Course Aims

‘Life Direction: a strategy for managing your future’ is a course that is designed to help students within further and higher education to prepare and plan for the future. In particular, it provides an opportunity for them to focus on the many life choices that are available to them following graduation, including work and family life.

The arguments for life skills education for students are compelling. Indeed, university students are themselves already starting to understand the importance of preparing for life after university. For example, a recently conducted joint CBI/NUS Poll revealed that two-thirds of students stated they would like to have more support to develop better ‘employability skills’.

This course’s main focus is on encouraging students to look at the direction they will take in life from a much wider perspective. Looking at the ‘bigger picture’ will enable them to develop the necessary skills for life ahead, including gaining a broader sense of social responsibility and a greater awareness of the community in which they, as graduates, will live and work.

Course Objectives

‘Life Direction: a strategy for managing your future’ will enable students to look ahead and be able to make better-informed decisions as part of an overall plan. The course, which is created by Christine Meadows, follows an approach that is grounded from both an intellectual and emotional perspective, rather from one based simply on the acquisition of business-related skills.

Students will be introduced to the choices, changes and challenges associated with adult life, both at work and at home. Sessions are designed to be engaging and adopt a role-play and discussion-centred approach. During the course, students will also be asked to create their own ‘Life Direction Plan’.

The course will teach and develop within students:
*Conceptual skills - Students will understand the importance of values literacy and critical thinking in helping to build a firm foundation for life. They will also develop an awareness that attitudes can be shaped into the actions for which they are responsible. Thus, students will be able to recognise the impact that their actions could have on their wider social and work environment.

*Personal transferable skills - Students will develop a greater degree of emotional literacy, self-reliance and self-confidence through self-analysis and self-awareness. They will also have a better understanding and tolerance of different opinions and aspirations.

*Knowledge-based skills - Students will gain a better understanding of what is involved in making life and work choices, including the importance of teamwork, time-management and communication both within work and personal relationships.

By the end of the course, students will have been given the opportunity to move towards a successful future from a wide range of perspectives. They will have a greater understanding of how to self-manage their future more effectively, improving their life-chance opportunities following graduation.

CONTACT: Christine Meadows
TEL: 07766 813 024