DISCLAIMER: Professors, read at your own risk. This post is to share with other students feeling the crunch. I have noticed that every time I reach out and share I get many responses along the lines of “I was thinking the exact same thing but didn’t want to say anything.” And those people in similar situations, and myself, feel better.
DISCLAIMER 2: I actually like my classes, which makes it all the worse that I can’t enjoy them. It’s hard to enjoy the swim when doing your best is just keeping your head above water.
Okay, I don’t actually hate my life, there’s lots of good stuff going on. Like my windsurfing classes that I started last week, my new apartment, my excellent roommies and my awesome study group. Lots of good things going on. What sucks is that I can’t really enjoy any of it, because of the two classes I’m taking this term.
My reflections halfway through term 2 summer semester I learned this:
- I will never again take online classes, unless I have no other choice.
- I will never again take full-time summer classes, unless I really have no other choice.
- I will never, ever again take full-time online summer classes, not even if I have to stay an extra semester in school just to finish my program. Ever.
A bit of background: At SLAIS summer semester is split in half consisting of two terms of six weeks. So if you take summer classes at SLAIS, you have to take condensed classes (3 credits in 6 weeks). Normally full-time study in this program is four courses per semester, each course being the equivalent of 120 hours (class +study time). Because condensed classes are cut in half, the administration limits student to two courses per term, which then works out to 4 courses in the semester.
This should be the same amount of work as a regular semester right? WRONG! It is definitely more work. Last term I took one online course and one in-class class. It was a slightly heavier than normal workload but I managed alright and I really enjoyed the classes I took even if I didn’t have the time to do as good a job as I would have liked. This semester I am in two online classes. BIG MISTAKE. In my defence, they are both classes that I think are important and interesting but are only offered online and in the summer.
I did some math before term started so I could set up a work schedule like a responsible student.
- 120hrs/6weeks = 2o hrs/week.
- 20hrs/week *2 = 40hrs/week
- 40hrs/week = full time job = 8 hrs/day 5 days/week
- I can’t focus for 8 hours on schoolwork, at least not straight, and my teachers want me logging into class daily or almost daily. So:
- 7hrs/day * 6 days/week (one day a week all just for me) = 42 hrs/week + one day for a weekend. Totally doable I thought.
This schedule lasted for 3 days of week one. Did I start slacking off you ask? No, I started working longer and longer hours just to keep up. I would show up to the department around 10 or 11 (after doing some healthy exercise) and work, with a lunch break, until about 8. Sometimes later. Then I would go home, cook, eat, and sometimes log back on to domore work. Needless to say, whatever I did after supper was pretty dismal quality.
By Sunday, the last day of online modules for online classes, I would be overwhelmed with how much I hadn’t managed to get to that week and ready to throw in the proverbial towel. Imagine my amazement when I discovered, through a cry out on facebook, that I was not the only one feeling the crunch, in fact, a good half the class (of each class) shared my sentiments. That was the first week. It hasn’t got any better.
Now it is three weeks into the 6 week term. I just spent an intensive week working on a 3000-4000 word paper for one class, while also trying to keep up in the weekly assignments for both classes that had me working until 8pm or later in the first week when the work load was the lightest. (If you want, you can have a look at my paper. If you really want to know, I’ll share my mark with you when I get it. ) Monday rolled around and I was so burnt out I didn’t even touch schoolwork. Now it’s tuesday (wednesday now?) and I am, of course, behind and playing catch up.
My roommate summed up my thoughts very succinctly when she said “How do adults do this?” We assume that we just haven’t grown up enough, or didn’t get the memo on how to complete work in a timely manner and still have a balanced life.
For those of you out there struggling like me, I have found a few things that help:
- Make every week a new week. If there is stuff in the last week that you didn’t get to, forget it. Don’t play catch up because you will never be caught up, you will only fall further behind. If you really care, save the readings (or whatever) and go back to them after the course is done.
- Reach out to other students in your class. Chatting with others in the same situation will make you feel less isolated and less stupid.
- Disconnect. I know it feels like you should be working, be online all the time. It feels like any time you’re offline you are falling further behind. But you can’t be connected all the time and stay sane. Take a bath, a walk, read a book, crochet another square for that afghan. DO IT. You’ll feel guilty, but you’ll actually be able to work better and for longer if you take breaks.
DISCLAIMER 3: Maybe I shouldn’t make this post, but I’m going to anyway.
12 replies on “Half Term Reflections or How do adults do this?”
Maybe it is a testament to how busy I normally am, but I’ve been finding the addition of an online class to a full time work schedule almost gets me to normal school year levels of busy. Notice that it *almost* gets me there. Then again, I tend to be the type to do the four classes plus work three or four jobs.
— A least this summer, my ability to manage time is a direct result of not having a social life in Charlottetown.
Anyway, after 45 minutes of schoolwork, I gotta ride my bike to my job!
I have wondered how you have managed to work full time and do so well in the social media class. I know there is no way I could do it. I just assume you don’t sleep, or your a qualified genius who can do the work four times faster than me. It’s not just maintaining a social life (actually that’s the last of my priorities) but exercise and eating healthy are important to me. I strive for a balanced life but it seems that there is always one side overloaded.
