Preparing You for the New World

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we learn, work and socialise. We are now doing more online with video calls, messaging apps and emails. As things begin to go back to normal, some things will continue to be different for many years to come. In this blog post, we explore how attending college this year can help prepare you for the new world.

Communication

At college you will develop your written and verbal communication skills through written assignments, presentations and more. You might be getting key points across in an essay, speaking to the public in our training restaurant, or communicating with your body language in a performing arts class.

When working from home, communication skills are very important. Without the opportunity to bump into someone in the corridor, or without spending all day at work with someone, communicating can be challenging. By focusing on your communication skills at college, you will be prepared to make phone calls with colleagues, write clear and concise emails and share important information clearly.

Teamwork

At college there are lots of opportunities to work with your classmates and different people from across the college. You might be working on a group assignment, be a member of a society or club, or be involved in a performance or exhibition.

Blended learning is likely to be the norm for a while longer, so you will be socialising with your classmates in a new way. Depending on the course you are studying, you might be practising social distancing in the performing arts (PASS) theatre, or you might be having group video calls for a project.

These skills are important as employers want to know if you are a strong communicator and can adapt to changing situations. By learning at college this year, you will have the ability to work as a team both in-person and online.

Organisation and time management

At college you will be responsible for your learning which will help you develop skills in organisation and time management. You will need to make sure you organise your study time and any extra-curricular activities around your classes.

Managing your time is important as you may be learning online at home more instead of being in college for a set time. You will need to ensure that you are balancing your workload effectively, by setting time aside to learn and complete tasks for college but also enjoying leisure time when you can (and not getting distracted by the TV!)

Skills in organisation and time management are important as employers will want to know that you can manage and prioritise workloads, particularly if you are working from home.

Digital and IT skills

At college you will enhance your digital and IT skills as course work and assignments are often made available and submitted online. If you are learning online, you will learn skills in video conferencing and communicating via video calls and email. You will have access to the Office 365 suite and will be able to develop your skillset in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more.

Skills in IT are important as this is something employers often look out for, especially as working from home becomes more common in some workplaces.

These are just some of the skills you will learn at college, why not come and find out for yourself? View our courses.