Professional Diploma

[janey]

Don't envy you. I know a couple of people who tried to juggle work and the Prof Dip and couldn't manage it, and that was without a fambly life.

 

The hands on, more practical side of the Prof is attactive to me, but i don't know what i actually want to do with myself, career wise, so my thinking is the BSc will give me more options. And although i'd never compare the two, ii have the Tech Cert which ust about covers the basics of Law, BS's, report writing etc. I have none of those pesky commitments to get in the way either, like kids, a job, a life....

 

Plus i'm a sad anorak type who enjoys the whole learning thing. Doesn't matter if i'll never get to use my superior brain power while stacking shelves

 

(And one of the biggest decision makers is that i can secure Gov' funding for the BSc, but i haven't been able to for the Prof Dip. Good to know i make such vital, life changing decisions on the whims of this country's grant system!!!).

Edited May 2, 2009 by janey

[Paul Barton]

Have other people heard that the assessment framework for the PD and Tech Cert is going to be changed as of next year?

 

Have spoken with Treelife and they say that the PD won't exist after 2013 so they are starting the last course in Jan 2010. They are involved in writing a new course and assessments but essentially no one seems to know what that will look like.

 

I am thinking about enroling but am aware it is a pretty massive (and expensive) course. Are there any current Prof Dippers on here that could shed any light?

[Paul Barton]

Bump!

[gmanntpo]

Hi mates

 

I started the prof dip in Jan 08, with tree life.

 

The course sessions finished in June 09. I didn't take any exams in the June as I needed a break and had already failed 3 out of the 4 I took!!! 1 pass though!!!

 

I'm deciding whether to take more PD exams in Dec or switch to a Bsc arb distance learning.

 

Everyone on my course found it tough, even the very best (and there were some very good people, I wasn't one of them!!!) around 25% dropped out in the first few months.

 

All I can say that if you want to pass PD arb then you have to commit your whole life to it. Friends, family, fun they are things of the past for 2 years. You can't blag this course and hope for the best on exam day, it just doesn't work like that.

 

Personally I found working full time as a T.O that I couldn't commit the time I needed to study. You need to study ALL the time. Now I'm not saying BSc is 'easier', but you do have structured aims and it is not solely based on an exam question, that you hope you get lucky on...

 

One thing you soon pick up on is how disparaging the examiners reports on exam papers are towards candidates, they basically call you a worthless piece of ****, who is not fit to lick their boots. This started to get to me by the end.... And don't forget the management exercise after you have passed the 6 exams and plant id and P & D id. You can't take the management day until everything else has been passed. I think from my group only 2 or 3 have passed all the exams and have sat the management exercise, this is from around 20 people who started in 2008..

 

Nevertheless I will end on a positive note: Dave and Andy from Treelife who run the course are VERY, VERY knowlegable and even though I haven't (and may not) passed the course I did learn a HUGE amount that has helped me in a massive way in my job as T.O

 

Cheers Gmann

[Paul Barton]

Thanks for that Gmann. You have confirmed my fears!

 

This may be impossible to answer, but I will ask anyway: roughly how many hours of home study do you think are needed per week. Are you studying for a couple of hours every night? Plus weekends....?

 

And how much do you reckon you have spent on reading material?

[Amelanchier]

Have other people heard that the assessment framework for the PD and Tech Cert is going to be changed as of next year?

 

Have spoken with Treelife and they say that the PD won't exist after 2013 so they are starting the last course in Jan 2010. They are involved in writing a new course and assessments but essentially no one seems to know what that will look like.

 

I am thinking about enroling but am aware it is a pretty massive (and expensive) course. Are there any current Prof Dippers on here that could shed any light?

 

Thats what I understand to be the case. I'm not surprised really - in academic terms the course is a dinosaur. The new thing will be modular and let you accrue 'points' which presumably mean prizes.

[Paul Barton]

You reckon the modular course will be better then Tony? How're you getting on by the way - end in sight?

[Amelanchier]

Thanks for that Gmann. You have confirmed my fears!

 

This may be impossible to answer, but I will ask anyway: roughly how many hours of home study do you think are needed per week. Are you studying for a couple of hours every night? Plus weekends....?

 

And how much do you reckon you have spent on reading material?

 

I might get in about 3-5 hrs a week for PD modules I'm roughly comfortable with. And I haven't done the uncomfortable ones yet - perhaps double?

 

I'm sticking to about 6-8 hrs a week in for the BSc but the structure helps much more - it'll suffer nearer the PD exams.

 

Don't worry too much about the books. The benefits of the Treelife system is the group sessions - you get to swap materials/documents.

[Amelanchier]

You reckon the modular course will be better then Tony? How're you getting on by the way - end in sight?

 

Ha! There's an end?

 

Two more PD exams - Business stuff and Woodland Management. I'll take those in December, and cross my fingers. Any resits will have to be in July and then I'll have to wait until September for the abuse day, sorry, management day. If something goes wrong it'll be September 2011!

 

It's kind of modular at the moment but Andy S was suggesting it would brought more in line with current academic structures.

 

It can't get worse.

[gmanntpo]

Hi mister tree

 

They recommend about 15 - 20 hours a week, every week on study.

 

I spent about £2 - 300 on books and the publications like magazines you need. No regrets on spending the money on books as this is just more knowledge you can call on.

 

The trouble is you really do need to know everything, as you just don't know what will crop up in the exams...

 

Cheers Gmann