OMG, Starting to panic!

Hey friends Well, what a whirlwind of a week I have had! I will start from the beginning. When I was 14, my parents divorced, and my mum and I were on our own. Times were tough and although she was working parttime, mum was struggling to pay the bills and keep a roof over our heads. So I left school and got a job as a Checkout "chick" to help out, fully expecting to return and finish my schooling at a later date. 24 years and 2 children later, I am still a checkout chick and never did go back. A few years ago a good friend introduced me to WTT, at first it was just to ask a little advise about a PC problem I was having. After looking around and doing a lot of reading of threads, I started to feel a spark in me ignite that, with the hustle and bustle of raising a family etc, I thought had long since died. A thirst for learning, my thirst for knowledge. It has made me stop and think, what the heck have I done with my life? Now with my children just about grown, it is time for me to do something about it. So, a month ago, I applied for 3 promotions within the company I work for at different stores. I also looked into doing a management course at TAFE to help me along. So now we get back to this past week. Currently on holidays, I eagerly was still awaiting to hear back about my applications. The phone calls came one at a time, all with the familiar "thankyou for your interest but unfortunately you have been unsuccessful". At first I was dissappointed, but then I thought well, thats thier loss, and although knocked down, I was not going to let it knock me out. So I called the TAFE to confirm my enrollment. What I wasnt expecting was the response. "Youre enrollment has been rejected as you have insufficient education and/or relevant work experience to commence with this course". I was now devastated. About ready to give up and decided well, obviously I was destined to just be contented with where I was. A few days later, I was just doing a bit of net "surfing" when I came across an online learning website here in Australia called OUA. So I decided to give them a call and speak to a career guidance councillor. She was extremely helpful and we talked all about where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, but as we talked, I started to realise, the path I was trying to take was not really the one I wanted to go. I had always wanted to work in banking, I loved mathematics and anything to do with numbers and figures. We discussed my options and started to lean towards financial planning as a career goal, but I still knew that wasnt exactly where I wanted to go. She was so inspirational, encouraging me to ignore all the knockdowns I had recieved and I could do anything I put my mind to. So, after calling just to make an enquiry, by the time I hung up the telephone 2 hours later, I was enrolled in university studying for my Bachelor of Accountancy degree! OMG! It took a while to hit me what I had done lol. Then the nerves started, I have never studied in my life, not even at school. Reading all the information on the 24 units (6 years) of studying did not help at all! So now it takes me to where I would like to ask for some help. As I shall be doing most of my studies online (except for when sitting exams of course) several of the assignments/essays require the use of different parts of microsoft office, mainly power point presentations, word and excel. Apart from doing my own resume with word, I have nevr used any of these and am starting to panic big time lol. Does anybody know any really good reference material (books, websites etc) that will help me quickly learn more about microsoft office and how I use it?? Also, have any of you got any advise or tips on studying?? This is a whole new world for me, its very very scary lol. But I am determined to get there! Thanks Chrissy EDIT: Ok, in all my excitement, I didnt think to look on Microsofts website…DOH! They do have "how to" courses for microsoft office 2007 on there which I think is the one I am running. I have 3 months to learn how to use it so its not too bad. Does anybody else have any better reference materials? And I still need any study tips I can get lol. Thanks guys!

no help off me for studying tips, chrissy, never was any good at it myself and why i'm a dunce(on paper anyway). i just wanted to say how much i admire you for taking on this big challenge, and that you have my best wishes in your endeavor. i'm sure you'll pass the course with flying colours too.

Best of luck with your new endeavor Chrissy72.

Personally… I was never good with accounting. Found it extremely boring. I did much better in finance classes. I just could never get my head around GAAP and quasi accounts, etc. I do much better with just adding numbers up and arriving at an answer. My little sister is a CPA and we speak completely different languages, but then she doesn't have a clue about engineering.

Like Terry, I have no study tips. I was never any good at it. I was even worse at taking notes in lectures. When I graduated college… I was still using the same notebook for notetaking that I started as a Freshman with. It's got maybe 25 or 30 pages of "notes" in it… mostly just doodles.

