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#94763 - 04/05/08 08:35 PM
Choosing a school
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Adibidah
New Member
Registered: 04/05/08
Posts: 13
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Hello, I apologize in advance because I know the topic has come up many times! I went to the forum where the threads about choosing a school, what's it like to be a MT, etc ... but a lot of the links were "not able to be found". This was disheartening, because I use the library for my internet access (on my laptop) and I don't have much time to browse! This will be changing in about a week but until then, I would like to narrow down my search.
My plan was to enroll with Career Step. This was the first school that I had information from, and the way the schooling is set up appeals to me. However, I am open to other options - basically, I want to enroll with the school that will give me the strongest education and experience to perform the job well.
If anyone would like to give me links to old threads or articles about this topic, I would appreciate it. Right now I need to get home to my 2 month old but I check in at the library daily. 
_________________________
~Sarah - Wife, Mama to 4, and a busy M-TEC student.
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#94764 - 04/05/08 08:39 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: Adibidah]
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14tonks
Member
Registered: 10/25/01
Posts: 5978
Loc: Only 3rd world country in US
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I want to enroll with the school that will give me the strongest education and experience to perform the job well.
Short answer: M-Tec or Andrews.
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#94767 - 04/05/08 08:49 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: 14tonks]
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Adibidah
New Member
Registered: 04/05/08
Posts: 13
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I figured I'd get that. ;)
Is there a post/thread/article that might say why? Save me from googling ... I'm chasing rabbit trails all over the internet tonight.
I did say I was leaving, too ... this research is addicting.
_________________________
~Sarah - Wife, Mama to 4, and a busy M-TEC student.
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#94768 - 04/05/08 08:56 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: Adibidah]
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FarAwayDeb
Member
Registered: 03/15/02
Posts: 2789
Loc: just south of Rochester, NY
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I sent you a PM.
_________________________
Good grammar ain't easy.
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#94776 - 04/05/08 09:36 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: FarAwayDeb]
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PegB
Member
Registered: 11/05/06
Posts: 110
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I went to CS... blah blah blah (ducking)... 
You can PM me if you want any info about my experience with them.
Peg
Edited by PegB (04/05/08 09:37 PM)
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#94781 - 04/05/08 10:43 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: PegB]
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Adibidah
New Member
Registered: 04/05/08
Posts: 13
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I strapped the baby on (in a baby carrier) and walked back down to the library to tell you that I've changed my mind.
Before I left, I found a 4 page thread from this site about CS. Being that I don't have internet access at home, I pulled up all 4 pages, shut the laptop, went home, and while I nursed the baby I read the thread.
I've totally changed my mind. Thank you! We had saved up the entire amount needed for Career Step and I was going to enroll last week, but I had this nagging feeling ... and now I know why.
Now I need to decide which school to go with and when I should do it. I'm very excited about a career as a MT but I need to think realistically about the time involved in the course. My mom is currently enrolled with the Andrews school for coding, and it keeps her extremely busy! I have a 2 month old, 2 year old, 4 year old and 6 year old - I'm a stay at home mom and I homeschool the oldest children - so I am fairly busy as it is. ;)
However, I don't believe I'm one of those moms who thinks she can sit on her bum all day long while money pours in as she types! I know it'll take hard work and dedication and I believe I have the passion to want to learn how to be a MT.
Anyway, enough rambling ... thanks for steering me out of the wrong direction! I truly appreciate it, and I'm glad to have found this site.
Edited by Adibidah (04/05/08 10:46 PM)
_________________________
~Sarah - Wife, Mama to 4, and a busy M-TEC student.
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#94782 - 04/05/08 10:52 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: Adibidah]
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14tonks
Member
Registered: 10/25/01
Posts: 5978
Loc: Only 3rd world country in US
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Is there a post/thread/article that might say why?
There are a lot of them, some of them probably still here, and some deleted the last time the forum database got too big and had to be pruned.
Short form again:
M-Tec and Andrews teach from a selection of professionally authored textbooks on various subjects and use the HPI SUM CDs plus some additional training recordings for practice. Career Step's instructional materials were all put together by the owner of the company.
