Start your course well prepared!

Did you get permission to take a course? And have you already registered? Time to prepare! If you think carefully about your goals in advance, you will gain more from your course than you might have thought. For yourself, for colleagues, for now and for later!

Good preparation consists of much more than reading about the subject and blocking your agenda on the course day. What else can you do? We are happy to help you with 8 tips for the perfect course preparation.

1. Determine your learning goals
   Know what you want to achieve, for yourself, your team and perhaps for your entire organization. Write down your goals. Make them specific and think about how you can achieve them.
2. Write down your questions and ask for input from colleagues
   When formulating your goals, a number of questions have undoubtedly arisen that may not be answered automatically through the course program. The content of the course can also be very useful for colleagues. Inform your team well in advance which course you are going to take, what your learning objectives are and ask if they also have questions that you can discuss in the course. Make sure you have their input in time, so you are able to discuss and incorporate this into your preparation. Write down your questions and bring them to the course.
3. Prepare a case
   Are you allowed to submit your own case during the course? Be sure to take advantage of that! This way, during the course, you will receive tools for your own practice and perhaps even a solution to your specific issue.
4. Take time for the intake
   Does your trainer send you questions in advance? Don't just skim through this, but take the time to answer the questions carefully. This will help the teacher to prepare the course and makes it possible to tailor it to the work situations of the participants. Which also results in a much more relevant course for you!
5. Know where other participants come from
   Will you receive a list of participants prior to the course? See which positions your fellow participants have and which companies they work for. Perhaps they have similar issues or you can interpret the learning material in a different way based on their expertise. That always has added value!
6. Make a planning
   The start of the course might be quite some time ahead, but start planning early. Training is an investment in yourself, which also requires time outside of the course days. When do you read up, when do you set your goals and questions, when do you block time for assignments and homework? And of course, don't forget to block your agenda for course days and preparation moments.
7. Work ahead or transfer your work
   Does your course take place during working hours? Then you will miss out on a regular work day. So work ahead to keep up or hand over part of your work to a colleague who has time to help you. If you have to send an email or finish that one document during the break of your course, you cannot fully focus on your course. Try to prevent this as much as possible.
8. Be on time and start your course well rested
   Has the day of the course arrived? Of course you went to sleep on time the night before and set the alarm a little earlier so that you are there on time. Rested, prepared and with a good dose of curiosity, you are ready for a day that requires a lot of energy and you award yourself space for new insights. Success guaranteed!

Ready to start your training confidently? We look forward to seeing you at our course! Whether that is training in one of our technical topics or in the field of leadership; with eager participants and experts from the field as teachers, you will learn exactly what you need.

Still looking for a suitable course? Take a look at our course offer. Or ask us for study advice, for yourself or for a tailor-made solution for your team. Always post-academic and directly applicable in practice.