If you’re looking to learn new skills or gain some knowledge, taking a course in the subject is a logical approach.
Depending on the depth you want to get into and what you plan to do with that information will inform the type of course.
If you want to study history with the intention to become a university lecturer then what you need to do is prescriptive. Study A Levels or an Access to HE Diploma, get a degree and then a master’s or PhD.
Taking a course that didn’t provide you with the required qualification would be totally counterproductive.
Why you’re learning matters as much as what you want to learn, when you’re choosing which course to study.
If you’re learning simply to understand a subject better or to deliver a part of your job more efficiently, is a qualification necessary?
Sometimes knowing how to use Word or how to write a crime novel is of more value than a certificate saying you know.
Courses without Certificates
While there are hundreds of courses that will provide you with a nationally recognised qualification, others do not.
The best you can hope for is a completion certificate proving you attended and completed the course.
Depending on your circumstances that can be perfectly adequate. If you’re taking a course for work, a completion certificate is almost incidental. Your employer is more interested in the improved output that course provides than a piece of paper.
If you’re looking for a new role, short courses and the like will help as you can demonstrate that knowledge in interviews. But for many hiring managers and recruiters, nothing beats a qualification so be prepared for any follow up questions.
Courses that do not provide you with a qualification upon completion are still valid. It just depends on your learning outcomes.
Courses of this type quite often provide a foundational knowledge that you can then build on. What can start of as a passing interest and a desire to learn more can grow into a passion.
It is a relatively inexpensive way of dipping your academic toe in the water before you commit to an extended period of study.
Some students even find what starts off as a passing curiosity turns into their life’s calling. Had they been hung up on getting a qualification to begin with, that path may have stayed closed to them forever.
Equally, sometimes courses of these types are simply there to teach you a skill set you may lack or to plug gaps in your existing knowledge. Or simply teach you how to do something better than you did before.
When choosing your course, consider what your learning out comes are. It’s not always what you’ll get at the end of the course but what you’ve learned that’s the more important part.
Define your Outcomes
If you want to learn about a subject or acquire a set of skills, it’s very important to define your learning outcomes first.
There is a world of difference between wanting to learn a little more about a subject and become a leading authority.
The latter requires years of dedicated study, including undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. It’s quite the journey and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Not least because it will bring with it considerable life changes.
If on the other hand you just want to be better informed, then a short course is the place to start.
Taking a LinkedIn or Hubspot certification – which has quite specific applications and limited value outside of those platforms – is still useful.
It won’t necessarily transform your career, but it will help you do your job better if you use those tools.
If you want to write a novel but you’re not sure how to approach it then a short course to give you that knowledge is ideal. You don’t need a qualification in novel writing to be a novelist. You need the knowledge and the talent.
If you want to study meditation to improve your mental wellbeing, then a certificate isn’t remotely necessary.
If you want to instruct others in meditation, then that introduction will give you something to build on when you take further courses.
Short courses can also complement your primary field of study, providing valuable insight and allow you to draw on wider themes.
The outcome of this course isn’t to get a qualification. Rather you are using that learning to improve your knowledge and apply it to another course and qualification.
The range of courses available through online learning providers means that the opportunities for learning something new are massive.
Whether you want to go to university, or just learn something new, there will be a course for you.
Online learning gives you the freedom to study what you want, at a time and place that works best for you. Not the person running the course.
You still get the benefit of tutor support, the qualification and expanding your knowledge but without the hassle.
You can organise your learning around your circumstances and tailor your studies in a way that works best for you.
And don’t forget, online learning usually offers a flexible way of paying for the course so you can manage your finances better too.
Stonebridge Associated Colleges offer a wide range of courses in order to help you realise your ambitions.
Check out our short courses or contact a member of our sales team today to learn more and enrol.
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