Is home study worthwhile?

saver03

I really want to dome some home studying as I would love some more qualifications and believe this to be the most flexible way to study and still continue to work. Plus I will be 29 in Spetember so I may feel a bit old and out of place in the classroom

I have been having a look around and in an ideal world I would like to do some GCSEs, A levels and some diploma courses but obviously this would be very expensive. Also, I do have enough qualifications to go straight to uni but I would like to get back into studying before going straight into a degree. Plus, would more qualifications look better on my CV and give me a better chance of getting into a good uni or should I just do a couple?

I wondered in anyone had any experience with home study and if they could recommend it and also, is it worth the money?

Some of the websites I have visited
ICS
Learning at home
Home Learning College
Learning Curve Home Study
Oxford Open Learning (OOL)

rog2

ALL study is worthwhile, and 'age' should be no barrier.

I would start by looking at what the local tech college has to offer.

DaveJH

You could also try the Open University, I've just started working towards a degree with them. There Level 1 courses are designed to get you back in to studying.

As for the age thing, I wouldn't worry about it my current course has a wide age range from late 20's to mid 50's.

Bagpuss741

I've studied with ICS and they are good. Up until last week I was studying Aromatherapy and Massage with Shirley Price Aromatherapy. I am 12 anatomy lessons away from being a qualified aromatherapist, unfortunately last week they went bust:mad: Luckily for me, according to local trading standards because I paid for one module (£229) on a credit card I may get all my money back (over £1000) I have to say for once the money doesn't bother me I have been studying for 4/5 years and am really concerned that all the hard work will be worthless:eek:

Broken_hearted

Yes if you get it free, having to pay for my OU course makes me feel ripped off.

Burlesque_Babe

Have a look at your local Adult Learning website within your local authority.

They will offer everything from level 1 and 2 maths and english (level 2 is the equivalent to O level/GCSE grade C), through to professional City and Guilds qualifications.

I work for Adult Learning and trust me - age is no barrier - we have learners from as young as 14 right up to those in their 80s enjoying a huge range of courses. It isn't just about pottery and nude pastels any more!

There are lots of NVQ's available as well and depending on your financial situation, you may get a concession on many of them.

i've also studied with the OU and it's great for dipping into a subject as you can do individual modules - they don't necessarily have to lead to anything, but great if they do! I found the OU work to be much more thorough and all-encompassing than the degree I did at Uni in the late 80s - but maybe I was just on a crap course!

juno

I'm currently studying with the OU, and it's been hard but sooooooo worth it. You can get financial support with them, although for the "Openings" courses which are designed to get you into study, you can't. They are only £99, though, and you get a lot of support.

I have found that people take me more seriously now they know I'm studying, and I think it's improved my self esteem too. So it's not just what you learn on the course that counts.

compulsivespender79

I'm currently doing a Certificate in Business Office Information Systems (just a full course in Microsoft Office Basically) through Moustraining and Plymouth University (just google Moustraining). The Certificate costs £50 in total, and you get loads of training materials, a good online student support centre, and you own tutor that you can email as and when required.
On successful completion of the certificate you can go on to do the Higher Education Certificate in BOIS, which is a further £80. That's equivalent to a HNC/1st year of a degree/120 credits. Those credits can then be transferred to a full degree course should you choose to do that.
Definitely well worth it I'd say, and quite cheap compared to some other courses available.

nimbo

i study with the OU too, and it really is interesting, and rewarding... they do large course (= to 1/2 a yesr full time at uni, or 60pts to ones which are 10pts to get you warmed up so worth a look)

some colleges offer GCSE English and Maths for free as part of the drive to improve adult literacy/numeracy...

i am also atudying for a GCSE in human biology, but this is at the moment on the edge of being too much with all of the OU stuff too... just determined to finish it now as i've paid about £200 for it...

Eternal_Optimist

Yes home studying is definitely worth it:T
I began studying partime with the OU in 2003 and completed my degree at Xmas just gone:j
I found the whole experience worthwhile and personally it was an ambition postponed but eventually fulfilled. I started a degree at University of Glasgow way back in 1982 but came out with a baby instead of a degree:rotfl:

However, 25years later with the OU I finally got my degree and I feel more confident about my education and more confident in general. I'm hoping it will lead to a career change but opportunities in the area I'm interested are few and far between in the locality I live in.

Definitely look into it and let us know what you've decided:cool:

Best wishes:beer:

rayday2

Be careful at some of the home learning sites they can offer qualifications that mean nothing on paper, you need to look for GCSE, A Levels or NVQ or know exactly what the diploma is in - sometimes these words are used but mean nothing to employers.

If you look at job adverts what you would like to do then see what qualifications they ask for.

Also be wary some courses cost a fortune and who you speak to is a salesman and sometimes even push credit to fund it. My brother in law had one nationally recognised company come round made out computers paid mega bucks but what they were offering would not earn him more than 13k tops.