Get A First Class Degree

Regis University School for Professional Studies have sponsored this post to get my opinion on their services, a potentially risky venture as they have no influence over what I write!

I have already written a few articles on the pitfalls of signing up for an online degree, so I thought I should practice what I preach and research the institution a little.

Regis University have been in existence since 1877 and are therefore an established, accredited “bricks and mortar” institution.

If I were to take an Online Degree, this is exactly the kind of institution I would be looking for (I would personally avoid “online only” institutions).

For me, knowing that a University is an established bricks and mortar institution is simply a matter of risk avoidance, you can be sure who you are dealing with.

One thing that did concern me was the use of a .org domain for the website.

.org, .net and .info domains have a bad reputation for being used by scammers and are generally to be avoided so I contacted Regis University directly using details from another source and was told that the site is genuine.

This illustrates some of the checks that are necessary when selecting an online degree, you must always contact the University directly and cross check any information you are given. If I were to actually sign up for a course I would do a lot more checks, physically visiting them if possible.

Regis University have some good advice on offer for prospective online students. Highlighting the differences between attended and distance learning, Regis define a few pre-requisites for successful online study:

• Time Management Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Self Motivation
• Ability to work independently
• Comfortable working with technology (it is an online course after all!)

I would argue that these are essential skills for any student; however, these issues become a lot more acute if taking a course online, particularly the point about working independently.

In addition to information provided on their website, Regis University have a free guidebook available containing more information if required. They also have a number of (very flexible) options available for contacting them.
The courses offered online are vocational and are primarily aimed at those seeking professional / career development.

Many of the courses are run in association with professional institutions / organisations.

I have had first hand experience of working with some of these organisations and am sure these partnerships would offer real benefit to students both in terms of their learning and future employ-ability.

Employ-ability is really what these courses are about, and Regis University compliments its courses with a number of services specifically intended to assist students with their personal and professional development, such as individual career counselling, skills assessments, personality assessments, researching career options, assistance applying for and getting the right job.

Whilst many Universities offer some of these services, I think this is a more comprehensive list than many others offer, and demonstrates the commitment of Regis University to helping students earn their course fees back!

From what I can see, Regis University offer a well structured professional service, however, if you are considering taking an online degree with Regis University, do your own research and make sure it is the right institution for you.

Consolidate Student Loans:

Given the fact the government offer index linked loans I was surprised to see a growing number of companies offering to consolidate student loans.

I do not know what the average level of debt incurred by students is currently, last time I looked it was around £20,000 which is a lot of money

That said, given the government currently offer student loans to a value of £27,000 over three years there would, even with this level of student debt be no reason to consolidate student loans, which makes me wonder, if £20,000 is an average level of student debt, what must the most indebted students owe, and how old will they be before repaying it?

When I have borrowed money I have used 0% deals on credit cards, transferring onto antoher 0% interest deal before I have to pay interest. I have never paid an arrangement fee for doing this (which I recently read is a catch with some transfers).
As long as you are careful to keep moving your debt before paying interest this can work. The danger is that you end up with a pocket full of cards and a massive collective credit limit. For this reason it is best to cut up and cancel each card as you finish with it.

Credit card companies are not stupid, whilst some manage to play them at their own game, most borrowers go on to spend more money on their cards and pay interest….

In terms of consolidating student loans there is not much information available as to the number of students that actually do this, however, with over 6 million enquiries to the Citizens Advice Bureau each year regarding debt consolidation, there are sure to be some students in there somewhere!

Another worrying statistic I read recently was that the majority of people who take out consolidation loans go on to take on more debt, I believe this number was as high as 75%.

There is no point in trying to consolidate student loans if you are just going to carry on spending. Only consolidate student loans if you are serious about paying them off.

Debt consolidation and re-borrowing are a recipe for disaster.

Your bank manager is NOT the first person you should speak to as their objective will be to ensure you consolidate student loans with them!!

Also, banks have an unpleasant tendency to sell financial products that are “not fit for purpose”, or, products they know you can not really get full benefit from.

If you are considering consolidating student loans get some independent advice!

Be cautious about trusting the Students Union also. Over the last few years Unions in general have profited by marketing products offered at “special rates” to their membership. It is rare to find anything “special” with these “special” rates!

In my opinion the Citizens Advice Bureau would be a good place to start. They will offer objective advice and will hopefully be able to guide you in the right (un-biased) direction.

If you are planning to spend a few years travelling and have no need of banks or mortgages for a few years, rather than consolidating your students loans, consider declaring yourself bankrupt instead!!!

