hi Lindsay, I enrolled with Cengage this morning to study Cert II in Children's Services. Like you i needed the options of paying monthly and also not having toput my son into somebody else's care. I dont have any experience with cengage yet, but i dont have any worries about them. My DH's cousin did a course with Thompson a couple of years back and she loved it. I do agre that sometimes externbal study is hard to maotivate youself, but i think for me, the fact the i have spent so much money is a god motivating factor!