Studying for recognized qualifications, such as GCSEs, A-levels and degrees in your own home at your own pace can be an pleasing plan.
Distance or open learning offers an alternative to studying at a set time in a set place, like a school, college or university .
How does it work?
Once you have selected and registered for your chosen course you'll be paired up with a tutor.
Although it's unlikely you'll meet up with them in person, they are contactable via phone or email and provide feedback on your work.
Although it's unlikely you'll meet up with them in person, they are contactable via phone or email and provide feedback on your work.
You'll be sent your course materials, such as printed materials, CD-ROMs, DVDs, set books and assignment tasks and then the hard work is up to you. Most courses provide charts and advice to help you structure your study and organise your time.
The pros :
Flexible: You may have `cut-off dates' for assignments or set dates for exams but how and when you study is up to you.
Course materials: At school, if you miss out on what the teachers have said, it's hard to pick up what you've missed. With home study, it's really useful being able to read back through the module you have just done.
Cost: Although you have to pay for distance learning, the fees are usually quite reasonable, you don't have travel and living costs on top of fulltime study, and you can work at the same time.
The cons :
Lack of interaction: If you're the kind of person that enjoys bouncing ideas around with teachers and other students you may find it hard to study alone.
Motivation: The benefit of having a teacher is that they are there to motivate you. Then again, if you've chosen to do this course, you should be pretty selfmotivated anyway .
Time management: All this freedom can leave you feeling like you have forever to do your work, which can be hard if you thrive under pressure.
You'll need to set your own targets and put enough pressure on yourself to make sure you stick to them.
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