After Vet Nursing...

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Rachael_24 — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:10:22 GMT

Hi,

The Level 3 Diploma is equivalent to A Levels. I believe that it is th equivalent of two A Levels but the RCVS or any College will be able to confirm this. The entry requirements will differ between universitys. Foundation degrees will have lower entry requirements and there is always the potential to 'top-up' to a BSc.

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Catherine Goulding — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:03:38 GMT

Unfortunately I don't qualifty for a student loan as I get a bursary, its about £550 a month but its tax free. My tuition fees are paid by the NHS and I'm working full time in a placement hospital as part of the course so there isn't much room for extra work. Two of my part time jobs have recently dried up so after xmas it's going to be a real struggle. I can always rent out a room in my house but I don't really want to do that if I don't have to. Lets hope I have a win on the lottery before then, unless anyone knows of any part time work going in the Manchester area?

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Nick Shackleton — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:24:47 GMT

[quote user="Kate Claxton DipAVN(Med)VN"]

I want your loan Nick! I pay about £70 a month! x

[/quote]

That was rough estimate from Direct.gov Still 70 quid aint too band seeing as your band 6!!!

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Kate Claxton DipAVN(Med)VN — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:35:29 GMT

I want your loan Nick! I pay about £70 a month! x

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Nick Shackleton — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:16:14 GMT

Student loan repayments are around £30/mth once you earn above 21k

Re: After Vet Nursing...

hissycat — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:08:39 GMT

My course was fully funded (no longer for new students unfortunately) so no tuition fees to pay and a £400 bursary every month topped up by OOH VN work. I could have taken out a student loan but did not want the debt. I live with family so don't have to worry about rent, noisy housemates and stuff! I have been lucky with the way things have turned out but i'd have taken out the student loan otherwise, as I think it would be worth it in the end.

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Nick Shackleton — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:16:19 GMT

[quote user="PHA86"]

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"] just with furless patients [/quote]

Chinese Cresteds, Sphynxes...?

Great stuff, I will take all of this into consideration.

How do you all manage financially with potentially 4, 5 years of full time education (if you don't mind me asking)?

[/quote]

Whilst I study for Foundation Degree I work full time and one day a week at uni. The course is related to my job. So I get a wage as well course fees paid for. When I go on to finish my degree I will have to go full time. Looked into it and will get around £8k of student finance, some of it as a grant some of it as a loan. Will also look at doing part time VN work as well as part time work as an Assistant Practitioner (currently what I am training to become)

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Katie Mansfield — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:00:21 GMT

Student finance pay our tutition fees and give us a maintenance loan. They also give us a parents grant to look after the kids, we get tax credits as well cos hubby also works part-time, child benefit and housing benefit. We're exempt from council tax as students, but students can't usually get housing benefit unless you have kids. We could claim extra cash to pay for child-care if we needed to but my mum has them after school so we don't.

It's not actually as tight financially as I'd feared it would be, although this is only month 2!!!

K x

Re: After Vet Nursing...

PHA86 — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:08:16 GMT

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"] just with furless patients [/quote]

Chinese Cresteds, Sphynxes...?

Great stuff, I will take all of this into consideration.

How do you all manage financially with potentially 4, 5 years of full time education (if you don't mind me asking)?

Re: After Vet Nursing...

hissycat — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:44:14 GMT

I only completed one A level but then worked really hard at my NVQ and it hasn't held me back. I think your chances of being accepted on most courses are as good as anyone elses, especially as you will have experienced full time work, study and lived independently. I know a few people who have done my course in their 30s and 40s so don't let that hold you back either. What I would do is consider the sort of jobs you can realistically get with the degree you go for. I also considered biology/ zoology/ conservation but to be honest while I thought I would really enjoy the study I was less sure about the chances of getting a good job afterwards. I was very lucky in that the course i'm doing is funded but with the increase in fees it will be a lot of money to spend to then end up in a low paid job or doing something you don't enjoy. Not to put a dampener on things but I know a few people on their second degree because they just couldn't get good jobs (or any job) with the qualifications they had. Good luck whatever you decide and keep us posted x

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Nick Shackleton — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:27:57 GMT

[quote user="Catherine Goulding"]

Hi all,

I just 40 next month and have gone back to uni full time. Its not easy but I'm loving my course. The worse part is having no money! I'm only 6 months into a 3 year Dip HE but my vet nursing expereince and quals have helped immensley. Should have done this years ago!

