Extramural study - who's done it?

[kerfufflez]

Quote: (Coldrider) I was (am) an Electrician, did a Massey degree extramurally and am now an Accountant for a multi national, sick or what?

Not sure if this is the right place, but I saw this reply in another thread, and as I have been thinking about doing some extramural study I thought I'd ask here for others' experiences.

I haven't looked into it too deeply yet, and the following are just random 'off the top of my head' questions, i.e.

Was it more/less difficult for you than studying in a classroom situation.
Did you have to be supremely motivated/disciplined to work on your own?
How many hours per week did you commit to it?
How was it done, by email/online, or did you have to submit work through the post?
Was the subject/qualification a complete change from what you'd previously studied or worked at?
What are some things you wished you'd known before you started?

Any responses appreciated,
thanks.

[Colapop]

I've been trying to study by correspondence and finding it bloody hard going! I'm studying, or at least attempting to, through the Open Polytech. The work isn't exactly thrilling and I suppose that's part of my problem.
I find that working in a classroom and being shown things suit my learning style better.

[janno]

I have just completed one extramural course and am plodding my unenthusiastic way through another.

My learning style is by reading instructions, so coursework is easy peasy. However if you are one of those people who learn by seeing something done, it could be tricky. Also I have no children to distract me.

So I found learning course A was a piece of cake, because it was something which I was passionate about. Course B is dragging on, I am very bored with it and realised after the third assignment that the subject was a mistake.

I tend to hammer through a couple or three modules at once, then leave it for a month or more, then go at it again.

My husband enrolled for an extramural qualification at the beginning of this year and hasn't even sent in an assignment. He is fairly tired when he gets home from his boilermaking job, but also he doesn't learn well from reading - he's definitely a hands on person, and he is fairly undisciplined with committing time to projects if it's not at work. So he has barely looked at the damn thing.

So extra mural can either be a real handy way to get the quals you want, or a complete millstone and waste of money, depending IMHO on your learning style, how disciplined you are, and how much family drains your spare time.

I found the course I have just completed absolutely brilliant - the one I am still plodding through, I will finish it but not without much sighing and pulling of hair in boredom.

Hope this helps.

jan.

[Trudes]

Quote: (Coldrider) I was (am) an Electrician, did a Massey degree extramurally and am now an Accountant for a multi national, sick or what?

Not sure if this is the right place, but I saw this reply in another thread, and as I have been thinking about doing some extramural study I thought I'd ask here for others' experiences.

I haven't looked into it too deeply yet, and the following are just random 'off the top of my head' questions, i.e.

1. Was it more/less difficult for you than studying in a classroom situation.
2. Did you have to be supremely motivated/disciplined to work on your own?
3. How many hours per week did you commit to it?
4. How was it done, by email/online, or did you have to submit work through the post?
5. Was the subject/qualification a complete change from what you'd previously studied or worked at?
6. What are some things you wished you'd known before you started?

Any responses appreciated,
thanks.

Hiya,
I am currently doing a four year Social Work degree at Massey Extramurally. I am in my second year and because I work full-time also, can only put in enough hours to study part-time, so do four papers a year, two each semester.

Advice:
1. I always got distracted easily at school, so find extramural good that I can fit study around my time and get ahead when possible to give myself time off for things, so works for me.
2. You do have to be fairly motivated yes, although knowing that you are paying to study does motivate and knowing that if you fail you will have to repeat helps also. Set yourself a timetable and stick to it.
3. For my two papers each semester I put in about 20-25 hours a week.
4. I have to submit my assignments through the mail or fax them, although several courses offer online quizzes etc, depends a bit on the course offering that you are doing.
5. Nope, I'm a nanny so still a caring type role, working with people.
6. Don't know really, all I can say is be sure of what you want to study and where you want to head with your qualification and get some good study mates. Oh, and a support network at home is essential to help you through and encourage. Good luck, go for it!!
Edit: And all of what Janno said!!! Well put!!

[Delerium]

Iv done a mix of part time and extramural study. Extramural the hard part is getting time to do it, and if you get dtuck or dont understand something, having it explained to you. I found the extramural exams much easier than internal ones. I work full time so I only do ine paper extramural and managed to do two part time. Now I am applying for leave without pay to do a year full time next year. It also depends on who good you are natrually at the subject you are taking. I am doing a BBS, and purring words to paper is something I am good at. I have only done 4 papers to date but have an A average.

