Aussie Childcare Network Forum

hi,

i want to continue to study bachelor education in early childhood... coz im nearly done with my diploma

but i am thinking of getting one or two subject at a time for it is so hard for me to do some study while working full time...
and wanna have a lil break for a while from studying..

is there anyone done this thing... and where can I enroll one or two subject... i am currently livin in sydney... it will be good if it is correspondence or one day at school... i am really looking forward to continue my career in early childhood..

Hi,
I am studying Bachelor of Education ( EC) through UNE it is all online and you can do as little or as many subjects as you want. I do it part time so I do 2 subjects a semester.

USQ also offer B.Ed (ECE) online so you can do as many (or few) subjects as you wish to.... I will be starting mine in November
check out their website all the info is there + u get 1 year off as you have done your diploma (u will have to apply for credit before starting)

can someone residing in NSW study on-line through the QLD university?

Pretty sure they can we had a girl do her placement with us and she was from NSW doing this degree thru USQ. Doesn't matter which state yr in & where u want to study. U can study anywhere u want. Call them to confirm it they r v.helpful

Hi Ja9uar,

Another option is through Open Universities Australia which is a correspondence/online course. When studying for your Bachelor of Education, you do it through Curtin University in W.A. I think it's a four year course and if you have a Diploma of Children's Services you get 1 year off. Here is a description of the course I got from the OUA site.

The Bachelor of Education (ECE) prepares graduates to work in either early learning centres (0-3 years) or in the early years of schooling (4-8 years). The course is largely sequential and developmental in nature. It consists of 29 units which is equivalent to four full-time years of study. The first year of the course focuses on the 0-3 years age group and culminates in the completion of a four (4) week block practicum of professional experience in an early learning centre. Years 2-4 build on this base and cover the areas of theory and curriculum which articulate with planned professional experiences (practicum) placements in schools:
2nd year- 5 week block placement with 4-6 year olds (school setting);
3rd year- 3 week block placement in junior primary setting
4th year- 10 week block internship

It's great to hear that you want to continue studying... this is probably the hard part... finding which uni you're going to apply too. Just remember to check out a few and speak to the course advisors about different questions you may have and choose the one which suits you!

Cheers ,
L.A

Just to say (not to put u off) I have done some Uni study through OUA and I just found it hard. The university didnt give OUA students a huge amount of support and dealing with OUA wasn't easy either.

I just think if you are going to do an online course just enrol directly with the University if you can, just means you are a proper Uni student and entitled to all their support services and student services etc

For my Bachelor I thought of OUA but due to my past experience (& I was enrolled with RMIT, so a big well known highly rated uni) I will probably never go the Open Uni route unless I really have to, thats why i've decided to go directly with USQ + its more convenient for me should I ever have to do a prac or workshops etc as I am already in QLD so will be easier for me

Do your research though as its a big step, call them & speak to people, again from speaking to USQ I found them really helpful even following up with emails after my initial contact asking me if I had any more questions etc

Good Luck

thankz for all your reply... and will consider all the stuff....

it's really great to hear some of your experience as well through different UNI taking bachelor in education atleast i need to know what i need to consider and which one i do prefer...

thank you thank you

cheers

HI,

If you are working in Early Childhood and have your Diploma you can study BLM(EC) through CQU. You will be a 'Pathway B' student- and can enrol as you want- just chech there are no prior course requirments before enrolling!

CQU has on the most part been very supportive to me as a FLEX student- and I have continued working full time throughout my studies.

BLM (Bachelor of Learning Management) graduate teachers are well respected and the concept behind it is to become an educator who can lead others on a continuing learning journey- I know it sounds very EYLF but they coined that phrase many years ago!

I saw the CQU course Kiers, I'm a uni snob though if i am getting a degree I want it from a big better rated uni... CQU just doesnt do it for me + just cant get my head around a degree called BLM instead of B.Ed!!

No worries- it's your choice. But I do feel compelled to reply to one particular part of your post - about wanting a degree from a big, better rated uni- just keep in mind that big is not always best - especially when it comes to Uni's (I know from experience!) and a better rated uni- CQU has just been rated in the top 10.

