Students

Athabasca University

  • Last Updated:
  • Sep 6th, 2019 1:33 pm
Newbie
Oct 8, 2015
35 posts
62 upvotes
starrlamia wrote: i hear ya, I work 20 hours a week and have a full course load, it's tough but some people do full course loads and work 40 hours a week :P

Final exams depend on the course, some courses give you a general idea of what to study and some will give you a list of questions that will be on the exam. Just read the exam notes in your course carefully, usually the practice exams prepare you pretty well.
I've been really considering in cutting my work hours and be focused on my studies but idk yet :P. How bout the quizzes though? I know this is kinda dumb, but I'm pretty sure quizzes are meant to be answered online at home right? Only final exams or midterms are to be written on a recognized institution by AU.
Sr. Member
Aug 16, 2011
841 posts
253 upvotes
Kitchener
changes123 wrote: I've been really considering in cutting my work hours and be focused on my studies but idk yet :P. How bout the quizzes though? I know this is kinda dumb, but I'm pretty sure quizzes are meant to be answered online at home right? Only final exams or midterms are to be written on a recognized institution by AU.
your course should say what needs to be invigilated, usually final exams, sometimes midterms.
Sr. Member
Apr 13, 2003
611 posts
313 upvotes
North York
Hello, I am a fellow Athabasca student. I have about 8 more course to go to complete my BSc.

Quick tips:

-you need to book your exams at least 20 days in advance so they can send out your exam to the Invigilated. If you are in Scarborough, I usually get my exams done at http://ccbst.ca/ the Scarborough Campus. There is a lot of reading compared to traditional bricks and mortar university.

-You can do up-to 1/2 of your classes else where and have them transfer into your program. This would be a substantial savings of money and study time if you can do night classes after work.

-Sometimes it's much easier to just do the assignments and submit them and then "back read" to prep for the midterms/finals.
Newbie
Oct 8, 2015
35 posts
62 upvotes
Riaz wrote: Hello, I am a fellow Athabasca student. I have about 8 more course to go to complete my BSc.

Quick tips:

-you need to book your exams at least 20 days in advance so they can send out your exam to the Invigilated. If you are in Scarborough, I usually get my exams done at http://ccbst.ca/ the Scarborough Campus. There is a lot of reading compared to traditional bricks and mortar university.

-You can do up-to 1/2 of your classes else where and have them transfer into your program. This would be a substantial savings of money and study time if you can do night classes after work.

-Sometimes it's much easier to just do the assignments and submit them and then "back read" to prep for the midterms/finals.
Hey Riaz, I've been thinking of doing the assignments, projects or exercises too then review for the midterms and finals. :P
Member
Oct 29, 2013
302 posts
55 upvotes
I took online courses and it's very easy.

Had a couple friends who completed online mba.,
Deal Addict
Mar 21, 2004
3682 posts
19 upvotes
I was hoping to finish my undergraduate degree through AU (I currently work full time) and the university I started at has a minimal amount of online and night courses. Unfortunately, AU doesn't offer any Honors program even though they have 4 year programs. I spoke to Waterloo which is the grad program I'd like to apply to and they notified me that unless it is an Honors degree, it is isn't eligible.

While they offer flexible programs and are great for those that work full time, if your goal is a graduate program you ought to make sure your undergraduate degree is suitable to the graduate program you want to get into.
Newbie
Mar 8, 2016
2 posts
Hi, I'm trying to enroll in AU to finish a few courses and get my GPA up, but as I am an international student on a student visa, the process is taking a while, and also the course fees are quite high, twice of what residents pay, therefore I was wondering if Athabasca does a background check or requires documents of Canadian residency, if not then would it be okay for me to apply as a permanent resident which would enable me to finish my courses in time to enroll in a university that I was in, in ontario to pursue my B.A. degree, and also cut down on the costs. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Newbie
Mar 28, 2016
3 posts
Have you applied to any positions since graduating ? Or internships ? What was the feedback like ? I'm contemplating attending Athabasca but I have no idea what type of reputation the school has, I have recently read of someone who claims to have had trouble finding work due to the reputation, can you clear this up for me ?
Newbie
Nov 9, 2014
41 posts
18 upvotes
Alberta
bodymindsoul wrote: Have you applied to any positions since graduating ? Or internships ? What was the feedback like ? I'm contemplating attending Athabasca but I have no idea what type of reputation the school has, I have recently read of someone who claims to have had trouble finding work due to the reputation, can you clear this up for me ?
I rarely post on RFD, but I attended Athabasca University after attending SAIT. You can skim back to page 13 for my response regarding my experience. I will give you a similar breakdown though:

