Regarding Eligibility for the Nursery Teacher Examination

At the time, I was in my mid-30s and feeling anxious, thinking, "I need a professional skill, and for that, I need a qualification!"
However, although I was enrolled in a correspondence university, my highest level of education was high school. For someone like me with only administrative experience, there were not many realistic national qualifications for which I could be eligible.

In the first place, was it not reckless to take on something new while already juggling work, childcare, housework, and university studies? A turning point arrived just as I was feeling stuck and frustrated.

The catalyst was a group work session during a Zoom lecture at my university. One of the members was an active nursery teacher, and during some small talk, I heard them say they had become a nursery teacher by passing the national examination.

"Wait, you can become a nursery teacher by taking a national exam?"

Embarrassingly, that was the first time I had learned this. After the lecture ended, I immediately searched on my smartphone and discovered a surprising fact.

"I can take the exam even while enrolled in university!?"

Among the information, the following condition caught my eye:
・Those who have been enrolled in a university under the School Education Act for at least one year and are certified by the university president as expected to earn 62 or more credits within the academic year.

"This is it! I might be eligible to take the exam too!"

Since I enrolled in the autumn of 2020, I would be eligible to take the exam in 2022. If I could take the exam based on "expected" credits, I could make it in time for the spring 2022 exam at the earliest.
It was the spring of 2021. If I studied thoroughly for one year starting now, maybe I could make it work. A desire to give it a try welled up inside me.

Of course, I had my doubts, such as "Can I even earn 62 credits in the first place?" Correspondence universities are known for being easy to enter but difficult to graduate from. Could I secure enough time for exam preparation while aiming to graduate in the minimum of four years?

"Hmm... No, I have to make the time!"

Now that my working days at my part-time job have decreased due to downsizing, this is my chance. In fact, it's now or never!
Encouraged by such groundless positive thinking, I decided to take on the challenge of the nursery teacher examination.

(To be continued)