There’s been a 41% drop in the number of students studying part-time. Coming from myself, a full-time student, just about to start my second year of study, I can understand why more and more students are opting for the full-time option.
What Does Part Time Study Involve?
Even when I was applying for university back in 2013, I never once looked at the option of studying part-time, firstly I had absolutely no idea what it really meant, were you in for half the hours? I also thought it was for students who were going to uni close to home. After a little more research, I realised that you studied exactly the same stuff you would if you were to study full-time, but you do it over an extended amount of time. So for my three year degree, someone studying it part-time would be studying a six year degree. Sounds long, doesn’t it?
When you study part-time, you study the same things as those in first year for the first semester of the first year, but after that, you then start to drop behind. I wouldn’t like the idea of making all those friends, then not being in lectures, seminars, workshops etc with them again. You’ll be studying with a lot of different people throughout your time, and don’t you think it’s crazy that the people you first met at university will have graduated when you’re only half-way through the same degree?
Personal Experience
On my course, there’s about 100 of us. I don’t know anyone who is studying it part-time. As I mentioned, I literally knew hardly anything about part-time study. It seems that a lot of the part-time students are parents, as it allows them to have enough time to spend with their family. I’d struggle to study full-time and then look after children. But that’s me talking, a 19-year-old who can’t even look after herself properly!
I have a new level of respect for people that study part-time and work full-time.
— Anele (@ItsAnele) July 16, 2015
I chose to study and work part time. It’s stressful but it seems like I have found a way to balance the two.
— +Macadelic (@barbschikwa) July 10, 2015
I personally think that a main factor for the drop in the amount of part-time students is purely because of the time that it takes to complete a degree which can be completed in a shorter amount of time. I’m sure by the time full-time students start their final year, they’re ready to go out into the big wide world and find their dream job. Although the student life is great, and a lot of graduates say they’d love to re-live their university years, they all probably feel that it’s definitely time to leave education. The majority of students start university once they’ve finished their A-levels and are fresh out of sixth form or college, reaching 21 makes you feel ready to start earning money instead of borrowing from the governement, and having to return home during holidays.
Even now, I’m a first year – going into my second year, and at the young age of 19, I’m super glad I made the decision to study at university. I feel that I’m too young to properly move out and work full-time. It’s weird to see that this time last year, I’d just completed my A-levels and was anxiously waiting for results day, while my friends were all enjoying their summer and had no known plans for the rest of their life, apart from to start job searching for a job ‘soon’. So to arrive back home from university last month all excited to see friends and asking “Anyone want to do this…” It really does suck when the response is no, I’m working, or that they only have a few weeks holiday per year.
If you do opt to study part-time, the youngest person to be graduating would be about 24. 24 to me personally is too old to still be in education, even now I struggle at the age of 19, as I grew up thinking education ended at the age of 16. You really do get the full university experience if you go for the traditional full-time study option, that way you stick with your friendship group throughout your time there.
I don’t think that studying part-time will give you a better grade, If I were to study part-time, it would make me super lazy. Full-time still gives you enough time to enjoy the social life of being a university student, but you also get pushed to your limit, which I feel is the best way to study and you do get a lot from it.
