Meet Douglas Burns | GetSmarter Notable Achiever

In recognition of students who stand out from the crowd, GetSmarter’s Notable Achievers campaign highlights a top-performing student each week.

Douglas is currently studying the UCT Foundations in Business Management online short course, his Success Manager Morghanne Bullough, had the following to share about Douglas’s progress:

“Douglas has performed exceptionally well on the course, experiencing various challenges, however, overcoming them through pure determination and persistence. He set solid goals at the beginning of the course and achieved them throughout, achieving his final goal of a set aggregate. Douglas has also consistently engaged on the discussion forums and provided enlightening and inspirational discussions on module topics.”

We chatted to Douglas to find out more about his experience, here’s what he had to say:

Why did you decide to take the UCT online short course with GetSmarter?

I had been looking for a reputable online accredited course for some time, while acutely aware of the large number of fake online universities and courses offered via the internet. After finding and reviewing the GetSmarter’s UCT online courses and accreditation, which has a proven track record, I found the various course options best suited towards my further advancements in education.

What were your concerns before enrolling on the UCT Foundations in Business Management course? How were your concerns alleviated and why?

I was very nervous before this course started, as growing up I had a learning problem and the fear of failing was immense. I was also very concerned with the group work for fear of others not participating possibly affecting my grades negatively, or vice versa.

On arrival at the GetSmarter Campus in Cape Town, I was shown the setup and how user-friendly the courses are. As soon as I walked through the door I was greeted by very friendly and professional staff. If I asked a question that they weren’t sure of, they found someone who could answer the question honestly and correctly. This made a great impression.

I must give special thanks to my Success Manager, Morghanne Bullough, she was absolutely phenomenal with her support and guidance in helping me get started and throughout my course. If it was not for her, I would not have done nearly as well as I did. Thank you Morghanne!

What aspects are you enjoying about learning online with GetSmarter?

I do enjoy the group discussions and seeing how other people think; this aided my learning and challenged me. Just because someone saw answers differently to mine, didn’t mean they are wrong. This helped me to be more open to other ideas and learn from my classmates.

How do you plan to use the skills you learned on this course in your career?

I am planning on going into a partnership to start up and develop a cricket academy. This course helped me immensely and given me the confidence I need to challenge myself and start the academy.

What does it mean to you to earn a UCT certificate?

It is my first University Accredited Certificate and I am very proud of doing so well on my course. I put in a lot of hard work and it paid off.

Our Student Success Team identified you as being an outstanding student. Why do you think you are a Notable Achiever and what advice can you give to others looking to do this course?

Before the course started I set a target average I wanted to achieve with my success manager. I worked hard and achieved my desired results and for this reason I believe I was identified as the notable achiever

The Success Managers are brilliant and very willing to go the extra mile to help and assist you throughout your course. The courses are well structured and easy to follow, the time frame for module completion is more than enough if you do a few hours every day.