It is a known fact that different people study best in different ways, or rather absorb information in different ways.

Since leaving University I have attended a number of short (a few days) and very expensive training courses. Observing and speaking to the trainers on these courses made me reflect on the way I approached my degree studies.

What professional trainers tell me:

There are three distinct learning styles, Visual, Auditory and Haptic.

Professional trainers vary learning styles throughout a course, switching style every 20 - 30 minutes, using presentations, exercises, group activity and discussion.

How I studied at University:

This knowledge made me reflect on how I studied:

• I visualised graphical information I was studying
• I sometimes read / thought out loud
• I often paced around whilst thinking about information
• When I got stuck on a problem I would sometimes go for a walk and think about it
• I preferred quiet study environments free of distraction

These activities resemble traits of the three learning styles. Most people are a mix of all three personality types.

To get the best results from your study time you should experiment and reflect on what works best for you, devising your own mode of study.

Firs of all consider:

• At what time of day do you find study most effective?
• In which environments do you study best?
• How do absorb and retain information studied?

Study Tips: Memory

• When you first study information it is retained in “short term memory”
• As you persist with your studies information passes into “long term memory”

In order to do well in exams you need to get information into long term memory, revision close to the time of the exam should serve as a refresher, putting information back into short term memory, which will reduce the amount of time it takes to recall information during an exam (information in short term memory can be recalled more quickly than information in long term memory).

Study Tips: Repetition

The key to committing information to long term memory is repetition. The more time you invest studying a particular topic, the better your chances will be of retaining it in long term memory. To achieve this, read through notes regularly right the way through your course. Do not leave your notes un-read until the day before an exam!

To make your studies more effective, you should also consider what type of learner you are, Visual, Auditory or Haptic.

Study Tips: Visual learners

Visual Learners study best when the material is graphic, for example diagrams, graphs, charts, tables etc.

Visual learners study best un-disturbed, so seek out a quiet environment free of distraction.

Take detailed notes during lectures, adding diagrams, graphs, charts where appropriate. You may also find “Mind Maps” an effective tool.

I found that looking away from a page / diagram, or closing my eyes and actually visualising the information was the most effective means of retaining visual information.

Study Tips: Auditory Learners

Auditory learners study best when they can hear the material.

Try reading aloud, see if you can find tape recordings on the subject you are studying, and consider making tape recordings of your notes, which can be replayed to yourself as part of your revision. If you do this be sure to summarise notes, as you would when using the Cornell note taking system on paper.

As well as reading aloud, plan your study aloud, think aloud etc. Although this may seem odd, it will help you retain information.

Take every opportunity to discuss your study with lecturers and other students.

I found discussion and thinking aloud very effective, though thinking aloud is best done in private

Study Tips: Haptic Learners:

Haptic’s are people that can’t sit still! This kind of person tends to pace around and like having music or a television on in the background. Distraction is a problem for Haptic’s trying to study!

Haptic learners should vary their activities and consider studying whilst doing something physical such be as pacing around.

Haptic learners respond well to the use of colour, try using highlighting pens and vary the appearance of notes.

If you get stuck or frustrated with a problem try switching tasks for a while, or going for a short walk.

Make a note of distractions to act upon at a later time, as opposed to stopping your study to do something different.

If it helps, play music in the background, but do not tell yourself you are a Haptic learner just because you like listening to the radio, most people will find it a distraction!

I found listening to the radio a distraction so did not do it. Don’t try and convince yourself you are a Haptic learner on the basis that you like listening to the radio

I did find going for a walk to think over a problem, or a change of environment (room or location) helpful.

In summary, work out what approach suits you, it is likely to be different to that taken by your peers. Don’s assume that what works for your friends will work for you, or vice verse. Learning styles are quite distinct between individuals.

You may also be interested to read Analytic Style Study Tips

If you want a first class degree you need to go above and beyond what you are being taught / told to read. The problem with many University courses is that they are often a little out of date, certainly many books in the library will be.
Try reading specialist publications relevant to your degree, usually available in the university library, if not, subscribe.

Speak to your university lecturers, try and find out what direction a particular field is moving in, what is on the horizon?

Using the Internet is invaluable in this process enabling you to:

• Find contemporary academic papers relevant to your degree subject
• Join discussion forums relevant to your degree subject
• Discover the latest / most recently published developments in your field

The Internet, can, if used properly, put you on the cutting edge in terms of your knowledge of current research and thinking.

It can allow you to join debates regarding current and future developments relevant to your degree subject.

