Starting an apprenticeship may seem pretty daunting to begin with, especially if you’re a recent school leaver. Juggling the demands of work with your course, you may wonder how you’ll fit it all in!
Here, we take a look at 7 tips which will help you ease into the workload of an apprenticeship and help you manage your time better.
1.Buy a diary to keep track of key dates
During your first meeting with your assessor, you’ll be taken through the course units and target dates for getting your coursework completed. It can be really useful to make note of all the due dates of your assignments in a small diary, so you know what needs to be completed and when. If you prefer, you could also use the calendar on your phone.
2.Break down the workload sensibly
Rather than leaving all the month’s work to do in one go, it will be much less stressful to tackle this in smaller chunks. You could set a daily alarm reminder, on your phone, to complete your coursework. Try to spend at least one hour per day Monday-Thursday. This will then give you Friday, Saturday and Sunday to relax and socialise.
Remember to drink plenty of water and to eat healthily whilst studying. It’s also good practice to have a break from laptop screens. Try to have a break for 5-10 minutes every hour.
3.Use your 20% allocated time during the week
As part of the new funding rules, your employer must set aside 20% of your contracted work hours for “on-the-job” training. This can involve undertaking study or assignments. If your employer doesn’t have another form of training planned for you, why not ask if you can use this time to do your coursework?
4.Use your assessor for support
At the start of your course, you’ll be allocated an assessor who will be your main source of guidance throughout your training. If you’re not sure what you’re expected to do for an assessment or have a general query, contact them. You can speak to them directly over the phone or via email or text, whichever method feels comfortable for you. No question is a silly question! So please don’t worry about asking questions. You’re not expected to know everything at the start of your course.
5.Don’t ignore feedback
Your assessor will be marking your work each month and providing important feedback on your assignments. Listen to any feedback they give, as it’s aimed to help you succeed in your apprenticeship. If you don’t understand any comments about your work from them, ask! Your assessor will be more than happy to explain.
6.Use a social media barrier
In our social media driven world, it’s easy to be distracted by the alerts of what’s happening in your group chat or on your newsfeed. To provide your full concentration to your assignments, shut down any distractions. You can even use handy apps to make sure you don’t access social media sites whilst you’re trying to work.
7.Run your work through a proofing tool
Once you’re happy with your assignment, it’s always worth having a second set of eyes to proof it for any obvious mistakes. You can choose to run your work through a proofing site such as Grammarly (choosing “British English” under your profile settings) to pick up on spelling and grammar errors. Alternatively, have someone you trust to read over it.
Doing an apprenticeship is an exciting and rewarding opportunity. Make sure you give yourself the best head start by being prepared, getting organised and following our 7 tips above. If you have any queries or questions, remember that your assessor is there to help you finish with the qualification you deserve. Use them wisely!
Did you know we provide business administration and management apprenticeships, as well as childcare?
