Husband and I got bad news today...

[moss]

I'm handling it better than I expected (so far), but this morning I had to tell my husband that he didn't get one of the modules in the course he just finished. This means he most likely won't be able to enter the degree course he wanted (he had an offer for second year). The course happened to be the same as mine, and we had decided that for us, him being in it was the only way it would be possible for me to stay in. I have written to my advisor and he forwarded it to the right person, but I'm still waiting to hear what they say. We're so ANGRY because it is a science HNC and he passed all of the science modules (chemistry, microbiology, genetics, etc), but he failed one statistics exam and that is apparently it over for him. However, someone in his class passed stats and failed genetics, but she can still keep her place. I HATE the qualifications authority here. I have never done stats and I'm allowed into second year... And the course has TONS of genetics in it!

All I can do is wait, but being realistic, they are going to tell us he can't enter the course, which means I have to drop out too. I just turned 28 and am about to be a mother. I can't see myself starting over yet again. This isn't my first time. I'm so sad for my husband, too. He deserves this so much and they will be missing out on a great student because of the stupid Scottish government requirements.

Oh, did I mention you don't need to pass biology for the biological sciences, but you do need to pass the module about "this is a mouse and this is a monitor..."

:[

 

[debecca]

Sorry to hear that hun!

Might be worth making an appointment in person to discuss this at the university. They hate to be seen as discriminating and you have a fantastic case to put forward...

 

[Hazel]

I just turned 28 and am about to be a mother. I can't see myself starting over yet again. This isn't my first time. :[

I'll be honest, I don't really understand all the requirements etc

It's not all over for either of you, just might take a little longer than you thought and it just might need to go on hold for a little while.

I'm also 28 and I've had to give up my part time Spanish course when I found out I was pregnant. We went through fertility treatment which was a very stressful time and I couldn't keep up with it as well as the morning sickness. I was hoping to start again in Sept but it's only 3 weeks between due date and start of course so will wait until next Sept now and do a couple of little refresher courses from the start of next year to get me prepared. Admittedly your course sounds a lot more confusing than what I'm doing.

 

[moss]

Thanks. I'm studying Anatomical Sciences. There is anatomy, of course, physiology, genetics, chemistry, physics... basically everything scientific. It's a pretty heavy courseload. We decided that although a lot of people manage to be full-time students and parents, the only way we would be able to manage it (financially and for other reasons) was if we were both in it. That way I could stay home for most of the lectures and get the notes, discuss, etc with my husband. I'm only required to attend practicals, but we could either get them on opposite days or get someone to babysit once or twice a week. Full-time childcare is not an option until they are at least 2 or 3 for various reasons.

The thing is, although my husband has very good reason for not passing one module (I'm amazed it is just one since he was taking care of his poor hyperemesis and SPD-stricken wife the entire time), they wouldn't be discriminating by not letting him in... So it's out of our hands. I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to type this without breaking down, especially after the way I was the other day. I hope this keeps up!

 

[Mildly]

Aww I'm sorry to hear that Good on you for staying strong and positive

Is there anyway he can do a retake? Not sure whether your degree is modular in the same way that mine was but would it be possible for your OH to take some of the Anatomical modules? And then maybe for you to drop down to part time and just take those modules too? I did an English degree but took quite a lot of modules from off the European Literature and Philosophy syllabus each semester.

Either that or perhaps your course/Uni has the option to assist with internet learning, kinda like how the Open University does?

Failing all of that, after your OH graduates and gets a great job to support you and little moss, would it be possible to carry on your Uni course? I know that because my degree was modular, there is the opportunity to take breaks in learning and carry credits over to different Universities.

 

[moss]

Hi Mildly, that would be idea, but my husband went to the college for his course and was going into the uni. He won't be getting his degree at all now because of this one module, and his advisor at the college said there isn't a resit. I still don't understand how statistics (and IT skills and presentation skills) are more important for a life sciences course than genetics or chemistry! Grr...

 

[Daffodil]

You can start over.

I'm 32 with an uncompleted degree in psychology and I will complete it...

its never too late

Dawn

 

[Tick-Tock]

Is there any way your husband can retake the statistics module from last year as an extra this year. I know they view stats as important (I'm a scientist so know how much weight they put on it unnecessarily) but it can't be that much a pre-requisite for the second year that he would struggle on those courses if he retook it alongside.

I would get him to suggest that, most colleges are flexible like that (they would rather have the tuition fees, especially for 2 of you)

Hope you get it sorted out
J
XX

 

[moss]

Hi Tick-Tock, we're waiting to hear from the person in charge of clearing at the uni, but I don't know whether it is up to him or the government. I am technically going into the second year of the course after having completed the first in the more traditional way, and there is no statistics so far! We were shown how to do standard deviation (something I knew from another course) but it was only touched upon. Apart from that higher maths wasn't even a pre-requisite, but having said that it didn't mention stats anyway! There are no maths based modules in the course but there is a lot of genetics. I know that has stats, but my husband did really well in the genetics parts of his college course! I keep stressing genetics because I'm feeling disgruntled about it... As I said, it's a big part of the course, but a girl who passed stats and not genetics (she "couldn't be bothered" to resit it) is getting into the second year of the course no questions asked, which is really unfair!