Motivation | Distance learner
Stepping into a new career… and a new country
Gulim Zhunussova-Pee describes her journey to AAT Level 4 qualification via distance learning and offers her tips for students following a similar path
Words Marianne Curphey
AT A GLANCE
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Distance learning can be a cost-effective way to learn vital technical and practical skills.
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Joining Facebook groups with fellow students enables you to share experiences and pass on tips.
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Look for a training provider that has lots of support so you can ask your tutors questions and advice.
Gulim Zhunussova-Pee moved to England six years ago from Kazakhstan, having previously worked as an English teacher. As her teaching qualifications were not transferable to the UK, she decided to pursue a new career as an accountant.
“When I first started living in England, I started taking English and maths courses to build my confidence. I also volunteered as an admin officer so I could understand the office culture here and adapt myself to the environment,” she says. “Moving countries is not easy and it can be especially challenging when your first language is not English.”
While she was learning to become more fluent in English, Zhunussova-Pee was also assimilating the culture and gaining office experience. Having relocated to the UK in 2019, just before the Covid-19 lockdown, she needed to find courses that she could study online, as classroom-based options were not available.
“I was sitting at home and exploring my next steps,” she explains. “After researching the options, I chose accountancy because I have always loved working with numbers and I had been considering an accountancy qualification when I was living in Kazakhstan. I had to choose an online course because of Covid and that is when I started at AAT Level 1.”
When lockdown finished, Zhunussova-Pee went to college in London to study AAT Level 2 and Level 3. As she wasn’t living in London, she had to travel regularly. So when it came to studying AAT Level 4, she decided to go back to distance learning to save on time and costs.
She decided to study full-time rather than do part-time work because she found the course challenging as the content was new and she was having to learn technical concepts and terminology.
“For me, studying online was the best choice,” she says of her course with First Intuition. “There are advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to find the route that works best for your personal circumstances. For example, when you go to college, you socialise and meet people and talk directly to your tutors, whereas with distance learning you have to find other ways to communicate with your peers and your teachers.
“To begin with, I found it difficult to ask questions online or to contact my tutors because I was shy and I was worried about asking the wrong questions. As my confidence grew, I began to ask more and I found the feedback from my tutors very helpful and inspiring.”
Applying skills in the real world
As Zhunussova-Pee is halfway through her AAT Level 4, she is now looking to find some work experience or a role where she can start to apply her knowledge and skills in real-world situations.
“Experience is important and that experience will help me when I am looking for jobs in the future,” she says. “Now that I have the technical skills, I want to be able to apply them in the workplace. There are so many opportunities in accountancy – you could choose to specialise in audit, taxation, filing accounts, management accounting and financial accounting. Having some experience will enable me to choose the correct path in an area that really interests me.”
“With accountancy study, you need to love it. As you progress through the levels it gets easier and easier because it all starts to fit together and make sense.”
Gulim’s tips for success
- Set your goals and book your exam time, so that you are motivated to keep working and can plan backwards to ensure you are studying enough.
- Find tutors with practical industry or practice experience who inspire and motivate you.
- Join groups with other distance learning students so you can swap tips and advice and check in when you are looking for moral support.
- Find the right provider to suit your personal circumstances.
- Work out how you learn best – is it visual, by reading, watching videos or talking and asking questions?
She also recommends students use the resources available at the AAT Lifelong Learning Portal:
- Use the Green Light test, which helps to build confidence in understanding specific topics.
- Practise assessments in order to familiarise yourself with the layout and style of your exams.
- Make use of the interactive study planner, which allows you to set your study plan based on your needs, helps track your progress and can enable you to identify your weak or strong areas of studying so you can improve.
Find your style
Zhunussova-Pee also suggests you discover your own study style and play to your strengths.
“I struggle with reading, so I prefer to watch online videos and summarise my ideas,” she says. “Plan your time carefully so that you have breaks and space between learning but ensure that you can also keep up with everyone else on your course. It can be demoralising if you get left behind.
“Understanding is better than memorising because the knowledge lasts longer. It is better to understand each module, rather than just studying for an exam and to gain a certificate.
“When you really understand and you are inspired by it, it will be easier for you to remember and it will also be there when you need to apply it in a workplace or office situation. It has been an amazing journey for me and I am so glad that I found AAT because it has opened up so many career opportunities.”
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