M-Tec and Andrews offer you instruction by professional MTs with continuous feedback on your assignments. Career Step offers a pile of transcriptions to compare with your own and an automated grader that will simply indicate everything that is different between your transcription and the "model" transcription. It is then up to you to figure out which differences are outright errors and which are style differences. It is also up to you to figure out in which cases you are wrong and in which cases the person who transcribed that particular "model" transcription was wrong. To assist you with this they provide a student forum in which your fellow lost-in-the-dark enrollees and recent grads will provide you with their consensus of unwisdom in lieu of that experienced instructor.
Since professionally authored teaching materials cost more than homemade ones and paying actual teachers is much more expensive that putting up some forum software, M-Tec and Andrews cost more than Career Step.
There are some differences in how it is determined you have or have not passed the course and how you are funneled into the job market as well, but if I get into those, this thread is really gonna get locked before you can get back to it.
Disclaimer: I am too old and decrepit to have attended any of these schools. I have acquired the above information second hand from those who have gone to them and those who have hired (or not hired) those who have gone to them.
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#94784 - 04/05/08 10:58 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: 14tonks]
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Adibidah
New Member
Registered: 04/05/08
Posts: 13
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Thank you, I appreciate that you typed the above out for me. It makes my decision an easy one. I don't have the time and money to waste on a course that is not the best!
Now if I could find a thread on the differences between M-Tec and Andrews ... ?
_________________________
~Sarah - Wife, Mama to 4, and a busy M-TEC student.
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#94785 - 04/05/08 11:05 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: Adibidah]
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14tonks
Member
Registered: 10/25/01
Posts: 5978
Loc: Only 3rd world country in US
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There are some brief ones, but basically it pretty much comes down to a matter of personal taste. Now you've got it down to those two, look over both web sites carefully (particularly the information on training materials and curriculum), make note of the phone numbers, and then call both schools and discuss your remaining questions with the respective owners.
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#94786 - 04/05/08 11:43 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: 14tonks]
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inkyfingers2
Member
Registered: 03/25/03
Posts: 596
Loc: southern California
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Brava! You have your hands full with all the little ones. I think you made a good choice for your own career long-term welfare. Once you're out here looking for a job, school choice and persistence pretty much set your path - either the straight-and-level path, or the uphill-all-the-way path.
_________________________
inkyfingers
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#94831 - 04/06/08 02:32 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: Adibidah]
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sono_io
Member
Registered: 02/08/05
Posts: 154
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I have a 2 month old, 2 year old, 4 year old and 6 year old - I'm a stay at home mom and I homeschool the oldest children - so I am fairly busy as it is.
Beyond the schooling time commitment, have you considered the time commitment for actually transcribing? Do you have childcare arrangements in mind? How will you fit it in to your already busy schedule? Hopefully you have or will be doing a LOT of reading here about the realities of the job; this definitely isn't something you can realistically do in between diaper changes, homeschooling, naptimes, and other commitments. As they say, "something's gotta give!"
I don't mean to be a downer but from personal experience, it really is mind boggling how time-intensive this career is, and for a mind-bogglingly low compensation in the best of circumstances, much less trying to get your lines in here and there.
Good luck with your decision and congratulations on doing your research ahead of time!
-sono
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#94845 - 04/06/08 03:44 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: sono_io]
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segil
New Member
Registered: 04/06/08
Posts: 4
Loc: Nova Scotia, Canada
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I just enrolled in M-Tec. I too was going to enroll in Canscribe(Career Step)in the begining, but when I started to do a little research I changed my mind.
M-Tech and Andrews are pretty much the same, I don't think you could go wrong with either one. The one difference I did find was that M-Tec allows you 18 months to complete the course rather than 12.
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#94860 - 04/06/08 06:56 PM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: sono_io]
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utahmomof4
Junior Member
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 50
Loc: Utah
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I have a 2 month old, 2 year old, 4 year old and 6 year old - I'm a stay at home mom and I homeschool the oldest children - so I am fairly busy as it is. Beyond the schooling time commitment, have you considered the time commitment for actually transcribing? Do you have childcare arrangements in mind? How will you fit it in to your already busy schedule? Hopefully you have or will be doing a LOT of reading here about the realities of the job; this definitely isn't something you can realistically do in between diaper changes, homeschooling, naptimes, and other commitments. As they say, "something's gotta give!" I don't mean to be a downer but from personal experience, it really is mind boggling how time-intensive this career is, and for a mind-bogglingly low compensation in the best of circumstances, much less trying to get your lines in here and there.
