University students
3 December, 2017

Can a university course be perfect for every student?

The short answer is no.

Unfortunately, those who are studying with a view to a future career, are often left with a less-than-satisfactory experience. Sadly, either the qualification they achieve has out-of-date content, or there are limited career opportunities in the industry chosen.

There is a simple way to successfully study with a future career as your realistic goal.

Know which questions to ask yourself

  1. What outcome do I want from any course I undertake? (i.e. change career?)
  2. Is the career I’m studying for in a job-rich industry?
  3. Am I looking for an on-campus experience or 100% online around work and personal commitments?
  4. Will those around me support me to succeed?
  5. When do I want to start studying?

Know which questions to ask educators

  1. What will it cost? (is there any government funding?)
  2. Is the course engaging and interesting?
  3. Is it real-world relevant to current industry practices?
  4. What will I need to spend on books and equipment?
  5. Is the course flexible around my other commitments?

Obviously, there are many more questions you should, and no doubt will, ask. However, these are some of the most important ones.

Study is just for school leavers

This common misconception is one of the key reasons holding many people back from achieving their career goals.

One key is to discover the many ways to study for your future success.

Traditional on-campus study is great for social interaction and making new friends while you study. For some though, this isn’t practical from a geographic or time point of view – particularly if you are working to meet commitments and cannot take the required time off work to attend your classes.

Blended learning is becoming more popular. Here, you have a degree of online learning flexibility, combined with your campus timetable. This often reduces campus attendance to lectures, a few classes, assessments and exams. A great compromise if you want less travel time and don’t feel you need as much personal interaction with classmates.

100% online learning allows you to create your own study timetable for your week. You can continue working, and much of your other personal commitments can remain untouched. However, online learning does require personal planning, support from those around you and an education provider that offers real support when you need it. If this is an option you are interested in, confirm with any educator that the course you’re interested in is, actually, 100% online – including all assessments.

So, there are a few tips to get you started on your career journey.