Course Schedule

The TypeWell Basic Skills transcribing course begins in earnest on the candidate's course start date (see available course start dates).

Here are the key points:

• The course materials are sent for arrival a few days before the candidate's start date. This includes a small workbook and instructions for downloading and installing the software from the TypeWell website.
• The course takes 3 months part-time, or one month full-time. Note that the "full-time" rate is a maximum of 4 hours every day, to prevent injury.
• There are 29 lessons.
• Each lesson takes most candidates between 1 and 3 hours to complete. The time required varies based on lesson difficulty and the candidate's learning rate.
• Each lesson is due between 1 and 4 days after the previous lesson is turned in. (See Recommended and Final Due Dates.) There is no way to "bank time" by turning in multiple lessons; even if a candidate completes several lessons in one day, the next lesson will still be due 1-4 days later.
• Our TypeWell teaching team may take up to one full business day (24-72 hours) to provide feedback for some lessons.
• If assignments are too late, the candidate's access to the course will be locked, and special arrangements would have to be made to reopen it.
• There's a way to take a week off if all other assignments are turned in early, but it's not recommended.

The candidate should schedule time for the lessons during the day, rather than trying to cram them into evenings. The course is hard work, and the candidate will learn best when fresh. Since the lessons require serious concentration, the candidate should arrange their schedule to have uninterrupted time in a room where the door can be closed.

Teacher Feedback

For many of the lessons, the candidate will receive email feedback from our TypeWell teaching team. In some cases, the candidate won't be permitted to proceed until our teaching team is satisfied that the candidate has learned the lesson's materials well. Be aware that our teaching team may take up to one full business day (24-72 hours) to provide feedback for each lesson.

How Fast Should the Candidate Go?

We recommend that candidates who work part-time on the lessons try to do at least one lesson every 2-3 days. That's a good speed for learning, and it gives a safety margin to avoid being late in case something interrupts the planned schedule. Candidates with full time for the course (i.e. up to 4 hours of typing per day) do 1 or 2 lessons per day.

Candidates may go faster if they like, but there's a limit to how fast they can go. First, as we mentioned, the candidate may have to wait up to one full business day (24-72 hours) for our teaching team's feedback before continuing on some lessons. Second, if the candidate goes too fast (more than two lessons per day), the system will tell the candidate to slow down. This is to make sure the candidate has time to fully absorb the information in each lesson.

No Breaks Longer than 3 Days

The skills the candidate learns in each lesson build on what was learned in previous lessons. It is important to keep one's skills growing steadily, and not have long gaps between lessons. A gap of more than a few days between lessons could cause one's skills to fade, and not provide an adequate base for the skills in the next lesson. That is why the candidate can never take more than 3 days off between turning in assignments.

At the completion of each lesson, we'll give the candidate the due date for the next assignment. For planning purposes, stick to the rule of turning in at least one assignment every 2-3 days. If the candidate must schedule a vacation in the middle of the transcribing course, or have an unscheduled emergency, there's a way to make extra time for one assignment if all the other assignments are turned in early.

If the candidate is very late on too many assignments, the course will be canceled.

Internet needs

The candidate must have access to some computer that can reach the Internet in order to turn in assignments. However, the computer running the course software does not have to be able to access the Internet. The candidate can use a home computer, a computer at the local library, etc. to access the Internet and turn in assignments. The candidate does need to have a way to transfer files from the course computer to the Internet computer.

If the candidate's usual Internet connection stops working, or if the candidate doesn't have an Internet connection at home or work, it is his or her responsibility to find a connection. Commonly available places that let one have Internet access for a fee are local Internet cafes or FedEx Office stores.

If in laying out the schedule, the candidate plans to turn in a lesson while traveling, they might be able to get a hotel with Internet access. But if not or if the hotel's Internet access goes out during the visit (unfortunately very common!), look for an Internet café, public library, or FedEx Office location.