ISCs require careful planning and the ability to organise yourself, to set deadlines and to keep to them. Major challenges can occur when designing a study to fit comfortably into the period of the contract. It is important that you plan your contract so that it is neither too broad nor too narrow in scope. When planning your timetable, ensure that the workload is evenly distributed. The ISC method of learning does not suit all students.
Some students are better suited to group learning, or to formally structured units.
ISCs are expensive of staff time, so students taking ISCs must be capable of independent work and need only limited supervision. Seek advice from the Student Learning section of TLC if you had serious difficulties with a previous ISC and want to take another. Do not take an ISC in addition to a normal semester load unless you are confident that you can apply the personal discipline required to cope with an extra study commitment. Define the ISC application clearly as a rough draft and discuss this with your supervisor. Ensure from the outset that, in conjunction with your supervisor, you give due consideration to issues such as the need to obtain permission to work with flora or fauna, or the need to obtain clearance from the Human Research Ethics Committee Application forms for ethics approval can be downloaded from the Human Research Ethics Committee website.