Think back to the open day you went to at sixteen. Somebody’s parent asked all the questions. You mostly looked at the canteen.
Going back as an adult is different. You’ve got a job, bills, maybe children, maybe a rota that changes every week. You’re not really asking “is this a nice place?” You’re asking “can I actually make this work?” An open day is the best chance you’ll get to find out, face to face, without committing to anything.
It’s also where plenty of people talk themselves out of it. The Learning and Work Institute asked adults who hadn’t done any learning for three years why not. The most common answer was feeling too old. Among 35 to 44-year-olds, one in five said so. The people who do go back tell a different story. Almost all of them (94%) said it had done them some good, from more confidence to a better job.
Thinking about a course that could lead to university, a Level 3 or something to move you up at work? Here are the questions worth taking with you.
- “What does a normal week look like?”
Not the brochure version. How many days, which days, what time does it finish, and how much is online? Ask how much study they expect outside those hours. If you work shifts, say so.
- “Who else is on the course?”
Ask about ages, and how many are working at the same time. The answer is usually reassuring. Plenty of adult courses are designed for people who have been out of education for a while.
- “What will it cost me, and is there help?”
This is the one question where your age really does change the answer.
- If you’re 19 to 23, your first full Level 3 is free.
- At any age from 19, English and maths up to GCSE level are free if you don’t already have a grade 4 (a C, in old money).
- If you’re 24 or over, a Level 3 may still be free, depending on what you earn and where you live. The rules now vary from one area to another, so ask the College rather than relying on a national website.
If it isn’t free, an Advanced Learner Loan can cover it. There’s no credit check, and it doesn’t depend on your income.
- “Can I use what I already know?”
Years of work count for something. Ask whether your experience or earlier certificates count towards the course, and whether you’d need anything first. If you’re aiming at a degree afterwards, ask whether it needs GCSE English and maths as well. Some do, and it’s far better to find out now than next summer.
- “What happens if life gets in the way?”
At some point, it will. Ask what support there is if a shift changes, a child is ill or you fall behind. Ask whether it can be done part-time, or sometimes spread over a longer period.
- “Where did last year’s group end up?”
Good courses know. Ask what people went on to do, and whether you could talk to someone who did it as an adult.
- “What help is there with the studying itself?”
If the last essay you wrote had a staple in the corner, this matters. Ask about study skills, help with computers and the library. There’s usually more than people expect.
Try this: type these questions into your phone before you go, and note the answers while you’re there. Everything blurs together on the drive home.
At the College, there are three open evenings this month, each from 5pm to 7pm: The Roundhouse on Thursday 15 October, Broomfield Hall on Wednesday 21 October and the Joseph Wright Centre on Thursday 22 October. The Roundhouse evening includes the adult courses, and the Joseph Wright Centre has adult maths and English. You’ll need to register first.
You don’t have to decide anything on the day. You just need to leave knowing whether it could fit your life.
And if you’re thinking about something at degree level from January, a new way of paying for it opens for applications later this month. We’ll explain it in plain words next month.