Going back to college/changing careers

coolaboola

Following on from my post in Leaving Cert (good luck folks!) forum on doing chemistry as an external candidate... *deep breath, long waffle alert*

The reason I was asking about the whole chemistry thing was I'm having my regular career crisis. Like oodles of you it seems, I'm going through one of my ever-more-frequent bouts of doubt and disatisfaction with my career.

I'm an engineer with Masters in Engineering Science and more than 7 years engineering experience. For a good while (well, since I've been in college really!) I've toyed with the idea of changing career paths. I'm an ok engineer and moderately happy in it but its not really my 'thing' if you know what I mean and more and more over recent years I've really felt like I'd rather be somewhere else doing something else.

For well over a year now I've been seriously mulling over the idea of studying Human Nutrition and Dietetics at Kevin Street - I get to stay in the sciencey field while pursuing the 'softer' sciences which have always been my preference as well as working with people more. Anyhoo, a couple of big, fat obstacles lie in my way as far as I can tell:

1. I don't have leaving cert chemistry, one of the entry requirements. (Hence my query about doing chemistry as an external student). I did chemistry in my first year of engineering but to be honest, even if I was granted an excemption on that basis, I would still be inclined to do the leaving cert course anyway as the college course was terrible.

2. I don't have the points (I have 445 versus 520... bit of a gap!). But are mature students selected on the basis of points or wha'?

Enquiring of DIT how I would be assessed for entry I got some pretty hazy responses. There's a bit of a Catch 22 situation going on here too: apparently it would be to my advantage in gaining entry to the Kevin St course if I was working in the area of nutrition or could otherwise demonstrate my interest in the area. But unfortunately the Kevin Street course is the only one in Ireland that qualifies you to work as a professional dietician and there doesn't appear to be any dedicated intermediate (cert or diploma) courses available to 'test the waters' or build up to the professional qualification or otherwise 'demonstrate my interest' in the area.

Ditto when I enquired about exemptions for subjects which I did to death in college (e.g. maths: Nutrition entry requirement - C3 in ordinary level or higher. Engineering entry requirement - B3 in higher level or higher followed by maths for four years til it comes out your ears! DIT response on possibility for exemption from first maths in Nutrition: 'Don't know, depends on what you covered' ... ditto physics *sigh*)

To be fair to DIT I don't think the person I was speaking to knew much about either the detailed content of the Nutrition course or what's involved in an engineering degree. I'm hoping to speak to a course co-ordinator soon to get some more detailed info on whether I have anything more than an whelk's chance in a supernova of getting in.

Anyhoo, anyone here do the Kevin St course? Tell me all about it ... pretty please! You likey? Demanding (hours? exams? projects and practicals?)

The Eeyore in me is bracing myself for the likelihood that I won't get in and/or I chicken out at the thought chucking in a regular pay check and going back to the exam grind for four and a half years. So I've been nosing about for other courses in the vaguely similar area. Holistic Health in Pearse College, a two-year course in health and complimentary therapies, has caught my eye. Ok, so its at the hippy-dippy other end of the spectrum. The reason it caught my eye is that it includes an ITEC diploman in nutrition and diet. On closer inspection it has buckets of other elements that I'm interested in too - anatomy and physiology, complementary health (I'm into yoga, meditation and wholefood cookery), etc. Do does anyone know anything about this course? Even better, anyone done it? Is it a flippy-dippy, jack-of-all-trade-master-of-none waste of time or is it something substantial and worthwhile that could lead to some interesting alternative job opportunities? Do tell!

Would also love to hear the good, the bad and the ugly experiences of anyone who has changed career or is thinking about it too.

Thanks!

BuffyBot

1. I don't have leaving cert chemistry, one of the entry requirements. (Hence my query about doing chemistry as an external student). I did chemistry in my first year of engineering but to be honest, even if I was granted an excemption on that basis, I would still be inclined to do the leaving cert course anyway as the college course was terrible.

You could do it as an external candidate.

2. I don't have the points (I have 445 versus 520... bit of a gap!). But are mature students selected on the basis of points or wha'?

Mature students applications are normally done on an interview basis, not a points basis

Magic Monkey

Coolaboola, there's a part-time Diet & Nutrition course here, if that's of any help to you. Best of luck

coolaboola

Thanks Buffybot and Magic Monkey!

Am looking into doing chemistry as an external candidate ... only problem I'm having is trying to figure out how I can do the mandatory experiments as I've no access to a lab. Even though they don't form part of the exam, in theory the Department of Education can request to see any science subject student's lab book and records of all mandatory experiments. Some here have made the suggestion of copying a previous student's work buuuuut.... Apparently DCU run a day of chemistry experiments but it only covers about 5 experiments apparently - a fair bit short of the 28 mandatory experiments.

My understanding from the limited amount of contact I've been able to make with the department in DIT is that any interview seeks demonstration of the prospective student's experience and/or interest in the area to make up for any points gap ... which brings me back to my Catch 22 situation! It did occur to me that I could just sit the Leaving again (agh! :eek: ) and score a wozzie load of points by doing only those courses which I studied to death over years at college (maths, physics, applied maths, tech drawing, engineering ... ) but that whole process would seem to make bit of a nonsense of my existing qualifications and the Leaving in one fell swoop and be a bit of a waste of time.

Thanks for the course link Magic Monkey. I'd looked into that one before though. I can only be awarded the diploma if I've already completed or am completing an complementary therapy course (not sure if the anatomy and physiology diploma (which would be the other one I'd be interested in) is regarded as a complementary therapy... Also its shockin' pricey at €1400 for the diet and nutrition course and €650 for anatomy and physiology!!

Oh, I don't mean to sound like such a whinge... once the first few hectic days of the Leaving are over I'll try and contact local schools about sitting chemistry (incl. labs) and try again to contact DIT and Pearse college... ho hum. :rolleyes: