I need to make some big decisions..

[Trewsers]

I would love to say just do it, but I have a horribly sensible head, I would def need to look at the potential for the sorts of jobs you are hoping for, how many come up each year, what sort of pay do they offer and what is the cost of living in the areas they might be in. Often things like zoo's and wildlife parks are in very nice and touristy areas which can be very expensive to live in and if the role doesn't pay much (which I don't think those types of jobs do generally) then even if you scrimp though and stress yourself to get the degree, are lucky enough to find a suitable job, you may not be able to afford to do it anyway which would be horrible. But if you check out all those things and it looks promising, definitely do it you will be ace at it

This is what I thought too. I am sensible
@Ale I know you'd be fab at it, but taking into account all of the above seems wise. Just another thought I did have, what you do work wise atm funds your horses - and I know we should all aim to do work that we love. But, if what you do now funds them - maybe stick with that and if you can squeeze in part time work - with animals ?? I've probably worded that badly, because I do appreciate how busy you are. But if you are interested (which you clearly are) in specialist types of animals and care then to gain extra experience and keep your day job maybe it's something you could consider?

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I too would encourage you to do what you love. If you want to think ahead, though, I would explore whether you could get any internship positions with local vets or even zoos. I would bet my cotton socks that the majority of roles in this area are filled not through public recruitment but by people knowing about them before they are ever advertised, so you should think about building your network as well as getting qualifications.

Please don't worry about being a bit older as a student. My experience of mature students as a recruiter is that they are way better than the youngsters fresh out of education

And I'm very glad that @Mary Poppins and @KP nut have set you straight on the student loan. That's super-excellent advice. Go girl!

 

[MrA]

I would love to say just do it, but I have a horribly sensible head, I would def need to look at the potential for the sorts of jobs you are hoping for, how many come up each year, what sort of pay do they offer and what is the cost of living in the areas they might be in. Often things like zoo's and wildlife parks are in very nice and touristy areas which can be very expensive to live in and if the role doesn't pay much (which I don't think those types of jobs do generally) then even if you scrimp though and stress yourself to get the degree, are lucky enough to find a suitable job, you may not be able to afford to do it anyway which would be horrible. But if you check out all those things and it looks promising, definitely do it you will be ace at it

I do need to do alot more research, however looking at the jobs advertised they want the qualification I would be doing and then experience. This experience can be with horses and other animals in some cases but I would try and get voluntary placements alongside the degree.

There are lots of smaller parks dotted about the country in all sorts of places so hopefully that wouldn't be a huge issue however I do need to look into it more.

 

[MrA]

This is what I thought too. I am sensible
@Ale I know you'd be fab at it, but taking into account all of the above seems wise. Just another thought I did have, what you do work wise atm funds your horses - and I know we should all aim to do work that we love. But, if what you do now funds them - maybe stick with that and if you can squeeze in part time work - with animals ?? I've probably worded that badly, because I do appreciate how busy you are. But if you are interested (which you clearly are) in specialist types of animals and care then to gain extra experience and keep your day job maybe it's something you could consider?

It does fund my horses but in no way could it fund a house. There is no line of progression in my work and I'm not paid hugely more than minimum wage.

Zoo work would most likely start at the same sort of rate but I believe there would be career progression and the more experience the more I could earn.

Animal jobs are incredibly difficult to get into, so finding something part time to fit around my current work is just not happening. Apart from horses and again that's minimum wage with no progression.

 

[MrA]

I too would encourage you to do what you love. If you want to think ahead, though, I would explore whether you could get any internship positions with local vets or even zoos. I would bet my cotton socks that the majority of roles in this area are filled not through public recruitment but by people knowing about them before they are ever advertised, so you should think about building your network as well as getting qualifications.

Please don't worry about being a bit older as a student. My experience of mature students as a recruiter is that they are way better than the youngsters fresh out of education

And I'm very glad that @Mary Poppins and @KP nut have set you straight on the student loan. That's super-excellent advice. Go girl!

Intern ships are either too poorly paid or not for my age, I've looked into them but they don't seem like a viable option.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Intern ships are either too poorly paid or not for my age, I've looked into them but they don't seem like a viable option.

To be honest I meant "working for nothing in your free time". I know it's rubbish, but for jobs as popular as those working with animals, doing that sort of thing can make a lot of difference.

 

[orbvalley]

heres my two bobsworth on young @Ale 's life direction - I worked for 16 years for the Home Office Prison Service. It was relatively well paid, stable, good pension blah blah blah. I finished up medically retired at aged 33 stress related mental health that I never had suffered from before. I'd now, with bad life experience, much rather see people working in something they are passionate about than working to pay off a mortgage/life gets in the way type things in a job thats bad for your health. I was encouraged by my parents to "work in a good job". What I should have done was realised that a "good job" is something that you like
So, I say go for it @Ale. Whats the worst that could happen? You could end up in the prison service like I did

 

[KP nut]

There are no guarantees in anything but to be honest as far as I can tell you dont have too much to lose right now. No mortgage, no dependents (excluding Ale of course!), no partner rooting you to a particular location because of his job, no debt. You are not giving up a great job or a big salary or a promising career path. So if not now, when? As far as risks go, it isn't much of one! Your studies will be funded, you can get maintenance grants, you can work alongside the studies to make ends meet (I worked throughout uni as did most of my friends) and a chance of a dream job at the end of it. And if that doesnt work out then you still have more qualifications than you did before making you more employable.

 

[MrA]

To be honest I meant "working for nothing in your free time". I know it's rubbish, but for jobs as popular as those working with animals, doing that sort of thing can make a lot of difference.