I started a B. Ed through a big uni and got NO support - I was just a number and they don't take into account your life circumstances, experience or 'stuff'! I was living in Emerald and was expected to travel to Brisbane twice a term to attend a 1 day set of lectures!!!

I just want you to consider all the aspects of studying Flex with a Uni

I am aware of the things you've mentioned. I will double check but as far as I know all units are online or distance learning.
I know UCQ has been rated well too. I have nothing against smaller unis but I got no info from them about the course when I enquired and they were not as helpful as USQ at all. First impressions were not good
Anyway each to their own

"by ja9uar » Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:23 pm
but i am thinking of getting one or two subject at a time for it is so hard for me to do some study while working full time..."

I think you can do that...I am sure you can do it via correspondence in some UNI and you can take upto 10 years to complete it if you want..If you dont want to enroll in correspondence, you can enroll for part-time study instead of a full-time course I guess.

"by dulciean » Sat Aug 20, 2011 10:56 pm
can someone residing in NSW study on-line through the QLD university?"

Yep...There are sooooo many universities and colleges now in every state in Australia and I think you can study anywhere as long as the uni course is nationally recognized. I have found that most of the unis are nationally recognized. I have never come across one that is not..maybe some small time colleges..not sure..

"by fefe76 » Sun Aug 21, 2011 12:02 pm
I have done some Uni study through OUA and I just found it hard."

My cousin did her degree through OUA and she thought it was good for her..then again, when it comes to unis each students have different experiences. It totally comes down to who was helping you that time and how the management was when you did the course. So its always a gamble when you enroll in unis. Though some unis might have good reviews, you would never know until you experience it yourself...

Also I can understand why some people might find it hard with OUA. I personally think, if every thing permits, try and do an on-campus study with the UNI rather than correspondence. Dont get me wrong, correspondence does have its own benefits where your study time is fully managed by you, you can manage work, travel and study a lot easier and a lot more, but I think when it comes to doing an undergraduate degree, the more access you have to the UNI resources, the more useful it is!! My favourite when it comes to on-campus study is the access to the UNI library!
I can spend whole day there! lol..I havent completed an on-campus study before, but I still go to sydney uni library. I love it and its so massive!

Other than the library, there are other good factors too. Its more easier to get support when you need help since a lot of times you will be dealing with people in person rather than sending an email to the uni and waiting for responses. So these could be a pain sometimes when doing a correspondence..

So i guess i know what you mean fefe...Also with OUA, I dont really know how their support works. I know end of the day, it is not the OUA who are offering the course. It is actually a course offered by Curtin University and I think OUA is managing the correspondence course only..not really sure whats the arrangement between OUA and Curtin University there!

"by Kiers81 » Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:26 am
But I do feel compelled to reply to one particular part of your post - about wanting a degree from a big, better rated uni- just keep in mind that big is not always best - "

A very good point Kiers "big is not always best". I like that! lol...I guess you are right, but I think it doent matter if it is a big uni or a small uni, it actually comes downs to the experience the student have when they do their study. If the experience was good, then yeah it is a good uni. But this doesnt gaurantee that the next student will be happy with that UNI as well..if you know what I mean. Thats why I have noticed that a lot of unis have mixed reviews..some students say its good and some say its a nightmare. We just need to do whats we think is best for us. I think the most common reason people like to enroll with big universities is because of the popularity and respect the uni might have gained over the years..I mean some people might like to say "I graduated from Macquarie University" than "I graduated from Some Laymo Institution"...

Sorry...I am not calling CQU a laymo..I do know that CQU has good reputation for some courses though..I know there is a CQU in sydney as well..but its a really small campus. I dont think its even a campus, its more like a level in a building. I guess the CQU campus in queensland might be bigger.

End of the day, big uni or small uni, its a lot easier to get support from this site no matter what uni...lol...

I mean some people might like to say "I graduated from Macquarie University" than "I graduated from Some Laymo Institution"...

u r so funny & yes I am one of those poeple, if I have the chance to study with a University with a bigger name natioanlly & internationally I will probably choose to go with them as if I go overseas again a degree from a more well known Uni will be more beneficial to me.

