I think that I would classify online learning and working full time at the same time probably the hardest thing that I have ever had to do in my life. Just the sheer physical and mental exhaustion of working 12+ hour a day and then coming home and working on homework hits me hard every day. Believe me it is definitely not for the faint of heart. You have to have a drive to want to succeed. I believe that it probably my strength that is going to help me get through online schooling. A typical work/school day for me is about 17 hours. If I didn’t have a drive to want to get my degree I would have definitely given up a long time ago. One thing that has helped me cut down these long days is the time management skills that I have learned this term. I plan to keep using what I learned about tie management to help keep myself on track and focused since I do not have much time in the day to waste.
Since I am a more visual learner it is hard to strictly focus on techniques to help facilitate my learning styles. Sure I can watch videos, but still there is a lot of reading and writing that are involved in online learning. Sometimes I wish online learning was more like putting together Ikea furniture (yes I may be the only person on this planet that doesn’t mind putting together Ikea furniture). What I mean by that is I wish there was a step by step instruction guide for everything. I think the thing that will help me is by trying to find strategies to help me to become more of a “reading” learner.
I have always been an advocate for the OSU guidance counselors and this time is no different. They are like the go to resource at OSU for almost every case that you could come across while as an online student at OSU. I have never had such a caring counselor in school. I have been pretty honest this term about how I was not very successful from the start of my online career at OSU. However with the help of my assigned guidance counselor I was about to get myself a second shot. And for that I will always be grateful.
For my upcoming term at OSU I will say my biggest goal is completing all of my assignment on time. This term I have been better that I have in any of my other terms with getting homework in on time. However there were times that I may have missed a due date by a couple of hours or might have forgot completely. I didn’t miss enough assignments to put any of my grades in jeopardy or anything, but if I can get all of my assignments in on time next semester I will feel far more accomplished. My long term goal is to have at least 4 Straight A terms out of my last 7 terms at OSU. I feel that this goal is definitely something that I can accomplish and if I start by getting all of my homework in on time every time then I will get a good start on my long term goal.
I think you will do well. Anyone who has the drive to work 12+ hours a day and still have the energy left over to do homework will be able to do just about anything else. I agree that the OSU advisors are great and are there when you need them. In my first few semesters of school I was working a lot more and had trouble as well getting all of my assignments in on time and not forgetting any. I use a dry erase board now and on Monday of each week I write all of my assignments for the week and mark through the completed ones so that I know what I have left and can mark out my time accordingly. I found that this is a huge help in keeping my assignments on time and done before the due dates. Good luck to you in the rest of your classes and I believe you will do great.
I can certainly understand how you could be late on some assignments having to work 12 hour days. When I add up the hours for travel to and from work with an 8 hour work day I come up with a little less than 12 hours. Fridays are the worst because of the early traffic. Today I had to stay late for a safety committee meeting and on the road an extra 45 minutes. I don’t know how you can find another 5 hours per day to study. By 8:00 PM I am exhausted, how do you do it?
Well the only thing that helps me is that I kind of et 2 extra hours a day to complete assignments. Because of the time change from the Midwest to the west coast when things are due at 11:59pm on the west cost I have until 1:59am here where I live. This has come in handy for me on many occasions.
I can totally understand the long work days and the feeling of pure exhaustion at bedtime. You are so right, it is not for the faint of heart. You seem so driven and dedicated and with only 7 terms left, you got this! I like the dry erase board mentioned above, do you do some sort of weekly planner or something?
I am also striving to have many 4.0 terms! Even with my planner, I had 2 late assignments. We are only human, so hopefully your not too hard on yourself. Best of luck to you!!
You DO have a tremendous work ethic, and yep… many, many others would have given in without the commitment to your academics, which you’ve demonstrated throughout this term. I love your goals: to improve online reading, a less-natural skill (it can be done!), to focus on completing assignments earlier, and continuing to be in close communication with your advocates. It’s going to happen… 7 terms from now you will have a lot to revel in, and I imagine with your attitude (and super-human stamina!) that you will celebrate along the way, too. Keep up the great work, Dustin!
Kyle thank you very much for all of your support and teaching this term. I have learned very much that will help me get to my final goal! I will be recommending this class to anyone that I talk to!