Hi, folks,
The past few days have been quite interesting for me. I wanted to give an update on my plan to enter school for those who may be interested.
It all started with being told that I'd have to alter my plan. My VR counselor will not pay for the LWSB program, but, in hindsight, that's probably a good thing. At the time I was told this, however, I was quite upset - until the reasons and subsequential information was absorbed by my brain.
So, why can't I go to Arkansas?
From my VR counselor's perspective, it boils down to a simple matter of money. Locally, school would cost $8.000.00 + books and supplies. To go to Arkansas, the cost would be a whopping $36,000.00 + books and supplies. Quite a huge financial difference!
I can't argue with that - the price is exponentially higher to go to Arkansas. Besides, even if she wanted to send me there, she would be unable to because of the issues with state law. It will not allow her to make that expense. It has something to do with not being able to spend more on out of state programs than they would spend at the most expensive in-state program, or some such.
After hearing this, I began researching and networking. Boy, the things I've learned!
INVESTIGATING ARKANSAS
I wanted to find out what the h e double hockey sticks was up with the huge difference in cost for the program in Arkansas. I expected the price to be more, but not that drastic, so I use the ring-a-ding-ding machine to call some friends - some very honest and trustworthy friends. What I would learn would shock me.
LWSB pays out less than the amount of the local tution to the contracted school per student. Some of the rest goes toward housing and meals, but, largely, that money goes into a mysterious hiding place that nobody has been able to figure out. I'm not sure I want to know, it would probably just tick me off.
Turns out that most people who complete the training with LWSB do not have a great deal of success finding employment. Most places will not hire them because of the limited curriculum of the LWSB program. Their education is growing stale because they are not working, and, because they are not working, they cannot afford to suppliment their education in the areas where they lack. So, there are people out there with $36,000.00 worth of MT training that are not able to use it. Their VR counselors will not pay for anything beyond the "basic education", certification and licensure fees. Some VR counselors will give in and purchase SOME equipment they need, but most are just sitting with a license, no job and no equipment. They couldn't afford to move forward on their own if they wanted to. Very sad.
One person even told me horrid stories about the conditions they had to live in while there, which were amplified by the way they were treated by staff. Fortunately for them, they have family that's helping them pay for the additional expense to gain further education they need to get hired. They deserve it, after going through the things they told me about.
One person told me that part of the problem with the training was that things were repeated often. She expected things to be repeated some, but not that much. Everyone understood the curriculum that was being repeated. This person said they can only guess that the time spent on repeating things in class was used solely for the purpose of meeting the additional added hours to their base curriculum.
After I learned all this, I was HAPPY to have heard my VR counselor tell me that I would not be able to go there! Very happy, indeed!
REVISITING THE LOCAL OPTION
I started thinking about what I was going to do. I had been given bad reviews of the local school and had a poor experience at their clinic. I knew I couldn't go elsewhere in the state. I just can't afford to relocate for school right now. So, back to the ring-a-ding-ding machine again ...
I called up the people who gave me bad reviews of the school. Last time I let them do most of the talking. I let them have full reign to give a review as they saw fit. This time, I had a different idea. I went into it armed with a questionaire that would make a telephone survey taker green with envy.
After probing them with specific questions, my opinion of their reviews changed drastically. I, now, believe that these people are disgruntled based upon experiences they encountered that they ultimately brought on themselves. There was a lot of whining about financial aspects (late tuition, etc.) and disciplinary actions. I walked away with the opinion that they are ticked off because they got disciplined (for obviously breaking the guidelines/rules of the school) or because the school wanted its tuition money before allowing them to continue with classes. That explained their bad reviews.
What about good reviews? Did I find any?
I sure did. After several calls to local folks, I found several recent and distant graduates that were happy to give me the low-down on the school. They all were working, making a living at what they set out to do. They said the school was strict, but they appreciated the strictness. It helped mold them into the professionals they are today, in their opinion. They said the curriculum was quality and the instructors were very good at their jobs. Great, so I had finally found some good reviews. That makes me feel a little better about things.
What about my bad experience with the massage I got from their clinic?
