There are many reasons that might contribute to your desire to take an fMRI course. In rare circumstances, people take specific courses like this for personal enrichment, but more frequently than not, an fMRI course is part of a broader curriculum. Choosing the course that is right for you can make the difference in getting good grades, learning, and enjoying your experience. The way to make this happen is to factor in opinions of previous students, convenience, and your need for each course.
The need for a course refers to how well course content fulfills what you need. For example, an introductory fMRI course won't do you much good if you are already an expert, but an advanced course might. Conversely, exploring a new technique used in functional MRIs probably won't be useful for a beginner. Identifying your needs and finding a course that fulfills them is the first step in choosing the best course.
This choice might be simplified if you are taking a course as part of a linear curriculum. Many times, nurses, doctors, technicians, and other health care professionals need to study fMRIs. The courses they need to take might already be identified. If this is the case for you, then you already know which fMRI course to take — you might just have to weigh out the different options of convenience.
Convenience can mean a number of things when it comes down to choosing the best course. This can include the meeting times and frequency as well as the associated expenses. Depending on your current schedule and where you are in your life and career, you need to consider what courses are best for you.
Think about the where, the what, and the how much. The where might matter if you are not in a position to spend time and money on transportation; perhaps a satellite course or online learning option might be best. The what might be a factor of course difficulty compared to other life responsibilities on your plate. If you are very busy, an easy course might be a good option to prevent overwhelming yourself. The how much is a straightforward measure of how affordable a course is to you.
Getting input from previous students of a particular fMRI course is also a great way to find the right fit. They might be able to give insight about course requirements, the effectiveness of the material, and the strength of the instructor. Not every student fits with every instructor, so the more you know about what you're getting into, the better.