Studying when your older can be a daunting thing, I recently took my Recruitment REC Level 3 exam, it was the fast track course which was 5 weeks of home studying and 3 days of classroom learning in London followed by the 2-and-a-half-hour exam.
I have not taken an exam since my GCSE’s 13 years ago but I wanted to push myself as I love working in recruitment and I want to progress and challenge myself as much as possible so gaining a qualification was naturally the next step for me but the thought of taking the exam filled me with dread and almost put me off taking it completely.
When I was at school all I cared about was my friends and socialising so when it came to my GCSE’s I will admit I did 0 studying and put no effort into them, I didn’t even think or realise how important they actually are. So now that I am older (and I like to think wiser) the pressure I have put on myself to pass this exam is high, I have worked full-time whilst studying which has been difficult – every spare minute I have had I have tried to study. I find it easier learning in a practical way and just reading from a coursebook just goes straight through me, so I spent a lot of time creating bright flash cards for myself and just kept reading them repeatedly.
When I got to London to attend the 3 day course I was surprised at how much I actually remembered and had learnt so when it came to doing the exam I felt like I couldn’t of prepared anymore and it was up to fate what the results would be. I will receive my results in a few week’s time and I’m really nervous, if I fail at least I have tried, and I can always retake them, but fingers crossed I will pass!!
So, what are the benefits of studying when your older?
Boost’s your confidence – You must learn something new, usually this relates to your chosen career. While learning on the job is all well and good having professional qualifications to back this up is great and cements what you already know so builds confidence in your ability.
Increases Finances - Professional qualifications are a way of establishing yourself as a professional in your field who has extensive knowledge and can enable you to negotiate a higher pay rate when applying for a role.
You have better time management skills – Your time management skills are far better later in life than when you were younger. It is very easy to waste time when your young and don’t have bills to pay or children to look after. Your priorities are different, you are also most likely paying for the course yourself which can be expensive.
Let’s you change direction in your career – If you have been in the same role for years and are fed up and fancy a change studying something new is a good way to test the waters to see if you will enjoy a role within that sector.
So, what you are waiting for, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Believe in yourself if you don’t try, you’ll never know!