Second degree route?

September 16, 2009 2:44pm CST
Seeing as I need to get the ball rolling again earnings wise I thought I would ask you guys for some advice on some possible career routes. I graduated this year with a BA in History and Politics mainly because History is a subject I adore and Politics is something that interests me and so off I toddled and did the degree. Problem was I didn't really think about careers so much while at university. In the last year though as the recession took true hold and put many out of work, I realised that the degree I was doing wasn't worth the paper it was written on which kind of sucked but I was still glad that I'd done it because I'd shown everyone that they were wrong and that actually, I could too get a degree despite what they said. Anyway, as university ended, I split up with my husband which left me a lone parent and I decided that perhaps I should do a PGCE (Teaching qualification) and take a job teaching a subject I loved. This would have fit nicely around having to look after the kids and go out to work and all I would've had to do is go back and get decent grades on my GCSE's. Not a problem I thought, I can do that and it only puts me a year out on the training route I wanted to take. The problem though is that thanks to the recession, plenty of people have had the same bright idea and now there is a glut of newly qualified teachers on the market looking for jobs. This means that any job in the teaching sector is hotly fought for as soon as it rears its head so that's now a no go area. So there are only a couple of other avenues open here for possible careers that I would be willing to go down. One is being a Social Worker or the other is being a Midwife. Both have their rewards for me and I would be equally happy with one or the other. Again I have a small problem. Money. Both are funded by the NHS but I would have to do three more years at university as though I'd never had a degree and the midwife course (that I'm leaning towards) requires yet a further year of learning before I even see the degree tutors. This leads me to my dilemma. Which course should I do and should I begin the pathways to the course I want straight away or work for a few years (I have worked from the age of 16 up until I entered university and I'm 28 now) and get rid of most of my student debt that I have now? This debt isn't counted when the funding for these two degrees I want to do is worked out but it will leave me paying off until I'm 65! If I work, I get rid of it but will find it harder to get the qualifications I need but if I get the qualifications I need, I have to live off the state (Which is abhorrent to me, sorry, I was just brought up that way and I loathe having to claim now because I'm fit and able to work). Argh! I'm so confused! What do I do?! Work and study or just straight out study? Any help is appreciated!
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