New dream through distance education Each goal in life is achieved through determination, hard work and a neverdying

interest for continuous learning. These stepping stones supersede other visible roadblocks (in terms of age, space, time-crunch), which may appear on the way towards your destination/career goal. As higher education can take you leaps forward to fulfill your dreams, distance learning programs provide ample scope for continuous learning. Advantages of distance learning Flexibility is the primary advantage of the distance education model, where completion of the course is purely determined by self-paced learning. Be it any phase or stage of life, you can enroll for a distance learning course, while confident of not pushing behind your existing priorities. Add to that, the agebar is raised along with other eligibility criteria, when it comes to pursuing or continuing higher studies through the Open University system. The conventional barriers for continuing education, present in the regular mode are absent, thereby opening up new avenues of opportunities, to help you set new goals in your professional life. Whats more as distance education model inches closer to be student-centric, with industry-relevant pedagogy and technology-driven learning, there is a higher degree, of quality, credibility and therefore employability and professional growth in reaching towards ones goals. The learning philosophy, distance education and your new goals New goals mean that you acquire new skills. The learning of new skills for single or multiple domains should be honed through on-job training, exposing you to overall development. For instance, if you aspire to reach managerial levels in your organization, it is best learn about management and understand its application while being on-job. Distance learning programs enable the simultaneous pursuit of higher studies and jobcontinuity. Even if it means a career-switch to an entirely new line of profession, the on-job skills always complement the learning process, as the basic work-framework remains the same for any career path; which becomes robust with experience. With distance learning combined with your unflinching interest, you can realize your new dreams in many ways: Entrepreneurship: Most entrepreneurs start young and many inherit family business with an eagerness to take it new heights. Distance learning courses in entrepreneurship and family business help to streamline new skills with the on-job experience, which is essential for entrepreneurial success. In

addition, the new insights gained through industry-oriented training, will help prospective entrepreneurs develop a futuristic vision of how to give shape to their enterprise. Career-switch: Many working professionals at some point of time in their life, feel saturated with their existing job-roles and domain. This affects productivity, performance and consequently the compensation and benefits. These career-stuck individuals aim for something better, which would enthuse their interests in work and help them progress with much ease. For instance, a marketing professional would want to shift to the field of writing (technical) or news-reporting. Distance learning courses in the relevant field help to acquire new skills, while trying to balance the shift in career and other pressing responsibilities. The above are few in the list, which enable aspirants to dream new into pathbreaking initiatives through distance learning. The second part of this blog will detail on further avenues on the same line of thought

Creative arts: Courses in arts-related subject such as music, drawing, dance-forms, help gain technical knowledge about the creative arts. The certificate of recognition from a reputable school of art, gives an edge to set up schools in the relevant art-field Vocational pursuit for the rural mass: Distance learning courses are affordable and accessible. More so, distance education universities of repute have set up schools for training in vocational skills such as weaving, craftsmanship, and retailing to reach out to the rural mass and help them set up small businesses in their town and flourish. Home-to-work shift: Most women (homemakers) push their career aspirations to the backseat in view of family priorities. Post the stabilizing phase, they are ready to do the balancing act between family and work. In the process, they seek professional studies or better qualification to be equipped to face the job-industry. Distance education universities once again step in to bridge the gap between outdated-skills and job-readiness and family and work. Passion to profession: Many of us have the urge to fulfill our longforgotten passion and give a concrete shape to it. As our career choices are mostly determined by job-sustainability, remunerative prospects and sorts, we forgo our passions to pursue, what is viable. For instance, you would have always aspired to become a counselor, but you left your dream to become an engineer or a doctor. After years of being in your profession, if you want to live your dream, there is scope for it. There are academic and

non-academic programs offered by many universities, which you can learn through the online or distance mode.