As far as Microsoft Office books… again I've never used one… but there is a series of "Head First" books by O'reilly Media that usually do an excellent job. I don't think they have books for all of the Office products… but they do have one for Excel. I would suggest that you take a hop down to your local Barnes and Nobel (or whatever you have for bookstores down under) and have a good peruse of what is available. Alternatively… with the wonders of the World Wide Web, a bit of research is likely to provide you with a plethora of information which might save you the cost of a book… perhaps here: http://www.free-training-tutorial.com/

Nice going Chrissy, doing something like AOU is going to be hard but you'll love every second of it.

There are three main "study skills" which I learnt in my Degree.

Firstly, you have to read. By that I mean you have to read a lot. You'll probably get a bunch of reading material sent to you, and possibly a "suggested reading" list. Although these resources are useful in grasping the basics of any subject, you need to get used to finding resources outside what's recommended. Because you're doing a Distance Learning course you'll be limited to finding stuff on the 'net, which means you'll be looking at finding articles and online books. I found that spending a few hours a day searching for relevant and recent articles was far more useful that just reading through a book.

Secondly, use every second of your day to think. Instead of zoning out on the bus, you could use that time to solve a problem, or to think of a new perspective. You'll find that it's in these times, in the weirdest places, that you come up with your most original thoughts.

And lastly, if an answer doesn't come to you, let your brain do the work. You'll have lots of things to cover and probably all at the same time. So if you get stuck in one place just move onto the next. When you come back to it later you might be surprised at the seemingly obvious things you missed before.


I hope that helps and good luck.

Hey Ho Chrissy!

I'd love to share some of my insights with you! But first…

It has made me stop and think, what the heck have I done with my life? Now with my children just about grown, it is time for me to do something about it.

Awesome job to have overcome many obstacles that others cannot. I'm so happy for you to have found inspiration. You seem to have begun the process of creating the frame for which to stretch a new canvas and begin painting the next work of Art for your "Life Experience" gallery. Raising two children is an AWESOME acheivement and an enormous testimony to what you have done with your life! Don't forget to look through your picturebooks to help remind you of this. Congratulations on your successful passage through to adulthood and motherhood!

A few years ago a good friend introduced me to WTT, at first it was just to ask a little advise about a PC problem I was having. After looking around and doing a lot of reading of threads, I started to feel a spark in me ignite that, with the hustle and bustle of raising a family etc, I thought had long since died. A thirst for learning, my thirst for knowledge.

I'd was wondering if you remember what exactly it was in those threads that "sparked" your renewed thirst for learning and knowledge. This is an important clue to find the field of study that best suits your passion.

So, a month ago, I applied for 3 promotions within the company I work for at different stores. I also looked into doing a management course at TAFE to help me along.

What were the job titles/descriptions of the promotions you applied for. Do these match your passion? What kind of management course did you apply for? Did this type of course match your passion? What is TAFE? sorry.. probably should know… but I don't

She was extremely helpful and we talked all about where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, but as we talked, I started to realise, the path I was trying to take was not really the one I wanted to go. I had always wanted to work in banking, I loved mathematics and anything to do with numbers and figures. We discussed my options and started to lean towards financial planning as a career goal, but I still knew that wasnt exactly where I wanted to go. So, after calling just to make an enquiry, by the time I hung up the telephone 2 hours later, I was enrolled in university studying for my Bachelor of Accountancy degree! OMG!

Hmmm… Accounting has a lot to do with banking… but not much to do with math. Two hours is not a very long time to have the opportunity to thoughtfully decide and invest in on a career track that would involve 6 years of study in a field you are not sure about. What is the name of this university and what are their credentials? What were you studying before you left school? What year of schooling were you in and where? How much money is this costing you and for what? Is this an online school or an onsite campus? Was this a counselor you spoke with? … or a sales person?

First rule of success as a college student is to determine the "credibility" and "reliability" of your sources of information.

If after thinking about these things, you still want to pursue this, the first thing you must do is to buy an academic planner. (one or two year scheduling book with lots of room to write assignments, goals and lists and schedules)

If you wish, I can perhaps help you more. I know how it is as I have been down this road.

