u/RelativeNinja

I was hoping to get some feedback from anyone who has experience with taking the Tourism – Services Management – Travel Services Specialization (TIS) diploma program online.

How did you find the course load? With it being online, is it mostly independent or are there a lot of group assignments?

In regards to the work placement in the third semester, was it difficult to find one? Is there any support from the school if you have trouble finding one or is it 100% the responsibility of the student?

What was your overall satisfaction with the program? Were you able to find employment after graduation?

Any insight at all would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

I just tried to register for an OSAP account to get the ball rolling for applications for September, but I got an error saying that my SIN is already in use. I honestly don't remember ever creating an account before as I've never applied for OSAP. When I attended university many years ago I was from out-of-province and had Newfoundland student loans. I know I've looked into going back to school a few times over the years without following through, so I guess it's not impossible I registered an account and just don't remember doing it, but when I tried the various OAN/password recovery methods none of them worked. There were no challenge questions associated with my information and neither of my two email addresses that are the only two I've ever used for things like this were verified with the SIN. I'm concerned this means that it's just an error on their part and not just that I made an account that I don't remember.

I know that for students attending schools in Ontario, you're expected to contact your school's financial aid office directly for help, but I haven't chosen a school yet. I'm pretty reluctant to wait and potentially have a delay in getting everything approved in time for September. I know there's an option to get a form notarized and mailed in, but a notary costs at least $50, and considering I'm not convinced this isn't a mistake on OSAP's part I would really like to talk to someone there directly to confirm I actually have an existing account before I go that route. The only phone number on the OSAP site is the one for out-of-province inquiries. Would they refuse to help me if I tried calling them?

I'm just feeling really frustrated and not sure what the best course of action is. Going back to school at 46 has already been a daunting undertaking and to run into this huge, unexpected roadblock so early on has been pretty demoralizing.

I'm 46 and looking into options to return to school to improve my employment prospects. One of the options I'm considering is the Hospitality - Hotel Management (Online) diploma, and I'm looking for some feedback from anyone who has experience with it.

How did you find the course load and schedule? I assume that since it is synchronous, you are expected to be present for Zoom classes a certain number of hours per week. How did you find that experience? And aside from being present for online lectures, is there much in the way of group work/projects or are they mostly independent?

Also specifically in regards to the first term course HOSP-102, the course description states there will be both online and practical training for the First Aid/CPR certification. How does the practical aspect work for students in the online version of the program? Are they expected to be able to make it to campus for some sessions, despite the program supposedly being fully online?

In regards to the work placement in the second year, is that something that the college arranges or are you expected to find one yourself? And are they restricted to locations within the GTA? I live in the KW area, which is why I'm looking at the online program rather than the in-person option. Commuting to somewhere in the GTA for a work placement wouldn't be impossible, but it certainly wouldn't be ideal.

Finally, how worthwhile did you find the program overall? Was it actually helpful in finding a good job?

Thanks in advance, I really appreciate any help!