When you’re choosing a course there’s a lot to take into account. It pays to do your research so you can put your finger on exactly what you’re looking for. Here we answer some of your most common questions.
Qualifications - what are they and why do I need them?
Qualifications prove you've got certain knowledge or developed particular skills. They're documents that prove your achievements.
For some jobs like doctor and teacher, it's essential you have specific qualifications. For other jobs, such as being a plasterer’s mate, it’s not essential but it can help if you’ve got a relevant qualification.
You'll need qualifications to get onto certain courses. Most universities set entry requirements for degree courses. Mature entrants don't always need formal qualifications, but need evidence of recent study, relevant work experience or professional qualifications.
Professional bodies may give you membership if you have certain qualifications.
It's not always essential to have a qualification. Working knowledge – such as being able to use certain computer packages – can be just as important.
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Why might I want to do a course?
You might want to:
- change career
- do a work-related course after doing an academic one
- get promoted
- work towards a higher course - a degree for example
- learn something new
- stimulate your mind
- meet people.
If you’re clear about your motives for studying, it will help you choose the best course that can get you to where you want to be. If you want to get promoted you'll need to find a course relevant to your line of work. If you’re more interested in self-development and meeting people, you might want to find out what type of people are usually on the course.
If you want to do a course but aren’t sure which one, you could:
- call 0800 100 900 and ask to speak to one of our Careers Coaches
- carry out a self-analysis or personality test to find out your likes and dislikes – such as our skills and interests assessment
- talk things over with your friends and family.
You can also email an adviser or request a call back at a time to suit you.
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Which type of course should I do?
Generally speaking there are two types of courses: work-related and academic courses.
Vocational courses can be called ‘work-based courses’. These courses prepare you for work, leading towards specific jobs like being a plumber or a broad work area like construction. A vocational course might suit you if you know which job or work area you want to go into, and you like learning practical skills by doing things.
Academic courses can be called ‘exam-based’ or ‘class-based’ courses and are often about learning theories, ideas and facts. Academic courses give you knowledge in a subject area. You might prefer an academic course if you like researching, analysing and presenting arguments.
Further education colleges offer academic courses and work-related courses.
Universities offer academic higher education qualifications, such as first degrees and higher degrees. They also offer the more vocational BTEC Higher National Diplomas and Certificates.
For some jobs, there’s only one type of course that can get you qualified. For example, to be a plumber you need to do a vocational NVQ course and to be a doctor you need an academic university degree. However, to get into many jobs you have a choice between academic and vocational courses.
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Which type of study would suit me best?
If you prefer on-the-job training you might prefer a work-related (vocational) course. If you prefer to research and gather facts you might prefer an academic course.
If you like working in a group covering the same topics and working towards the same goal you’ll probably enjoy a course where you attend a place like a college or a university.
If you want to work on your own at your own pace, an open or distance learning course might suit you. You study from home, with the help of tuition packs, computers and tutor support via telephone or email. You can speed through the course or take your time. But to study successfully this way you’ll need self-discipline and motivation.
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What about my personal circumstances?
If you have children, you'll need to arrange childcare before starting the course – most colleges and universities offer creche facilities.
If you’re a full-time worker, a part-time or an open/distance learning course might suit you best. You might also prefer open or distance learning if:
- you're working and aren't sure how much time a week you can commit to
- you work irregular hours
- you're at home looking after pre-school children.
Many colleges and training centres now have flexible open-learning courses, where you can study at your own pace.
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What about my financial circumstances?
Be realistic about the costs. Can you afford to give up work and study full-time? Full-time study will usually affect your financial and personal circumstances more than part-time or studying at home.
Make sure you investigate all sources of funding. Funding for adult, further and higher education is complicated. It depends on the type of course and your personal circumstances. Our Learning Advisers can give you advice on funding – call us on 0800 100 900.
