Full time course and job?

ptyloch · 26-03-2015 6:44pm #1

Hi All,

Decided to pursue a bachelors degree as a starting point to a career in librarianship but the thing is I'm 36, have 2 kids and a full time job. Is it possible to combine all those things? All the courses in UL are full time, also funding is only available for full timers.

Tjanks

CatFromHue · 27-03-2015 2:51am

I would say no.

I studied a Masters by distance in Engineering and for 1 semester, in a different college, and took 4 modules, the same as full time students, and I was always behind, always wrecked, had no time to myself and barely scrapped through, I mean barely.

To do that for a few years and with kids you'll end up with a heart attack.

Gael23 · 28-03-2015 4:48pm

Simple answer is no.

You would either need to go part time in your job or find a course that does distance learning where you only have classes on a Saturday.

wnolan1992 · 28-03-2015 7:45pm

If you were working 9-5, you'd never be able to attend any lectures. Group projects would be nigh on impossible because of your commitments (you wouldn't be available to meet during the day, and at night you've got kids to take care of plus you're going to be shattered from a day's work). Are you realistically going to be capable of managing all your commitments?

I would say it's not a realistically viable option.

RingTheAlarm! · 29-03-2015 2:52pm

This post caught my attention too. Find out if you could do it by night maybe if it's offered? I know some universities do offer modules at night, but I can't comment for UL

I worked full-time and studied a Masters full-time last year, I nearly lost my mind and I don't have kids or any commitments. Whatever you decide to do please make sure you get support for your own sake!

ptyloch · 29-03-2015 6:10pm

Thanks for all the replies, I work in a hotel, I'm always off 2 days during the weeK but I spoke to my boss and he said it'd be impossible to do both. I'll have to look into working part time because I don't want to give up work all together and go down the social welfare route.

There is no part time undergraduate courses available anywhere in Limerick.

tatrman · 29-03-2015 6:39pm

When does the course start? If regularly every year or twice a year or 3 times a year. Lookup course syllabus, homeworks, tests from previous years, video lectures, recommended literature, text book. All what you can find. Does any of your friends take the same course? It would help.
Go through all the material, try to lookup each weeks' topic, stay tuned, gain some confidence in topic and then sign up for the next available term.

Gael23 · 29-03-2015 6:58pm

ptyloch wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies, I work in a hotel, I'm always off 2 days during the weeK but I spoke to my boss and he said it'd be impossible to do both. I'll have to look into working part time because I don't want to give up work all together and go down the social welfare route.

There is no part time undergraduate courses available anywhere in Limerick.

UL do distance learning on some courses, not sure exactly which. With this you get the course materials and then attend classes on Saturdays. So if that was available on a course which interested you it might be an option.

1moreyr · 30-03-2015 2:07pm

Would have to say no to working full-time but it is possible to work part-time and do your undergrad in UL. In first year I think the total hours were about 16 per week and I worked part-time and am also a mom. You can decide if you need to go into every lecture and tutorial and during my time in UL always had one or two days off per week. It is incredibly tough but so worth it in the end. Going back to college was the best decision I ever made.

Subutai · 30-03-2015 4:15pm

ptyloch wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies, I work in a hotel, I'm always off 2 days during the weeK but I spoke to my boss and he said it'd be impossible to do both. I'll have to look into working part time because I don't want to give up work all together and go down the social welfare route.

There is no part time undergraduate courses available anywhere in Limerick.

I worked full time in a Hotel before attending UL, and I had the same idea as you; that I would be able to stay working full time (or almost) and manage my degree. Wasn't realistic at all. There are lectures, tutorials and labs some of which will be compulsory (although probably less with a less science focused course) and there are assignments which will have short deadlines. Not to mention mid-term exams and group projects which simply won't work around your schedule.

What I managed to do (and I don't have kids) was work two or three 12-16 hour shifts between Friday and Sunday and pull 50-60 hour weeks during the Summer and Christmas. That became unsustainable by third year (there's no point in barely passing a degree), and only worked for me because I was extensively cross-trained in the Hotel. Even without kids it resulted in a huge dent in my personal relationships with people, 4 years is a long time.

EDIT: In terms of social welfare, you need to get thinking about that now. There is a long qualifying period for BTEA (I think it's 9 months unemployed) and unless you're getting that you won't qualify for Jobseeker's benefit or allowance while pursuing a full time University degree.

ptyloch · 30-03-2015 5:25pm

Subutai wrote: »

I worked full time in a Hotel before attending UL, and I had the same idea as you; that I would be able to stay working full time (or almost) and manage my degree. Wasn't realistic at all. There are lectures, tutorials and labs some of which will be compulsory (although probably less with a less science focused course) and there are assignments which will have short deadlines. Not to mention mid-term exams and group projects which simply won't work around your schedule.

What I managed to do (and I don't have kids) was work two or three 12-16 hour shifts between Friday and Sunday and pull 50-60 hour weeks during the Summer and Christmas. That became unsustainable by third year (there's no point in barely passing a degree), and only worked for me because I was extensively cross-trained in the Hotel. Even without kids it resulted in a huge dent in my personal relationships with people, 4 years is a long time.

EDIT: In terms of social welfare, you need to get thinking about that now. There is a long qualifying period for BTEA (I think it's 9 months unemployed) and unless you're getting that you won't qualify for Jobseeker's benefit or allowance while pursuing a full time University degree.

Yeah, I was afraid of such answers to be honest. It scares me that I would have to leave my job and stop working for nearly 5 years. I'll be 41 before I'll get the degree and it very daunting to be going back to looking for work then. Decisions, decisions...

wnolan1992 · 30-03-2015 8:07pm

ptyloch wrote: »

Yeah, I was afraid of such answers to be honest. It scares me that I would have to leave my job and stop working for nearly 5 years. I'll be 41 before I'll get the degree and it very daunting to be going back to looking for work then. Decisions, decisions...

Maybe you could go part time at work? You'll be in college for 30 weeks of the year. You could work weekends (something a lot of students do anyway), the odd evening, work all summer, work over Christmas (might not fit in with family commitments, but it'd be a way of keeping your job there for you).

Full time course and job?

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