[Nasty]

I completed one paper so far .. and got lost before getting my a into g to do another ....

Advice

1. go for it, but keep the energy so have some passion about what you are doing
2. Find some other locals who are also studying the same paper near you and get togeather for study sessions .. is great to talk about what you are doing.
3. Don't let it become a chore ... yes it has to be done .. .but you control how.

And all what Janno and Mrs Kendog says

[SlashWylde]

Was it more/less difficult for you than studying in a classroom situation.
A: Yes

Did you have to be supremely motivated/disciplined to work on your own?
A: Yes

How many hours per week did you commit to it?
A: Not enough! Prob 4-8 hours or so.

How was it done, by email/online, or did you have to submit work through the post?
A: Post.

Was the subject/qualification a complete change from what you'd previously studied or worked at?
A: No.

What are some things you wished you'd known before you started?
A: How to motivate myself and to have had better learning skills.

[Coldrider]

I did it because I was getting tired of my job, long hours etc.
Alot of courses are via email now, but ususally you read the textbooks at home and post in your assignments, most papers have a 1 to 3 day face to face class session at the Uni campus, and a written exam at the end.
If you are tempted ,do something you are interested in, it is a commitment in time and money.
I think the biggest loss is when you miss out on other activities (such as rides & rallys) while you are studying.
Do not try to take it all on at once, one bit at a time does the trick.

[Stickchick]

I'm currently studying the Bachelor of Business through Open Polytechnic and yes it is hard, you have to be very motivated to study, I have been very lucky as I have passed three papers so far with very little study. You can submit your assessments through the post, or online. You can chat to others that are studying the same paper which I found really helpful if stuck. Some papers require exams and some are internally assessed. Its basically a thing of time management and when working as well it can be hard to get home after a hard day and open a boring text book, but for me its well worth it

[janno]

So, Kerfufflez, are you encouraged after everyone's answers - or do you think extramural won't be for you?

[ManDownUnder]

FWIW I did my apprenticeship, got my trade and went on to Uni full time to get my degree, and given the choice (and a lack of mortgage) I'd do it that way again.

Extramural seems a lot of work, but QDOS to those who can do it.

Two BIG BIG BIG sources of help I was offered before hitting Uni that paid huge dividends
1) Find people around you with a good work ethic. Any group work - work with them (and pull your weight obviously). You will work to their standards, and they won't freeload off you...
2) Attend the early morning tutorial sessions. It's only the motivated few that choose the early sessions, typically because they want to pack a lot into their day. These ARE the people you want to be learning with.

I'm not sure how #2 translates to extramural, but if it does - trust me... that's where you meet the people listed in point 1.

[Beemer]

I'm currently completing my final two extramural papers for a Massey degree and to be honest I am so looking forward to November when it will all be over! All of my papers were offered internally as well as extramurally but as I live 50kms away from the nearest university, it didn't make economical sense to travel that distance several times a week for tutorials. Some papers have been really interesting and I've got an A for them and some have been boring and hard going and I haven't done as well. With many degrees you can choose from a wide range of papers but my course offers 10 and you have to do eight so the choice was quite limited. I'd already passed one paper and did three more in the second semester of 2006, two last semester and now I'm on the final two. During this time I was (and still am) self-employed and some weeks I would be working all hours to finish everything. But I found it good to be able to study when I wanted and where I wanted. If I had half an hour free, I could do some reading, if I had a bit longer, some research - and if I had a full-on few days, I could leave the studying until the weekend.

The only thing I find a little difficult is that you don't get the feedback until you have completed the assignment so if you are on the wrong track, by then it's too late! But the tutors are available by email and phone and one in particular has been very helpful. You do need to be disciplined and not leave it until the last minute - says she, posting on KB when she has two assignments due on Monday!

In addition to the Massey papers I was accepted onto a fulltime publishing course. I am doing the online option so effectively I am doing fulltime study until the end of the year then when my Massey papers are completed I will be halfway through the other course and hopefully life won't be so stressful.

I decided to complete my first qualification because my niece graduated from Massey last year and I felt a little envious. It has given me some skills that I can use in my job but as I am selfemployed, it doesn't necessarily translate to more money immediately. However, the publishing course is likely to lead to work in the book industry, a notoriously hard market to get into, so that will be worth all the hard work.

