Teagasc or other horticultural courses

jaffa20

Hi all,

I'm wondering if you can help it because i've a headache researching.

I want to do the advanced horticultural certificate with teagasc in one of their colleges.

The thing is, i already have a B.A hons degree and i'm now 23 so i'd probably be a mature student. I finished up last year and i'm now working in a bank and i'm fed up with it. It's going nowhere. In fact, i hate all indoor, boring jobs as it drives me nuts and depression sets in.

So,i can't get a grant as i already have a degree. I can't get btea as i'm not on the dole and i wouldn't be going on to do a postgrad but a course which is lower than a degree.

AFAIK, teagasc pay the fees to the college i go to and it's a full time course, 9am - 4 pm each day so as far as i see, the only option for me is to obtain a part time job and sell a few vegetables from my patch:D

But seriously, is there any form of financial support out there. I wouldn't survive on a partime job at all.

I'd love to go back to college and study horticulture and resent doing my previous degree as it has nothing to do with what i want to do in the future. Well, apart from first year biology which i did as part of my arts degree where we studied plant anatonomy etc.

I don't know if that would be any use for any hdips or postgrads out there that are relevant to my interest.

I like the idea of teagasc courses cos they focus on the practical experiences and there is work experience involved.

I would love to go into starting my own organic vegetable patch and garden centre but i don't have the finances apart from a small garden and a few seeds at the moment:(

Any help would be appreciated as it is coming close to the closing date and i don't know whether to apply. I emailed teagasc but go no response as of yet.

Ginkgo

You could study horticulture part time and hold on to your job. Dublin School of Horticulture do part time courses. See http://www.dsh.ie/

John Mason

blanchstown IT do a horticulture course

www.itb.ie