Sorry for the brief reply earlier, I was out. I do agree I need to get started on some voluntary work asap in a relevant field if I go for this. I do volunteer currently at a small animal rescue and have been doing that for many years which is a start.

It's trying to find a place that will allow you to volunteer that I find is the problem! I was thinking that if the degree is 2 days a week then I could volunteer 1 day per week and work 3 days a week. It would be tight but do able.

 

[MrA]

heres my two bobsworth on young @Ale 's life direction - I worked for 16 years for the Home Office Prison Service. It was relatively well paid, stable, good pension blah blah blah. I finished up medically retired at aged 33 stress related mental health that I never had suffered from before. I'd now, with bad life experience, much rather see people working in something they are passionate about than working to pay off a mortgage/life gets in the way type things in a job thats bad for your health. I was encouraged by my parents to "work in a good job". What I should have done was realised that a "good job" is something that you like
So, I say go for it @Ale. Whats the worst that could happen? You could end up in the prison service like I did

I think I need to go for it, I will regret it if I don't and like you say another 40 odd years doing the same thing I do now would probably send me the same way.

I at least need to look into it and see if it's feasible, and if not then look into other options, so gradually bit by bit I end up where I want to be

 

[MrA]

There are no guarantees in anything but to be honest as far as I can tell you dont have too much to lose right now. No mortgage, no dependents (excluding Ale of course!), no partner rooting you to a particular location because of his job, no debt. You are not giving up a great job or a big salary or a promising career path. So if not now, when? As far as risks go, it isn't much of one! Your studies will be funded, you can get maintenance grants, you can work alongside the studies to make ends meet (I worked throughout uni as did most of my friends) and a chance of a dream job at the end of it. And if that doesnt work out then you still have more qualifications than you did before making you more employable.

This is the way I'm looking at it really. Even if at the end I didn't end up going into a zoo setting surely I would be pretty employable in most animal care jobs with a foundation degree in zoo management (and not forgetting my level 2 nvq also). And I would increase my knowledge no end.

 

[MrA]

I think I'm going to go for it and apply, of course I may not get a place so trying to not get my hopes up too high.

I realise it will be alot of hard work for a few years but at the end of it providing I can get some voluntary work alongside it to gain experience I could go straight into a zoo keeper role anywhere in the country.

I've got a couple of local places that I will enquire with about volunteering, fingers crossed one of those will take me on.

So now just to get on and sort my UCAS application and apply for a student loan etc. And apply for the course and speak to work about it all. And I must start searching for a car and get driving again before September!

All a little bit scary but also very exciting, fingers crossed that I get accepted. And if you've any advice for me regarding ucas and things I welcome it because it's all new to me!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Go you!

 

[Kite_Rider]

Good for you Ale, I honestly believe that if you want something bad enough and are prepared to work hard for it you will succeed. No idea about ucas or student loans but I'm sure you'll make this work for you. Good luck.

 

[MrA]

Good for you Ale, I honestly believe that if you want something bad enough and are prepared to work hard for it you will succeed. No idea about ucas or student loans but I'm sure you'll make this work for you. Good luck.

Thank you. More than happy to put in the hard work! Halfway through my UCAS application and have applied for student finance, they both seem relatively straight forward so far.

However if I don't get a place this year as I've possibly left it too late I can use the next year to gain as much experience as possible and then apply again next year. Means I wouldn't graduate until I was 31 but better late than never.

 

[Mary Poppins]

I am so pleased that you are going for it and I hope that you do get in this year. I think that you already have a fair bit of relevant experience behind you. You obviously look after Ale everyday, you have a job on a yard, you have looked after several different types of animals if I remember correctly (cats, rats, hamsters), you have volunteered at a small animal rescue and you have already done the NVQ. My advise on the UCAS form is to sell yourself. Don't hold back - show them how passionate you are about animals and how much you want to turn this into a career. You have a huge advantage over the average 18 year old in that you have solid work and life experience and that you know what you want to do. You are always so passionate about animals when you write on here, so make sure that this comes across in your application.

 

[Mary Poppins]

I would also mention in your application about the fund raising work you have done. This shows that you are a positive and generous person and that you have drive and determination. The college running the course want to pick students who will succeed, so you need to show them all the positive parts of your personality.

 

[Mary Poppins]

And also, if you don't get into this college, would you consider relocating somewhere new to do the course elsewhere? You currently live in the most expensive part of the country, if you went further a field you would pay less rent for both you and Ale and have a cheaper cost of living. You could get a job to support you through the course and make a new start. It's something you have talked about wanting to do, so perhaps now is the time to go and do it? I am sure that you could find a space on a similar course somewhere that starts in September.

 

[MrA]

I am so pleased that you are going for it and I hope that you do get in this year. I think that you already have a fair bit of relevant experience behind you. You obviously look after Ale everyday, you have a job on a yard, you have looked after several different types of animals if I remember correctly (cats, rats, hamsters), you have volunteered at a small animal rescue and you have already done the NVQ. My advise on the UCAS form is to sell yourself. Don't hold back - show them how passionate you are about animals and how much you want to turn this into a career. You have a huge advantage over the average 18 year old in that you have solid work and life experience and that you know what you want to do. You are always so passionate about animals when you write on here, so make sure that this comes across in your application.

Thank-you, that's really helpful advice and I will put it all in my application.

 

[MrA]

I would also mention in your application about the fund raising work you have done. This shows that you are a positive and generous person and that you have drive and determination. The college running the course want to pick students who will succeed, so you need to show them all the positive parts of your personality.

Okay thank-you, I will also add in this