How to choose the best course for further study
Advancement in most professions these days requires continuing self-development through formal coursework at recognised educational institutions. Such courses can be very expensive - sometimes running into tens of thousands of dollars. They are also very demanding in terms of your hopes, energy, and time. Drop-out rates can be as high as 30 per cent. Many students persevere even though they admit they made the wrong choice. Further study is a major investment, so you would be wise to consider the following advice before choosing your program...
1. Focus on your own qualities.
Consider first your personal motivations and hopes. Are you the type of individual who finds formal study hard work, or do you get enjoyment from such activity? Are you seeking specific understanding and skills to boost your future employment prospects, or will study be simply a way of keeping youself up to date, giving you a chance to catch up with what's new and interesting? To what extent are you motivated to learn?
2. Consider your personal circumstances.
Examine your current personal situation. Can you, for example, afford the tuition fees, textbooks, additional travelling, residential workshops, laptop computer, or other requisite tools? Will the demands of home life and work allow you enough time and energy to undertake the course? Will your current employers acknowledge, reward, or appreciate your acquisition of additional skills or qualifications? Just how realistic are your hopes?
3. Analyse the big picture.
Always try to begin with the entire menu of courses that interest you. Never enrol in a course or institution simply because you happen to have heard of it. Obtain a copy of such publications as 'The Australian Good Universities Guide' or TAFE handbooks, which usually list all available courses in detail. Begin with a process of elimination - rule out those courses that you can't afford, can't reach, or can't get into. Arrive at a short list of viable options after also considering whether you want to study full-time or part-time, on campus or off campus, course duration, assessment methods, and whether the offerings are too specific or too general for your purposes.
