Make your own deadlines and clear your overdraft? Distance learning might be for you.
When thinking about further study post-degree, the idea of distance learning isn’t the first thing to pop into most people’s heads. Yet it might be an ideal solution for those in a lot of debt who want a further qualification, as Claire Vinent found out.
“I have to confess I didn’t do very much research before enrolling on a distance-learning course. I wanted to continue studying beyond graduation but couldn’t afford to study full-time.
I found a Copy-Editing course offered by The Publishing Training Centre through the internet and it seemed just the thing to supplement my degree in English and Philosophy.
I was initially drawn to distance-learning because it was cheap. Having racked up thousands of pounds of debt studying full-time at Nottingham University for three years, comparatively cheap fees meant I could afford to carry on studying. At first I found the break from a real bricks-and-mortar university difficult, especially as most of my housemates were still full-time students.
Whilst they lived off their loans and moaned about having to venture onto campus, I worked full-time and felt detached from the material I was studying. I began to feel as though enrolling on the course had been a big mistake.
My feelings towards the course changed after I submitted my first assignment. Upon receiving my marked work back I found my tutor had given me a fantastic mark and lots of invaluable in-depth guidance.
Having gone to a larger university where over-burdened tutors often neglected to provide anything more than basic criticism, I really appreciated the lengths my tutor had gone to in order to explain how I could improve my work.
What's more, I realised that I’d completed a unit of work and found time to socialise and earn enough to pay off a third of my overdraft. Due to the fact that you complete coursework in your own time a distance-learning course is extremely convenient and a godsend to those (like myself) who struggle with time-management. I discovered that I was a lot more productive when I used my time well. Instead of feeling detached I felt independent. I also found that the resources provided as part of the course exceeded my expectations.
I had an extensive course-pack, personal tutor and online resources at my disposal 24 hours-a-day. As the services were so readily available it was easy to fit coursework in during the odd spare half-hour and I found I worked more steadily than I had throughout my degree due to the fact that resources were so easily accessible. I’ve nearly finished my course now and am looking for full-time work. I have to say I would definitely recommend distance-learning. Courses provide value-for-money, a chance to enhance your skills base without taking time out from full-time employment and encourage students to be proactive and independent.”
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