It's Not Too Late!

Last 8 Week Session Starts March 17

Important Dates: 

Start date: March 17

Last day to withdraw with refund: March 25

Last withdrawal date: April 19

End date: May 10

Spring 2014 Academic Calendar

Critical Course Deadlines

Through the Eyes of a Student: The beginning of an 8 wk. Course

My 8-week course has started, and so far, I am relieved to find that I can handle it. I am very glad I purchased the textbook early, because there were 3 chapters of assigned reading in the first week. If I had gotten behind on that, I would feel very overwhelmed. As it is, I am finding that I need to adjust my way of studying to accommodate the course-work.

I don't really have time to read the chapters two or three times before the exam. Memorizing each word independently also takes a lot of time. Instead of those strategies, I am using a different technique that Scott Young describes in his blog post: “How to Ace your Finals without Studying.”

He recommends what he calls Holistic Learning. In that style of learning, you try to make analogies between the new concepts you are learning and concepts you already know. To do this, I try to think about the material and visualize a situation that illustrates the concepts for me. For example, since I am studying statistics and plan to apply them to educational settings, when I am studying mean, median, and mode, I think of a test taken by a class of students which produces a list of scores.

I imagine a group of students lined up in front of a classroom in order of scores from lowest to highest. For median, I draw a line that splits the class exactly in half. For mode, I imagine myself calling out test scores and having each of the imaginary students take a step forward when their score is called, before stepping back. The score that had the largest group of students stepping forward is the mode. For mean, I imagine each of the students holding a handful of pennies representing their scores. Each student steps forward and dumps their pennies in the basket. The students then split the pennies into equal groups and each one takes the same amount. This helps me envision the mean or average. I then think about the kind of situation in which one of these three concepts would be more useful to me than the other two. I don’t move on to the next section until I have done this for each of the new points I have learned. Sometimes, the textbook helps by suggesting metaphors like these. Sometimes the examples in the book don’t work for me, so I have to make up ones of my own instead.

While creating connections and visualizations like this causes me to read at a slower pace, I can already tell that they will save me time in the long run. Today, I was able to recall the material I studied last week without reviewing it or making mistakes. (Although a friend pointed out that trying to recall the information in the first place was itself a kind of review... ) Furthermore, not only has my memory for concepts increased significantly, these strategies have made studying fun!

What tactics do you use to study more efficiently or make the studying enjoyable?

Preparing for an 8-Week course

I’m taking my first eight-week long course this semester. This got me thinking about how it might be different from the sixteen-week format I am more used to. Succeeding in an online course always requires good management of time. I must carefully balance school, work, and personal responsibilities. When the online class is an eight week or six week course, I am thinking that managing these elements will become much more critical.

Since an online sixteen week course should take three hours of coursework per credit each week, an Eight-week online course should take six hours of coursework per credit each week. For a three credit class, that works out to as much as an 18-hour a week part time job! Because of this, I decided to take only one class at a time until I see how I can integrate this workload with my work and social schedule.

I expect that the deadlines will also come much faster. Just eight days into my course, I will already be at the refund deadline, forcing me to decide whether or not I can handle the workload and get the grade I want or to drop the course and try the longer format in the Fall.

Because of this, I’m planning on checking into the course as early as possible and completing the first assignment quickly. I’ll also need to look over the assignments and syllabus and see if I have any questions. Usually, I think for two or three days before I email my instructor, but with this class, I expect that if I have questions, I’ll need to write the professor immediately—procrastinating even a few days would probably not be a good idea.

I’m really looking forward to the pleasant feel completing the course more quickly. I’ll get to feel the sense of accomplishment which keeps me motivated that much faster. I’m also telling myself I can deal with almost any schedule for two months—so it actually feels much more flexible than the traditional four-month courses. I’ll let you know if my opinion changes once the course actually starts.

So how many of you have already taken a six or eight week course? Do you have any advice for me? I would love to know a little more about what to expect!

Midway through an 8 week course: Overcoming Obstacles

It is the fourth week of my 8-week course, and it definitely feels like the halfway point. Because the reading and assignments are usually due twice each week, the class has the ‘feel’ of a traditional class that meets two times a week. There is a natural rhythm that I am starting to get used to. Next week will be the midterm, and I am ready for it. The workload is definitely similar to what I would expect if I were taking two full semester classes at the same time, but it is refreshing to not have to split my attention between two classes. Instead, I can focus on just this class.

Unfortunately, to make matters more stressful, my car just broke down. Because of this, I need to find a reliable way to get to work and create an emergency plan for taking my mid-term next week. I've identified three potential options that might help with the exam. First, I could look into arranging for a proctor closer to home. Second, I could look into using Proctor U to take the exam at home. Finally, I could find an alternate way to get to the NOVA testing center I usually use.

Looking over the first option, arranging for a proctor, I quickly conclude that I am not eligible. I don’t live outside the NOVA area and I don’t have a disability that makes it difficult for me to get around. But, even if I was eligible, I see that it can take up to ten days to process the proctor paperwork; my test is due in fewer than ten days, so this option is not ideal for an emergency situation that occurs with short notice.

ProctorU just requires that you set an appointment at least a day in advance, so it is much more convenient in a situation where time is short. My blackboard course site says the exams for my course can be taken through ProctorU. At $7.50 per test, this option is less expensive than paying the cost of public transportation to and from the NOVA testing center. Finally, my computer meets the specifications required, and I have a web camera and microphone already –If I want to go that route, all I have to do is make the appointment.

The last option to look at is finding alternate ways of getting to one of NOVA’s testing centers. While doing this same kind of search for ways to commute to work, I came across the Metro Trip Planner tool on the DC Metro’s website. This is a really useful website that includes bus routes from Fairfax County, D.C., and Maryland, the Metro Rail system, and the Virginia Railway Express (train) system. There is also an app I can download on my iPhone that will tell me when the next bus will come to my current bus stop.

I was able to find a bus route near my work that can get me to the closest campus by 5:50, which will allow me to arrive at the testing center by 6:00 p.m. Since this would be the latest time I could arrive at a testing center and be allowed to start an ELI exam, it would work, but I might feel rushed. I am deliberately not looking for weekend routes to take the test this Saturday, because I know the testing centers will be closed for the 4th of July this weekend.

I’m not sure yet which of these final two methods I’ll use, but if you are interested, I’ll be happy to let you know next week! In the mean time, have a safe and happy 4th of July weekend.