I wanted to share information about the various courses I have looked into and their pros and cons. This journey of mine wasnt intended to be an exposay on online courses but it has turned out that way. If anyone finds help out of this then this has been worthwhile and needed.
Course: Desktop Publishing
Provider: Courses Now
Cost: Upfront
Review: Sent CD roms, then a second set had to be sent as one disk had no information.
Content of course I couldnt follow.
Thumbs down.
Course: Advanced Diploma of Nutritional medicine
Provider: ACNT, Australian College of Natural Therapies
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: All costs included, books etc, Information was fantastic, Lecturers fantastic.
Down side: After 1 year of successful stdy of 30hrs a week and me thinking I was keeping well ahead in the course, the administration who seem to work as a separate entitiy from lecturers, sent me email to say I was going to fail as I wasnt up to date, and not finishing 1st year on time.
This was ridiculous as the course content was released onto their site when the subject was to start, and I was keeping up with that.
Their argument was that I was studying at part-time rate not full time (a uni course rates fulltime study at 20hrs a week).
I then had to go part time and go off Austudy and find work, which I did. But it took the momentum out of me. I pulled out and recieved subject recognition.
Also found out, even if I completed the course, that it wouldnt be recognised by Natural Health organisations that its wise to be registered with like ANTA, or with insurance agencies as it was an online course. Also public health agencies didnt recognise the qualification as it wasnt through a university and couldnt obtain any employment with them using this.
Both thumbs up and down.
Diploma of Business
Provider: cant remember
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: I decided I would do this to gain better employment as thats what extra education is about. But it was so dry, I was falling asleep reading in the first day, so I had to be honest with myself and pull out.
Thumbs down.
Bachelor of Behavioural Studies
Provider: Seek - Swinbourne University
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: I realised after doing the Nutritional medicine course that I could manage studying online and the course content if its something I am interested in, so I thought psychology would be it. This direction is all about gaining a qualification in order to get better employment.
So you can sign up for this and avoid going through QTAC this way, but dont really need to go through SEEK as their course advisor is just a salesperson and doesnt know the courses, really.
Some faults, information not conveyed to me until signed up - books and lots of them I would have to purchase. Also the course wasnt from one institution but a few, that seemed confusing, did I have the time to get used to each sites delivery of the different Uni's.
May look into this again but go directly through the Uni.
Bachelor of Counselling
Provider: Jansen Newman Institute, JNI
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: The course advisor told me I would have to travel to Brisbane or Sydney 5 times a year, for 3 - 5 day workshops, I thought I could manage that as my family was in Sydney.
What they didnt tell me until signed up was that I had to go straight away, which was ridiculous. Far too costly.
This organisation is part of ACNT so it goes to show that the Administration is not intouch with the course content and requirements yet again, such a pity as I am sure the course is a good one and with good lecturers.
Thumbs down.
Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy
Provider: AIAS, Australian Institute of Applied Sciences
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: Course advisor suggested Naturopathy as it was 3 Advanced Diplomas in one, and that I could transfer across results from ACNT. But they didnt recognise even half of what I had done. Not even the Anatomy and Physiology or Chemistry, it was a joke.
The course administration was far removed from the office girls who sign you up. And no one could tell what was in the course that I had completed subjects in, which I find absurd, these are all government accredited subjects.
Yet again I could only look at the course content only when I signed up, I went through it and saw I had completed what i saw in Anatomy & Physiology and Chemistry, but there was no one I could speak to about it, they put it to review by some faceless administration.
Also the timeframes for the course had 6 subjects all having exams at the one time, and assignments to be completed just before the exams, of 6 subjects, which was a heavy load.
Plus I had to fork out for books which I hadnt been told about until signed up.
Thumbs down.
QTAC
This organisation decides whether you get into Uni or not.
They didnt recognise my course results from ACNT as it said the course was from 2011 - 2015 and as it was only 2013, it didnt make sense to them.
Thumbs down.
