Multi-Tasking In the Modern Age

*This article is strictly for professional purposes, meant for the public.  The content is from the author’s experiences and opinions.  The image used belongs to its respective copyright owners.

So Many Classes…

By the time high school is over and college enrollment begins, broader options begin to emerge for students eager to experience upper level classes for their educational needs.  Besides the usual classes with the desks, whiteboard and the professor preparing for lectures, there lies the option for online classes, supervised by the teacher and taking place entirely on the school’s respective website.  My first encounter with an online class was a little rocky at first, but everyone is sure to stumble on something that requires practice.  I will only begin by saying that just because the class may not need the student’s physical presence in the room, there is still the dire task of treating it like a regular class.  Or, the consequences of laziness lie ahead…

So Little Time

I remember this past year; I experienced my first dance with an online class.  Logging into the website, I expected so little since I didn’t actually have to attend a real class and listen to a lecture.  I cannot fully explain how incorrect I was about my assumption.  There were entire files to read: Orientations, homework assignments, final papers, discussion boards meant for communication within the class, video lectures posted by the professor and strict deadlines to meet.  Initially, I felt overwhelmed due to all the content being available at once to me.  Then, I figured it was best to take it all in day by day.  The closer the due date approached for a paper, the quicker I finished it.  There is also the probability that most assignments due in the future toward the end of the semester will be blocked to prevent students from working too far ahead.  While this is considered a setback by overachievers’ standards, I find it beneficial since it allows everyone to work on what they need on their own time without the professor breathing down their necks about it.  While there are not usually any tests or final exams, there will most likely be weekly quizzes, so be sure to keep an eye out for those. 

Best of Both Worlds

Initially juggling both online and “classroom” classes can be interpreted as being similar to what students have been dealing with since high school.  Taking multiple classes in one semester requires diligence and hard work, no matter how fun or easy the subject matter may seem.  The beauty of the online classes allows more of a flexibility on the students’ time and is admittedly less crammed with the curriculum needed for the teacher to fit the educational restrictions.  The only down side I have witnessed with the online classes is the tendency for some students to underestimate the way the class is laid out, assuming that since it’s only on the website, it will be a simple, “breeze through” type where everything is submitted during the final week.  Unfortunately, some inexperienced students such as myself tended to judge the book by the cover.  However, with time I learned to take it one day at a time.  If you go to the class, or log in every day and check for updates to the online material, it will be smooth sailing from there.