To summarize, I found the courses informative and to-date I am able to understand how my readings relate to my career field. You have plenty of time to finish a course, but you need to be self-disciplined to make sure you finish assignments and readings on time. In regards to reputation and credit transfers for future studies, that is really subjective. I know the University of Lethbridge does not give you full transfer credit if you ever choose to do a second undergraduate via their Bachelor of Management Second Degree program. For Graduate or certificate programs, however, I haven't experience any problems when I inquired about my degree eligibility for graduate studies at institutions such as UBC. So, it is really hit-or-miss for post-secondary transferability. So, keep that in mind if that is something you want to do in the future.

The one aspect you will miss out on is social interaction. I am not sure about your age, but for young students (18-24), the social interaction at college or university is a big thing. It's a great way to make new friends, network, and make study groups. At Athabasca University, the best you will get is online discussion boards.

Like most undergraduates finishing school today, however, it took me almost a year before I landed my first career job related to my degree - non-STEM mind you. So, yes I initially struggled to find a related career job. But, I do not believe it is correlated to Athabasca University. I can honestly say it is a mix of the following: market forces, competitiveness, lack of real world work experience despite two internships, job-market demand, non-STEM. A simple undergraduate degree isn't as valuable as it was years ago to enter the marketplace. Despite these factors, however, I was able to still get interviews from various companies such as Canada Pacific despite my lack of real world experience.

All in all, there will always be a stigma regarding which university you attended, as well as if it was online or via residency. For me, I personally did not have any notable issues. Employers never really questioned why I went to Athabasca University. I faced the challenges that many new graduates currently face, not because of where I attended university, but from the realities of the job marketplace.

In regards to my current situation, I am doing well career-wise and financially. I debated changing careers by going back to school for something else not too long ago, however, some great RFD posters suggested other options that would help me reach my greatest potential in my current career field - which I am extremely grateful for and their advice has proven well. I believe I am marketable in the job marketplace now since I am constantly being contacted by recruiters via Linkedin for some cool opportunities in my city, Vancouver, Toronto, or odd contract roles based in the U.S. I also manage to get callbacks most of the time for local jobs I applied for just to check them out. Once you have the relevant work experience in your field of study, employers tend to not care about where you went to college or university. They care about what you can bring to their company based on your resume achievements and technical/soft skills.

Note: If you want to do an accounting, math, or science related undergraduate degree, I would highly advise doing it at an on-campus institution. You will have direct access to other students and professors for support. I strongly advise not taking online courses for these kinds of degrees.

In short, an undergraduate degree isn't what is used to be years ago. All fields are highly competitive, so definitely research which jobs are in-demand to raise your likelihood of finding a job after graduating from university. I recall reading in the news not too long ago that Canada needs more young technology professionals. So, for you and those who may have interest in math/science, it might be a good field to look into for your futures!

Tip: Read and learn how to respond to behavioural interview questions. I cannot stress this enough. Employers will always asks these kinds of questions for any of its key roles. Your degree isn't going to do much if you suck at interviews...

Best of luck :)
Newbie
Mar 28, 2016
3 posts
Deeply appreciate the response and glad to hear you've been able to achieve success :) . The reason I'm switching out of my program presently is I'm more passionate about trading/investing than I am in science. Thus I figured if I switched out of Ryerson, pulled my boots up and hammered through the Athabasca courses I wouldn't have to be concerned about starting university all over again after already being 1/3 through my present program. Additionally I can work and make some money and not have to endure life as a poor student. I understand what your saying in regards to the math and taking it via distance education but ultimately I don't think I want to do my degree in 4 years, but I'm still going to apply to transfer over into finance at Ryerson just in case. That being said if reputation isn't of any concern attending Athatbasca I might be better off just attending Athabasca.

I'm 22 presently and I feel significantly more mature than my classmates, thus the socializing aspect in university really isn't there for me, I'm simply not into shopping, talking about celebrities and obsessing over future salaries. Things many uni students seem to enjoy talking about. I guess my questions would be: whats the fastest pace you can finish a course provided your working part time or not at all ? I plan on dedicating the mass majority of my time to this program. Thanks for your help. Cheers !
Newbie
Nov 9, 2014
41 posts
18 upvotes
Alberta
bodymindsoul wrote: Deeply appreciate the response and glad to hear you've been able to achieve success :) . The reason I'm switching out of my program presently is I'm more passionate about trading/investing than I am in science. Thus I figured if I switched out of Ryerson, pulled my boots up and hammered through the Athabasca courses I wouldn't have to be concerned about starting university all over again after already being 1/3 through my present program. Additionally I can work and make some money and not have to endure life as a poor student. I understand what your saying in regards to the math and taking it via distance education but ultimately I don't think I want to do my degree in 4 years, but I'm still going to apply to transfer over into finance at Ryerson just in case. That being said if reputation isn't of any concern attending Athatbasca I might be better off just attending Athabasca.