Cetificate III Fitness
Provider: Open Colleges
Cost: pay by week/fn/month reasonable
Review: I wanted a qualification to use to go on with training as an instructor in Zumba, in order to teach at schools and aged care places. What the course advisor didnt tell me until I had signed up was that I would have to do 80 hours in placement at a gym with an instructor.
When your working 30 hrs a week, that means the rest of your time was required to be at the gym, that was fine if thats what you wanted to be working in but I didnt.
Pull out, rethink.
Life Coaching Certificate
Provider: Open Colleges
Cost: pay by week/fn/month, reasonable
Review: Counselling I excelled in during my course with ACNT, and I want to pursue it, but difficult to do in North QLD as it will normally require some face to face workshops.
This is a short course which will help myself and others when I get to utilise it in a workplace. Luckily the course advisor who handled me to start with in the Fitness course, got an idea of what I wanted to achieve, and utilizing what i had already studied. She tidied up the whole process of the course change, what a darling.
So far so good, no extra hidden costs, no exams to be organised elsewhere, no time spent volunteering, I can work at the same time, and they even spread out my payments so that I can manage them over a year.
Course content - good.
Thumbs up !!
NOTE: be aware the course advisor who signs you up, doesnt really know the course content or requirements, and when you start the course it can shock you. eg: exams of 6 subjects at the same time, or having to drop everything and fly off to have an introduction workshop in Sydney.
Also extra costs once you've signed up, like books, travel, assignments, time to spend as a voluntary worker, for months on end, sounds bad but its no doubt needed and especially when studying online, also will prepare you for work in that field.
Another irritation can be having to organise someone to do exams with, plus having to download exams, some 30 pages or more and then scanning that back in to send off, and doing this 6 times a year, luckily I found someone who was very tolerant.
So thats it, this had been a process of 3 years from 2010, then studying full time for 1 year with ACNT from 2011 - 2012, and then looking for the next avenue from 2012 - 2013.
My suggestion to you is that if you find the course boring or too hard, pull out as soon as possible, avoiding charges and your own sanity, its obvious your not going to find out the course content until you've signed up for it. No disrespect intended to the various organisations, but honestly a review of how they give their information to prospective students is needed.
Cheers, and good luck !!!
Course: Desktop Publishing
Provider: Courses Now
Cost: Upfront
Review: Sent CD roms, then a second set had to be sent as one disk had no information.
Content of course I couldnt follow.
Thumbs down.
Course: Advanced Diploma of Nutritional medicine
Provider: ACNT, Australian College of Natural Therapies
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: All costs included, books etc, Information was fantastic, Lecturers fantastic.
Down side: After 1 year of successful stdy of 30hrs a week and me thinking I was keeping well ahead in the course, the administration who seem to work as a separate entitiy from lecturers, sent me email to say I was going to fail as I wasnt up to date, and not finishing 1st year on time.
This was ridiculous as the course content was released onto their site when the subject was to start, and I was keeping up with that.
Their argument was that I was studying at part-time rate not full time (a uni course rates fulltime study at 20hrs a week).
I then had to go part time and go off Austudy and find work, which I did. But it took the momentum out of me. I pulled out and recieved subject recognition.
Also found out, even if I completed the course, that it wouldnt be recognised by Natural Health organisations that its wise to be registered with like ANTA, or with insurance agencies as it was an online course. Also public health agencies didnt recognise the qualification as it wasnt through a university and couldnt obtain any employment with them using this.
Both thumbs up and down.
Diploma of Business
Provider: cant remember
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: I decided I would do this to gain better employment as thats what extra education is about. But it was so dry, I was falling asleep reading in the first day, so I had to be honest with myself and pull out.
Thumbs down.
Bachelor of Behavioural Studies
Provider: Seek - Swinbourne University
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: I realised after doing the Nutritional medicine course that I could manage studying online and the course content if its something I am interested in, so I thought psychology would be it. This direction is all about gaining a qualification in order to get better employment.
So you can sign up for this and avoid going through QTAC this way, but dont really need to go through SEEK as their course advisor is just a salesperson and doesnt know the courses, really.