I’m amazed that you wrote this. Well I will never take anymore summer classes or online classes as I will be done by next May. It has been a horrible semester and I’m still playing catch but I concur that I do like some of the topics enough to want to do a decent job at it so I still try to catch up to get the most of out it. On the bright side it will be over soon.
I have twice already decided to take the post down, that it’s not appropriate for this semi-professional blog, but then I change my mind and leave it up. I wrote it about more then just me. I wrote it because I see many of my friends frustrated and upset about the courses as well. I think, more than anything, I want to understand why it seems like so much work and why it’s like that. Am I just misinterpreting how much work I do? Or are online classes substantially more work than regular classes. And if they are, why?
This is a fantastic post–and you did hit the nail on the head. Hell, this is the only online class I took this summer, (+internship +job, +moving…) and I’m totally feeling overwhelmed. I think this is fantastic and honest sound advice which many students need. Our sanity is just as important as a grade. When it comes to blogs, honesty seems to be a important policy–who wants to read someone else’s bullshit? But, can you be faulted for your honesty? Dunno. I think you deserve an A!
Heather, just before I read your comment I had removed the post. Then I read your comment and put it back up. I think that is it perhaps unprofessional, but it is also encouraging discussion between students. In the end, that’s the point right? To encourage discussion? I will leave it up for a bit longer and hope I don’t get called into the principal’s office for bad attitude. I hope people reading this understand that despite my constant, or what might seem like constant, griping, I really do like school and the classes. They are good, worthy, interesting classes. I just think they could be improved.
I appreciate your honesty (as I did when first expressing frustration with social media). What I don’t get is why didn’t you drop LIBR559m? You would have been happier. Being able to navigate the complex, fragmentary vicissitudes of our field is an important skill but you can do it without any knowledge of social media.
I didn’t drop for many reasons:
I really feel both of my courses are very valuable, especially for my envisioned career path.
The drop date for condensed classes is super early. I was still thinking I could power through, that maybe it’s not that bad, I’m just being inefficient.
I need the credits so I can take co-op in the fall. Which may not happen now anyway because I haven’t found a position yet.
If I did drop one, which one? I felt both were equally important.
Two courses in the summer term is considered “full-time” so it should be doable.
Thank-you for not jumping down my throat or lecturing me on attitude. I know I give the impression of complaining all the time but there are many things I like about both my classes this term. Actually most of my frustration stems from not being able to pursue the many interesting things I am learning in my classes. Also, please understand that the post was about taking two online classes in summer term, not directly about LIBR559m.
I guess I would be considered a non-traditional student. I am older than the norm. This is ( i hope) a career change for me. So, I work full-time to support myself, my mother (83yrs old) and two children. I can not take any class F2F because of my circumstance. So for the last year I have worked during the day, did my family thing and then late at night do the student thing.
It is difficult. I think that it takes at least 3X more time and effort for online classes. I have many friends who are academic faculty and they all, to the last one, think it is more work teaching online classes. It is the nature of the beast. You are not only learning content you are grappling with the technology.
The reason I took this class was to immerse myself in social media because i know little about it outside of Facebook. I knew this would be the only way that I would have the luxury of experiencing social media in any meaningful way.
I feel your pain, but it truly is better that you focus now, suffer now. It is not easier when you are an “adult”. Besides most of us adults haven’t yet figured out what we want to be when we grow up.
Keep your eye on the prize…
I am glad you left this post up! Look at the discussion you generated! I never get 9 (now 10!) comments on my blog. I also agree with you. I’ve signed up for 3 other online classes during this degree and ended up dropping 2 and powering through one in the fall semester. It is extremely difficult and much more work. I am finishing my degree (this class is my last, woohoo!) and I thought, what the hell, 6 weeks of torture can’t be that bad. I also took a one-credit class while taking this one. I haven’t seen the light of day in 6 weeks. Well, I did sneak out to see a movie once and take the occasional walk but mostly, when I get home from work (30 hours/week), I get right on the computer. But I’m still behind as I’m writing my blog comments on the last day of the module! Anyway, thanks for writing this and your other posts, they certainly make me smile!
Yes, this summer semester as a whole has been a crunch! Online learning styles are different for everyone, and online classes do vary so widely from course to course. I really like the idea of online learning, and I really like the idea of aggregating social media into a learning portal — but it’s definitely a learning curve itself to adapt to these new methods, for someone like myself anyway. I feel like I needed to learn Symbaloo as a seventh grader to keep up 😛
On a more positive note, I think I will try my hand at more online classes, but not for credit or on a condensed schedule (while work/life happens etc etc) — I don’t want that kind of pressure while I’m still trying to adapt. I just posted a link on the module V discussion to free, online Stanford classes on artificial intelligence, database design and machine learning — none are for credit, but you once you finish you get a ‘statement of accomplishment.’ Non-credit, professional development open to anyone from any background, that, I can handle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/science/16stanford.html?_r=1
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