Cost Comparison |
Dear Prospective Student,
On initial inspection of costs you might consider that studying via Open Learning by A-1 Technical Training is costly and I thought I might highlight to your attention some comparisons.
Studying towards a HNC in Engineering at a local College (Evening/Day Classes)
To study for a HNC in Engineering at a local college will take two full years to complete. This course (HNC via A-1 Technical Training also consists of 12 modules – no schedule/time limits) consists of 12 modules and you are assigned to doing 6 modules per year over 40 weeks. The 40 weeks is divided into 3 semesters. Two semesters are 13 weeks long and one semester is 14 weeks long.
During each semester, a student studies towards 2 modules, at the same time, and this consists of attending 2 evenings per week for 3 hours per evening usually from 6pm to 9pm.
To sum up; over the 2-year spell a student attends 2 years x 40 weeks/year x 2 modules/week x 3 hrs. This comes to a total of 480 hours within a classroom environment. If you were also to add on 1 hr (30 minutes each way travelling to college) travel time comes to another 160 hrs (160 evening classes over the 2 years).
This comes to a total of 640 hrs over two year before you even consider the time you have to allocate to studying.
The course fees for a HNC via a college is approximately around £1,550.
Another expense, which is often forgotten about is that for each module the student has to purchase a textbook and sometimes even two books for each module. Textbooks are not cheap and cost on average between £25 to £40.
On average, every 3 weeks, during each module, the student has to sit what is referred to as a Learning Outcome (normally 4 Learning outcomes to each module). A Learning Outcome is a short test, which takes about an hour. So the student has to continually keep up to date with the course material. If any night class is missed it is very difficult to catch up. From my own experience, if a student misses a night class over watching a big game that is on that evening, he/she really struggles to keep up to date.
With Open Learning, I recommend you take only one module at a time, not as at night/day class at college where they run with two subjects. It is very difficult to concentrate on two subjects at the one time. It is far easier to do one and then move on, to the next module - far easier. The other advantages are there is no need to buy textbooks and of course you are not tied down to specific evenings. You study at your own time and at your own pace. It also does not interfere too much with your commitments at home and at your work.
It is also very important the order that you take the modules. This is, at times, not catered for sufficiently within FE. This is due to staffing committments, class numbers, etc. It is important to leave some of the specialised, possibly more difficult, topics to the latter. It is good to build up the students knowledge and be able to rely on prerequisite knowledge.
The other main advantage is that you do not continually have short tests to study for. The student reads the notes and at the end of each section answers the questions (Tutor Marked Assignments) and posts them to A-1 Technical Training for marking. In the meantime the student moves on to the next section.
I hope, I have not put you off from studying for a HNC in Engineering, whether via college or via A-1 Technical Training, but I like to be frank with the students. It is not easy, but it is achievable with effort.
The majority of students, who have studied by this Open learning method, have moved on to the degree course through the Open University or to the B.Eng degree in Multidiscipline Engineering (English University) and it has also helped them in their continuing professional development as engineers.
A HNC in Engineering can be worth in value, up to 120 points (4 x 30 unit modules) towards a degree via the Open University OR it can be accepted, in most cases - depending on the chosen modules, worth up to 75% of the first year of a B.Eng degree course in Multidiscipline Engineering via an English University (this course is also by Open Learning - however formal exams are involved).
In reality, and in essence by starting this HNC in Engineering, it is in fact the beginning of the first year of a degree course.
Finally, you do not have to be told that having a good qualification, especially in this day and age, within the current global climate, is beneficial for future and sustained employment.
Director: Hugo Gallagher C.Eng, M.I.E.E., M.I.I.E, M.Phil, MSc, Pg.Dip, B.Eng (Hons), B.Eng, HND.
Company: Logis-Tech AssociatesAddress: 140 Boyd Street, Crosshill, Glasgow, G42 8TP, Scotland, UK