Many ways to complete tertiary studies

INLSA

RUSH hour: Thousands of young people queue outside the University of Johannesburgs Bunting Road campus in Auckland Park yesterday morning. Picture: Adrian de Kock

Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande has said it and now many more voices have joined his plea: students wanting to further their education should consider all options available.

“The stampede at the University of Johannesburg earlier this week clearly shows that prospective students are not well informed about the choices available in tertiary education,” laments Natalie Rabson of Boston City Campus and Business College.

“Let’s hope that the tragic death and injuries suffered at the stampede to register at the university will create a new mindset and that such incidents never happen again in the honourable quest for higher education.”

Is it really a degree you want? Or do you wish to enter a particular profession or field of work? According to Rabson, there are so many education and training avenues available to South Africans nowadays that no one needs to panic about being left out in the cold.

She highlights the following alternative ways to obtain a degree:

There are certain professions where a degree is the minimum entry requirement. In such cases, students are required to enrol at the universities that offer the specific course; in the case of veterinary science, would-be vets must study at the University of Pretoria as that university has the only veterinary science faculty in the country.

This, however, is the exception rather than the rule. There are other institutions besides public universities that offer tuition towards degrees, such as private and distance-learning tertiary institutions. The largest correspondence university in the world, Unisa, registers approximately 250 000 students every year and has made considerable changes to its procedures and time frames to ensure that the registration process runs efficiently. No late registrations are accepted.

“Studying via Unisa has always been a popular option because students can work and learn at the same, and study close to home, thereby saving on costs such as travel and accommodation,” she says.

As a Unisa licensee, Boston City Campus offers tuition classes for students who register for the Unisa Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Accounting Science (BCompt), Bachelor of Law (LLB), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and BA in psychological counselling and in communication science. Students can also do their honours in these fields through Boston.

Rabson says aspirant CAs in particular should look at the study options offered by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (Acca) as students can study towards their board exams with it.

A degree is not the only qualification that opens doors.

With various conditions being printed on the matric certificates these days, you may qualify for entrance to a degree or alternative courses; investigations need to be made as to what the particular entry requirements are for your course of choice and for your second and third options that are in line with your career aspirations. In the accounting profession, academic institutions run courses on behalf of financial institutes and professional bodies.

Acca and the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) conduct national examinations, but leave the day-to day student tuition to accredited colleges such as Boston.

The same applies to IT qualifications: Boston City Campus and Business College has repeatedly been voted as the best computer training college by Star readers and certifies the most individuals on CompTIA certifications in sub-Saharan Africa. To have a successful career in IT, you require a good, internationally recognised qualification from an accredited institution – not necessarily a degree.

If you’re intending to become a medical doctor you need a degree, sure enough. But if you are, for example, passionate about counselling and want to help people with HIV/Aids, you can enrol for the Boston HIV/Aids Counselling and Management course (NQF level 5 – equivalent to first year of a degree).

There are other similar examples, too many to mention, considering Boston offers studies towards some 80 different qualifications, Rabson says.

An alternative that is often disregarded or underestimated, she says, is the option to enrol for shorter courses.

“As our education system is based on unit standards, you can gain credits for every unit standard that you complete.”

“Shorter courses can ultimately lead to a certificate, diploma or degree. Boston also helps their learners to find opportunities where they can gain practical hands-on skills that will make them more employable once they complete their training.”

Career research and planning is the solution, she says.

Most institutions assist prospective students in choosing careers and qualifications as well as with applications and bursaries. Boston City Campus and Business College offers computerised career assessment and one-on-one career guidance to prospective students at each of the college’s 48 branches nationwide – free of charge and with no obligation to register.

“Be open to all the available study options and conduct your own investigations into campuses and careers. Do not go on hearsay and do not wait for last minute,” concludes Rabbson.

“Consult a career advisor who can help you with registration requirements and deadlines as well as suggest alternatives of which you may not be aware.”

Contact Boston on 011 551-2000, e-mail info@boston.co.za, visit www.boston.co.za, or catch up with Boston students on Facebook.