Life, Work, and … Study: Tips for Making the Most of Distance Learning
by Elizabeth Harrin
After a day at the office, the last thing you want to do is come home, switch on your personal computer and start all over again. But if you need additional qualifications to get ahead and don’t want to or can’t afford to quit and go to school full-time, fitting in a few hours of study at night is one way to do it – trust me, I’ve been doing it on and off (mostly on) for the last eight years. Three of those years involved eating every dinner at home on a tray, as the dining room table was covered with insurance textbooks, draft essays and sample exam papers. When guests came around I swept the whole lot into a huge pile on the sideboard. Clearly, I was never a great hostess.
I was, however, a great student. I don’t mean that I always got top grades. But I did approach studying like any other work-related task: I scheduled time for it, and I always got my papers in by the deadline. And I worked full-time. I’m no super-woman, by any stretch of the imagination. Anyone can fit studying around a full-time job, if they so desire.
Here are seven tips to make the process easier:
(1) Choose the Best Format For You
Most professionally accredited courses for organisations, like the Chartered Insurance Institute, offer a standard distance learning course in which they send you all the material by regular mail, you work through course books, and email completed assignments to your professor. You will have to attend exams in person, mainly so the examining body knows that it’s really you taking the test. Another popular type of course, the online course, will have set times for you to log on to a web forum for a moderated chat or a seminar with your professor and your fellow classmates. The advantages to this include an increased opportunity for interaction with your fellow students; having a fixed class time (particularly if you think you’ll lack the motivation to open the books by yourself); and being able to study anywhere in the world from the comfort of your computer.
Both types of distance learning are generally cheaper than full-time, on campus study, which is great if your employer isn’t footing the bill. Work-related courses are more expensive than liberal arts subjects like English Literature. If you are self-funding, going part-time means you have the option to spread out payments. Look into a career development loan or other scholarships for second- (or third-) career, mature students.
(2) Find the Right Course
A quick search of the Internet will turn up hundreds of training providers. Picking a reputable one can be difficult, especially if you cannot visit it or if you don’t know anything about the educational standards in that company’s country. I approached finding a university the same way I would any school or college: by thoroughly researching the institution, including examining comparative listings and rankings and checking out the reputation of the faculty. I also visited the campus to confirm my impressions and spoke to the tutors on the phone before making my decision.
(3) Set Realistic Expectations
Once you have chosen your course, be realistic about what you can achieve. Most module outlines will give you an indication of how many hours you are expected to put in. Don’t sign up for too many courses concurrently, or you’ll never meet the deadlines. Worse, you’ll do them all badly, and then have to ask your employer for cash for exam re-sit fees. So plan carefully and only commit to what you believe you can actually do.
(4) Search Out Good Resources
Since you won’t be able to use university facilities, find a good online bookstore or a research library near you to buy or borrow books: many textbooks can be bought second-hand. You’ll also need a broadband connection and a printer; up to date software will be a help too. (Check for student discounts!)
(5) Create a Special Study Space
Set aside a space somewhere at home where you can study in peace and plan your study nights so that they become a regular thing, perhaps when your partner or flatmate is out so that you don’t get distracted. If that’s not possible, make friends with your local coffee shop owner who has free WiFi, and get a decent bag to take your books and laptop with you.
(6) Communicate with Management
At work, have a conversation with your manager as early as possible. You do need to get your employer on board, even if it’s slightly out of the scope of your normal day job. A business analyst could study for a project management qualification, for example. Your employer might support you financially, or with time off for exams, or by giving you a bonus if you pass, or by helping you find another role in the sphere you want once you’re qualified. Even if they show no signs of rewarding you financially, you can show that you are developing other skills: tenacity, self-motivation, organization, planning and presenting a compelling argument, for example. All of these could open doors for you in the workplace.
(7) Plan Your Time Wisely
Advise human resources of study and exam dates when you’ll be out of the office well in advance and be prepared to be flexible with study leave. Don’t expect your colleagues to cover for you just because you’ve waited until the last minute to get a paper done.