How long do you spend a week studying at level 4?

topcat

Hi everyone,

Looking at doing aat level 4,alongside another fairly involved qualification and working full time.

If you don't include the hours at college how many 'extra' hours roughly do you spend outside of college learning the materials?

Wondering if I can cope or if it will be overload

Look forward to your responses

Many thanks

Jo Clark

Hello Topcat

I would say I spent a couple of hours each evening and then all day Saturday and some of Sunday some weekends, so approximately 16/20 hours a week. Depending on the commitment and time required for the other qualification is whether you will be overloading yourself. What other qualification are you studying/going to be studying?


JC

OlympicRudi

I do none, but I always pick up what I need from college & iron out a few things in the week preceding an exam.

Clarekaye

Same as Jo, if its 1/2 weeks before an exam I do Sundays too.

topcat

Thanks for all your input

16/20 hours is huge time wise dedication

It would be a Microsoft Server qualification which is a 500+page book should build some muscle just from opening it!

Work for a software company which integrates accounting modules into the software so quite a unique situation

Tricky decisions ahead

Flosspot

An hour, 2 at the absolute most prior to an exam. (per week, not per night!)

Nps

I'd try and do level 4 as it gives you the complete qualification and something to fall back on to in the future if you need to.

But I'd also do the Microsoft Server qualification!

But what are your time limits? Or are there none? Presumably the level 4 will be through choice as your post suggests you are considering if it is doable, rather than panicking as you have no choice. Why not decide which qualification will have the most immediate impact on your career, concentrate on that, but do the other one too but at a more steady pace. If level 4 is the one you can do at the more leisurely pace, just break it down into each module and just chip away at it when you have time. If studying at college, you'll have a weekly commitment so why not consider self studying a couple of the easier modules so you can go at your own pace, and then go back to college when you have more time. So what if level 4 takes you a couple of years to do (worst case scenario)? You'll still be working towards it, and it will still be keeping the knowledge fresh in your mind (just make sure the syllabus change won't adversely affect this).

Plus, if one qualification starts to get you down and you need a change for a few hours, you have the other one to fall back on.

If it were me, I'd definitely keep level 4 ticking over. You can never have too many qualifications and the breadth of knowledge is invaluable.

topcat

Flosspot wrote: »

An hour, 2 at the absolute most prior to an exam. (per week, not per night!)

interesting .. do you find you take everything in at College straight away then so don't really need the extra time outside to go over topics ?

Flosspot

topcat wrote: »

interesting .. do you find you take everything in at College straight away then so don't really need the extra time outside to go over topics ?

Yes I find that I take it all in. I think having a lot of experience has helped me though so level 4 is kind of formalising this.

Any extra time I spend is going over any little sticky bits and doing practise papers. I have also found it dependant on the unit. For example budgeting I did nothing at all outside college, financial performance is regarded as being one of the harder units (I agree!) and so I probably did a couple of hours a week.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!

Clarekaye

Crikey I read 1 hr per week and thought thats not even possible but phew then read you go to college!

If I was you I would maybe do one then the other if you cannot manage both or maybe do it off your own back and not go through a college/distance learner as then your stuck with a time limit of normally 2 years.

Flosspot

Clarekaye wrote: »

Crikey I read 1 hr per week and thought thats not even possible but phew then read you go to college!

If I was you I would maybe do one then the other if you cannot manage both or maybe do it off your own back and not go through a college/distance learner as then your stuck with a time limit of normally 2 years.

Haha! Yes college is usually 2-4 hours a week, depending again on the unit.

emuratty

I think it probably depends on your prior experience of each module's subject and how quickly you take things in. I think I'm fairly bright but I probably spend at least 3/4 hours a week, more in the run up to an exam. I think it also depends at what pace you're going through things at college, the more you cover each week the more you might need to do at home to cement it in your knowledge. I do put a fair bit of time in at home, but this has paid off for me as so far I've passed everything first time.

Jo Clark

emuratty wrote: »

I think it probably depends on your prior experience of each module's subject and how quickly you take things in. I think I'm fairly bright but I probably spend at least 3/4 hours a week, more in the run up to an exam. I think it also depends at what pace you're going through things at college, the more you cover each week the more you might need to do at home to cement it in your knowledge. I do put a fair bit of time in at home, but this has paid off for me as so far I've passed everything first time.

Absolutely. When I was at college my tutor said that for every hour in class they expected us to put in 2/3 hours at home.... it paid of for me too as passed all exams first time :001_smile:

topcat

not sure if i am crazy but going to do both! need to finish this of now i have started it in my mind :001_smile:

Jo Clark

Good for you topcat!