Distance Learning Support Kit

Once you've clarified your long term goals you need to be completely realistic about how you'll go about achieving these. By enrolling at the university you've already made a commitment to study. However, because this may be something that you've either never done before, or returned to after years of doing other things, you need to be clear about what this commitment entails. To continue leading an enjoyable and healthy life you'll therefore need to ascertain whether you can balance your study and non-study activities.

Talk to your family, friends, employer and colleagues. It's particularly important that you communicate with the people who'll be affected by your new commitment to study and find out how they really feel about your decision. Remember that you'll need to negotiate and renegotiate with these people throughout the time you're studying. Studying can be deeply fulfilling, but it can also place a strain on your own life and on those around you - so you really need to keep the lines of communication open as much as possible.

Example

Your decision to study may entail very real sacrifices on your part and for those around you. You may need to forfeit some of the time that you normally spend with your family or friends. Studying may also come at a significant financial cost. This can be either in terms of fees and other studying costs or income lost if you have to cut back on paid employment. As with all decisions, the repercussions of one choice can be felt to ripple far wider than was perhaps initially expected. Be clear about the impact of your decision to study, and talk to those who are affected by it.

It's also a good idea to talk to people who are either studying at the moment or have done so in the past to get a clearer idea about what studying involves.