Foundation year

Im thinking of doing a foundation course as I have not studied for years although I have studied history and classics as a pastime for personal choice not with a view to a degree and now I have learnt that my qualifications will enable me to get into Birkbeck on paper anyway and I will get Govenment funding. Because of my age Im worried it will just add more time and as the travelling to Birkbeck in the evening will be really tiring I wont get home until about 11pm do I want to pre long the course. I think I need to though. My question is is it really necessary and the post above enourages me to do it but my age and chronic condition make me nervous I will just be giving myself more work and another year of study. I know these are personal things only I can decide but on the whole I wondered if a passion for a subject might just be enough without one? Im thinking of a combined history and classics BA.

Hi, you may wish to speak directly to Birkbeck Uni for further advice regarding if a foundation year or year 1 of the degree is suitable for you, they may also be able to give you an example of the timetable so you will be able to see how many days and the times you would need to be on campus. This may help you make your decision, good luck 🙂 - JD

Im thinking of doing a foundation course as I have not studied for years although I have studied history and classics as a pastime for personal choice not with a view to a degree and now I have learnt that my qualifications will enable me to get into Birkbeck on paper anyway and I will get Govenment funding. Because of my age Im worried it will just add more time and as the travelling to Birkbeck in the evening will be really tiring I wont get home until about 11pm do I want to pre long the course. I think I need to though. My question is is it really necessary and the post above enourages me to do it but my age and chronic condition make me nervous I will just be giving myself more work and another year of study. I know these are personal things only I can decide but on the whole I wondered if a passion for a subject might just be enough without one? Im thinking of a combined history and classics BA.

Hi @mem63 !
I can see you've already got some good advice from JD below but I thought I would hop in and add some advice of my own.
Foundation years are a good option as they easy you in more gently to university life and the course that you will be studying, but as you say, do add another year and also typically do not look as great on CVs as they are typically offered to those with lower grades - I think you'd have to weigh up how confident you were with going straight back into studying after your time away compared with the safety and easier start of a foundation year, but I totally agree that you should speak to Birkbeck to decide which course is right for you.
Also, just to reassure you, most universities have a mature student community and good support for those with chronic conditions on how to manage your studies, so you won't be the only one, and I'd encourage you to take every bit of support you can to make your transition back to study as easy as it can be.
Best of luck with your course, I hope you enjoy it!
Gabby