8 Myths About Part-Time Studies Debunked For Singaporeans Who Want To Balance Work & School

Debunking myths about part-time studies

Deciding between furthering education or becoming a full-fledged working adult can be tough – your mind says “let’s learn!” but your bank account says “oh no”.

To figure out the middle ground of doing both at the same time, we looked into the alternative of part-time university education. Below are some of the biggest myths and misconceptions we sussed out:

1. “You won’t be able to make friends”

A general misconception many have is that it’s hard to make friends in a part-time course, resulting in lonely school life.

But here’s the thing about #adulting: it gets increasingly hard to make friends everywhere and retain the ones you already have. You’ll still need to put in the effort and set aside time while pursuing part-time studies just as you would in a full-time course, or in a job.

But for those worried about making friends, you might be relieved to know that there are lots of student-initiated chat groups for you to keep in touch with your coursemates, and there are lots of study rooms available for F2F meetups to mug with your groupmates too!

2. “Part-time classes are filled with old people”

One of the oldest students in the world – 102-year-old Ma Xiuxian from China proving that it’s never too late to learn
Image credit: People’s Daily Online

Perhaps the most amusing of the lot is the misconception that all part-time students are old.

You might assume an entire classroom filled with aunties and uncles; and while there’s nothing wrong with senior folks pursuing further education, part-time classes usually comprise a good mix of people from all walks of life.

Having older students with real-world working experience is not necessarily a bad thing either! Class discussions and group projects with those that have industry-backed knowledge will, in fact, provide you with a greater insight into what you’re in for upon graduation.

3. “You’ll learn less than full-timers”

Say this to a part-time student and you might be met with a full-on “hell no”.

The content for part-time and full-time courses are actually the same, just that the former takes place mostly at night instead, and have condensed curriculums to cater to those busy with raising a family or a full-time career.

4. “Part-timers take longer to complete a degree”

Beep, false! You can actually finish your course in the same amount of time – or even less than a full-time student.

Full-time education can have lots of time gaps in the form of school holidays – particularly in the final year. Some of my full-time schoolmates ended up taking on concurrent internships to maximise their time, or cutting off a whole semester to start work after clearing off all their course requirements early.

If you’re the chiongster sort, a part-time degree course might better suit your cup of tea – you’ll be done and dusted faster than you can say speedy gonzales! For real though, those who pack their timetable up are able to walk away with a Bachelor’s degree in as little as 3 years.

5. “It’s too difficult to juggle!”

When you look at point #3 (same curriculum) and #4 (same or less time required) topped with the fact that you might be busy with work on the side, a little quick math will land you on the conclusion that the journey is gonna be tough.

While that deduction is indeed true, it’s certainly not insurmountable with many people succeeding in juggling school and work – it all boils down to time management!

To aid the study-work-life balance, many part-time schools provide self-directed online courses so that you can OTOT (own time own target), and flexible learning sessions so you can fit them accordingly to your free time.

6. “There’s no school culture”

One of the main draws about university is undoubtedly the school life. Think camps, CCAs and interest groups.

Upon embarking on part-time education, you might be surprised to find out that there are lots of opportunities to meet people with similar interests as you – just as much as in a full-time diploma or degree.

You’ll still be able to meet new friends with similar interests as yourself while taking part-time courses

In Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), there’s a wide variety of activities organised for all students ranging in areas such as personal development, health & wellness and sports. If you can’t find something you like, you can also start your own interest group – a Quidditch team maybe?

They even have a pretty entertaining confessions page filled with nuggets of stories documenting school culture.

7. “Only private education institutions offer part-time degrees”

Did you know: local universities like SUSS and NUS offer part-time degrees as well? The course structure is also similar to that of the PEIs, as it is catered to working adults.

Amongst the 6 autonomous universities in Singapore, SUSS has the largest number of part-time undergraduate courses available for you to choose from with over 30 programmes!

8. “It’s a second choice”

Contrary to popular belief, part-time education is not necessarily a back-up plan for those unable to commit to a full-time course.

If you are the sort that prefers being in the working world while studying the theories behind your industry on the side, this might actually be better suited for your learning needs.

Misconceptions about part-time studies

There are always plenty of options out there and it’s always up to us to pick the best one that suits our needs.

If you’re jam-packed with commitments, or simply prefer to fast track your career – embarking on a part-time degree route might just be the ideal option for you, and hopefully, debunking these commonly-believed myths will better help in decision making!

Apply for a part-time degree with SUSS

Image credit: @suss.sg

If you’re looking to explore a part-time education route, check out Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) for the widest range of part-time degrees in Singapore.

Image credit: SUSS

There’ll be plenty of options to choose from with over 30 different part-time Bachelor’s degree courses such as Bachelor of Accountancy, Communication, Business Analytics. There are also up to 30 Graduate programmes including Master’s degrees for Taxation, Social Work and Finance.

If you want to go for the whole education stretch, PhDs and Graduate Diplomas are available too!

Image credit: SUSS

To see it all with your own eyes, head down to the SUSS Open House on 31st August 2019 from 11AM to 5PM. You’ll be able to chat with student and alumni ambassadors to find out all you need to know about studying there, to make an informed decision about your next step in education.