Distance Learning/University Time Commitment

Hi everyone,

I'm currently thinking about starting a distance learning course and then progressing onto uni. The problem is that I'm working full time and I can't really afford to take part time work or quit my job.

However I work night time security so I can spend a lot of time studying while I'm at work, as most of the time I'm guarding a static site and being undisturbed. I can probably meet the quota of hours required to study but my worry is that sometimes I won't be able to attend certain lectures as I work a 4 on 4 off shift pattern. (I'll be able to attend on my days off work however.)

I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation before and if it can be done as I'm committed to making it work but I'm cautious about jumping in without getting a proper idea. (The course I'm wanting to study is Nursing.)

Thanks!

Reply 1

Stacey_D

6

Original post by zombiepig

Hi everyone,

I'm currently thinking about starting a distance learning course and then progressing onto uni. The problem is that I'm working full time and I can't really afford to take part time work or quit my job.

However I work night time security so I can spend a lot of time studying while I'm at work, as most of the time I'm guarding a static site and being undisturbed. I can probably meet the quota of hours required to study but my worry is that sometimes I won't be able to attend certain lectures as I work a 4 on 4 off shift pattern. (I'll be able to attend on my days off work however.)

I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation before and if it can be done as I'm committed to making it work but I'm cautious about jumping in without getting a proper idea. (The course I'm wanting to study is Nursing.)

Thanks!

Hello! I am 37 and have a busy work/life schedule too. I am currently studying a distance learning, science/healthcare professional based Access to HE Diploma to apply to Uni to study Dietetics. I would imagine that it would be a similar course to the one you would need to pursue a degree in Nursing. The course is coursework based with no attendance required, so would really suit your work pattern as you wouldn't need to take any days out to attend anything. I have had one online supervised exam so far, but my tutor arranged for that to be done on a day / time to suit us both. I have been writing a lot of essays and doing my own research to conincide with the course material and my tutor is available by phone and through the college website/platform. They are designed for people like us as a stepping stone to Uni :smile:

And if you can do a bit of study at work, then that is a huge bonus!
Before enrolling onto the course, I did a lot of research - universities and distance learning access course providers. I contacted the Uni I wanted to attend and gave them a list of all the modules I would be studying on the Access course I was thinking about and they agreed that it matched the entry requirements for the course and told me the grades I would need to get to be considered. I am a quarter of the way through the course and I have just sent off my UCAS application for 2021 - eeek!
The course is quite intense, but I am enjoying it and know full well that it is preparing me for academic study at degree level.
I wish you all the best in your journey and hope this has helped somewhat!
Stacey

Reply 2

Arden University

17

Original post by zombiepig

Hi everyone,

I'm currently thinking about starting a distance learning course and then progressing onto uni. The problem is that I'm working full time and I can't really afford to take part time work or quit my job.

However I work night time security so I can spend a lot of time studying while I'm at work, as most of the time I'm guarding a static site and being undisturbed. I can probably meet the quota of hours required to study but my worry is that sometimes I won't be able to attend certain lectures as I work a 4 on 4 off shift pattern. (I'll be able to attend on my days off work however.)

I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation before and if it can be done as I'm committed to making it work but I'm cautious about jumping in without getting a proper idea. (The course I'm wanting to study is Nursing.)

Thanks!

Hey @zombiepig,

Have you ever done a degree course before? If not you could get funding from Student Finance England even if it is a postgraduate course. I work fulltime and since switching jobs from retail to a term time only job I do most of my study in the evening and at weekends. I don't make every live lecture but they are recorded for me to watch back when I am free and I can email questions in to my lecturer beforehand if I want something answering during them. My course is part time so we are expected to do 20 hours of study a week for about 10 weeks and then get a 3 week study break after assignment hand in, however some weeks I do study a lot less than others and vice versa!

Hope that gives you a bit of an insight :-)

Abigail
Arden University Student Ambassador

Reply 3

Arden University

17

Original post by zombiepig

Hi everyone,

I'm currently thinking about starting a distance learning course and then progressing onto uni. The problem is that I'm working full time and I can't really afford to take part time work or quit my job.

However I work night time security so I can spend a lot of time studying while I'm at work, as most of the time I'm guarding a static site and being undisturbed. I can probably meet the quota of hours required to study but my worry is that sometimes I won't be able to attend certain lectures as I work a 4 on 4 off shift pattern. (I'll be able to attend on my days off work however.)

I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation before and if it can be done as I'm committed to making it work but I'm cautious about jumping in without getting a proper idea. (The course I'm wanting to study is Nursing.)

Thanks!

@zombiepig
I'm currently doing a distance learning university course so I could give you some tips.

Firstly, in terms of your nursing aspirations, it might be best talking to a local FE College to see if you can do an Access to HE course as a blended learning option (this is the way the market is going). The purely online version of the courses by some providers have a very high drop out and poor achievement rate (although some are decent).

If you are going into Nursing, at degree level this will involve a placement, typically for around 50% of your course working on the front line.

In terms of distance learning, I typically spend about 14 hours a week studying (which includes working on assignments), it is different for different learners, Typically we have a 10 week assignment cycle and then we get 3 weeks rest whilst the work is marked

Marc
Arden University Student Ambassador

Reply 4

zombiepig

OP

3

Thank you for your advice everyone, I've realised that if I were to go to Uni with the amount of bursary that I would recieve through a maintenance loan plus part time hours would be a similar wage to what I'm doing now. So I'm going to do a distance Access Course until I get the qualification then just switch to part time work and take out the maintenance loan. I didn't realise mature students could still get the maintenance loan 🤣

Good luck.

Original post by zombiepig

Thank you for your advice everyone, I've realised that if I were to go to Uni with the amount of bursary that I would recieve through a maintenance loan plus part time hours would be a similar wage to what I'm doing now. So I'm going to do a distance Access Course until I get the qualification then just switch to part time work and take out the maintenance loan. I didn't realise mature students could still get the maintenance loan 🤣

Hey Zombiepig - that's exactly what I am trying to do :smile:

Good luck! Stacey

Reply 7

ajj2000

20

What course were you looking to take? I've come across people who did a lot of studying working security jobs.

Reply 8

Donnab29

1

Hi Stacey, which distance learning provider are you studying with? Looking for one and want to get in to Dietetics too. Thank you. Donna

Reply 9

Coventry University Student Ambassadors

Official Rep

16

Original post by Donnab29

Hi Stacey, which distance learning provider are you studying with? Looking for one and want to get in to Dietetics too. Thank you. Donna

Hi @Donnab29,

It's nice to hear you're interested in studying Dietetics. I'm a current Dietetics student at Coventry University, so if you have any questions you'd like to ask me, then I'd be more than happy to help :smile:

Veronica
Dietetics and Human Nutrition Student

Distance Learning/University Time Commitment

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