As I said in another thread, I started doing MT from home when I was pregnant with our first, and now I have 4 kids at home, all of whom I homeschool. I have never used child care during my work hours, either in the form of my husband or any other kind. Unless you are counting on MT as your primary source of income, it is both possible and realistic to do it between diaper changes, naptimes, homeschooling, and other commitments. Good time management skills are definitely a plus.
It all depends on your family's needs. If you're depending on the kind of income that only 8 hours a day, 5 days a week can provide from your MT job, then yeah, it's going to be harder. However, I've done that, too, with 4 kids ages infant to 5 years old and also taking 2 online college courses. It sucked, but we got through it. If you're determined and committed, it can be done.
Also, MT is the best and most lucrative option for home-based work that can be integrated into other commitments like being a stay-at-home mom and homeschooling. Good luck with everything, Abidibah!
_________________________
Lori
"I homeschool my kids because I've seen the village and I don't want it raising my kids."
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#94896 - 04/07/08 10:51 AM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: utahmomof4]
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motach
Member
Registered: 08/03/99
Posts: 1251
Loc: Sunnyvale, CA
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Unless you are counting on MT as your primary source of income, it is both possible and realistic to do it between diaper changes, naptimes, homeschooling, and other commitments.
Sigh. Is this a career for you? Or pin money?
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#94898 - 04/07/08 11:07 AM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: motach]
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utahmomof4
Junior Member
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 50
Loc: Utah
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Unless you are counting on MT as your primary source of income, it is both possible and realistic to do it between diaper changes, naptimes, homeschooling, and other commitments. Sigh. Is this a career for you? Or pin money?
I work to supplement our family's income, but what difference does it make? Am I any less an MT because I currently work 16 hours a week than someone who works 40 hours a week? That my family's situation requires and enables me to place a higher priority on raising and educating my children than on working full time does not make me any less respectable than those of you who work full time, depending on others to care for your children while you do. Everyone's personal life situation and priorities are different, and just because one's job isn't a career doesn't make their job choice or schedule any less realistic or valid than another.
_________________________
Lori
"I homeschool my kids because I've seen the village and I don't want it raising my kids."
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#94899 - 04/07/08 11:21 AM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: utahmomof4]
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Annie
Administrator
Registered: 01/08/00
Posts: 7843
Loc: Long Island, NY
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Am I any less an MT because I currently work 16 hours a week than someone who works 40 hours a week?
No - but you're speaking to a virtual "room" full of MTs who have been in this industry for a long time - long enough to know just how demanding a profession it can be - and we try hard to warn people that if you think you're going to just be able to sit down, pound the keyboard for 3 hours a day and walk away - as one of my favorite local talk radio hosts says - you couldn't be more hopelessly wrong. Most of us who have raised our children and worked full-time as an MT (Hello...my name is Annie...) can tell you we have not relied on others to take care of our children while working. Can anyone say multitasking? So, coming here and making a comment such as that isn't going to win you any brownie points with this crowd.
(1) Especially when you first start out - it takes the average newbie a good 4-5 hours to transcribe 60 minutes of dictation only. At least that. It could be longer - it's been a while.
(2) You are going to be hard pressed to find a service in this day and age that is willing to hire you for what you're looking for. I work as a recruiter for a mid-size company - one that does hire new graduates from an assortment of programs - and I promise you - if someone tells me they are only looking to work 16 hours a week, I'm not in a big-time hurry to have them come on board.
"doesn't make their job choice or schedule any less realistic "
Your job choice may be realistic - but from what we're seeing - I don't think you're expectations are. If you only want to work 16 hours a week - honestly - you'd be better off finding a job outside of the house where you can go - do your job - and come home - because this particular job has a habit of never leaving you. People are too frequently under the sad misconception that working from home allows you to work "between diaper changes, naptime, homeschooling and other commitments." Don't believe me if you must - but if you're a smart woman - you WOULD take it from at least one woman who has been there/done that. My children are now 21 and 18. I started when my oldest was 10 months old. Trust me - you are completely delusional if you really believe and expect life to be peachy-keen working between childcare duties. It's not not doable - just not the bowl of cherries you seem to want to believe.
