Full Time vs Part Time Studies: Which is Better?

Choosing between full time and part time study can be difficult, with a lot of factors affecting what is ultimately the best decision for you and your lifestyle.

Whether you’ve just graduated high school or are returning to study after some time in the workforce, the decisions you make regarding what, how and when you study will have a great impact on your future career.

There are a number of factors you need to consider, but one of the first and most important is how much time you can dedicate to study and how quickly you want to earn your qualifications. We all live life at our own pace, and for some of us, studying full time simply isn’t feasible. However, before you discount it entirely, it’s worth making an informed decision about what your capacity really is.

Taking on more than you can handle almost never works out well. To truly enjoy your course and learn as much as possible while undertaking it, it’s important that you take some time to make the right decision first.

How much time can you dedicate to studying?

It’s easy to be flippant about how much time you can dedicate to something before you actually step into it. However, when crunch time arrives and you’ve studied about half as much as you should, or there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to complete an assignment by the due date, things can get very stressful.

It’s important to be perfectly honest with yourself about how much time you can dedicate to your studies before you undertake them. If you’re working full time and have children, then the amount of time you can realistically dedicate to study probably isn’t going to be much more than 10 or 15 hours per week.

Courses differ in their content and difficulty, but it’s important that you have enough hours to complete all coursework and gain a solid understanding of the content prior to exams. For some courses, you can certainly get away with spending half as many study hours as recommended, but for others, you may find yourself desperately searching for extra time and assistance.

When you’re tossing up the options of full time vs part studies, time is far and away the most important factor.

How flexible are you?

Studying online makes it far easier to be flexible about the hours you spend working towards your degree. However, when you’re pursuing your qualification externally (that is, not attending a campus), there is a lot more emphasis on you keeping up to date with coursework.

Flexibility is an important life skill – if you can’t handle curveballs in life, then you’re going to struggle to get through unexpected things without getting knocked down. Your degree of flexibility will have a large impact on whether you can handle full time study while juggling other life commitments.

If you find that your lifestyle is quite rigid, and any unexpected events might cause a significant setback, then part time study is probably right for you. This will give you a bit of breathing space when things go pear-shaped.

How much work can you handle?

The level of work you can handle at any one time will play a big part in your decision of whether to pursue full time or part time studies. Not all of us can be Elon Musk and work 12 hour days for months or even years on end.

You need to be honest with yourself, based on past experiences, about the level of workload that you can safely handle without succumbing to stress or breaking down and needing to step away from things.

Most of your study courses will last for months at a time. If you have work, family or an ongoing social life that you need to maintain, it’s important to understand the level of pressure that can come with taking on the additional study.

It’s not as simple as just “doing something on the side”. Full time study is like taking on an extra full time job. If you’re working full time already and don’t feel like you could double your workload, then you should definitely consider part time study instead.

How organised are you?

Your own organisation skills will play a large role in determining how many courses you can handle at any time. It can be incredibly difficult to stay motivated during your studies, which is why being organised can make it infinitely easier to stay on top of things. 

If you’re an unorganised person, it may be time to consider why that is and take some steps to change it. In work, study and family life, good organisation skills can go a long way towards alleviating stress and pressure that you simply don’t need in your life.

It’s the oldest trick in the book, but making lists and goals and sticking to them really does help you to improve your level of organisation. If you’re serious about committing to full time (or even part time) study while you have ongoing commitments, take some time at the beginning of each study period to get fully organised about what you need to get done in the months ahead.

How soon do you want your qualification?

Many of us are content to take our time with our qualifications and see where life takes us. However, for those of us that have a clear idea as to what our career calling is, and want to get there as soon as possible, studying full time is the better option.

Not all of us need a qualification to get our dream job. In fact, you may already be working in the industry you’d like to make your career in and simply want qualifications (such as a BSB50420 Diploma of Leadership and Management) to get a promotion and start moving up the ladder.

Even if you’re over-eager and want it all right now, you still need to consider what’s right for you and your life situation. Take into account all factors, including work, family, friends and finances. If you need to make changes to your lifestyle to make it easier to get back into study, don’t be afraid to do so. However, always be realistic about what you can actually achieve in the limited time you have available each day.

If you’re ready to take the next step and earn your qualification, get in touch with us. We’ll discuss your life circumstances and help you develop a plan that will get you where you want to be.

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