As winter eventually wisps away, the spring and summer offer a new beginning and a new chance to keep learning.
Lang Sum, director of language programs at the University of British Columbia’s Continuing Studies school, says the spring, while tending to be the thinnest time for enrolments compared to the fall, does have the advantage of smaller class sizes, meaning students can get much more direct face-time with instructors and other classmates.
“The programs are the same and the instructors are the same, but there are more spots open in the spring and we tend to have smaller classes, so students can benefit more then,” Sum said.
According to Sum, professional programs are most popular in the summer because people are more likely to take time off from work to do intensive one- or two-week sessions.
“We do offer more programs for professionals in the summer because more people are interested in upgrading their knowledge and skills then,” Sum said.
The summer also sees more students coming in from overseas, creating a very international vibe in the classrooms of many major Canadian schools.
Crystal Campbell is a certified career coach in Toronto and president and founder of c2 coaching + consulting, and says the spring and summer can be ideal times to get ready for hiring season. Getting versed in new skills and abilities now will mean you’ll be a more marketable hire when companies start picking up new workers come fall.
“September and January and also peak hiring periods, so if you’re enrolling in something now, that will time you well for hiring season later,” Campbell said.
Regardless of the season, Campbell says expanding your skills and knowledge base is always a worthwhile thing.
“Continuing education, whether taking a self-interest course or something with a career bent, is always a good value. The very process of learning can be very invigorating and it can be a spark for different areas of your life,” Campbell said.
