Open Colleges
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a nightmare...go elsewhere
I studied Cert.IV Interior Design but got in contact with Diploma students, as well, and the experience is terrible for everybody. I would rate the content a 2/10. Dated, 90%broken links, shallow. Google was my best friend! The assessments were very thorough and also confusing in the way requirements were formulated. The requirements list is 10-20 pages per assessment and the assessors are tough & not briefed on the course content. The whole experience felt like being in Year 2 of school, learning from a KG book but having to pass NAPLAN exams for Year 5. My submitted assessments were always around 50-60 pages. That will say something about the needed amount of work ( definitely not 8hrs/week as OC claims)! Talking about help and academic support: FORGET IT! OC has a Student Support team which is very active but CANNOT OFFER ACADEMIC SUPPORT. OC Student Support helps with admin issues only (access to your course content or course extensions). Students Forum- presented as an option - is actually dead ( nobody there)! The academic support comes from your assessor only. It is vague and sometimes it doesn't come at all ( depending on the assessor). Grading was also inconsistent depending on the assessor's experience: the less experienced, the worse your grading without proper feedback. It would be interesting to know how many students actually graduate with OC? I bet, not even half! I met so many on social media! They feel hopeless and discouraged. Luckily, I have two bachelor degrees ( one in campus and one in distance learning), and a couple of international certifications (heavy stuff) some done in campus, others online. I experienced different styles of learning in Australia and Europe so I can confidently say: it's not students'fault but Open Colleges'... I enrolled in this course because Interior Design was my hobby and I was hoping I could learn the science behind my skill and start my interior design business. I graduated but I do not feel I learned much! It was an epic waste of time and money! I am trying to find a reason why someone would enroll in these OC courses: a) knowledge? - No, you learn more from books, magazines, online articles and reality shows ( Google was my best friend when looking for answers to my design dilemmas.. why pay $6,500-$10, 000 for that?) b) accreditation? - Well, DIA does not back it up, but the course is still accredited by the Australian Department of Education. However, OC Cert IV and Diplomas are not well regarded in certain states (e.g. WA) so the only jobs for you will be in retail -kind of dead end. Self-employed? You don't need that piece of paper anyway... If you really want to learn, forget about accreditation, look for practical courses that actually teach you something! There are a couple, much cheaper, online. Otherwise, if you want accreditation go with a local TAFE/University. Our local TAFE charges less than OC for a Diploma in Interior Design... Please read more reviews on Product Review as they have more in depth explanations of various experiences. ** OC officially changed their course since I graduated but students who transitioned say the content is still the same while assessments are even tougher and longer!