too old to return to college/or not

superbad50

hi , having been made redundant and cant find work to cover mortgage etc, i have 2 questions

am i to old at 31 to return to college on a fulltime basis to upskill, currently studying par-time with the ncirl

secondly, with the budgets cuts would i still qualify for the maintenance grant. i am not receiving any back to education allowance

thanks guys

breedie

Hi, Not really sure what you mean by 'too old' to return to college. What exactly are your concerns regarding age? I was six years older than you when i went back to college on a full time basis. For same reasons as well, upskilling, increased employment prospects etc. Loved it. So much so in fact that after B.A did M.A and now about to start PhD.......so you have been warned
Re: budget cuts and related financial issues would advise contacting your local county council re third level finance. Difficult to get support for part time courses but you might find it easier with full time course.

Good luck with it

Tom Dunne

superbad50 wrote: »

am i to old at 31 to return to college on a fulltime basis to upskill, currently studying par-time with the ncirl

Absolutely not.

I have had people in their 50's in my class and they got on quite well.

superbad50

thanks for your response. i will give give the council a call as if the maintenance grant is axed then it might change things slightly for me . as for my concerns i guess paying the mortgage is the first and secondly will i be able for the study and commitment involved . I will have to look into something that i would like to do and get the ball rolling .fairplay to you for returning to education and the best of luck with your continued study

superbad50

thank you for reply , i will have to give some serious thought

Anouilh

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Absolutely not.

I have had people in their 50's in my class and they got on quite well.

I agree fully with this. I learned Greek in my forties and photography in my 'fifties. Chinese sounds an attractive option for the next decade.

Perhaps you could share some tips for older students, please. What puts me off taking classes at the moment is the energy and time needed to get there. I can teach myself a new skill at the kitchen table, by computer, faster and in more comfort. The social aspect of learning is limited however.

There is a lot happening in DCU at present and I enjoy reading this blogger a lot:
http://bit.ly/8GRJNO

This could be a good thread for linking distant learners, regardless of age, together?

Tom Dunne

Anouilh wrote: »

Perhaps you could share some tips for older students, please.

First of all, I would ask that you not be put off by the young whippersnapper giving you classes. I remember walking into a lecture theatre for an evening class (I was giving the class, btw) , and noticing the number of people in the room that were old enough to be my parents. I felt very intimidated. And I felt that some of them were looking at me and saying "what's this child doing here? Get me a grown-up". In the end, we got on great and I have to admit the group of "older" mature students contributed a lot more than the younger students in terms of discussion and questions.

And it works both ways - I would tell mature students not to be afraid of, well, pretty much anything. You have way more life experience that the school-leavers and this counts for a lot. You tend to be more level-headed and approach things with more consideration, rather than jumping straight in.

Don't be afraid to ask questions - the old phrase "the only stupid question is an unasked one" should be forefront in your mind.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you are struggling with something, you can be 100% certain somebody else is.

Sapna

College life rocks..........

Amberjack

Hey Superbad

I'm 35 and was made redundant last year, I decised to go back to college in Sept and do a one year FETAC course which I am loving - there's a great mix of people on the course from school leavers, to 20's, 30's and even 40's and I have to say I'm really enjoying it, so much so that I'm going to apply through the CAO for another degree course for next year.
If you have been made redundant, you can apply for the Back To Education Allowance, which will help you out financially.
Good luck

ntlbell

No one's ever too old to learn be they 31 or 91

Pick something you have a genuine interest in and don't do something because it's suppose to be next big thing.

superbad50

thanks guys , it may be an option for me , pity about all the cuts in the recent budget , i am not sure if i can qualify for any grants but i sure will enquire

rebel girl 15

only saw this thread now, but a guy graduated from UCC about two months ago - he was 80+.

You are never too old to return to college, if it is what you want, go for it!