Good luck there with your efforts Chrissy72. I know going back to school is not easy. My wife went back to get her nursing degree when our kids were small. It required something extra from all of us. But she did it! Plus, I got to be Mr. Mom for a few years. I wouldn't trade that for anything. I think that the rejection you have gotten up until this point says much, much more about those decision makers than it does about you. People rely too heavily on credentials when they are too lazy or too thick to pick up on a person's qualities and abilities through good questions and some conversation. As for suggestions about how to succeed in your studies, I humbly offer two. One served me pretty well, and the other brought my father to the top of his class in engineering. The one that helped me was to start immediately on any project regardless of how much time is seemingly available to get it done. This helped me both keep up with the material and deliver assignments when due, even when there were bumps in the road that slowed me down. Plus, it countered my innate tendency for procrastination The other suggestion has to do with your panic. I believe fear is an evolutionary survival-like aspect of us creatures. If you can live with the discomfort that fear brings and maintain balance in its presence, you can purposefully channel it into your motivation to succeed. My dad did this because, for various reasons, he could not afford to fail. His fear-fed desires to do well in school shot him way past his fellow students and his own expectations for his success. Again, good luck with your studies and let us know how it is going from time to time

Thankyou as always everybody for your advise and encouragement. I will address things one at a time.

What were the job titles/descriptions of the promotions you applied for. Do these match your passion? What kind of management course did you apply for? Did this type of course match your passion? What is TAFE? blush.gif sorry.. probably should know… but I don't

The positions were as 2nd in charge of the job I am doing (customer service in a supermarket). When I got knocked back, I thought doing the TAFE course in business management would help me for next time I applied, but then I got knocked back doing that as well which was a real kick in the teeth. Although I love my job, I feel I could be doing so much more than working in a supermarket. (Im not sure what TAFE would be equivilant to in the US, but its where u go to get trade certificates, apprenticeships etc, tertiary education thats a lower level than actual university).

Hmmm… Accounting has a lot to do with banking… but not much to do with math. Two hours is not a very long time to have the opportunity to thoughtfully decide and invest in on a career track that would involve 6 years of study in a field you are not sure about.

I have tried to get a job in a bank for the past 20 years, always unsuccessful due to my lack of formal schooling. My dream was always to study accounting and become a CPA. Never did I ever think I would be given the opportunity to fullfill that dream. Im also interesting in financial planning (getting back to banking) and IT, so although I am starting out down the accountancy track, my units I have chosen for the first 18 months are all either core subjects of all three degrees (Bachelor of accountancy, Bachelor of business (financial planning) and Bachelor of Technology (computing studies), or are approved elective subjects. So now my options are kept open so as if I change my mind which direction I want to take, I can change without having wasted any time or money.

What is the name of this university and what are their credentials? What were you studying before you left school? What year of schooling were you in and where? How much money is this costing you and for what? Is this an online school or an onsite campus? Was this a counselor you spoke with? … or a sales person?

I left school at 14 (year 9) so I have never done any studying so to speak. I did however sit an IQ exam once in my early 20's, purely out of curiosity, and scored 139.
The studies are all online (except exams of course) thru Open Universities Australia, which is owned and run by several of the major universities across Australia. All degrees are the same as those studied on campus, and hold the same National recognition. The only out of pocket expenses for me are for my text books, the rest is paid by the government as an interest free loan (so to speak) which gets paid back once you start earning over 45k per year ( and then it comes out with your tax around $35 a week).

I know going back to school is not easy. My wife went back to get her nursing degree when our kids were small. It required something extra from all of us. But she did it! Plus, I got to be Mr. Mom for a few years. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Well done to your wife RSHAFFER! Several of my friends went back and did thier nursing degrees when they had thier kids, but they too had husbands who were willing to take on more responsibilities at home. Unfortunately my partner is not very supportive or interested in what I want. So that makes it very hard! But my children are teenagers now so its not so bad, as long as I have the dinner on the table, the washings done and the house kept cleaned and its not interferring with the family in any way, he is happy lol. So now Im taking on the role of mum (and quite often dad as well), I will still be working my current job and studying for a degree. Im starting to think I may have bitten off more than I can chew lol!

Again, good luck with your studies and let us know how it is going from time to time

For sure I will, you wont get rid of me round here that easily lol. I dont start until the end of August so it gives me time to look into using powerpoint and excel a bit before I start. Plus my first unit is just an introduction to tertiary studies, teaching me about how to write essays and how to research and what to expect and what is expected of me etc etc.

Bye for now
Chrissy

You can finish that course in three years - a normal semester's load is four units, and there are two semesters per year (if you have enough time to do it this way).

