interview on Monday so I am waiting for a response to that before I need to make my mind up although I'm still not 100% I am closer to a decision. Like I said teaching primary school starts at around 27k in London and this job is paying 40 at the start of the pay scale with the opportunity of earning considerably more than that as I climb the pay scale and move up the career ladder there... I think it is too much of a good opportunity to pass on. I can always take the credits from last year and do OU like others have suggested.... Fingers crossed I get the job now.
no one can make this decision for you, it essentially comes down to what you want to prioritise and spend possibly the rest of your life doing... the likelihood is the job wont be there after your degree (although I'd argue another similar one might be and having a degree would help you progress...) and the degree probably wont be there very easily after your job (unless you leave the second year now in which case you might be able to 'defer for personal circumstances' and just see what you feel in 12 months time)
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