Advice from you academics!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Right, I am doing, nah I am enrolled on:blushing: an FdSc with myerscough online, now with no schooling and no scientific training or report writting skills, or excel skills or blah blah blah the list is embarrising:blushing: I am NEVER going to get a decent grade or even get an assignment in on time. This made worse cos the harder it feels the less i am motivated to do it.

 

have any of you just struggled and winged your way through this kind of thing to a pass?

 

Should I quit now and put my money into CPD's like PTI etc?

 

Should I just stop pretending that I have what it takes to progress up this academic ladder and continue climbing till i cant and then stack shelves at tesco?

 

Do I have to sell my home and go back to school full time just to get somewhere in this business?

 

if I sold up and left myself with nothing but a piece of paper (FdSc) what chance would I stand of getting back to a decent footing in life?

 

I am so fustrated, kids with degrees get the positions I deserve cos they have a bit of paper, tis the nature of this business now, what chance have I got to compete for these jobs unless I get this degree and how the hell am i supposed to get a decent mark and pass when i am WAY out of my depth not from a knowledge point of view but in a.... argggghhh

 

Just a rant, sick of being left at the bottom cos I havent got a poxy degree or CAD experiance, This degree sucks, I wasnt ready for it and cant cope with the deadlines so hide in arbtalk!

 

NIC training for sparks is definatley becoming an atractive prospect.

 

Anyone got a trainee consultants position?

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Right, I am doing, nah I am enrolled on:blushing: an FdSc with myerscough online, now with no schooling and no scientific training or report writting skills, or excel skills or blah blah blah the list is embarrising:blushing: I am NEVER going to get a decent grade or even get an assignment in on time. This made worse cos the harder it feels the less i am motivated to do it.

 

have any of you just struggled and winged your way through this kind of thing to a pass?

 

Should I quit now and put my money into CPD's like PTI etc?

 

Should I just stop pretending that I have what it takes to progress up this academic ladder and continue climbing till i cant and then stack shelves at tesco?

 

Do I have to sell my home and go back to school full time just to get somewhere in this business?

 

if I sold up and left myself with nothing but a piece of paper (FdSc) what chance would I stand of getting back to a decent footing in life?

 

I am so fustrated, kids with degrees get the positions I deserve cos they have a bit of paper, tis the nature of this business now, what chance have I got to compete for these jobs unless I get this degree and how the hell am i supposed to get a decent mark and pass when i am WAY out of my depth not from a knowledge point of view but in a.... argggghhh

 

Just a rant, sick of being left at the bottom cos I havent got a poxy degree or CAD experiance, This degree sucks, I wasnt ready for it and cant cope with the deadlines so hide in arbtalk!

 

NIC training for sparks is definatley becoming an atractive prospect.

 

Anyone got a trainee consultants position?

 

Hamadryad, you need to have faith and confidence in yourself n your abilities n stop dragging yourself down.

Judging by the content of your posts you're clearly ahead of the game when it comes down to arb technical stuff, I've been most impressed (n not just saying that to make you feel better...but if it does 'good'!, I'm saying it coz that's what I think.)

 

Bits of paper are important, to a degree (ha!., forgive the pun!), and thanks to the likes of Myerscough in particular there are many more of them around these days and hence employers expect more BUT, not underminingthe degrees at all, and I sincerely wish I had one, any good employer 'worth their salt' will be looking for the 'knowledge' and not the piece of paper!

 

Seems to me you're sufferin a lack of confidence in your own (very real) abilities and, unfortunately, you may be displaying that through your body language to prospective employers.

 

Be proud of your knowledge and considerable experience, 'head up high' n go for it!!!

 

Take care..

Paul

 

PS If you've already started the FdSc I'd sweat it out ofr the first year at least and then you may be eligible to come away with a 'Foundation Certificate' (level 4) which I've just had sight of for the first time....n very nice too!

[common lime]

The kids might have the piece of paper but they do not train pragmatism at University.

 

If you are worried about your study stills the Open Uni have some very good guides for those returning to education.

 

Did you consider doing an Open Uni degree in biology or environmental science?

[educated arborist]

Finding the time & motivation for distance learning is very hard indeed, Resources are far more scarce & you can't just pop into a lecturers office to clarify something. Deff stick it out as long as possible, getting the best grade isn't paramount you may learn even more than the 1st's students who spend all their time forfilling criterior as apposed to furthering their knowledge. From what i've seen of your posts on here you are clearly an inteligent & capable student. Have you spoke to your course tutor about it all? it may be worth making the trip to Myerscough to re-connect with the course & discuss your options face to face. Hope it goes well, Mike

[Ian Flatters]

Hama,

 

I did the tech cert a few years ago. Myself never been a great studyier. Went on a 1 day microsoft works course through my local job centre no less. Helped me no end! If i hadn't i would of struggled even more, I personally found it almost overwhelming for most the course but found if i made the effort to take 'spark notes' of the unit revising and refering to part were so easy for the exams. In the end i passed my exams and managment day 1st time round with a end result of a credit! I did spend over £500 on books from my book list and well never read half of them, although i did need 'planting on landfill sites recently'.

 

I know how you feel about losing out too. Many a time i went for tree officer jobs and guys/girls with the degree your doing got it over me. Although they were so academic they didn't last long as they had know idea of the job itself. I personally think you've made the right choice on your course and with your experiance (i have seen how knowledgable you are on here). Will surely secure a great position in the future.

 

Don't worry about cad just do some measurements on site and its so easy after a few plays. (if you master sketup everything else is easy).

 

Even after i qualified i did sometime as a consulatnt at my last company. This gave me the kahunas to setup myself and i've never needed to look back. Not every Arborist can do surveys so if you willing travel there is that work, which ties me over nicley.