It’s a good idea to work out your outgoings – mortgage, rent, bills etc. Review your assets and income (house, savings, partner's income etc) and see what your budget is.
There are hidden costs too, such as daily travel, books, equipment, and money for trips. Think about equipment – will you need a computer, for example?
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What about entry requirements?
Have you got the qualifications you need? For most courses there’s more than one acceptable entry qualification, so check out the full list. Older learners sometimes don’t need entry qualifications if they’ve got a lot of life or work experience.
One thing to bear in mind is that if you apply for a very popular course, you could be competing with applicants who have higher qualifications than the stated minimum. So you could be looking at pushing your additional skills and experience – such as voluntary experience – or other ways of proving you’d be successful on the course.
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Should I do an academic or work-related course?
An academic course might suit you if you haven’t yet got a clear job in mind, and you want to get a qualification that shows you've achieved a certain educational standard. This is very useful after all – getting academic qualifications shows you have analytical and critical skills, which you'll need in most jobs.
Many jobs ask for a general good standard of education, five GCSEs, good A levels, or a degree. They don't specify particular subjects, they just want evidence of educational achievement.
Some employers prefer practical skills rather than theoretical knowledge. For example, a media studies course might not greatly improve your chances of getting into this industry; some media employers will prefer you to have a practical/vocational course that has given you the skills you need for the job.
If you want the best of both worlds, you could do an academic course first, to get that educational standard. You could get the practical skills by doing voluntary work whilst you're on the course; or by studying a vocational course after your academic course.
If you know which job you want to do from the off, and you enjoy learning practical skills, you might prefer to do a work-related (vocational) course.
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How do I know if it's a good course?
If you’re at this stage you might have decided which subject and type of course you want, and how to study it. If so, you’ll now need to choose between different course titles and course providers.
There are many courses out there, and some can be better than others. You’ll need to do your research to find out which ones are the best for you and are recognised by employers. There's a lot of information, so it's a good idea to keep records of the courses and providers you find.
Read the prospectus (course guide) carefully and watch out for courses that are recognised by an awarding body or a professional body. Courses like this tend to be respected and valued in the industry.
Don't take everything you read at face value; check out the facts about each course yourself. Ask the course tutor as many questions as you like. You could ask:
- what have previous students from the course gone on to do?
- are the tutors experienced within their industry?
- how much access to equipment or facilities will I have, for how long and how much will it cost?
- is the equipment up to industry-standard?
- what’s the tutor/student ratio?
If you visit you can also see the course in action and ask current students for their opinions.
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How can I be sure I'm making the right choice?
When you make a decision on something important like which course to do, it’s normal to have a few questions or doubts. These questions might help you decide if you’ve made the right choice.
Are you sure you want to go where the course can take you? If you've decided on a particular job, get an idea of what the job's about and if you'll like it. You could read careers information, buy trade magazines and speak to people currently working in the job.
Have you done your research on the course? It's better to take your time finding out exactly what the course is about, then your time and money will be well spent.
Have you been realistic about your chances of success? When we decide we want a career change, sometimes it’s easy to make a snap decision. Make sure you’re confident you’re aiming at the right level to start with. If you’re trying a subject you haven’t done before, or if you haven’t been in education for a while, you could consider an introductory course to ease you back in.
Have you had any advice? Our advisers can give you unbiased advice on how to choose the right course for you. Call 0800 100 900 to speak to one. You can also email an adviser or request a call back at a time to suit you.
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What am I going to do after the course?
Before or during your course it’s a good idea to plan for what you want to do when you finish. This is especially important if you’re doing a general course that doesn’t automatically lead to a specific job. Volunteering can help – for example, if you're doing an English course and want to be a journalist, you could write for the student newspaper or work on the radio.
If you want to specialise, or enter your chosen field at a higher level, you could do a more advanced course after completing your first course.
Having a plan will help you make the most of the opportunities that come your way when you're on the course. See tutors or guidance staff for help with volunteering or planning your next move.
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