How deferred entry meant Beth could boost her education before university

When Beth received her offer to study at De Montfort University in Leicester, she wasn't quite ready to move away from home. Instead, she chose deferred entry - putting her university place on hold for a year.
Beth chose to work full time to raise some much needed funds for her future, as well as enrolling with Open Study College on our Starting Your Own Business course. We spoke to Beth to find out why she made the decision to defer for a year, and how it's worked out for her.

What's your background in terms of education?

I fell in love with textiles at a very young age in primary school, although it wasn’t until I moved to secondary school that I could study textiles as a subject. After finishing secondary school with 8 GCSE's I made the decision to go to college where I could focus my career on fashion design.
I studied fashion design for 2 years; achieving a distinction in Level 3 Extended Diploma in Fashion. I had an offer from De Montfort University to continue my studies at Higher Education level, but I didn’t feel ready to move away at that point, so I opted for deferred entry in order to work full time to be able to fund my future.
I still wanted to make good use of my time whilst I was working, and wanted to continue studying. This is where I found out about Open Study College.

What made you want to study your chosen course?

In my final year at college, I looked into creating my own clothing brand as this side of the fashion industry really interested me.
I knew that, in order to make this dream a reality, I would need to look into studying business which, as a creative person, was out of my comfort zone, as I’d never studied anything like this before.
With family support, I made the great decision to enrol on the Level 3 Starting Your Own Business course.

What was your motivation for studying?

I would say my motivation for studying is due to my nature; once I’ve started something, I have to finish it. When I handed in my first assignment, I was very nervous as I had no clue whether I was doing it right.
My tutor was extremely lovely and told me to keep going. When I received the feedback and saw I got a distinction; I was over the moon. This made me want to work harder so I could see more of these distinctions in later assignments.

Why did you choose distance learning over traditional study methods?

When I finished college, I wanted to work full time but wanted to continue studying. Most traditional colleges need you to attend at least 4 days a week, so that wouldn’t fit in with my plans.
After getting in contact with an old friend she told me she was studying with Open Study College, because Sixth Form wasn’t for her. She made me aware how easy it was to study! You can do it whenever and where ever you want.
Distance learning was a perfect thing for me as I was able to study and work full time.

Why did you choose to study with Open Study College?

From the day I looked at the website I knew this was the right place for me. The course content went into so much detail about the different types of businesses, how to be careful with your money, the risks and getting to know your customers. I learnt so much about what’s going on in the business world today.
After finishing my course, I am confident I have the knowledge to create a successful business.

What have you enjoyed most about your studies?

How laid back I can be! I spent around 6 weeks on each assignment which was plenty of time for me to finish the course in the 12-month timescale.
I’ve enjoyed various parts of all of the units. Of course, there were parts that were serious - for example the financial bits which were a little daunting - but this enabled me to work out how much my dream would cost me.
The most rewarding part will be being my own boss and working in a job that I love.

What do you plan to do with your course after completing your studies?

The first thing I did when I completed my studies was to update my CV to show my Starting Your Own Business course results.
I will be taking what I’ve learnt from this journey on to university with me, so in my final year at De Montfort I will know where to go, and how to make myself stand out.

Do you plan to study any further in the future?

I’m not quite sure what will happen after university, but if I did choose to study further, Open Study College would be my first choice.

What are your career goals?

To be running a successful clothing business built on my own designs.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

The college staff are so helpful over the phone. They are always polite and answered all my questions. My tutor was helpful at giving me feedback on assignments on how to get those big marks.
It was just a very friendly place to study.
Thanks to Beth for sharing her story with us. Good luck at university!
If, like Beth, you're considering deferred entry but would like to continue studying during your gap year, we can help.
Browse 550+ courses on our website, or call our student advisers on 03300 563100 to discuss how we can help.
Alternatively, find out more about the Starting Your Own Business course. You can enrol on this as a standalone course, like Beth, or study it as a package with other subjects, including: Beauty Salon Management, Beauty Therapy, Cake Making, Event Management, Floristry, Garden Design, ICB Bookkeeping and Accounts, Interior Design, Make-up Artist, Nail Technician, Nutrition Consultant and Wedding Planner.