The Massey course material is sent by mail and you have everything you need to complete the course - assignments, readings (you still have to buy textbooks though), etc and you submit your assignments by certain dates. I usually drop mine off in Palmerston North but you can post or fax them too. Email would be easier but that option isn't yet available. With the publishing course through Whitireia, it is online and there are exercises, quizzes, etc that you do individually then post your answers onto a discussion forum where the online students discuss them. They provide all the textbooks (brilliant!) and you have written assignments you have to submit, plus one module has an online test that is done at a certain time. It appears to be very well laid out and the study plan shows you exactly what you need to do each week.

With the Massey papers they say to allow 12.5 hours per paper per week but some took far less than that. Topics I found interesting or ones that I had some experience in required far less effort than the ones that were very academic and/or boring! Some papers were practical and you had to write articles for publication (they are journalism papers), others were just essay after essay - which isn't that much fun!

One thing I would suggest is looking on Amazon for your text books - even allowing for postage, I bought two of my required texts for about two thirds the price they are in NZ. Both were secondhand but in as-new condition. And also check on Trade Me - I got one book for $15 when a new copy was $85!

Right, I've put this off long enough, I AM going to do some study now!

[Brett]

I did my Graduate Diploma in Construction Management while working full time (approx 45 hours a week). I did the 2 year diploma over 3 years which basically involved me going to tech from 5 till about 8 3/4 nights a week. I didn't mind it once I got into the rythem, and I managed to pass the course first in my class - so it cant be that hard I suppose. Although I didn't have weekends over exam times, even ahd to pull a few sickies to get assignments ready for submission.
I really advocate studying and working as opposed to just studying, the only courses I have seen where it is impossible is medicine (which my wife is studying), a conjoint degree of say Law and business or other such 'academic' orientated disciplines. Doing a basic degree there is no reason why the average person cant work say 30hours per week just fine.
I am going to look at doing a Business Degree next year so I guess it never scared me too much...

[kerfufflez]

Wow, thanks everyone for all your responses. Has given me a lot to think about.
Basically I'm still deciding....

I'm lucky in that now I basically have heaps of free time. Once I'm finished work and am home, that's it, nothing much really to do. I'm in Korea so I used to spend weekends/days off travelling around, but it's a tiny wee country and the novelty of that has worn off a bit.

A couple of my friends are doing distance Masters degrees, through the UK and the US, but I have no desire to pay huge International fees like they are.
I've just started feeling a bit guilty lately about how much time I waste, and feeling I should put it to better use. But I'm still not entirely sure if I 'want' to study, or if I just want not to feel like I'm wasting time.

But I also have a tendency to procrastinate, as there is always tomorrow...when I was at Uni I was terrible, everything was always handed in at the very last minute. Have been out of study for a while so was just worried that'd be too much of a shock to the system, to actually knuckle down and do some work to a deadline. - But I also think that's probably exactly what I need, a shock to the system.
I think I learn best (depending on subject matter of course) just from reading about things, I don't really need it to be hands on, but am a bit concerned about getting feedback i.e am I on the right track or not, before I submit things.

Plus I'm probably only in Korea for one more year, so I'm kind of wondering whether to start it while I'm here, or just wait until I get back to NZ.
Living here I have to get books etc off Amazon anyway, and an email/online course would suit best, but I could do it thorough the post if I had to.

Anyway, this seems to have turned into a ramble, sorry about that.
Thanks again for all your replies.

[MotoGirl]

I've done a couple of extramural courses. I did three of the four papers I needed to finish the NZ Diploma in Business papers through The Open Polytech. I'd started it before I got a job, so work made me finish it. I also did some Information Design papers through CPIT on the way to becoming a Technical Writer (pfft). This subject was (supposedly) relevant to my job.

I struggled with this type of study and did far better in a classroom environment. What I especially disliked about the CPIT papers is that they released the course week each week. You can't plough ahead because you simply don't know what you're doing. This was a pain if you had to juggle your workload to fit in a life.

I also found the The Open Polytech's course notes to be vague and somewhat ambiguous.

I'm not particularly motivated to study at the best of times, and because work paid 100 percent of my fees, I had no motivation to do extremely well (I only had to pass). I did the minimum amount of work necessary to pass the papers.

As for submitting work, I've had a mixture. Some papers I've posted assignments away; others I've been able to email them (email is loads better!).

Overall, I think you've got to be super motivated to attempt extramural study. I won't go near it unless I find something I'm really fired up about.