Clearing House – When You Didn’t Make the Grade

The clearing season is underway in UK Universities and higher education colleges.  Hundreds of thousands of students who didn’t get the grades they need are now scrambling over one another to try to find a university with open spaces who might still take them.  It’s a sad event – a product of a one track education system that demands a one size fits all approach and that refuses to recognize the diversity and difference in people and students. 

The reality is that University really isn’t for everyone and certainly not in the volatile 18-21 age bracket.  Let’s face it, you’ve been legally an adult for barely a few months and socially not even that until the last day of school or college.   And now you’re being asked to dictate the next three years, even the very course of the rest of your life on a decision made now.  It’s really quite unfair orthodox education continues to funnel students into courses and degree programmes that might not be for them when so many other possibilities exist.

A distance learning course frees you from the shackles and time pressures that a traditional University Education employs.  You get to pick what you want to learn as opposed to what a remote career academic decides you should learn and you get the time and support to truly get to grips with the topic, however long it may take you. 

Financially, it’s a powerful argument too:  A distance learning course means you can learn from where you are around your current obligations.  You don’t have to drop you job and move to expensive student accommodation in another city, forced to eke out an existence on the meagre combination of a student loan and whatever part time work you can fit around your studies. 

And let’s not forget that, thanks to government cutbacks, many universities are struggling to make ends meet.  This means increased class sizes, reduced tuition and a marked increase in tuition fees. As savvy students are pushed into the role of consumers they must and should demand value for money – a value many universities sadly don’t deliver. And all this on the back of the incredible debt students are expected to saddle themselves with at university – sums of £20,000 are typical.  

There are other reasons to consider alternatives to University as well.  Many courses as taught are completely remote from the industry reality of the sectors they supposedly lead into and provide little or no opportunity to gain the practical experience and skills Employers really want.  ADL’s distance learning courses require the student to get involved in their learning and through overcoming problems demonstrate both to their tutor, and subsequently a potential employer, that they know what they’re talking about.

University can be a great life defining experience – but it’s not for everyone and not always wise to rush into it straight after school or college.  Do yourself a favour and really think about your alternatives.  After all, you can always go to University later when you’ve decided what you really want to be. 

And in the meantime, getting a head start with a distance learning course wouldn’t go amiss… 

LEAVE A REPLY

BLOG CATEGORIES

MOST POPULAR

Christmas 2024 Opening Hours

Merry Christmas, here are the ADL opening hours for Christmas 2024: Monday 23rd December – 9am to 5pm Tuesday 24th December – CLOSED Christmas eve Wednesday 25th December – CLOSED Christmas DAY Thursday 26th December – CLOSED Boxing Day Friday 27th December – CLOSED Monday 30th December – 10am -4pm Tuesday 31st December – 10am

Read More »

At ADL we focus on helping you learn! You have the opportunity to interact one to one with our tutors, so you can approach learning in whatever way and speed that best suits you. This individual service not normally found at most colleges, contributes to successful learning. You decide how you wish to receive your

Read More »

Water Gardening Site Selection

Things to Consider When Selecting Your Water Garden Location Have you ever dreamed of building a Water Garden, but just didn’t know where to start?  ADL’s online certificate course in Water Gardeng provides the necessary knowledge and skills to help you get started. The first thing is to decide on the location of your water

Read More »

ADL Success Stories – Dairy Cattle Farming with Annabella Baker

Education opens doors to success windows of opportunity and in at least one case, gates to new possibilities. Such is the case with ADL success story Annabella Baker.  Originally from Italy, but now living in the UK, Annabella faced a tragedy all too familiar to many when she lost her airline job during the Covid

Read More »

SIGNUP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Scroll to Top

REQUEST A CALLBACK

To speak to one of our course advisors, please enter your name and phone number below and click the "Please Call Me" button. We will call you back as soon as possible!

By submitting this form, I provide my consent to ADL to contact me via email or telephone, regarding the course I selected. All information provided is protected in conformity with our Privacy Policy.

CONTACT US

required fields are marked with *

By submitting this form, I provide my consent to ADL to contact me via email or telephone, regarding the course I selected. All information provided is protected in conformity with our Privacy Policy.