Consider the following before you enrol:
- Costs
Short courses have a different fee paying structure to longer qualifications and it may not be an option to defer payment or gain government assistance. Make sure you are aware of all the financial considerations involved before you sign up for the course.
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- Recognition
Also make sure you understand completely whether your course is nationally recognised or can be accredited towards further study if you are interested in using your qualification in the workplace or plan on pursuing further study.
Be aware that for some careers you may still require an undergraduate qualification – just studying a multitude of short courses does not equal a master’s degree. Also, be wary of listing all 20 of the short courses you have completed in your resume, unless they are relevant to the jobs you are applying for. Simply listing a few in your interests can help to show that you are a well-rounded, inquisitive person.
- Choose carefully
If you have a choice of courses to make, choose courses that you have a strong background in, as you may lack the time to learn a completely new topic in the provided time frame. Read the course descriptions carefully. Also, ask the students who have already taken this course whether the professor is giving students a lot of time-consuming assignments. Visit www.career-advice.co.za
During your studies:
- Attend All Classes
Because there may not be too many classes, if you miss one, it can be compared to missing two classes of a traditional course. If you do need to be absent when a class takes place, ensure that you copy the notes of other students and catch up on the material you missed.
- Prepare for the Class
Advance preparation for every class of a short course is the key to success. The pace in a short course class is much faster than in the traditional class, which may mean that students who have not prepared for the class in advance may lag behind. With no time to accommodate those students, your professor will have to simply move on, leaving the laggards behind.
- Focus and Work Hard
You cannot afford to miss any points or concepts in a short course class. Accordingly, you need to be focused at all times, participating in the class to the best of your ability. In addition, do all the assignments and study hard.
- Prioritise
With the little time provided to cover each topic, you may not have an option but to prioritize. When selecting which topic to learn first and which later, be guided by the principle of importance, putting the most significant topics first. However, do not focus exclusively on any one topic, unless instructed to do so by the course.