[/quote]

I concur! I am 32 and coming to the end of my first year of a Foundation Degree planning on going onto to study for full degree after that. There are plenty of courses out there! You may even decide like many of us to defer to the darkside of health care. I know that through my Veterinary Nursing career sparked a love of a certain area of nursing and I have decided to pursue a career in that area of work, just with furless patients

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Catherine Goulding — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:11:10 GMT

Hi all,

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Katie Mansfield — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 09:58:17 GMT

I'm 40 and my hubby is 39 and we've both just gone to uni!! Your "teenage rebelious stage" may actually have done you some good - we've found that we take in more, analyse more and produce better work than we would have done had we still been 18/19, prob due to life experiences Not only that but I def feel as if I'm kinda at last chance saloon so I have to do well, which keeps me focused and working hard - much harder than I would have done in my younger days - I'd have been in the pub every night (and prob most days) !!

Don't panic if you do end up on a Fd degree course - depending on what you're studying you can usually "top up" to bachelors. For example, on my course (VN) all the FdSc group are taught alongside the BSc group for 3yrs, then they leave and we carry on for another year. (The BSc students have a few extra tutorials and we do more assignments than the FdScs during the first 3 yrs). On hubby's course he'll do his FdSc for 2 yrs then stay on a further year as that's how his uni operates.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and don't let your age worry you - it's your advantage over the other applicants

K x

Re: After Vet Nursing...

PHA86 — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:44:09 GMT

Thanks ladies, that's quite encouraging.

As I said, it really is just an idea at the moment, but I'm thinking down the wildlife conservation/biology route.

I think, like yourselves, I'd have to interview well because I don't think my grades are solid enough. I'm 25, so will be in my late 20s by the time I get round to doing this, so I don't particularly want to have to prolong my experience with a foundation degree, both time-wise and financially.

I have done a little bit of voluntary work with wildlife in various places over the last few years. My plan is to work in my current practice for 12 months once qualified, travel for 6-12 months and maybe complete a conservation BTEC/do more voluntary work abroad during this time. Obviously these things would look good on my application, but am I being realistic about how much it will boost my tariff points/improve my chances?

Kind of wishing I didn't have my teenage rebellious phase when I was taking my A-Levels now. Ah hindsight, what a wonderful thing!

Re: After Vet Nursing...

Katie Mansfield — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:18:23 GMT

Totally agree with Hissycat - it depends on the uni and the degree course you want to do. I take it you're a mature student, ie over 21yrs? Some unis have different entry rules for mature students; for example my brother did a BEng(Hons) a couple of years ago and his uni took his engineering work experience as an entry requirement because he was a mature student. (He only has Level 2 NVQ in engineering).

My husband has just started a FdSc in computer science (that is the only available option at his uni - he can top-up to BSc after, but the uni doesn't offer the full BSc). He only has GCSEs, no A levels, no Level 3 diplomas, although he did do half an access course in the past (never completed it). His uni said because he had so much work experience in computing they would use that as an entry requirement.

On the other hand, I just started the BSc(Hons) in vet nursing at the RVC. They treated my application like everyone else's of any age - I had to get distinction in my Level 3 diploma. My Level 3 diploma gave me 240 UCAS Tarriff points because I got distinction. If I'd have only got merit it would have been 180.

Good luck with whatever you decide to study

K x

Re: After Vet Nursing...

hissycat — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:20:25 GMT

Hi, I think it depends a lot on the university, the degree, and your age and previous experience/qualifications. I went straight onto a the first year of an undergraduate degree in Clinical Physiology with the level 3 NVQ (without doing a foundation year). The entry requirements were BBC (sorry not sure how many points that is). I also had biology at A level and good GCSEs, and had about 2 years experience post qualification. I was 26 at the time and so classed as a mature student (over 25). I think they look less at your qualifications as a mature student and go more by your interview, my course is human healthcare and they were impressed by how well I communicated in the interview (apparently some people don't look them in the eye through the entire thing). So if you will be over 25 when you apply this may go in your favour. Also the veterinary nursing course is demanding in how much you are expected to learn while holding down a full time job in a busy workplace, working as a professional with a large amount of responsibility and dealing with sometimes anxious and upset people, so this would definitely go in your favour.

I didn't go through UCAS at first but contacted the university directly when I saw the course I wanted. To be honest I wasn't really expecting to get in but they offered me an interview that week, afterwards they said they would like to offer me the place but they had given conditional offers to A level students as it was so late in the year (end of August). One of the A level students must have pulled out or not got the grades because they then offered me the place. Then I had to go through UCAS as a formality but it means I didn't have to try and sell myself in a personal statement, so it may be an idea to contact the university directly as I did and just have an informal chat about whether your qualifications are acceptable for that particular degree.

I'm rambling on massively now, but I really do think it depends on the degree you want to do whether they offer a foundation year and whether they would expect you to do it. If you find something that really appeals to you you could get in touch now and check on the qualifications (though entry requirements can change) and if they want more you could maybe do an A level or two as an evening course once you have your diploma, rather than paying a lot more money for a foundation year. Please ask if you want any more general advice, I have enjoyed my degree so far, it is very hard work but I am on track to get a 1st and I am pleased I did it, also you can work part time as a VN to get extra cash/ keep up with your VN qualification