Alternatives to full time education at university
For those who would prefer to study closer to home or for a variety of reasons do not wish to undertake a degree programme at a traditional university, there are alternatives that provide similar levels of opportunity and breadth of choice but without any of the additional living or travelling expenses.

1) Long Distance Learning
More and more learning providers are offering students the option of studying their courses from home. An early exponent of distance learning was the Open University, but now many more universities and professional bodies have tapped into this market and provide the opportunity to study off-site. Distance learning has its advantages; the student is able to fit their studies around other commitments such as a job or family and at times to suit them, so that they are not regimented to attend classes or lectures at specific times and dates.

This sort of learning works well if you have a family and need to organise your studying in a flexible way depending on what your family are doing. You don't need to do your studying at regular times but can fit it in where you can. However it won’t work very well for people who need constant motivation to work hard as being such a flexible course may mean that they never get round to doing any work.

2) Online Courses
There are courses online where you can study to get a professional qualification with the help of tutors through chat rooms or live chat programs. You do need to make sure that these are reputable establishments and the qualifications that you get at the end are worth something. This sort of course will suit someone who is told by their employer that they can do training in work time, but needs something flexible for when work comes in that they have to do. An employer might pay for this course, or just allow you to study it during working hours. The disadvantage of this type of course is that it isn't always possible to contact the course tutor at times when you might need to. You may also find that you have to spend a lot of your free time working on it, if you employer doesn't allow you enough time to study in working hours.

3) Evening Classes
These can be great fun and a new place to meet people, but people don't always think of them as a way to get extra qualifications. However, there are many different courses that can be studied from GCSE's and A Levels to professional qualifications. Many local colleges offer evening classes and they can be a step onto foundation degrees or even full university education. A great example of this is OCVC, a college in Oxfordshire which offers evening classes and a range of foundation degrees in partnership with local universities, providing people with a wide range of opportunities.

The main advantage of an evening class is that you don't need to give up your regular job and therefore will still be able to earn the money you need to pay the bills. However, the disadvantages are that it will take you a long time to get a qualification as you are only studying a few hours a week and it may disrupt family life if you have young children. However, if you are young and single or your children have left home this could be a great option for you.

So you can see that there are plenty of ways that you can get qualifications without having to leave your current job or make the big step to university.

Written on behalf of OCVC