Learning for personal development
Living and working in a knowledge-driven society is the challenging reality we face these days. The job market changes quickly and there’s a continuous demand for new skills, more knowledge and higher levels of functioning.
There are many reasons why you might wish to improve your qualifications or add to your skills profile: you may want to qualify for a promotion; you’re considering a career change; or perhaps you just want to ensure that you stay abreast of new developments in your industry. Unfortunately, finding the time (and budget) to study is a great challenge for most working people, so reaching your full personal and business potential often has to take a back seat.
Wits Plus, the Centre for PartTime Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, accommodates working professionals who want to further their studies by offering a wide range of accredited short courses and degrees after working hours.
Why do people study part-time?
In terms of work/career aspirations, many mature students hope that further education (a degree, in many instances) will help them to develop the skills they need to remain relevant in a fast-changing world. Others hope to increase their chances of career progression, or want to improve their earning potential and job security.
Personal motivations include those who always wanted to study but did not have the opportunity to do so before. Some hope to be able to provide better for their families when they complete their studies, while mature students may simply want to study further because they have found a field that is interesting and enjoyable.
What do you need?
“Study skills” can be described as the strategies and methods to manage learning efficiently, and they also comprise an important set of transferable life skills. Study skills include time management strategies, note taking and active listening abilities, as well as reading and analysis skills.
People learn in different ways. You need to develop a personal approach to studying and learning that suits your individual needs. As you develop your study skills you will discover what works for you and what doesn’t.
Manage your time
Learning to manage your time effectively is a vital life skill and is especially important when you take up part-time studies. Everyone has different aspects of life to balance with their studies: work, family and personal life.
Effective time management will enable you to work your way systematically through your studies.
Time management for studying is not just about managing the quantity of your study time — it is also about being aware of your personal limitations, knowing when to work and when to stop. This can be very helpful to ensure that you stay motivated and committed to your studies.
Work/life balance
Of course studying does not take place in a vacuum; it needs to be organised around your other fixed commitments: your work, hobbies, family and friends. It may help to involve your colleagues, family and friends in the planning process to ensure their understanding, co-operation and support. For example, sharing your study timetable with others will help them to feel included, and will also serve as a reminder to them that there will be times when you should not be disturbed.
At Wits Plus we understand the demands of working adults who need their studies to fit in with their lifestyle or career, and we offer a range of part-time study options. Degrees, certificate courses, and programmes in corporate governance and administration — all highly respected by top private and public sector organisations — are offered on an after-hours basis.
About Wits Plus
Wits Plus, the Centre for PartTime Studies at the University of Witwatersrand, offers selected degree programmes, and a wide range of short certificate courses. Wits Plus also offers a range of online short courses in partnership with DigitalCampus so you can study wherever you are. Certificates of competence are awarded to successful participants for both certificate and online short courses.