Going to university to study for a full time degree is one option. Another option is to study part time alongside a job.
The website – Not Going to Uni has an article on how to get your employer to pay for your degree and it describes how it is a win-win for both employer and employee.
I have done all of my study part time. I worked for The Post Office and they paid for me to do my first degree with The Open University. Not sure what their policy is now but back then they paid 80% of fees and paid 50% of books, plus I got 2 days for revision leave for each full credit course.
Later they paid for me to do a certificate in counselling, and 2 masters degrees. Each time I made a business case, it took time but it was worth it. Other people didn’t get the funding, and maybe they never made a business case. It took time but it was worth it, plus it was important for me to see the relevance for everything I did, so I did my counselling qualification whilst working as a welfare officer. For me, making it clear on the benefits to the business was the way to do this rather than what I personally was going to get out of it.
I always think study whilst working is a good thing, and each time I went for a promotion it really helped at interview, I clearly was demonstrating determination and resilience.
Nowadays it costs so much to go to University, and many people are considering the OU or a vocational qualification, I do think it’s worth looking into so going to university is a conscious decision rather than the expected next step.