I decided that I would return to the clinic for another massage. When I scheduled it, I explained the quality of my last massage was severely lacking. They looked me up in their records and then, in my opinion, took appropriate action. They scheduled me for the same day - to fill an openning that had just become available. On top of that they offered me a 75% discount on the massage. When I arrived, they pulled me off to the side to explain that the person who gave my last massage was "no longer available". Without directly saying so, they implied that the person was no longer with the school. That massage turned out to be wonderful. The therapist-in-training was very considerate of my requests and needs, and very skilled at the work they did. They were even kind enough to answer some of my questions. Suffice it to say, I rebooked!
When I was done with my massage, I asked if I could make an appointment to meet with the admissions counselor. To my surprise, she was willing to talk to me on the spot. I asked a lot of questions and frequently interrupted her sales pitch with more questions. It turns out the school is not just advertising the classes with intentions of only teaching them when an instructor is available. They teach all courses several times a year. She also made an offer I really appreciated. Normally, they charge for one-on-one tutoring from the instructor that's in addition to the normal classtime hours. Due to my vision impairment, she said that my instructors would be available (free of charge) for any needed one-on-one tutoring. Furthermore, she promised me that any assistive technology or other disability-related modifications to their standard curriculum would be paid for, happily, by the school. In fact, she asked if I would help them by suggesting equipment or adaptation needs so that they can offer a quality educational experience to persons with visual impairments. Needless to say, I was quite impressed.
So, what now?
It's simple, really. I will be taking my first course (Chair Massage - 9 Hours) in November. This is an expense I'll have to make out of pocket. Let's just suffice it to say that my counselor wants me to make a small investment into my education because she feels that I will take the program very seriously since some of my own money went into the program. No problem! It will be a financial crunch for me, but when you know a path is right for you, you just know. Investment or not, I am going to make this work.
So, there's an update for all those who may be interested. The ball is rolling with great momentum. I just wish I had put more effort into my research beforehand. It just goes to prove that lots of research is needed when you make these type decisions - lesson learned.
I'm gonna study Massage Therapy! Yay!
--Bill
The past few days have been quite interesting for me. I wanted to give an update on my plan to enter school for those who may be interested.
It all started with being told that I'd have to alter my plan. My VR counselor will not pay for the LWSB program, but, in hindsight, that's probably a good thing. At the time I was told this, however, I was quite upset - until the reasons and subsequential information was absorbed by my brain.
So, why can't I go to Arkansas?
From my VR counselor's perspective, it boils down to a simple matter of money. Locally, school would cost $8.000.00 + books and supplies. To go to Arkansas, the cost would be a whopping $36,000.00 + books and supplies. Quite a huge financial difference!
I can't argue with that - the price is exponentially higher to go to Arkansas. Besides, even if she wanted to send me there, she would be unable to because of the issues with state law. It will not allow her to make that expense. It has something to do with not being able to spend more on out of state programs than they would spend at the most expensive in-state program, or some such.
After hearing this, I began researching and networking. Boy, the things I've learned!
INVESTIGATING ARKANSAS
I wanted to find out what the h e double hockey sticks was up with the huge difference in cost for the program in Arkansas. I expected the price to be more, but not that drastic, so I use the ring-a-ding-ding machine to call some friends - some very honest and trustworthy friends. What I would learn would shock me.
LWSB pays out less than the amount of the local tution to the contracted school per student. Some of the rest goes toward housing and meals, but, largely, that money goes into a mysterious hiding place that nobody has been able to figure out. I'm not sure I want to know, it would probably just tick me off.
Turns out that most people who complete the training with LWSB do not have a great deal of success finding employment. Most places will not hire them because of the limited curriculum of the LWSB program. Their education is growing stale because they are not working, and, because they are not working, they cannot afford to suppliment their education in the areas where they lack. So, there are people out there with $36,000.00 worth of MT training that are not able to use it. Their VR counselors will not pay for anything beyond the "basic education", certification and licensure fees. Some VR counselors will give in and purchase SOME equipment they need, but most are just sitting with a license, no job and no equipment. They couldn't afford to move forward on their own if they wanted to. Very sad.
One person even told me horrid stories about the conditions they had to live in while there, which were amplified by the way they were treated by staff. Fortunately for them, they have family that's helping them pay for the additional expense to gain further education they need to get hired. They deserve it, after going through the things they told me about.
