on the job


ND THE GLORY S


tudying while working full-time is inevitably going to be a challenge, but there are also some major advantages. If you are thinking about enrolling on a course, it is important to consider what options are available


and what challenges you are likely to face. You should also speak to friends, family and colleagues about your decision – you may be surprised how well they know you.


FULL- OR PART-TIME


The first decision to make is whether you want to study full or part time. Annette McCone, outreach and widening participation officer at Birkbeck, says: “The way we think about it is if you study part-time you focus on work and your studies are around your work and social life, whereas if you chose to study full-time you focus on the study and you fit your work and social life around that.” She says that most people who study part-time attend lectures between two and three evenings per week, whereas full-time courses involve three or four evenings per week.


ADVANTAGES


The main advantage of studying while working is being able to learn while you earn. On top of this, gaining additional qualifications can make you more employable in the future. “So many people have degrees these days,” says full-time student, Michelle Cunnington. “You have to stand out to get noticed and you can do this by gaining additional qualifications.” You can also gain essential life skills by studying while working. Having to balance work, life and study requires great time management, but once you have mastered this it is a skill that can be applied across many other aspects of your life.


Another benefit is that you are meeting and socialising with like-minded people. “There is something empowering about studying alongside a peer group who are highly


motivated,” says McCone. “Engaging in learning also brings about confidence and self-esteem,” she adds.


CHALLENGES It is clear that there are a number of advantages to studying while working, but there are also plenty of challenges that you will have to face. Balancing studying with work and leisure time is something that many people find hard to do. It is important to remember that it is not necessary to abandon things that you enjoy. Time spent with friends and family is, and definitely should be, possible, but it is inevitable that sacrifices will have to be made. “People have to learn how to balance their priorities,


balance their time and become efficient at managing these things,” says Jeremy Coninx, director of operations at HCUK. “This requires a lot of determination, dedication and energy and isn’t something that necessarily comes easy to everyone.” He adds that there are academic challenges on top of time management challenges that students often face. “Some people have been out of education for quite a while,” he says. “They may have forgotten the intellectual demands of studying. This on top of work and leisure can be a lot to handle.”


THE DECISION IS YOURS There is no doubt that it is not easy to balance a full time job with the demands of a postgraduate course and personal commitments, but it is certainly achievable. It’s important to weigh up the pros and cons of studying while working, and to choose a subject that you are really interested in. Speak to friends, family and colleagues about your decision – they may have some valuable advice. It is also worthwhile speaking to someone at the college or university about the course to find out everything there is to know before you make the commitment.


While it certainly isn’t for everyone, many will say that it is the best thing they have ever done. Of course, the final decision lies with you.


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