If you could wouldn't you rather have a degree from Oxford or Cambridge than some small University? I would for sure.

Anyway everyone looks at things differently. I have no probs with distance/correspondance courses & I prefer enrolling direct with a Uni rather than using Open Learning as it just cuts out the middleman so to speak and I think you get more support being a Uni student enrolled directly even if its distance learning

The USQ one allows you 9 years to do the degree and you do not have to do any face-to-face time if you opt for distance/online learning ... so no surprises of having to suddenly go attend some lecture or the other...the only thing u would have to do was your placement

Hi,

I'm looking at studying the Bachelor of education (primary) through Open Universities / Curtin. I'm in NSW.
I would love to hear from anyone who is also doing this course. I'm a stay at home mum to a nearly 3 year old & a 10 week old. Just wondering what the work load is like? Realistically how much study time is needed per day/week??
I'm also a little concerned about needing to submit essays, i haven't written one of them in over 10 years & would have no idea how to write one. Are they a major part of the assessment?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

"Just wondering what the work load is like? I'm also a little concerned about needing to submit essays, i haven't written one of them in over 10 years & would have no idea how to write one. Are they a major part of the assessment?"

I havent done my bachelor degree yet but I would definitely would not expect the workload to be easy. Doing an undergraduate degree does require a lot of commitment. Its not just a degree, its the same with any course but with a degree its even more since you are learning to specialize in that field and you need to put in atleast 4 years into it. You need to be focused and prepared to do loads of research and study. Essays are definitely going to be part of it. I would be surprised if its not.

"Realistically how much study time is needed per day/week??"

Its hard to answer that. It varies hugely for each individual and how much you study. I mean, one student may spend a lot of hours trying to read and find various infos while another student may just try to sprint and get it done. So I am not sure how you work it out. Hopefully someone doing their bachelor degree may give some ideas. I know that fefe (member of this site) will soon be starting her bachelor of education and I am sure she will be sharing her experiences in this forum over time.

i have done previous study at uni (science degree)
usually unis will provide students with all the tools they require in order to suceed. There may be handbooks or online resources which will tell you how to write an essay properly, reference properly etc

As for the workload its intensive... if you want to keep on top of things you will need to study on a regular basis, saying that I did plenty of 5000 word essays in a last minute panic session lol and did ok, but if you are new to study or returning to study after a big break you would probably want to set yourself achievable goals and make sure you don't put yourself in a position where you feel you cannot do the work or its just too much.
The key (in my opinion) to study is organisation, planning and preparation.

If you have children you probably won't be able to dedicate too much time/ day to study but you will have to make sure when you do study that you are not disturbed etc as the worst thing in the world is when you are on a roll writing answers or doing an assignment and you get distracted and loose focus.

Good Luck with it and I will always be here to help you should you need it

My semester starts tomorrow ... im doing 2 subjects this semester, hopefully i can manage a FT job and 2 subjects
excited

I am not sure about other Uni's, but CQU gives a guideline on how much time should be given to each course (subject) you enrol in. I it is a standard course the recommended is normally 10 hours each week of term. If it is an intensive course (which means all completed in just 2 weeks!!!) the recommended minimum is 20 hours per week.

In saying that- I just don't have enough hours in my week to contribute that so I spend the week prior to term pouring over study guides and assessment outlines and write a detailed study plan. I average about 5 hours per week for each subject (on top of working and being a mum) and still manage to keep a distinction level average.

A few tips for saving study time- skim read, highlight important phrases, if you come across something that may be useful for an assessment item you are doing- write it on a large postnote it and include the reference- this saves time later!

A guide for assessments- if it is worth 50% of marks it should take a minimum of 5 hours prep and study to ensure you are prepared, 75% of marks- 7 and a half hours of prep.

Again- this is a guide line given by the uni - everyone is different, so just do what you feel you need to do to get the job done!

hi, so look like most people here are doing online course. I was choose off campus, but found out it is not much differents from on campus. can not do my full time job. so start thinking to do online course
.hi, how about placement, how many days?can do in own centre?

placement wise i have answered your other post