College graduations have abounded over the past month or so and many of us will have seen friends or relatives proudly don the gown and collect their certs. Despite the ensuing sequence of awkward photographs, in front of a succession of random background props, it is, all told, a great day. All graduates are entitled to regard getting to that point as a fine achievement: every one of them will have overcome challenges of some description. But though looking back may be part of the day, looking forward is a greater source of happiness and excitement.
It is understandable if some attendees may have looked on with a niggling sense of envy, perhaps believing that days such as those were either behind them, or simply beyond them – but this is not the case.
Part-time education is designed to meet the needs of those who cannot, for a variety of reasons, dedicate themselves to full-time study. Institutions such as Griffith College and Dublin Business School run a trove of part-time and evening diploma- and degree-level courses. It is possible for part-time students to obtain qualifications in subject areas as diverse as Film Studies, Psychology, Business Management, or Law – the options are extensive, and the courses are of an excellent standard.
At this point it is worth casting aside any attempt at subtlety and putting into plain words what has only been implied so far: returning to education and getting a qualification on a part-time basis is no less legitimate a challenge or any less fine an achievement than it is for full-time students. The future can be just as exciting. We just can’t promise that the graduation photos will be any less awkward.