Some faults, information not conveyed to me until signed up - books and lots of them I would have to purchase. Also the course wasnt from one institution but a few, that seemed confusing, did I have the time to get used to each sites delivery of the different Uni's.
May look into this again but go directly through the Uni.
Bachelor of Counselling
Provider: Jansen Newman Institute, JNI
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: The course advisor told me I would have to travel to Brisbane or Sydney 5 times a year, for 3 - 5 day workshops, I thought I could manage that as my family was in Sydney.
What they didnt tell me until signed up was that I had to go straight away, which was ridiculous. Far too costly.
This organisation is part of ACNT so it goes to show that the Administration is not intouch with the course content and requirements yet again, such a pity as I am sure the course is a good one and with good lecturers.
Thumbs down.
Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy
Provider: AIAS, Australian Institute of Applied Sciences
Cost: Vet/Fee Help
Review: Course advisor suggested Naturopathy as it was 3 Advanced Diplomas in one, and that I could transfer across results from ACNT. But they didnt recognise even half of what I had done. Not even the Anatomy and Physiology or Chemistry, it was a joke.
The course administration was far removed from the office girls who sign you up. And no one could tell what was in the course that I had completed subjects in, which I find absurd, these are all government accredited subjects.
Yet again I could only look at the course content only when I signed up, I went through it and saw I had completed what i saw in Anatomy & Physiology and Chemistry, but there was no one I could speak to about it, they put it to review by some faceless administration.
Also the timeframes for the course had 6 subjects all having exams at the one time, and assignments to be completed just before the exams, of 6 subjects, which was a heavy load.
Plus I had to fork out for books which I hadnt been told about until signed up.
Thumbs down.
QTAC
This organisation decides whether you get into Uni or not.
They didnt recognise my course results from ACNT as it said the course was from 2011 - 2015 and as it was only 2013, it didnt make sense to them.
Thumbs down.
Cetificate III Fitness
Provider: Open Colleges
Cost: pay by week/fn/month reasonable
Review: I wanted a qualification to use to go on with training as an instructor in Zumba, in order to teach at schools and aged care places. What the course advisor didnt tell me until I had signed up was that I would have to do 80 hours in placement at a gym with an instructor.
When your working 30 hrs a week, that means the rest of your time was required to be at the gym, that was fine if thats what you wanted to be working in but I didnt.
Pull out, rethink.
Life Coaching Certificate
Provider: Open Colleges
Cost: pay by week/fn/month, reasonable
Review: Counselling I excelled in during my course with ACNT, and I want to pursue it, but difficult to do in North QLD as it will normally require some face to face workshops.
This is a short course which will help myself and others when I get to utilise it in a workplace. Luckily the course advisor who handled me to start with in the Fitness course, got an idea of what I wanted to achieve, and utilizing what i had already studied. She tidied up the whole process of the course change, what a darling.
So far so good, no extra hidden costs, no exams to be organised elsewhere, no time spent volunteering, I can work at the same time, and they even spread out my payments so that I can manage them over a year.
Course content - good.
Thumbs up !!
NOTE: be aware the course advisor who signs you up, doesnt really know the course content or requirements, and when you start the course it can shock you. eg: exams of 6 subjects at the same time, or having to drop everything and fly off to have an introduction workshop in Sydney.
Also extra costs once you've signed up, like books, travel, assignments, time to spend as a voluntary worker, for months on end, sounds bad but its no doubt needed and especially when studying online, also will prepare you for work in that field.
Another irritation can be having to organise someone to do exams with, plus having to download exams, some 30 pages or more and then scanning that back in to send off, and doing this 6 times a year, luckily I found someone who was very tolerant.
So thats it, this had been a process of 3 years from 2010, then studying full time for 1 year with ACNT from 2011 - 2012, and then looking for the next avenue from 2012 - 2013.
My suggestion to you is that if you find the course boring or too hard, pull out as soon as possible, avoiding charges and your own sanity, its obvious your not going to find out the course content until you've signed up for it. No disrespect intended to the various organisations, but honestly a review of how they give their information to prospective students is needed.
Cheers, and good luck !!!
