distance education

[hard]

Okay so i have been thinking for a while now, (a while as in a day), and i have thought about doing Business managament as a distance ed subject. The reason being, the busniess management class at my school is at full capacity and i have previously asked my teachers if they could spare one more space, but they refused. So i've thought, and came to the conclusion that i want to do bus man on a dis ed.

However, this will mean that i will eventually have 7 subjects not 6 to which one will be left out.

Thus i've decided that chemistry is probably my worst subject and will most likely get put as a 5/6 subject therefore dropping it.

This will mean that my subjects for 2009 would look like this:


English
Methods
Specialist
Business Management - dis ed

What worries me however is that i don't understand how dis ed work. Can someone who has done a subject through dis ed (and i know AppleXY has, give me and insight to how difficult it is, the constraints and any other info. Who teaches you the subject? how do you complete SACs? Can my school reject the thought of me completing a subject through dis ed?

Also, can you guys also comment on my decision and whether it's better than my previous one of completing chemistry?

thankyou.

EDIT: also one more thing, is Bus Man a bit like legal?

[danieltennis]

Hey Hard, didn't you want to do Engineering? I think you either need physics or chem to get in Engineering.

[hard]

Hey Hard, didn't you want to do Engineering? I think you either need physics or chem to get in Engineering.

most engineering courses require methods, english and some spec. But i'm leaning towards a double degree in engineering/commerce or engineering/arts.

[mystikal]

Ummm i think daniel is right. . . Not 100% sure on this but from most the engineering courses i have looked at from the VTAC guide ive found that they require chemistry OR physics in other words its prereq.

Because of this i advise you to keep chemistry if you want to have engineering as a one of your options.

Another reason being is that you have to make sure with your school that they will allow you to do only 3 subjects at school and 1 at home. I know most schools say 4 is the minimum of subjects a student has to do in year 12, but every school is different and they might this ok. Just that you will have alot of free periods.

O wells good luck subject selections is one of the hardest thing just pick the subject that fufills your needs as well as your interests.

[lacoste]

yep, its a pre-req; chem most of all courses then physics, although it would be good to get a background in physics.

2 questions here for you to answer;

1). Do seven subjects as chem is a pre-req [ drop spesh = 6 subjects], and ask yourself if you can beat your vis communication SS. Then it wouldnt be such as waste?

2). Do you have a passion for BM?

[danieltennis]

Well if he still wants to pursue Engineering, he can probably undertake B.Science at Melb Uni and depending on what type of engineering he wants to do in his masters, he can choose from civil systems, electrical systems, software systems and mechanical systems as a breadth unit. I'm not too sure, but I think that is how it works.

[Eriny]

Also, if you really hate physics, you have to think, is engineering really for you? I'm not sure how much physics is actually involved, but probably quite a bit.

[lacoste]

i think that you would do great in BM because I guess that Legal is all about writing out answers in clear english just like BM; if you've got good communications, then you would ace BM

[hard]

ahh thanks guys but in regards to the engineering, i think the only one the has chemistry as a pre-req would would RMIT chemical engineering. AHHH THIS IS DOING MY HEAD IN!

[costargh]

lol sorry. i think iv unintentionally messed up hards passions.

Ive always thought that most engineering would have some sorta physics basis, predominately civil yeh?
and if ur not that good at chem, does that rule out chemical?

[Flaming_Arrow]

Don't do a subject because it's not a prerequisite. if you want to do chemical engineering i strongly suggest you do chem 3&4 to give you an understanding of what to expect in university level. if you're not good in chem i wouldn't recommend doing chemical engineering, but that's just what i think.

[costargh]

I think this thread is deviating from the question, but I think it's entirely necessary discussion.

Here are some questions to think about:

1. What makes you want to be an engineer?
2. What area/s of engineering do you want to pursue?
3. Are you good at these areas (in terms of the VCE subject related areas)?
4. What makes you want to study business/commerce (at University level)?
5. Are you good at these areas?
6. Why do you want to study Business Management?


To me it seems you're at a cross-road. You're questioning what you've always had your eyes on.
To me, if you're just pursuing engineering because of an idea that spawned years ago, that's not enough. If you actually enjoy it, want to do it, are enthusiastic about being in that area then by all means go for it.
What I'm trying to say is don't just do something for like... the sake of fulfilling past dreams. Evaluate whether those dreams are still warrented and in place at this present point in time.

[jess3254]

What worries me however is that i don't understand how dis ed work. Can someone who has done a subject through dis ed (and i know AppleXY has, give me and insight to how difficult it is, the constraints and any other info. Who teaches you the subject? how do you complete SACs? Can my school reject the thought of me completing a subject through dis ed?

Here is an explanation I wrote for someone ages ago on how distance education works and the pros + cons, which may or may not be useful:
 

"I did Distance Education.
Every semester, you will receive a workbook for each subject (in conjunction with an external text book). Every week, you have to submit a week's worth of work (for each subject), in which you will complete varying amounts of reading, questions, essays etc.

You can view examples of how distance ed booklets are set out for each subject here:
http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/subschools/ss1112.htm#subjects (probably more useful than my explanation.)
EDIT: Sample of first week for Business Management - http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/subschools/vcesubjectinfo/pdf/bm03301.pdf

I did Distance Ed whilst I was sick, so obviously my experiences are going to be different to an individual who's able to attend full time school and is doing one subject through DECV.

