How to Leverage Qualifications to Brighten Your Career 4/6 - The Reality of Studying for Qualifications as an Adult

Getting a qualification as an adult, balancing work and study... well, it was every bit as incredibly tough as you might imagine. Haha.

Even so, for me, it remains a sparkling, precious, and deeply memorable period. There was so much anxiety and impatience, and there were many painful aspects to just studying single-mindedly while everyone around me was out having fun.
And I was just completely broke. Haha.

But I had something I wanted to work hard for, friends who were heading toward the same goal, and I was able to like myself for continuing to put in the effort.

Looking back now, I can even think of that as my youth. I believe it was the era that served as the foundation for the person I am today.

I have summarized what kind of period it was, including both the painful and the fun parts, and how I feel about that time now. Please take a read!

VOL. 4 The Reality of Studying for Qualifications as an Adult

A six-part series on thinking about your career through qualifications. The theme of the fourth installment is "The Reality of Obtaining Qualifications." Obtaining qualifications after becoming a working adult. I will introduce the reality of a life spent aiming to pass while working.

What is it actually like to get a qualification as an adult?

Obtaining qualifications as a working adult. "What is life actually like?" To answer that question, I will share the reality of my life during my exam preparation period this time. The difficulty of the qualification, whether you are a working student who continues to work, or a full-time student who only studies—the situations vary. In my case, it wasn't just an "add-on" to my job; it was truly a case of "I want to get this qualification by betting my life on it." So, I quit my full-time job and switched to being a temporary employee. The main reason I continued working was for financial reasons, but I also had a strong desire to gain social experience for after I passed the exam. The conditions were that it had to be a stable, large company where I could always leave at 5:00 PM. Miraculously, I found a workplace a five-minute walk from the school, so I was able to comfortably maintain a life of going to the school's self-study room after work, even on days when I didn't have lectures.

The difference in study time depending on whether you continue working

Whether or not you are working makes a big difference in the time you can devote to studying. Since working students have significantly less study time, you should probably expect it to be a long battle, in addition to having the determination and resolve to focus. My study period was about four years, but in the end, I only quit my job to become a full-time student for the last six months of the year I passed. As for study time, when I was working, it was 3 hours in the self-study room after finishing work on weekdays, and 6 to 10 hours on holidays. After becoming a full-time student, it felt like 10 to 12 hours every day in the self-study room. Since I was overwhelmingly tired from working, it was hard to wake up early on holidays, and things would come up on weekdays, so I think it was indeed difficult to secure study time. I really meant the "betting my life on it" part I mentioned earlier, so I lived a life where almost all the time I wasn't working was spent studying. Most of the other students at the self-study room were like that too, so I don't think I was special.

Taking a break from studying? Fashion, fun, and beauty

You might wonder, "Did you really not have any fun?" but it's true (haha). I only met friends once or twice a year. And even then, it was just showing my face at a bar after studying until 9:00 PM... things like that. There wasn't a single day, including New Year's Day, where I didn't study at all. I also downgraded my clothes from my full-time employee days to keep costs down. The only things I continued while saving as much time and money as possible were my nails and skincare. I think those were my only breaks and luxuries. I feel mentally stable when my skin is clear, so I spent money only on basic skincare products. By the way, I don't recommend romance to clumsy people like me, whether things are going well or badly, because it takes up your time... I remember feeling desperate, thinking, "I quit my job for this, so what on earth am I doing?" when I couldn't focus on my studies because of a relationship. I recommend a faint, unrequited love (haha).

Is there no other period in my life where I worked this hard?

During my exam period, I thought, "There will never be another period in my life where I work this hard." But later, I had even tougher times at work. The exam period is tough, but it's not the peak of life, and conversely, it's not just a painful and bitter period. Some of my fellow students created an environment where they didn't have to work before they started studying. There were times I envied them. However, there were advantages to working, such as being able to focus precisely because I didn't have time, or having my mental state stabilized by having a job. That said, if you are aiming to pass, I think it is important to have a plan or preparation to quit your job, even if just for three months, to create an environment where you can focus on studying for a certain period. What I think now is that it is a wonderful thing to have a past where you can say, "I worked hard." A period of working desperately becomes a gift to your future self.