_________________________
New to the site? Please read through the "How to Use MT CHAT" forum BEFORE POSTING!
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#94901 - 04/07/08 11:23 AM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: utahmomof4]
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FarAwayDeb
Member
Registered: 03/15/02
Posts: 2789
Loc: just south of Rochester, NY
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I work to supplement our family's income, but what difference does it make?
It makes a huge difference, which you probably can't understand unless you've been there.
Everyone's personal life situation and priorities are different, and just because one's job isn't a career doesn't make their job choice or schedule any less realistic or valid than another.
Maybe not, but you have a lot less to worry about. For a family with a lot of kids, MT definitely isn't a good job for supporting a family. I'm sure some have done it, but I don't know anybody who would recommend it, especially lately.
_________________________
Good grammar ain't easy.
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#94902 - 04/07/08 11:26 AM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: utahmomof4]
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motach
Member
Registered: 08/03/99
Posts: 1251
Loc: Sunnyvale, CA
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I think you are painting too rosy a picture of working at home with young children, which is a rampant misconception in the MT industry. I have worked at home full time with no children, full time with children, part time with children, with no childcare at all, with grandma's help with childcare, etc. etc.
It has been worth it to be with my children, but it has never been a walk in the park. Even with excellent "time management skills", it can be frustrating and exhausting, and that is with 15 years of MT experience before I started working at home. It will be much more difficult for a student/new MT.
Edited by motach (04/07/08 11:28 AM)
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#94908 - 04/07/08 11:43 AM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: Annie]
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utahmomof4
Junior Member
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 50
Loc: Utah
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Annie - I HAVE been doing it for nearly 10 years. I know what I know because I have been there. It's true that I was much less productive in the beginning than I am now as my experience and speed have improved (which is true of anyone), and I always explain that to people who are asking me about getting into MT as a way to supplement their family's income while still being able to be home with their children.
I appreciate that the majority of people who participate on this board are doing MT as a career and that's wonderful - kudos to them. Whatever works, right? I'm not necessarily looking to make friends or enemies, but is it more appropriate to talk down to someone ("Is this a career for you, or pin money?") than to defend oneself using their actual experience?
You're incorrect that I would be better off getting a job outside my home. I've done the math. I even got a job outside the home for a little while to test it out. I couldn't make nearly the hourly wage, and virtually all of my income would be spent on daycare, if not more than my income since daycare for 4 kids really adds up. Now I have no overhead, so my income is true income. Not only that, but I DO sit down at the computer, do my job, and then walk away. It IS possible. Not everyone has to allow it to consume their lives.
You're correct that most companies don't want to hire someone to work only 16 hours a week, and that's not what I started at, either. I am fortunate to work for a company who has been very gracious in allowing me to alter my schedule according to the needs of my family at the time. Until recently, I was working 30 hours a week, still with my kids home full time and a husband who works 10-12 hours a day. I have recently been fortunate to be able to cut back my hours as my husband's income has been able to make up the difference so I can focus more time on my children and other responsibilities. Such companies that allow this kind of flexibility DO exist; they're just harder to find.
Working between childcare duties may not be peachy keen, but it IS DOABLE. My life is not fiction.
_________________________
Lori
"I homeschool my kids because I've seen the village and I don't want it raising my kids."
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#94909 - 04/07/08 11:46 AM
Re: Choosing a school
[Re: FarAwayDeb]
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utahmomof4
Junior Member
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 50
Loc: Utah
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I work to supplement our family's income, but what difference does it make? It makes a huge difference, which you probably can't understand unless you've been there. Everyone's personal life situation and priorities are different, and just because one's job isn't a career doesn't make their job choice or schedule any less realistic or valid than another. Maybe not, but you have a lot less to worry about. For a family with a lot of kids, MT definitely isn't a good job for supporting a family. I'm sure some have done it, but I don't know anybody who would recommend it, especially lately.
As a matter of fact, when my husband was in school full time, I WAS providing almost all of the family's income this way. I have been there. But not everyone who is looking into doing MT is looking to use it to support their family alone, and those who aren't shouldn't be made to feel any less worthy of this choice.
_________________________
Lori
"I homeschool my kids because I've seen the village and I don't want it raising my kids."
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Moderator: Annie
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