One person told me that part of the problem with the training was that things were repeated often. She expected things to be repeated some, but not that much. Everyone understood the curriculum that was being repeated. This person said they can only guess that the time spent on repeating things in class was used solely for the purpose of meeting the additional added hours to their base curriculum.
After I learned all this, I was HAPPY to have heard my VR counselor tell me that I would not be able to go there! Very happy, indeed!
REVISITING THE LOCAL OPTION
I started thinking about what I was going to do. I had been given bad reviews of the local school and had a poor experience at their clinic. I knew I couldn't go elsewhere in the state. I just can't afford to relocate for school right now. So, back to the ring-a-ding-ding machine again ...
I called up the people who gave me bad reviews of the school. Last time I let them do most of the talking. I let them have full reign to give a review as they saw fit. This time, I had a different idea. I went into it armed with a questionaire that would make a telephone survey taker green with envy.
After probing them with specific questions, my opinion of their reviews changed drastically. I, now, believe that these people are disgruntled based upon experiences they encountered that they ultimately brought on themselves. There was a lot of whining about financial aspects (late tuition, etc.) and disciplinary actions. I walked away with the opinion that they are ticked off because they got disciplined (for obviously breaking the guidelines/rules of the school) or because the school wanted its tuition money before allowing them to continue with classes. That explained their bad reviews.
What about good reviews? Did I find any?
I sure did. After several calls to local folks, I found several recent and distant graduates that were happy to give me the low-down on the school. They all were working, making a living at what they set out to do. They said the school was strict, but they appreciated the strictness. It helped mold them into the professionals they are today, in their opinion. They said the curriculum was quality and the instructors were very good at their jobs. Great, so I had finally found some good reviews. That makes me feel a little better about things.
What about my bad experience with the massage I got from their clinic?
I decided that I would return to the clinic for another massage. When I scheduled it, I explained the quality of my last massage was severely lacking. They looked me up in their records and then, in my opinion, took appropriate action. They scheduled me for the same day - to fill an openning that had just become available. On top of that they offered me a 75% discount on the massage. When I arrived, they pulled me off to the side to explain that the person who gave my last massage was "no longer available". Without directly saying so, they implied that the person was no longer with the school. That massage turned out to be wonderful. The therapist-in-training was very considerate of my requests and needs, and very skilled at the work they did. They were even kind enough to answer some of my questions. Suffice it to say, I rebooked!
When I was done with my massage, I asked if I could make an appointment to meet with the admissions counselor. To my surprise, she was willing to talk to me on the spot. I asked a lot of questions and frequently interrupted her sales pitch with more questions. It turns out the school is not just advertising the classes with intentions of only teaching them when an instructor is available. They teach all courses several times a year. She also made an offer I really appreciated. Normally, they charge for one-on-one tutoring from the instructor that's in addition to the normal classtime hours. Due to my vision impairment, she said that my instructors would be available (free of charge) for any needed one-on-one tutoring. Furthermore, she promised me that any assistive technology or other disability-related modifications to their standard curriculum would be paid for, happily, by the school. In fact, she asked if I would help them by suggesting equipment or adaptation needs so that they can offer a quality educational experience to persons with visual impairments. Needless to say, I was quite impressed.
So, what now?
It's simple, really. I will be taking my first course (Chair Massage - 9 Hours) in November. This is an expense I'll have to make out of pocket. Let's just suffice it to say that my counselor wants me to make a small investment into my education because she feels that I will take the program very seriously since some of my own money went into the program. No problem! It will be a financial crunch for me, but when you know a path is right for you, you just know. Investment or not, I am going to make this work.
So, there's an update for all those who may be interested. The ball is rolling with great momentum. I just wish I had put more effort into my research beforehand. It just goes to prove that lots of research is needed when you make these type decisions - lesson learned.
I'm gonna study Massage Therapy! Yay!
--Bill
t038 I applaud you for taking the initiative and doing such through and thoughtful investigation of the situation at both schools but especially the local MT school. And yes indeed, you can have students in the same class and find contradicting experiences of the same class/instructor from them.
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