College or not?

LegacyUser

I dont know what to do. I dont know how to make the right decision regarding my life.

I have always wanted to get into a particular career. It was science based and i was never the sciencey type of person. I did a year long course and i absolutely loved it. I passed and i have the option to progress. I accepted the offer and paid the course fee. But i dont know if i should continue on for various reasons, even though its only another year.

I had work experience once a week during the year. Even though its something i always wanted to do and i enjoyed the work experience. Im just not 100% sure if its really for me. That sounds weird, doesn't it? A whole year of doing something i always wanted to do and im still not sure. Along with this, it is such a difficult course and if i do another year, it will be harder.

Along with this, i dont know how to fund the year. I applied for the back to education allowance. I lied on the form and i didn't put down the degree that i already have because they dont give you the allowance if you've been to college already. If they dig deeper into my application, i may be refused. Im still waiting to hear back and the stress of it is killing me. I cant sort anything as i dont know where the money is going to come from. I start back in two weeks time.

I have applied for 8 thousand of a loan for living expenses, just in case i dont get the back to education allowance. If i hear back from the social welfare and they tell me im entitled to it, i wont go ahead with the loan. But if im not entitled to it, i have been thinking twice about the loan. Its 8k of a loan. I hope to be paying it off over two years once i finish college. It will work out at €77 a week for 2 years. And when you factor in rent, food, bills, car expenses. Thats alot. I wont be left with much. Its something i dont need. I will be finished with the course when il be 30. Il be 32 when its payed off. Is it worth it? Once im qualified, and starting off i will be on €20k a year. The maximum salary i will ever get is €22k a year.

What is the best thing to do? If i get the BTEA, il go back and go for it. But if i dont, do i need a loan with crap pay for a career i am not 100% sure about? As i said, its such a hard course, i dont think i can work during the year either.

LegacyUser

I am in the exact same situation as you so sadly i dont have the answer. All ill say is try to get a good education while your still relatively young.
If your going to be unemployed for the year, no job, take the college cause ill be in the same boat as you. get the level 7 degree or what ever it is. ill agree with you that money is the biggest worry the btea allowance is a joke at the moment because you may not know if you'll get it till your already settled into the course as well as the council fees.
as reguards the loan take out as little a loan as possible i myself might need a loan in a few months but iam leaving it for now.
you might get lucky with a part time job or whatever or just sell the stuff you dont need big car etc.
my worst case scenario is just to leave the course cut your losses and get a job, even a job abroad. anyways best of luck there must be thousands of mature students in the same boat.

LegacyUser

same as you two, i start college now and paying for this course leaves me at subsistence level for the foreseable future. budgeting every cent and homecooking, I will have rent and fees.

Do it friends, or all three of us can instead be pieces of **** rotting in alcohol and delusions of self entitlement. Do it yes and dont get dragged down with the vices and wastefulness of others. DISCIPLINE is your best friend. be clean, budgeted, and educated. GOOD!

solovely

I don't understand how the maximum salary would only be €22k a year?! Are you sure? Why on earth would you take an €8k loan for a maximum potential salary of only €22k a year....would you not get that working in a shop or McDonalds or whatever? Or would you not get the equivalent just staying on the dole and getting all the other benefits you get from that (rent allowance, medical card, etc.)

Can you do another course which gives you the potential to earn a decent living? Have you applied to any other courses? Have you spoken to a career guidance person about what you really want?

I know plenty of people who've come out of education at that age, and spent a lot longer than that paying off much bigger loans, but for them it was worth it because a) they love what they are now doing and b) they are earning way more than they would have done before. But for you, neither of those seem to stack up.

Have you looked into Springboard or Bluebrick? They seem to have tonnes of proper 3rd level courses on offer where you would be guaranteed a normal wage once you qualify (obviously only if you can get a job).

or if you do this course, can you keep progressing to degree level/ proper earning level? Like, do you have to stop after one year? Would it be worth your while financially to keep going?

by all means if you get BTEA, continue with it, as in the current climate, there is probably not much else to do, but in the long term, is earning €22k a year for the rest of your life how you see your life progressing the way you want?

Rainbow_brite

Hi OP

You haven't stated if the degree you already have is a level 7 (ordinary level degree). If it is and the science degree is a higher level degree or level 8 you may still be entitled to BTEA. The only reason I am saying this is that I had a friend who had a level 7 design degree and she got BTEA for a level 8 humanities degree for the full 3 years.

you may have already come across this website:

http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7928/back-to-education-allowance/index.html

I think college is a good option if Science is what you really want to do, its better than being unemployed.