Discussing your degree subject and express your own opinion’s on it really gets you thinking.

It is this kind of advanced up to date knowledge and thoughtful debate that can give you the edge required for a first class degree.

Be selective, there is a lot of rubbish published on the Internet (hopefully not this site :-)), and over reliance on electronic sources is frowned upon by Universities.

You still need to find a good quantity of recognized texts to support your arguments within degree assignments.

Get as deeply involved with your degree subject as you can, this will not only help you excel in degree assignments, but can really help generate ideas for your dissertation.

Every degree requires a substantial amount of written work to be completed. If you are aiming for a fist class degree, you will need to work even harder, spending more time editing and polishing your degree assignments. You will work much faster on your degree assignments if you are able to touch type.

Touch typing teaches you to:

• Make use of all digits on both hands, not just your index fingers!
• Look at the screen, or document you are copying from, not the keyboard.
• Type at least around twice as fast as finger and thumb methods

Learning to touch type allows you to work more fluidly, the fact that you are looking at the screen (your output) and not the keyboard means you are concentrating fully on the content of your document / degree assignment.

You can see instantly when you have made a mistake and correct it.

I used a CD Rom to learn to touch type which gets you looking at the screen (not the keyboard) immediately.

I used an old (pre 2000 I think) version of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing from Mindscape, available used on Amazon for less than five pounds.

Advantages

• It is cheap
• You can sell it on to another student when once you’ve learned, you won’t need to use it again!
• It is very effective (I learned the keyboard in ten hours)
• You will save hundreds of hours on written work for your degree
• Your degree work will flow more easily
• It is a life long skill which surprisingly, only a minority of people posses

Disadvantages

• The commentary on Mavis Beacon is irritating, but you learn just as easily with the sound off.
  

Choosing a  Distance Degree course is very difficult, there are many companies selling distance learning, some are genuine, some offer worthless qualifications and some are total fake’s!

The key consideration when taking a distance degree should always be the reputation of the institution awarding the degree:

I would advise finding a University that offers distance learning in the following manner:

1) Start with state / official Universities you know are genuine:

Approach Universities directly and ask if any of the following options are available:

• Part time study
• Distance learning
• Flexible leaning

Tell them your curcumstances and see what they suggest.

If they do not offer distance degrees / distance learning directly, ask if they can recommend a reliable source of information regarding online study.

2) Find out if there is a state sponsored / official organisation specifically offering offering distance learning (as opposed to state funded bricks and mortar Universities that may also offer distance degree’s).

In the UK there is what is known as the Open University. This is widely recognised, and you can be sure that you will get what you pay for.

3) If you cannot find a suitable organisation using the above methods then you will have to resort to using the internet.

Using the internet to find an online degree is very dangerous, there are a lot of fake Universities and Fake degrees being marketted online.

You need to be very careful, you need to make sure that the University is genuine and offering accredited degree’s that will be recognised by employers.

This is difficult if you are taking a course offered in another country.

Again, look for ‘known’ Universities that have been established a number of years and have some form of reputation.

Never believe what you read on a website, seek advice elsewhere, use a variety of different sources, contact the distance University directly and cross check everything you are being told.

The distance qualification:

Once you have shortlisted potential organisations offering distance degree’s, you will need to ensure the qualification is suitable.

For this you should obtain a copy of the prospectus from the distance University you plan to attend.

To help ascertain whether a degree course is suitable for you, or for that matter whether you are suited to the degree course I have another post on choosing a degree course.

What is the value of an online degree?

Online degree’s are becoming more popular due to their accessibility for people unable to physically attend University courses. Traditional Universities are cautiously moving into this field offering ‘Flexible Learning’ (part time) as opposed to online courses. The reluctance of traditional Universities to offer ‘Distance’ or online degree’s stems from difficuties that arise in assessment, i.e. ensuring the person given the qualification actually does the work. In the UK at least moderators / external examinors do not like onlined degree courses and they are more difficult to get accreddited, and it is this issue that leads many to question the value of an online degree.

In theory, an online degree should be worth as much as an attended degree, providing it is properly accredited, however, many employers remain suspicious of online degree’s, and so they are often not “worth” as much as a degree taken at a bricks and mortar University.

However, that does not mean an online degree is not worth taking, some institutions offering online degrees are reputable.

Also remember that some ‘bricks and mortar’ Universities are themselves starting to offer
online degree’s, distance / flexible learning.

So, with reference to the question “What is the Value of an Online Degree” what does this mean?

• Some online degree’s are valuable (but probably not as valuable as an attended degree)
• Some online degree’s are worthless!

