Unlock your potential after O/Ls; find the best diploma for you!
Usually, most of us are on autopilot mode in our lives, mainly when we are still engaged in our secondary education. We may have dreams and readymade answers to questions like “who you wanna become when you are grown?” But those answers, too, rely on our dreams, not on any real plan!
Now we have endured the hard work of three years -in some cases, two years, one year or even just six months- for the single goal of passing the GCE Ordinary examination with flying colours. For some, having the best results can be a fact; for others, it can be a hope. However, you have reached this junction, and it’s better to switch to manual-pilate mode and actively plan your immediate and professional future!
After O/Ls, fun time begins!
School children after O/Ls usually have an extended vacation after all the months of the hardship of studies and past papers. And most students look forward to filling this vacation with things such as hanging around with friends, fun activities and leisure pursuits, despite the parents’ nagging, armed with ideas of computer diplomas or English diplomas. Having a bit of fun after three years of hard work is fine, but shouldn’t this be a time to properly plan the future as well? Not just deciding which A/L stream you need to select, but how would that benefit you professionally?
With all the free time after ages, why bother with a diploma?
The key to a balanced life is not getting caught in the rat race we see today and prioritising what you believe is in your schedule, but properly scheduling your priorities. Having said that, the rare cooling-off time you get after going through your GCE O/L exam can be used for several purposes. First, it is imperative to realistically map out your future, particularly with your studies and future professional aspects. Then, you can balance your free time between having fun or blowing some steam off and focusing on gaining a skill improvement or an academic headstart based on your future map. And obtaining a diploma is an excellent place to start!
Future benefits of having a diploma
Having a diploma is beneficial for anybody from several perspectives. And that could be your ‘plan B’ if the GCE O/L results wouldn’t go in your way as you have planned. And there are many more:
* Skill development
A fine example of this is computer literacy. After A/Ls or university, when you pursue an internship, possessing a set of soft skills and hard skills will come in handy. And employers tend to hire people armed with skills and specialised knowledge, which would give a competitive edge in interviews.
* Career development
Companies no longer hire people purely based on certificates. Hence, prooving yourself with the knowledge gained through a professional diploma will pave your way to early career development and professional recognition. Plus, it will give you the power to choose your career wisely, rather than picking up the first job offer no matter what.
* Academic development
Nowadays, very few professions require you to go on a linear academic path and excel. Being a doctor is an example. However, apart from such domains, finding additional knowledge that parallels your chosen academic path is always wise.
* What path do I want to select?
Selecting a diploma to finetune yourself or to invest in your academic or professional career can be two-pronged. First, you can resort to a general diploma that will hone your English or any other necessary language skills or bestow you the ICT literacy required for any professional path.
The second approach will be handpicking a specialised diploma that will cater for your map of the academic or professional path.
What are my options?
Anyone who wants to pursue educational goals should learn that vertical educational goals are the key to true progress than horizontal and scattered educational goals. In that sense, jumping on board with several diplomas not relevant to one particular field or a trade can be pointless in the long run.
However, the good news is that any student who completed the GCE O/L exam can find an array of diplomas spread throughout a vast spectrum in Sri Lanka and on online platforms.
* National University diplomas
The mass communication diplomas bestowed by the University of Colombo and the University of Sri Jayawardanapura are examples of valuable diploma certificates that bestow upon successful completion, which hold high credibility both in the academic sphere and professional world.
* Private University diplomas
An appetite to have an early advantage for your academic or professional life by being an early achiever and money is all you need to enrol for a private university diploma. And even if you decide to pursue the academic/professional path bespoke by them, you will be able to obtain the first degree and even masters a few years before your classmates! Most of the time, the path will comprise a foundation certificate, a diploma, a higher diploma, a top-up bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. And the time duration can be significantly short compared to national universities.
* The National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) Framework
This seven-level qualification framework is open for students who completed GCE O/Ls and lays the foundation for tertiary and vocational education through a nationally recognized system that meets international standards. This government-co-sponsored pathway opens students not only to career routes but academic boosts as well.
* Online education – local
There are some unknown territories for most students in the Sri Lankan education field that, in fact, are hidden treasure islands. For example, with the help of the DP Education Foundation, the University of Moratuwa grants a full-stack developer diploma that can be completed online. The certification, along with the practical knowledge, can be an added advantage to enter various fields that value the knowledge of Python. Another example would be eSiphala from SLTMobitel, Sri Lanka’s largest e-learning platform with a vast array of courses that prepare you for both the professional world and your academic path.
* Online education – international
We live in a world of smart devices. And any after-O/L student with a smartphone and high ambitions can use several platforms to obtain a diploma online, even without spending a rupee. Big huge international educational platforms such as LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, edX, Google Garage, and Udemy Business offer free courses as well as the opportunity to audit the paid courses. And with the multitude of course titles each platform carries, the sky will be the limit.
Do you still have doubts about how to spend your time after completing O/Ls? Then remember, an ancient Roman stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger, said once that the greater part of progress is the desire to progress!
