Review of the USDA Basic Indexing Course

Say what?

Is this really the U.S. Department of Agriculture? It sure is! The USDA has offered educational classes for over 75 years. Is this news to you? Probably. It's news to many indexers, so don't feel too bad.

What is the course like? Is it worth it? How long does it take? What does the course cover? Do you get feedback? How do I sign up? These are just some of the commonly asked questions.

First, you can sign up at:

http://grad.usda.gov/catalog/CourseDescr...

Ok, so what's it really like?

COURSE CONTENT
If you read the description at the USDA web site, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find out the course lives up to how it is described.

TURNAROUND TIME
If you have never taken any distance learning classes, you may be in for a rude awakening. One of the greatest complaints is the time it takes to complete the course. I guess many folks think it's like a real college class, where the turnaround time is just a few days.

But many distance learning classes take a great deal of time. I have taken distance learning classes from other highly respected organizations, and yep, turnaround time is not as quick as I would like. This is not a problem exclusive to USDA. It is a fact of most distance learning courses.

Sure, you can raise a fuss. You can try to change the system. You can start a rally to storm the USDA and demand faster turnaround time. You can even initiate a proposal for a "fast-track" indexing class.

But ask yourself: What do you want to do with your life? Do you want to become an indexer or do you want to become a lobbyist? Only you can answer that. But you need to seriously think about this. If you cannot accept a slow turnaround time, then this class might not be for you.

On the other hand, if you CAN handle the turnaround time, there are things to do while you wait for your lessons to be returned, and that will be covered next month.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
You are given one year to complete the course. If you are diligent, the time frame is adequate. However, if things don't go as you expect them to go in your indexing life, you can file for an extension. The time extension will cost you money.

COURSE MATERIALS
Currently, the textbook is "Indexing Books" by Nancy Mulvany and "The Chicago Manual of Style" chapter 17. You don't need to purchase any other books to complete the course. The training materials provided give you a well-rounded indexing education.

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