Studying Part-time

Is part-time studying the future you want?

For months now, I’ve been a masochist, spending thousands on an endeavour that also takes up a good chunk off my free-time. An endevour to obtain a degree in science.

Thankfully, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. The last two modules end in September of 2018. After that, I’ll be a free certified man.

Too much doom and gloom? For someone like me who struggles to get something useful done each day, it’s certainly a struggle.

At the end of these 4 and a half years I’ll have a certificate in my hands. I shouldn’t be complaining.

It’s a modern day miracle. Being a university dropout in my early 20s, this was a way to bounce back, through an online correspondence course with The Open University.

Some insightful words:

There are two types of people in this world, those who are always upbeat and productive, and those who find every task difficult to manage. Being in the former does help with part-time studies but it’s not the end of the world if you aren’t.

If you are like me and find some days difficult to wake up from bed or have periods were you are in a foul mental state, it does make it  a bit harder to keep a constant work load. Remember that you will be doing your studies after 8 hours or more of work.

Time management is an important skill to master if you want everything to pass like breeze. Sadly, I’m not the best at it.

The poo hits the fan around the turn of the term, usually around February. You’ve been going at it for four months and you’re bored. The end would be a few months away and you’ll find yourself saying: “I don’t want to do this anymore. I want my life back.”

Having said that, I kept going and passed with great results and so should anyone who perseveres. Even doing a minimal amount of work and procastinating assignments would get you out with a degree. Can vouch for it because I’ve seen some of my colleagues do that.

Another thing that will keep you motivated is choosing topics that arouse your interest. These will keep you engaged and make time reading notes a tad more enjoyable.

The financial aspect is also important. Course fees, in my case, increased by 10% in the last four years. Be sure you can sustain yourself while also being able to pay your fees easily. The last thing you want is dreading your fees, making it easier for you to quit or take a year or two off.

My tutors were very friendly and helpful so far. Having experienced the scholastic life at the University of Malta, turning to The Open University was a breath of fresh air.

At my old Uni, the lecturers were lacking motivation and I was also threatened to be failed by an important staff member, all the details in some post in the future.

Going back to my current studies, most of the notes are software based, so be ready to stay infront of a monitor for an extended period of time. Not everyone agrees with this, a lot of people prefer books, but in certain modules the notes are full of videos and activities which require an electronic device. A lifesaver for me was a small 6 inch tablet.

Would definitely recommend one of these courses especially with The Open University. Be sure of what you’re doing, plan, stick with it and you’ll definitely succeed in achieving your dream title.

 

P.S. Even though ‘The Open University’ is given credit, this post isn’t sponsered in anyway by said institute. All views are my own.