So, how do you know the difference?

1) The reputation of the online institution is the key consideration:

Increasingly it is possible to find ‘bricks and mortar’ Universities catering for online students, offering a mix of distance and flexible learning.

It is these institutions you should target, i.e. those that have been around for a long time and have an established reputation offering conventional, attended degree courses.

Universities that offer 100% online degree’s that are not ‘proper’ universities will be viewed with more suspicion by employers.

When I say they are not ‘proper’ Universities, I mean they do not engage in research or other activities associated with ‘proper’ universities. They simply want to make money selling online degree courses and are not widely known, understood or recognised.

Beware Companies offering Online Degree’s

Many online degree’s are offered by companies as opposed to Universities.

An online degree from a company will be worthless, they are will not be accredited.

Consider Companies Brokering Online degree’s

There are companies that ‘broker’ online courses, collecting commission from genuine Universities for referrals to online degree courses.

Assuming the Universities themselves are genuine, reputable, respected and accredited then there is no issue with using one of these (referring or brokering) companies to assist your search for a suitable online degree course.

If you do use such a company, be sure to research the University offering the course and ensure it is accredited and of good repute (preferably an existing ‘bricks and mortar’ institution, not a 100% online University).

Be Very Careful:

There are many fake Degrees and Fake Universities marketing themselves online.

Depending on the country in which you live, some “Universities” may not be genuine. In the UK for example there have been a number of bogus colleges (not Universities) set up specifically to take advantage of a loophole in immigration law that allows people to stay in the UK whilst studying (these have been shut down).

In other countries online degree’s are complete fakes and not worth the paper they are written on.

2) The second consideration is the qualification itself

Try and find out how much demand is there for this kind of qualification. Using job searches on recruitment sites is a good place to start.

Then try to find out whether employers in this field will accept an online qualification.

• If you have a specific career in mind, try phoning companies you would like to work for
• Ask to speak to someone in HR / personnel and ask whether they have a view on online qualifications

This will be difficult, companies will never directly advise on such matters.

The best you will get is general guidance as to whether:

• “In principle” a company would accept such a qualification.

To get any form of answer, you will need to keep the question generic and ask them to

• “Assume the online degree is from an accredited organisation”

Don’t be stupid and ask “is this course any good”, keep things general, informal and try to get a “feel” for what they think.

Even if you do this, you will be lucky to get a response, but it is worth a try.

So, What is the value of an online degree in the eyes of an employer:

• Less than an attended course from an established bricks and mortar University
• If you take an online course from a bricks and mortar university, it should have similar value, though employers may remain a little retisent if they realise you took your degree online
• More than no degree at all, some online degrees are recognised by employers and are worth having, and will be better than no degree at all
• Nothing if you sign up with a fake University or a company awarding degree’s directly then you are wasting your time and money

So, I am afraid there is no simple answer to this, other than be careful with your money and do some extensive research!

Disclaimer: advertising carried in this site may also lead to fake online degree’s.
Do not assume that because and advert appears on this site it is genuine.
I have little control over advertisements displayed on this site and do not directly endorse any of them, please be careful!

When people ask how much time does it take to get a first class degree I always answer

“Treat your degree like a job”

meaning start University work at 09:00 and work to 17:30 with an hours break time each day.

Treat this as the baseline for your entire degree course. Never do less than this!

Always try and keep two weeks ahead with your work, handing degree assignments in at least one week early.

Once you have established your lead of two weeks you will be able to enjoy quality free time in the evenings and at weekends, free from the worries of your degree course.

When the pressure is on, you still have extra study time available in the evenings.

For this to work you need to be productive during your working week, i.e. not chatting or messing around.

On this not there is an interesting study time calculator available, which flips my method on its head.

It suggests you calculate available study time by considering the following factors:

1. Number of hours of sleep each night
2. Number of grooming hours per day
3. Number of hours for meals/snacks per day - include preparation time
4. Total travel time weekdays
5. Total travel time weekends
6. Number of hours per week for regularly scheduled functions
7. Number of hours per day for chores, errands etc.
8. Number of hours of work per week
9. Number of hours in lectures per week
10. Number of average hours per week socialising per week

Add the totals and subtract from 168 hours (in a week) and what you have left is your potential available study time.

This method only helps if you use it to develop a realistic timetable of activities and stick to it.

The danger of this method is that it may lead you to over estimate how much time you can really study for, encouraging procrastination on your degree course.

Also, unless you are working properly on your degree assignments, you have no way of accurately understanding how long a particular assignment may take.

