Author: Open College

Bored, uninspired, unchallenged. If any of those words resonate with you when you think about your job, then maybe it’s time for the next steps in your career. Everyone has to work to live, we all know that, unless of course you’re one of those lucky superstars! But as you’re reading this, think it’s safe to say you’re just like all the rest of us. Everyone has a point (or many) in their career where they feel their skills aren’t being used to their full potential and this is where it’s time to think about the next steps in your career. The key to career progression is knowing where you… Read More

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Contrary to popular belief, the main role of education is to equip young people with the skills and abilities that they need to function and develop well within society. So rather than it just being a case of putting students through the mill and spitting them out the other side with the required qualifications, education is all encompassing and should always include other aspects of learning outside of the traditional GCSE and A-Levels. In years gone by, studying A-Levels always came with the assumption that the next step was going to be University and a Degree, but these days, that’s not the case. Many students will study up to A-Levels… Read More

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Although it has been around for many years now, online learning is one of those things that people still don’t fully understand or feel comfortable trying. Whether you are considering studying A-Levels, GCSEs or more vocational qualifications such as BTECs or Diplomas, there are endless reasons why online learning could benefit you, but to list them all would be impossible. So, we have brainstormed reasons why online learning is great to try and help potential students understand the true benefits of online learning. In no particular order here are our top 5 reasons why online learning is great. Range of Courses One of the greatest things about online courses is… Read More

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As we all know, everyone is different and we all have different skills and abilities when it comes to all aspects of life. This includes how we best learn and the learner type that we are. Years of educational research has shown that the more aware a student is of their learning style, the more productive and successful their learning journey can be and the better their final results will prove. Two researchers (Peter Honey and Alan Mumford) who adapted Kolb’s experiential learning model, managed to identify four main learner types as Activist, Reflector, Pragmatist and Theorist of which all learners will hold strong traits for. By using a Learning… Read More

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When looking at the next step of education, knowing how to choose which course to study is important. It will also make the decision process much easier and simpler for you, which will ultimately mean less stress and worry. So where do you start when working out which is the best course for you? Ideally, if you can or have an idea already, you should start with your end goal or dream career. So, for example, if your studying journey is all about becoming a Doctor, then you will already know you have to go to University and you’re going to need A-Levels to get there. Or if you’re thinking… Read More

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When thinking of going to University, you may think that the only options for a placement on a Degree course is A-Levels, but that’s not necessarily the case. The actual requirements for entry depend on a number of contributing factors that you need to be aware of. A quick visit to UCAS‘ website will be able to tell you the general requirements for going to university on different degrees, but what it can’t tell you is the alternatives for students who might not be following the traditional routes of education. So for example, the requirements for a mature student are very different to those of a school leaver. The title… Read More

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When it comes to learning online, the way you receive your course materials is very different to that of when you are learning in a traditional school or college environment. Usually, before your course begins, you are given a list of books that you need to purchase in order to be able to study your chosen course, but when it comes to online learning, things are much simpler. Once enrolled on your chosen course, whether it’s an A-Level, GCSE, Diploma or Short Course, instead of needing to go and buy the books to support your learning, you are given a login to a learning portal. Through this portal you have… Read More

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Whether you’re currently a student or thinking about becoming one, one of the most important things to have are good study habits. Without a good set of practices and schedule, even the best course materials won’t help you to achieve your best. Contrary to popular belief, good study habits aren’t something that you either have or don’t, all A* students have the same thing in common and that’s that they have worked hard and stuck to their study goals, schedule and plans to get to where they wanted to be. The key is planning. When you start on a course you will know your estimated end date, whether that’s when… Read More

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When you’re stuck in school or college and you’re busy studying towards your GCSEs you may be wondering to yourself exactly how can GCSEs help you in the future. Well the quick and simple answer is they open doorways and paths to either employment or studying at higher levels. GCSEs or General Certificate of Secondary Education, are UK qualifications usually taught to students aged 11 – 16 and are used as a way to convey a student’s ability to study at that level. Employers frequently require the qualifications from their employees to ensure that the candidate is capable of carrying out basic day to day tasks of the role. The… Read More

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Your brain is a complex structure of grey and white matter and although not technically a muscle, it is a vital organ that needs exercise just as much as any part of your body to keep fit and healthy. Adults often make the mistake of believing that once they have finished at school, college or university, the need for them to learn anything further isn’t necessary unless they need to learn a new skill to change career or gain a promotion. But that isn’t the case, the more you use and exercise your brain the better you will feel. Often, when people think about learning and starting learning again, they… Read More

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