Born and (mostly) raised in Calgary, Karl has been taking courses on and off at AU since 1999. At one point, he changed his major from Computing Science to Computing Science because the new program requirements fit what he’d already taken better. Since then, he switched to English and graduated (w/Great Distinction he likes to add) proving along the way that it is entirely possible to complete an entire AU course within a three week period. If only he had done this at the beginning of the course instead of in the last extension.
This is not something he advises unless you are desperate, masochistic, or, ideally, both.
He is currently the managing editor of The Voice Magazine, where he tries to put his education to use helping other students as they provide content for The Voice
Looking Back The Voice issue of spring 1994: The Alberta Government has announced it will eliminate 21 percent from Advanced Education Funding over three years. The then minister of Advanced Education and Career Development, Jack Ady, says that “I firmly believe, however, that efforts to control spending now will ensure that future generations of Albertans… Read more »
Manitoba Students get Free Extension The Provincial Government of Manitoba has announced (http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2003/04/2003-04-29-08.html) that it will be doubling the interest free period of student loans from six months to a full year. When combined with their recent budget that keeps tuition at 10% below 1999 levels, it seems like going to Manitoba to take your… Read more »
When Even The Bank Tells You To Spend More The Toronto Dominion bank recently released a report (http://micro.newswire.ca/releases/April2003/22/c2879.html/62342-0) praising Alberta as being the only region in Canada that has U.S. levels of wealth while preserving the Canadian-style quality of life. The report is not all wine and roses however, and points out that in order… Read more »
Education Week From April 27th to May 3rd, it’s Education Week (http://www.gov.ab.ca/acn/200304/14212.html) in Alberta. In typical Alberta fashion, this means a concentration on the kindergarten to grade 12 school system through-out the province and a near neglect of post-secondary institutions. If you go to the link, you’ll see a number of events going on around… Read more »
Tough Times Coming for AU Students The Alberta Government released its latest budget documents this past week, and what they say may not prove to be the greatest news for Athabasca University. To begin with, let’s start with a look at the Education section (i) of the budget. In this section, they point out things… Read more »
Educating Rita.. and Jane, and Nancy, and.. Statistics Canada has recently released (http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030331/d030331b.htm) a report showing enrolment trends in University. The gist of it is that the number of women starting to take post-secondary education is increasing much faster than the number of men, that mathematics and physical sciences are the areas experiencing the highest… Read more »
CLEANING UP AFTER THE UNITED STATES The Government of Canada has committed 100 million dollars (http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/cida_ind.nsf/852562900065549a85256250006cbb1a/636a2afa0f8e6b1e85256cf400585a09) for humanitarian aid in Iraq. I am terribly torn on this issue. On the one hand, I do not want to advocate not aiding people who are in desperate need, on the other hand why should governments of other… Read more »
Same Old, Same Old It seems every week the same things happen across Canada. Provincial Governments such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, as well as the Federal Government (see end of story for links) all put hundreds of thousands if not millions into boosting research activities of Canadian Universities, and basically nothing into… Read more »
GOVERNMENT DISCOVERS STUDENTS IN DEBT! The Canada Millenium Scholarship Foundation has found (http://www.millenniumscholarships.ca/en/research/ekos.html) that 70% of students undertake some type of debt in order to further their education. Hardly news, but it certainly seems to be to the Federal Government. More interesting, however, is that the study goes much deeper into looking at what types… Read more »
The proposed new AU course extension policy, and what it means to you. The Athabasca University Academic Council will soon be voting on a motion to require students to give 30 days advance notice for an extension. Naturally, this notice will have to be accompanied by the cheque for the extension fee. What this means… Read more »