As you work on degree assignments, the effort required becomes more evident.

So, whilst I think the above is an interesting approach, I still place more importance on establishing a regime / routine for your degree studies.

Self discipline is the key to being a successful degree student, not knowing how many hours you “could” work if you wanted to.

Unfortunately there are an increasing number of companies offering fake degree’s.

If you are considering taking an online degree you need to be aware of fakes, failure to research the subject properly could lose you a lot of money!

There are a number of ways purveyors of fake degrees aim to separate you from your money, offering little or nothing in return!

Take your money and run! This problem is not confined to the realm of online degree’s but is a problem across the Internet. Criminals will create a legitimate looking website with the intention of harvesting credit card details from un-suspecting customers. This can result in identity theft as well as loss of money. Before paying any money, make sure you have done everything in your power to check the company is genuine, cross checking what the company tells you with information from official (government) sources. Also, see what protection your bank / credit card company offers in case of fraud. Credit cards often offer better protection against such scams than a bank will. This kind of approach should be taken when purchasing anything online.

Degree Mills sell fake degree certificates. They are supposedly replicas of degree certificates capable of fooling friends and employers. It is unlikely a customer will go into this kind of purchase unwittingly, most websites selling this kind of fake degree are open about their business. What I would say is that my degree certificate carries a hologram, and would not be easily forged. Secondly, if you attend a job interview with a fake degree in hand, you are likely to be asked questions about it, these will be difficult to answer if your degree is a fake! Penalties for using fake degree’s can be severe depending where in the world you live. Even if you pull it off and start work with a company having used a fake degree in the selection process, there is a good chance you will be caught at some point in the future.

I actually worked with someone who claimed they had a degree when they did not. After a period of over a year, a number of things did not add up, the person was asked to produce further evidence of their degree, could not and were dismissed.

Unaccredited Institutions allow you to ’study’ and earn a degree with them, but, as the organisation is not accredited, the degree itself is worthless. Employers and other Universities (if applying for a Masters) will not recognise the qualification. This is possible the most dangerous type of fake degree on offer, as it is the one that seems most legitimate.

To avoid getting fooled by a fake degree:

• Check with government institutions to see if the organisation is accredited.
• Make sure that it is indeed that organisation you are talking to, not the owner of a fake website!
• Try different methods of contact, never rely solely on E-Mail, you should also phone and use the post.
• Be aware of the genuine cost of a degree at other Universities, this is what you should expect to pay. If the online degree you are considering is too cheap, it could well be fake.
• Be aware of the length of study time required to complete a degree (three years full time for a Bachelors degree in the UK). These times cannot be shortened, if you are offered a degree in a significantly shorter period of time, then it may well be a fake degree!

As distance study becomes more popular, the number of companies offering fake degree’s is only likely to increase, so make sure you do everything you can to protect yourself. Currently, online study can be a bit of a minefield!

The only problem I had with other students at university was dealing with freeloaders.

Very early on in my degree I allowed another student to read some of my work. It quickly became apparent they were planning to plagiarise it. I warned them not to and nothing came of it, but it was a valuable lesson:

• Only work with people who share your commitment and ethics
• Never give anyone else your work, or leave work unattended

Plagiarism is taken very seriously by universities, if someone copies your work, you will also be penalised.

Freeloaders come in many guises, using a mixture of humour, charm, flirtation and sympathy as emotional levers. Failing this more unpleasant forms of guile and pressure are applied.

Never the less, freeloaders are usually easy to identify as:

• You will not see them at university lectures
• You will not see them in the university library
• When you do see them at university they will be messing around
• They will ultimately try and manipulate you into helping them with their own degree assignments

A proactive approach is often helpful in countering attempts at manipulation:

• Suggest they start their degree assignments
• Advise them to turn up to university lectures
• Advise them to seek help from university lecturers if they are struggling
• Make it clear that they are heading toward failure (as opposed to being bailed out by you)

If they take your advice they will not need to ask for your work.
If they do not take your advice then you have already put the onus back on them and implied you are not going to bail them out, thus making it harder for them to ask for work, and easier for you to say no.

I guarantee, if you start giving work to freeloaders on your degree course they will keep taking all the way through your degree and give nothing of value back in return.

That said, you should help others on your degree where you can, it’s a good thing to do, and at some point you will need help and advice from other students in return. If you see someone working hard to help themselves, but struggling with particular topics on your degree course then there is no reason not to help them.

What I am saying is set your boundaries and don’t let anyone take advantage of you.