
Status:
Graduated Spring 2018 and looking for work
With support from staff at the Contact North | Contact Nord online learning centre in Haileybury, Alicia Fader explored her study options for online programs and courses in the social services sector. She decided to enrol in Northern College’s Social Service Worker Diploma program in Fall 2016.
The first step Alicia took to prepare for the online program was enrolling in The LearningHUB’s Memory and Study Tips for Students. Adjusting to school was initially hard, and getting acquainted with the online environment and acquiring good study habits were useful.
“I have 4 kids at home and it is very beneficial to work from home,” Alicia said about her experience with online learning. “It made it easier to carry on with our lives.” When she missed a lecture because her children were home sick or had a professional development day, she listened to the recording of the lecture later when she had time.
The challenging part of not having a face-to-face experience with an instructor was getting answers to questions in a timely way. “I had an instructor who was very responsive and made sure we understood,” explained Alicia. Classmates and instructors often chatted on the discussion boards and kept communication flowing.
Alicia is glad she made the decision to get her Social Service Worker Diploma and plans to take online courses to enhance her résumé.