Anyone else studying?

Not anymore!
I'm another one who took a "gap year" that lasted significantly longer
Actually got kicked off my HND course at Liverpool Poly back in 1989 (I failed one of my first year exams, and although I passed my re-sit - fortuitously because the only book I'd bought during the entire course, and which wasn't on the reading list, they just happened to take the questions from for my resit LOL). But shortly after that my academic inadequecies were starting to show, and so I was asked to leave the course (18 months into a 2 year course!).

Fast forward to 2000 and I find myself on a Masters degree course (online, with Liverpool Uni) and being sponsored by my then employer.

Six years later and I have a Post-Graduate Diploma in IT & Computing.

But have to say, it was very very hard going at times. During my regular course modules (which lasted 2 months each), I would be required to put in approximately 16 hours of study per week. Bear in mind I was working full-time, and my days consisted of basically, work, eat, study, sleep ... and very little else. I used to study a minimum of 4 hours per night 4 nights per week (mon - thu), and then during weekends when I didn't have my kids, I'd usually study anywhere up to an additional 16 hours (and sometimes more).

All the hard work was worth it though as I was averaging an A grade!

We also used to get 2 weeks off between modules - just as well really!
I also took some time away from the course following the death of my dad (hence why the course went on longer than anticipated).

I didn't get my MSc due to a variety of events in the end.
Firstly, I had a tutor who didn't seem to give a damn about the importance of timely responses, and so I was forced to change tutors ... which also meant I was forced to change my dissertation topic.
I decided to use something (a project) from my employer for my dissertation, but the company was in dire straits and was looking to make sweeping cut-backs ... I was made redundant and as such no longer had access to the data and people necessary to continue with my dissertation.
I looked at trying to change dissertation subjects again, but time was running out for me ... the course has to be completed within 6 years, and at this stage I had 3 months left. That wasn't enough time I was told in which to complete a disseration FULL TIME, never mind PART TIME, and so I had to "give it up" and settle for the post-grad diploma.

I've no regrets about doing it though because it gave me a great deal of satisfaction knowing that I could study at such a level AND attain the grades I did, and had it not been for certain unfortunate circumstances, I'm fairly certain I'd have had a very good chance of gaining my masters "with distinction".

Would I go back and study now? Probably not. There is only so much that academic qualifications can give you in my line of work, where experience is far far more useful, and is probably a far better indicator of a persons ability with respect to whether they can do the job or not.

Currently halfway through my second year of Zoology, not going too badly. looking forward to seeing the other side if I get that far

I'm on my 3rd year of an open uni degree and it's really hard work!
So far I've done Humanaties, Intro to literature and currenty exploring English language, like Artlady I am doing an open degree but haven't been that successful at picking courses without exams!

[dizzyblonde]

I will be glad when Im Indoors finishes his final year this year....lets just say our relationship has been at the bottom of a very large pile of end of year project stuff. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I was rather lucky where exams were concerned ... we didn't have any ... it's just not practical for that sort of online (distance learning) course, so we were continually assessed.

We were assessed by our tutors for input/output on a weekly basis. IIRC we got graded on our posts into the "electronic classroom", based on our initial posting on a subject, and we were also graded on our responses to our peers. We were also graded on homework assignments (of which there was 1 a week), and in some modules we also had a project which ran the entire length of the module, and we were also regularly graded on the progress made and the final result.

All of these marks/grades were then put thru some formula (which was publicly available) to give us an overall grade for that module. I much preferred doing that, because I don't like exams, and it prevents people from sitting on their ar$es for most of the module, turning up for an exam and just winging it, but still passing.

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

I will be glad when Im Indoors finishes his final year this year....lets just say our relationship has been at the bottom of a very large pile of end of year project stuff. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

If the end result is that it gives you BOTH a better, and possibly more comfortable existence, then worth it perhaps

Originally Posted by Gazza77

There are loads of different training companies all over the country that you could use, either for college based or distance learning stuff. I first took exams in Nov 05, in theory I could have been a passed finalist by now, but I keep failing every now and again.

CIMA does cover financial as well as management accounts, along with more general areas such as business strategy, so it's quite wide ranging. Feel free to PM me if you want any further details or advice.

Cheers Gazza, I'd always got the impression it was only management. I think I'll have a surf, and check out the CIMA web.

Lou

[Gazza77]

Originally Posted by Lou M

Cheers Gazza, I'd always got the impression it was only management. I think I'll have a surf, and check out the CIMA web.

Lou

Have a look here too, these are who I use: http://www.bpp.com/cima/

It isn't cheap though!!!

Originally Posted by mrs mousetrapper

I'm on my 3rd year of an open uni degree and it's really hard work!
So far I've done Humanaties, Intro to literature and currenty exploring English language, like Artlady I am doing an open degree but haven't been that successful at picking courses without exams!

Lucky you - having finished the Humanties! Im halfway through it now and cant wait for it to end so I can go onto my level 3 Creative writing

I was going to head down the literature route too but when I saw all the reading that had to be done I revised my plan which now includes Technology of Music, Words and Music, and Art of English with no exams only End of Course Assessments.

What are your planned courses Mrs Mousetrapper?

and welcome to the forum btw

Yeah the literature was quite hard going and I have to say that I constantly had my head in books for the entire time!
Not really sure what my next course will be as I have been taking it one step at a time, although I have to say that I'm really enjoying the language course and quite often find myself listening to other peoples coversations as a result - for purley linguistic reasons of course

Thanks for the welcome by the way - have been reading the forum ever since my first AR last year (as the pillion of mousetrapper) and finaly got around to joining after seeing the threads for the AR08!!