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Here’s something you might not know about me: I have a BA Journalism degree majoring in Politics as well as a BA Honours Degree in Communication Science majoring in Media Studies. When I obtained my Honours I was invited to apply for a Masters Degree and was encouraged to focus on Media Ethics in the digital space. I absolutely loved studying. I loved being in university and course work. I thrived on it. But at the time of obtaining my honours I needed money. I needed a job. I needed to feel “grown up”. So I figured I’d get back to it and carried on working (I did my honours while working full time).
In the past few months that decision has haunted me.
I feel like my brain needs more. That I need to do more. I regret not doing my Masters. I dream about doing an MBA. I have this thirst for knowledge that is unrelenting. But I also have no time left in the day. I barely have time watch a movie these days, never mind sacrifice a huge lump of extra hours to burying my nose in text books. This time last year I was full time employed travelling overseas once a month. Now I’m a full time content creator. I have no idea where I’ll be this time next year so committing to three or four years of study is terrifying. I cannot even commit to buying property right now and that is a so called investment!
Which is why I’m so excited I found GetSmarter
GetSmarter is an online resource that offers short courses from leading universities around the world. There are courses such as UCT’s Project Management offering, Stellenbosch University’s MBA essentials short course and even a short course in commercial and contract law (which I’m actually seriously keen to register for). There are business options, marketing options and even digital photography short courses. What I really love about GetSmarter and what they offer is that they understand the working professional. They’re very clear that they realise time is a constraint and that you come to the courses with your own experiences and “life” lessons.
Because of this, GetSmarter ensures you aren’t just a student. Rather, they focus on ensuring you become a participant in knowledge building. You’re guided by a Tutor (they have 140 of them) and guided through lectures. You’re also given the opportunity to conduct interviews. Most importantly, GetSmarter encourages you to network with other participants on the courses to help build your contact list and ensure you can not only share but also learn from other students’ experiences.
The best universities in the world
The online courses offered are available from a host of universities including international big wigs like MIT, Oxford, Cambridge and even the London School of Economics and Political Science. It might not be a masters degree but it is a recognised name. I’m interested in expanding my knowledge, but for someone looking to level up in their career – those names carry huge weight.
The selection of courses from local universities is also extremely impressive. Stellenbosch University, UCT and even Wits offer courses through GetSmarter.
The courses are all costed differently depending on your needs. Everything is done online and in fair workable structures to facilitate optimal learning while also ensuring your work commitments aren’t affected. I’ve decided to use the holidays to sign up for an online short course and challenge myself a bit next year. I’m excited to begin browsing. This down time is the perfect opportunity to apply my mind to where I really want to expand and grow.
Go browse through the GetSmarter website and let me know in the comments below if there are any courses you’d be interested in applying for? Or if you’ve done a course through GetSmarter I’d love to hear from you!