For Office, go to http://www.microsoft.com/australia/office/startinguni/ and purchase Office 2010 for $99 once you have a university email address, it's a great deal. Education wise, there's a lot of good resources by just googling anything you get stuck with.

Best of luck!

Hey Raktor
Thanks for the info. I saw the office 2010 special, unfortunately I havnt got the cash right now and I think its only on special for a limited time . Would have been really handy! Oh well.

You can finish that course in three years - a normal semester's load is four units, and there are two semesters per year (if you have enough time to do it this way).

Unfortunately, time is my enemy with everything else on my plate. I am going to try to do 2 units per term (quarterly) so as I can finish in 3-4 years, but I cant see me keeping up with that so I may have to drop back to one. Im aiming for about 4 years hopefully! Theres 24 units in total for accountancy, 29 for financial planning and 24+ for technology, depending on what I want to major and minor in if I later decide to take that path.

Have done a bit more research and I think the accountancy path is definately the one I shall be sticking with. But I have just added an extra 12 units (1.5-3 years) onto my workload as I would also like to go for my masters degree in taxation once Ive completed the Bachelors degree in accountancy. That should set me up nicely I would hope!

Hey Raktor
Thanks for the info. I saw the office 2010 special, unfortunately I havnt got the cash right now and I think its only on special for a limited time . Would have been really handy! Oh well.

It's always on sale for that price - it's not a special, so come back to it when you can.

Best of luck!

Hey hey hey !!!

So proud to be posting on the same thread as your smart and incredible self !!

Do you have to be an Australian Citizen to attend Open Universities Australia?

Can a US Citizen get an online degree through OUA ?

Does OUA offer "Travel Abroad for Credit" opportunities… then, if I enroll too, we could swap for a year… I'll set you up with UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee or Cardinal Stritch University for "independant transferable-credit study" over here. (UW = University of Wisconsin – they are Wisconsin State schools and there are many of them. UW-Madison is my alma mater where I graduated with a BA in French with emphasis in Professional Theatre. UW-Madison is recognized as one of the top 25 Universities in the World !! I live Milwaukee (largest city in Wisconsin – right on Lake Michigan - one of the 5 Great Lakes - which… as you may know… constitute (when counting all 5 together) as one of the 7 Wonders of the World… just across the street from my house !!! ) Frank Lloyd Wright was from here and built homes around the area where I live. He's most known for "House On the Rock" which is about an hour drive. We also have an internationally famous Art Museum (La Callitrava), Museum, Zoo and Summer Ethnic Festivals on the Lake (Summerfest) each year. Our "Port of Milwaukee" receives ships coming from the Atlantic Ocean and travelling down the St. Laurence Seaway to Lake Michigan. "Milwaukee" is a Native American Indian word meaning "where the waters meet". It refers to the Wisconsin River, the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan. Ok, ok… I'm on a prideful roll about where I live !! I haven't felt this good about Milwaukee in decades !!! Thank you Chrissy, for helping me realize how truly blessed I am.

Truth to tell… in 1980 (I was 20 yrs old, then) I made my own "Junior Year Abroad" program through UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, La Sorbonne-Paris, L'universite de Reims-Reims, Goethe Institut, Gottingen-Germany. When in Europe, no-one knew where Milwaukee, Wisconsin was. So… I would always just end up saying "It's about a 2 hour drive North of Chicago". "AH ! AH ! They would then say. Gangsters ! Gangsters !" Well… Gangsters went out with the 30's & 40's … but in 1980 in Europe, people seemed to think that Gangsters and Cowboys abound over here. Only in museums and history books, I'm afraid.

Anyhoo… if you come here I'll introduce you to Marshall & Ilsley Bank, US Bank, Educators Credit Union, Chase Bank and Wells Fargo Bank… to name a few. I probably could get you a "post" or "internship" here in the Midwest. I could maybe, perhaps arrange for food & lodging needs for you too! Maybe a "work-study" program? Endless possibilities !!

Meantime, I'll could be where you are in Australia for a year, accumulating credits to finish my Masters Degree… if OUA would ever be amenable and if credits from Cardinal Stritch University Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology are cross-transferable.

Now… HERE'S THE BIG TIP OF THE DAY !!