Pros of DECV:
-Can work at your own pace. If you don’t understand a concept, you can sit there and read over it until you get it (which you can’t really do in classes.)
-DECV booklets have extensive information in them, and all your class notes are right in front of you (good for people who'd rather read than listen to someone.)
-Some of the teachers can be absolutely fantastic.
-The course is structured well
-Good if you are organised.
-I felt like I was achieving and learning a lot through DECV.

Cons of DECV:
-No class discussion.
-Not good for people who aren't very organised.
-The amount of work can be huge and stressful. 
-A detached way of learning.
-According to my friends, if you are doing DECV + normal school, your DECV subject can fall through the cracks. A lot of my friends have had to drop their DECV subject because they were busy with their school subjects.
-No class time to work.
-Some of the activities they ask you to complete can be a bit weird

Another explanation I wrote:

Like every school, some teachers at DECV are better than others. I haven't done any business studies through DECV, thus I will be unable to provide you with useful information regarding your potential teachers. Some of my teachers responded quickly to my e-mails and phone calls, and were brilliant at providing explanations and assisting me with revision, but some weren't. I personally found the course books were set out well and contained a wealth of good information.

It is entirely possible to obtain a 40+ study score through DECV if you put the effort in. However, you have to be highly motivated and organised to do well in DECV. YOU MUST STAY ON TOP OF THE WORK LOAD! I've heard it's easy to fall through the cracks when you are doing DECV in conjunction with regular school. Conversely, I wasn't very organised prior to undertaking DECV, however, I slowly acquired really good organisational skills and actually found undertaking DECV to be a highly positive experience.

how do you complete SACs?

Your home school will assign a teacher to be your supervisor. Generally speaking, your SACs will be sent directly to your supervisor, and you will complete them during your spares.

Can my school reject the thought of me completing a subject through dis ed?

Yes, unfortunately they can stop you from undertaking a VCE subject via distance ed. The category you will be applying under -  students in regular schools, requires a school endorsement for enrollment.

If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me
Good luck.

Oh and, links to other threads on DECV and people's opinions:
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,4828.0.html
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,195.0.html
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,7586.0.html

[hard]

omggggg i just had a wake up call! thanks to some help from psychlaw(haz) from msn and costa i have come to the conclusion that engineering isn't for me.

MY DREEAMMM COUSE = COMMERCE/LAW - ANU OR COMMERCE MELBOURNE YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY THANKS GUYS

[hard]

What worries me however is that i don't understand how dis ed work. Can someone who has done a subject through dis ed (and i know AppleXY has, give me and insight to how difficult it is, the constraints and any other info. Who teaches you the subject? how do you complete SACs? Can my school reject the thought of me completing a subject through dis ed?

Here is an explanation I wrote for someone ages ago on how distance education works and the pros + cons, which may or may not be useful:
 

"I did Distance Education.
Every semester, you will receive a workbook for each subject (in conjunction with an external text book). Every week, you have to submit a week's worth of work (for each subject), in which you will complete varying amounts of reading, questions, essays etc.

You can view examples of how distance ed booklets are set out for each subject here:
http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/subschools/ss1112.htm#subjects (probably more useful than my explanation.)
EDIT: Sample of first week for Business Management - http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/subschools/vcesubjectinfo/pdf/bm03301.pdf

I did Distance Ed whilst I was sick, so obviously my experiences are going to be different to an individual who's able to attend full time school and is doing one subject through DECV.

Pros of DECV:
-Can work at your own pace. If you don’t understand a concept, you can sit there and read over it until you get it (which you can’t really do in classes.)
-DECV booklets have extensive information in them, and all your class notes are right in front of you (good for people who'd rather read than listen to someone.)
-Some of the teachers can be absolutely fantastic.
-The course is structured well
-Good if you are organised.
-I felt like I was achieving and learning a lot through DECV.

Cons of DECV:
-No class discussion.
-Not good for people who aren't very organised.
-The amount of work can be huge and stressful. 
-A detached way of learning.
-According to my friends, if you are doing DECV + normal school, your DECV subject can fall through the cracks. A lot of my friends have had to drop their DECV subject because they were busy with their school subjects.
-No class time to work.
-Some of the activities they ask you to complete can be a bit weird

Another explanation I wrote:

Like every school, some teachers at DECV are better than others. I haven't done any business studies through DECV, thus I will be unable to provide you with useful information regarding your potential teachers. Some of my teachers responded quickly to my e-mails and phone calls, and were brilliant at providing explanations and assisting me with revision, but some weren't. I personally found the course books were set out well and contained a wealth of good information.

It is entirely possible to obtain a 40+ study score through DECV if you put the effort in. However, you have to be highly motivated and organised to do well in DECV. YOU MUST STAY ON TOP OF THE WORK LOAD! I've heard it's easy to fall through the cracks when you are doing DECV in conjunction with regular school. Conversely, I wasn't very organised prior to undertaking DECV, however, I slowly acquired really good organisational skills and actually found undertaking DECV to be a highly positive experience.

how do you complete SACs?

Your home school will assign a teacher to be your supervisor. Generally speaking, your SACs will be sent directly to your supervisor, and you will complete them during your spares.

Can my school reject the thought of me completing a subject through dis ed?

Yes, unfortunately they can stop you from undertaking a VCE subject via distance ed. The category you will be applying under -  students in regular schools, requires a school endorsement for enrollment.

If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me
Good luck.

Oh and, links to other threads on DECV and people's opinions:
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,4828.0.html
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,195.0.html
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,7586.0.html

oh that's sik thanks for the help!