It is really all depends on how you learn. I have never taken course III and taught myself. But it is always nice to see how somone is doing it, to know if there is something i could do to make it better or easier.
I loved course three. It was a little stressful, because I was pregnant at the time and you make your first tiered caked, which was a lot of work, but you learn how to stack cakes and all that stuff which was really helpful for me. Also, I just pulled out my course three to see what else I learned in that class. In course three you learn how to do royal icing flowers in the lilly nails. Which I would never have been able to teach myself and you learn how to cover a cake with fondant. Anyway, if you already know how to do these things you probably don't need to take the class, but I learned a lot in course three, I would definetly recommend it.
There was a lot to learn in course 3 that I need to repeat it I did not learn all the lily nail flowers and they are so pretty and geting that mesuaring the fondant and thickness right are a hard to get without hands on so I would say yes it's worth it. I'm waiting on my health to improve so I can take it again!
I thought course III was pretty much a waste of time, except for the lily nail class. I didn't learn much in the class, just got pushed to actually TRY the lily nail flowers, which was good. However, the rest of the class was basically fondant, which doesn't interest me at all...and is expensive to boot! They don't show you how to make a stacked cake, just read the instructions from a book...which can be found all over the place. I think if you get a good book (like the Wilton reference and idea guide, that shows how to make the flowers and do stringwork, I think you could teach yourself. But, it all depends on how you like to learn...on your own or something showing you. Just my opinion.
I think every class must be a little bit different. We did very little with fondant and did a lot with the flowers and how to stack a cake, also, I thought that some of the things that looked easy such as stringwork, were kind of hard if you didn't have someone telling you what you were doing wrong.
I guess how the course is taught is basically up to the instructor (??). We have learned a lot from ours - she is wonderful. We're doing the stacked cakes tonight in class, I have made a 2 layer 10" and a 2 layer 6" for my class cake. She is very "hands on" and goes out of her way to help us learn the new techniques. It sounds like you had one that really doesn't have an interest in teaching, which is too bad for those in the classes she teaches. I have become friends with ours and I am sure it will extend past the end of our class time.
I took the course III .... but my instructor wasn't very good.... I think she just finished the course herself.... I took the classes as I made my daughter's wedding cake last June... It turned out beautifully....but I did most of my learning on my own....kept refering to the course books and some other books I bought...
I wish I would have known about this group back then...It seems like a fountain of knowledge in here...
Good luck with you course....
cakegal
I didnt bother to sign up for course III....I am going to take a break, and start up in the fall. I didnt even get my certificate for the course II, not because i didn't earn it...but because the teacher didn't have any with her on our last night. 
I appreciate all the responses...i think the time factor is becoming an issue for me...as the school year comes to a close! So, the fall will be a better time to start the course III>>>>this way I can practice all summer long! 
For all those that did take the plunge for course III, do let me know how it is going!!!!!!!!
thanks again
sahm
I feel the same way cakegal. I think that course 3 was a bit of a let down. We didn't do any string work, we didn't do the piping gel transfers or the elaborate cake that most do. I think that it could have gone more in depth. I'm going to take a 4th class which is all wedding cakes, so I will have to ask all the questions I can. However, the wilton book does come in handy, to answer some questions. I find that my most valuable resource is all of you .
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%