1. What ever you do… keep your grades up. This will qualify you for future study at world reknown places and may even get you scholarships, fellowships and grants … this is money given to you which you do not repay. It typically includes tuition, room, board, fees, transportation, books & pocket money.

a. Be sure to find out when the last day to drop a class is without penalty and without showing up on your transcript. Make sure you drop any class that threatens your GPA (grade point average) even if it means you withdraw for a semester while you "study up" - or "take a class to take a class". Your Holy Grail is to acheive the all impressive "4.0", or "All A's", or perfect scores on all homework, tests, quizzes, papers, attendance etc. What ever you do… do not cheat. But rather… learn how to "work the system" to get what you need out of it so that you can acheive your highest goals. Be ruthless, unwielding and mono-focused when it come to grades. No more "Miss Nice Gal" for you. Time to strut some "hardcore academia" stuff, girlfriend !! It's all about … (you-got-it) … attitude !! (here in the states some of us refer to this as "serious 'tude, man… serious 'tude !")

b. Go ahead and plan for your Doctorate.
Your Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate can be designed and stream-lined so you don't waste any time or credits on building your "pre-requisite" resume. Get take all your required classes first. Make sure your class credits are transferable to most international universities… or at least national. Now's the time to THINK BIG and register for classes planfully and by all means… take as much time as you need to get the job done right (i.e. 4.0) … even if you have to start over. I'm so excited for you that I'm starting to get excited for myself… just thinking about how exciting things are for you !!

More later… gotta go… post back your thoughts !!

Hello Elizabeth I will start by saying its a great thing to be so proud and passionate about where you live. I am very biased myself about my little city of Perth in West Australia, even if my suburb I actually live in is, whats considered, the bad end of town. I have lived in Kwinana (about 30 minutes south of Perth city) for 15 years and have never had a problem, people are mostly friendly and , although its expanding very quickly, its still quiet and peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of living closer to the City. I have never been outside of Western Australia in my life, but to me, Im living in my own peace of paradise so Its not something that really bothers me. Yes OUA does take students from all over the world. Courses are run online so you can do it from your own home or anywhere theres an internet and PC. You dont need to be an Australian citizen to enroll, but you cannot recieve FEEHELP unless you are an australian permanant resident, so course costs would be upfront, and are slightly higher (about 10%) for international students. They have exam centres all over the world ( I think they have that set up with numerous educational institutes across several countries) so as you do not have to travel too far to sit exams. If you do have to travel more than 100km from home, they compensate you, but thats something I havnt looked at in detail as I shall not have that problem. Another thing I havnt looked at is crediting and recognition of units and courses overseas. Although they are nationally recognised here in Australia, that would be something you would have to find out. Im not too sure if I am allowed to post a link to thier website here but just google it if you want a more indepth look, they do courses in the arts, business, IT, science and environment, and health. I think many of the universities over here have some form of international student exchange progam, but I think thats more on campus than online learning. Although I thank you for the offer, that would not be something I would really be interested in doing myself, although there are many people here who would jump at the opportunity. My family (of course) always come first and foremost and they are still too young for me to leave at this time, and my partner certainly wouldnt allow it! Secondly, (and this is in all seriousness) , I have no desire to travel, I have never been on an aeroplane, and hope I never have to travel on one lol. I dont even go to the airport lol. That may change one day when I get a lot older, but at this stage of my life, Im more than contented with staying right where I am and keep my feet on the ground lol. I am currently applying for as many positions as possible in Banks and financial institutions so I have that work experience and can work my way up the further I go with my studies. As I go along, I can then monitor more closely where Im heading. It should give me more insight into what sparks and inspires me. In the meantime, I shall keep plodding along as Chrissy the checkout chickie each day whilst I study to cover the costs of living. The student councillor at OUA predicts that it wont be long until I will successfully obtain a position once I start on my new journey, as it has only been my lack of formal schooling and formally recognised computing skills that have made me unsuccessful in the past. I have always passed all the banks assessment criteria with high scores, have gotten all the way through the recruitment process, only to be knocked back at the final hurdle of having to produce formal proof of my education, stupid really, its only a piece of paper, and you would think thier OWN assessments would speak louder. But thats big business for you lol. Thankyou once again for your interest, passion and valuable informative input. It is highly appreciated. Chrissy (Future CPA or Financial planner/adviser) lol.