Thinking of studying?

It can be a bit daunting trying to decide what to do with your life, especially when your time is limited day to day. Here are some tips to getting started....

1) Request a free brochure/ guide from every training institute that is close enough to get to. Spend an evening looking through all your options and make a list of everything that stands out to you.
Ask other people what they think you might be good at but ultimately you have to do something that YOU want to do, otherwise it will hard to keep the motivation up.

2) Once you have an idea of the area you would like to study in do an internet search for any correspondence courses on offer as this may be easier if you have pre-schoolers etc.

3) Look at part time and full time study options in your chosen topic and be realistic about what you can cope with. If you have limited childcare options then you will need to look for something that has class times that will work for you.

4) If you are on a benefit have a talk to the right people about how studying could change your entitlements (it may or may not). In fact government agencies are often really happy to hear you are studying something useful.

5) Keep an eye out for any free short courses on offer around your area, this may be a good way to test out a topic before committing to a longer course.

6) If you are needing to get a loan for study make sure the course you want to do fits the criteria of the loan. You don't want to be disappointed after you have signed up if you find that your course is not eligible for student loans.

7) Some training institutes offer childcare on site so keep that in mind.

8) Don't be put off by courses that require lots of essays and assignments, every training institute has student support services that can help you if needed.

Finally, don't be afraid to try something new - 'the expert in anything was once a beginner too' - and take advantage of any help that is offered. In the long run you are setting up a better future for you and your kids, isn't that awesome!