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Kezzle
02-09-2012, 12:31 PM
Hi, its been a while since i've posted on here. I apologise for bad spelling...on my phone.
Basically i've asked in the relevant section but in case there are people here who have already completed their diplomas how heavy was the work load? I'm trying to work out my options as i'm due to start it in two weeks and i will have to volunteer in a nursery one day a week attend class on another day then work the remaining 5 days a week at my retail job. Will this be doable? Or will i find myself just wishing i'd never took on so much?I would love to do it and childmind but since oct 2011 i've seen two parents and both went else where for childcare!! Im actively advertising too, so it seems to be a non starter and a waste of money. Hence why i'm going fir the course so i can get nursery work instead.

rickysmiths
02-09-2012, 12:57 PM
I have just completed mine. It took from March 2011 to July 2012.

I had a one day study day once a month on a Saturday except Aug.

I had 6 visits for observations and professional talks with my tutor while I was working and 3 visits from a supervisor just to check some paperwork book me on my Maths and English exams and check all was ok.

The work is not hard, I found it a bit laborious and irritating because you keep repeating yourself. Working 55 hours a week I found it hard sometimes to motivate myself in the evenings or weekends to get the work done.

I think you will also find it very hard to complete the practical side of it on just one day a week. In fact we were told the min you had to work was 18hrs a week in order to register to do the Diploma so please double check that one.

Kezzle
02-09-2012, 01:25 PM
Yours only took a year? Mine ends in 2014! And letter from adult education centre states we need to be in a work placement for a minimum of 5 hours a week to qualify.

moggy
02-09-2012, 03:49 PM
Do you mean a Level 3? I did mine in 3 months + a 3 month wait for them to visit me to do the observed sections! It was an online course so i could go at my own pace. I did it in the evenings or weekends, 2-3 hours at a time once or twice a week once my children were in bed, I submitted the work each time and waited for the next bit to be sent to me.
I see there is enormous variation in the workload for Level 3 depending on how/where you study, also enormous variation in amount of work per section- I kept to bare minimum and used a lot of bullet points!... I know some people write pages full and essays, but I worked on the basis of submitting the minimum, being careful to answer only the exact point asked for in the question, no waffle. You always get feedback and can add more work and resubmit if necessary (only had to do that once or twice).
Good luck with it.

Kezzle
02-09-2012, 06:17 PM
Yes its the level 3 diploma not the level 2 certificate. I assumed it'd be the same workload where ever you are or learn it, as it's the same course, but i am learning now that apparently whats going to take me 2 years can take some people a lot less. hmmm odd. I would have gone for an online one but the only ones i could find were over a grand! Plus i got told at the information sesh we had that my LA could fund it, didn't know that untill then. Doubt they'd have funded on online one anyway when the council are putting these ones on. Although it would have allowed me one day off a week instead of working 7days. :(




I'd be interested to know for those that took an online version who they did it with please?

moggy
02-09-2012, 07:31 PM
[QUOTE=...

I'd be interested to know for those that took an online version who they did it with please?[/QUOTE]

I did mine with Parenta, 100% funded through them. I was pleased with them, would recommend them but only if you just 'want to get it done' (rather than really wanting to study, work with other students/tutors and gain new knowledge). I know someone who did it as a course she attended weekly and she really got a lot out of it, learned a lot, had lots of input, learned new techniques and had personal tutoring. That is not the case on a work-from-home internet type course I found. You are on your own really, you can ask any specific questions you have to your assessor, but you need to do the research yourself and as has been said before here, all you need to do to pass it 'state the obvious' so not much real in-depth research needed. I don't feel I learned much from it, but I got the certificate and that is what I wanted.

rickysmiths
02-09-2012, 07:38 PM
Yours only took a year? Mine ends in 2014! And letter from adult education centre states we need to be in a work placement for a minimum of 5 hours a week to qualify.

To be honest I don't know how you will complete some of it working that little a week. I would really question that. Being a two year course at college doesn't, I have just had a young mum who took two years to do a level 3 Elderly Care Diploma and she was at college full time and had to do 200 hours work placement each of the 2 years which equates to 5 hours a week.

Kezzle
02-09-2012, 08:51 PM
I did mine with Parenta, 100% funded through them. I was pleased with them, would recommend them but only if you just 'want to get it done' (rather than really wanting to study, work with other students/tutors and gain new knowledge). I know someone who did it as a course she attended weekly and she really got a lot out of it, learned a lot, had lots of input, learned new techniques and had personal tutoring. That is not the case on a work-from-home internet type course I found. You are on your own really, you can ask any specific questions you have to your assessor, but you need to do the research yourself and as has been said before here, all you need to do to pass it 'state the obvious' so not much real in-depth research needed. I don't feel I learned much from it, but I got the certificate and that is what I wanted.

I know what you mean it is nice to have a classroom group learning vibe and be able to bounce off each other and discuss things. I did an OU course in 2011 and i still found it ok I used the forums to chat through things and question the tutor a bit. I did prefer the online route in a way as i could do things in my own time without having to be tied to a classroom.

Kezzle
02-09-2012, 09:05 PM
To be honest I don't know how you will complete some of it working that little a week. I would really question that. Being a two year course at college doesn't, I have just had a young mum who took two years to do a level 3 Elderly Care Diploma and she was at college full time and had to do 200 hours work placement each of the 2 years which equates to 5 hours a week.

Well i haven't actually said i'd only do the 5 hours. I am trying to work out how much work is involved in the course so i can decide if i need to be looking to quit my job to free up more time, so i appreciate the concern. The nursery i've enquired at is open 10.5 hours a day. I did say i was available on a monday too, to which they told me not to bother that day as they're dead. So there's not much i can do with that. Most other places in my area are already full for placements as the Adult Ed had already started some of these courses a few months earlier.

mabel
04-09-2012, 10:49 AM
I did mine in 9 months attending college twice a month (although loosing easter and various holidays meant a lots less thn I anticipated)
It is not difficult but you did need to make time for it and just form a regullar pattern, some people on my course said partners moaned at them for always doing college stuff, i was lucky my partner was supportive and its all worth it in the end to have the qualification.
on a positive note - i learnt loads so feel I am running a much more professional business.

good luck

rickysmiths
04-09-2012, 11:08 AM
Yours only took a year? Mine ends in 2014! And letter from adult education centre states we need to be in a work placement for a minimum of 5 hours a week to qualify.

Here you have said a work placement for a min of 5 hours a week. This implies to me that you could only do 5 hours a week.

I am saying we were told we had to be working a min of 16 hours a week to be given a place on the Level 3 Diploma. Others on here have been told this as well.