I'm 22 presently and I feel significantly more mature than my classmates, thus the socializing aspect in university really isn't there for me, I'm simply not into shopping, talking about celebrities and obsessing over future salaries. Things many uni students seem to enjoy talking about. I guess my questions would be: whats the fastest pace you can finish a course provided your working part time or not at all ? I plan on dedicating the mass majority of my time to this program. Thanks for your help. Cheers !
When I attended, you have up to 6 months to finish a course. If you are using student loans, however, you are only allowed 4 months.

You can take up to 5 classes I believe? You can also finish them earlier than the allotted timeframe, depending on how hard the class is and your commitment. It took me 2 years to finish mine. If I went to local university, it would have taken 3 years because of transfer credit restrictions.

Hope this helps.
Deal Expert
Oct 6, 2005
16872 posts
2557 upvotes
bodymindsoul wrote: Have you applied to any positions since graduating ? Or internships ? What was the feedback like ? I'm contemplating attending Athabasca but I have no idea what type of reputation the school has, I have recently read of someone who claims to have had trouble finding work due to the reputation, can you clear this up for me ?
It's a government chartered public university, it's reputable; Obviously if you're competing for an elite job with someone who has an elite degree, it maybe a different story, but for the typical job, it's perfectly acceptable.
Newbie
Apr 4, 2016
1 posts
Has anyone here gotten a 2 year college diploma and applied to the general bachelor degree program?
Newbie
Jun 23, 2017
4 posts
Has anyone taken the BA Political Science or Political Economy programs? Any feedback? What are the courses like? Etc.
Newbie
Apr 13, 2018
9 posts
Winnipeg
Hello Folks,
I just registered as Athabasca University and
I'm planning on taking ACC 351 and ACC 352. I'm curious about the exam structure for midterm and final exam. Is it MCQ and long answer or short answer. Also do I need invigilator for the midterm exam as I was told I can write both the same day. Can someone help me out as I'm kinda confused on how their online program works.

Thanks
Deal Addict
Mar 6, 2015
1836 posts
279 upvotes
Honey247 wrote:
I recommend you to start a new post, especially if there is no reply.
If the post or comment helps or delights you, please CLICK that LIKE BUTTON!
Meiji: Ambassador Swanbeck, I have concluded that your treaty is NOT in the best interests of my people. So sorry, but you may not.
Swanbeck: This is an outrage!
Member
User avatar
Mar 20, 2019
207 posts
213 upvotes
Honey247 wrote: Hello Folks,
I just registered as Athabasca University and
I'm planning on taking ACC 351 and ACC 352. I'm curious about the exam structure for midterm and final exam. Is it MCQ and long answer or short answer. Also do I need invigilator for the midterm exam as I was told I can write both the same day. Can someone help me out as I'm kinda confused on how their online program works.

Thanks
I have taken some Athabasca university courses (comp sci). All the written exams I did were at a test center. I had to do an online quiz, that was done at home with dual monitor, lol. I did the final exan at my current university - Carleton. You will have to pay a fee to the exam center. You can write both exam on the same day, as long as your test center has time-place for you.

I never took any accounting courses at Athabasca so can't comment on the exam format. My comp sci course was all written exam with an instructor assigned by Carleton university watching over me like a hawk.

Basically the process works like this: you register with your local test center. Then contact Athabasca for the exams. Athabasca sends over the exams to the test center and you show up on the day of your exam and do them. So let's say for midterm you will choose 8am on Monday (3h long most likely) and final 12pm on the same day.
Deal Addict
Mar 6, 2015
1836 posts
279 upvotes
I just heard from a schoolmate who graduated from athabasca around 5 years ago... do not ask me more details because revealing those is going to reveal her identity in real life and I have not ask her for permission to share her experience publicly. It was a casual chat....anyhow,

she highlighted that the help and admin staff handling her case were b****** and not helpful but once she got into courses. The teachers were great.
If the post or comment helps or delights you, please CLICK that LIKE BUTTON!
Meiji: Ambassador Swanbeck, I have concluded that your treaty is NOT in the best interests of my people. So sorry, but you may not.
Swanbeck: This is an outrage!

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