I am a Student once again!

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So, from today it’s official………. I am a student again, 20 years after leaving school after completing my A-Levels.

If I am honest, I am a little scared.  Not by the work, but where on earth am I going to find time to do it.  I currently work around 50 hours a week, look after a family and try to find time to blog.

I was quite surprised at having an aptitude test today, but took it in my stride.  What shocked me most though was the simpleness of it.  We were given a hour to complete three tests (20 minutes each) – English, Maths and a dyslexia test.  It took me 15 minutes to do all three, and check my answers.

For example:

2+2 = ? (no I am not kidding, this really was a real question)

If you paid £2.90 for a coffee and paid with a £5 note, what change would you get back?

Maybe it is my years of managing checkouts, doing till and safe checks and then moving onto a bank where I dealt with millions of pounds on a daily basis but these tests my 12 year old could do without stopping to ask for help.

The English wasn’t much better.  Spot the spelling mistake in a sentence, or guess the next word with four options – three of which were so ludicrous that the answer could only have been the remaining word.

Apparently this is an across the board test that all applicants to college fill out and it does make me question the quality of our secondary school teaching if students cannot even get these sorts of questions correct.

I have no doubt that my course will challenge me, and that it will make me a better Childminder.  My ultimate goal is to be a qualified as a Teaching Assistant by the time Eliza is at school.  I have 18 months to complete it, but am aiming for a year………wish me luck!!

8 thoughts on “I am a Student once again!”

  4. Good luck hun, and well done for taking the plunge! Am hoping to apply for a PGCE and am also bricking it! Keep us updated! x

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  5. Good luck! You’ll be fine and yes it will be difficult to find the time so, Kara’s husband, if you’re reading this: give your girl an established regular time every week, a few hours when you’re at home looking after the kids, the house, the cooking so that she has a few set hours a week when she knows she will be studying, her own dedicated study schedule. Even if it has to be Saturdays or Sundays (family time is overrated to the woman who does it all).

    I equate studying to working from home and, if I had that, I wouldn’t be running around like a lunatic never accomplishing anything! If necessary and (if allowed by family) get your books/ laptop and go to the library or a coffee shop and make it an enjoyable time. Even if doing it at home, get yourself a nice drink, set it all up in a nice tidy desk and enjoy that time, it then becomes something you look forward to rather than panic when and how you are going to fit it in that week.

    I can’t quite believe the level of those exams, but I guess they are designed for people who perhaps left school earlier than you and don’t read or write on a very regular basis.

    You’ll do great!

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  7. I think those standard entry tests are actually to check for learning disabilities and see who may need additional support.

    Well done you for going back to college. Make sure you enjoy every second! I have actually just finished being a student (age 26)! The first time since I was 4 years old – that I’ve not been a “student”. I feel VERY lost without my NUS card 🙁 No more discounts for me. (I’d probably be a student all my life given the chance! lol) I am now very excited about my graduation in November!

    I hope you manage to find the time. I remember when I used to do a full time uni course AND work 55 hours per week… it was before I had kids and still a struggle. lol. After kids I dropped my hours to 30 per week so I could fit FT uni in.

    Don’t be nervous – I’m sure you will do fine. Us women have this thing inside us… determination, and once we get started, theres no stopping us! All the best of luck to you. xx

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