 

Anyway a ramble i know hope this helps in someway. Hope you find the drive and motivation to get you on your way. Bitesize bits always make thing easier.

 

All the best,

 

Ian

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Hamadryad, you need to have faith and confidence in yourself n your abilities n stop dragging yourself down.

Judging by the content of your posts you're clearly ahead of the game when it comes down to arb technical stuff, I've been most impressed (n not just saying that to make you feel better...but if it does 'good'!, I'm saying it coz that's what I think.)

 

Bits of paper are important, to a degree (ha!., forgive the pun!), and thanks to the likes of Myerscough in particular there are many more of them around these days and hence employers expect more BUT, not underminingthe degrees at all, and I sincerely wish I had one, any good employer 'worth their salt' will be looking for the 'knowledge' and not the piece of paper!

 

Seems to me you're sufferin a lack of confidence in your own (very real) abilities and, unfortunately, you may be displaying that through your body language to prospective employers.

 

Be proud of your knowledge and considerable experience, 'head up high' n go for it!!!

 

Take care..

Paul

 

PS If you've already started the FdSc I'd sweat it out ofr the first year at least and then you may be eligible to come away with a 'Foundation Certificate' (level 4) which I've just had sight of for the first time....n very nice too!

 

I have to get the papers, it is a simple matter of learning how to think and write like an academic, it is a very different "style" and "way" I also have to get my head around "the scientific" method and style, i have to produce docs fit for arb journals etc this is ahrder than expected.

 

Then you have the "rules" like and this gets my goat, they give you a word count, then when you conform, they ounish you for a lack of elaboration on the subject!

 

Give me a chance!

 

I have confidence in my abilities, my knowledge, i can look at a tree and asses its needs in 30 seconds flat, i leave trees that others fear and fell simply cos i know my fungal dynamics and tree biomechanical engineering, i do this by insight, but putting it into words and science for the academics is like well a fish out of water!

 

I have no chemistry or math or biology knowledge and am trying to grasp genetics, DNa rna and atomic structure blah blah!

 

The industry would take a man with knowledge and skill over papers? That is utter rubbish, trust me Ive been overlooked and passed over for jobs I would walk all over simply cos ive got no CAD or ND or FdSc or blah blah, I am a climber and my face dont fit in the world of the nerds and the consultants.

 

I guess ive had a bit off a tough time latley, and right now Im just sick and tired of it, i work way too hard and have way too much passion and enthusiasm to be strugling for a move up the ladder.

 

i havent a pot to piss in and yet my every penny goes on getting my next CPD booked up or another 100 pound instalment to treesource for more books, christ i have failed on my mortgage several times in the last year for the effort to learn!

 

Ive done 2-3k on books in three years! and at least that on CPD what do you have to do in this game! I interviewd for a trainee consultants position and didnt get that.

 

I should have listened to the AA advice and done the tech cert.

 

But hey ho, i WILL find a way in, some how sometime!

 

thanks for listening to my rant!

[gibbon]

Stress less Winston. I did the FdSc a few years back after being out of the education system for more that 10 years. My spelling gramar and all that has never been great and I struggle to write at all with a pen and paper. I was never too in the education system and got out asap.

 

Yes its a alot of work, but if you've got no kids and you are interested in trees what else are you going to do of an evening? Studying is not my strong piont and I went self employed, moved house, had a child, got married and got 90% of the work done for the AAAC assesment in those 3 years (and still got a very good mark). I'm sure you will blitz it. Finding the motivation was never a problem, once you start you really get into the learning process again.

 

You seem to be up to speed in some areas already so that will free up time to work on the stuff you struggle with. If nothing else a qualification draws a line under what you know. A formal acedemic qualification will add weight to your reccomendations

 

Alot of industy/tree experience followed up with this type of Qual is a powerfull combination and will either give you the confidence to establish your own business plan or make you a very desirable employee for others to consider.

 

Go for it, I bet you don't regret doing it

[Stephen Blair]

you do have a lot of knowledge and experience tony, but you need to learn how to study buy the sounds of it. that itself is a skill, collecting knowledgs and putting it on paper in words others can understand. I find tis dificult, because i spend so much time talking to myself in my head and thinking way to much, i get what i mean, then i try and pass on the info and it all comes out gobblidygook. i think you need to find some relaxation techniques or even a punch bag, you need to get somewhere to unload your frustrations.

[arbclimber]

Tony,

 

I worked 5 days a week for £130 a day when i was 30, so i could afford to do a day a week at university. I know thats not bad money but its all relative. I am a naturally academic person but decided to get some hard graft under my belt before doing a degree. My brother on the other hand did 2 degrees straight after school and now, at the age of 30, is earning £200 k a year plus bonuses. Anyway, I dont climb or graft anymore and sell my opinion to anyone who wants it for £400 a day.

 

What I am trying to say is 'DO YOUR DEGREE'.

 

I was in exactly the same situation as you, but in reverse. As i've said i'm much more of an academic than a manual labourer, first time i got to the top of a big tree was on my cs38, wind started blowing and all I wanted to do was the worlds greatest Koala impression. Anyway I got on with it and the next week passed cs38 and 39.

 

Do anything you need to, to get what you want. You are very lucky that you actually know what you want to do and are already half way there.

[Graham]

Stick with it mate. You're no less able than anyone else ....well that's what I tell myself.

 

I had to drop out of the old RFS Masters because of work commitments but regret not finding the time. Running a business and being an employer is a drain on time!

 

I feel frustrated at times. Still climbing with 30 years of experience, 3 years of college and not many people will look at me as a prospective employee.

 

When I see some TO's:confused1: