Part time learning allows you to manage the demands of a job, a family or caring whilst studying or training. It allows you greater flexibility than full time learning while still improving your qualifications and job prospects. However, part time study will almost certainly mean that it will take longer to achieve your goals.
Reasons for learning part time
- you need additional qualifications but you don't want to stop work while you get them
- you need to update skills or acquire new ones
- you are thinking about changing your career and need different qualifications, but you want to get these gradually
- parts of a course are of special interest to you, but not the whole course
- you suddenly find that you have to stop studying for a while but want to return to it at a later date - part time study is more flexible in these circumstances
- you want a 'taste' of what studying might involve.
Most people choose part time learning because it enables you to 'learn and earn' at the same time. You can fit your studies around other professional and personal commitments and choose when and where you study. Many universities have lifelong learning centres; contact your nearest university for information. Courses at other levels of qualification are often run locally in schools and colleges. Your local library will have details.