For the past two years I've been taking classes at BYU to finish up my General Education requirements and electives. I would take two to three classes per semester averaging 6-8 credit hours. I would take classes on campus right after work, and also take an online class.
Online classes through Independent Study are great. I like that I can be home more with the family, I can do the lessons on my own time, I can "attend class" while in my pajamas, or even in my underwear like my sister. (Hahaha, comment on that one Sis.) Anyway, I've taken some religion classes online, and was able to structure my time so that I finished the class within the semester even though I had a whole year to complete the class. Well, I then had two classes, American Heritage and Health. I was not structured with my time and let it slip away. The end of the year was nearing and I wasn't finished with either class. Then the end came up, I was able to file for an extension (that added 3 months). I studied and crammed. I requested the final exams by the last day of classes. This gave me another 30 days to complete the final exam. I studied and crammed for the American Heritage class. I wasn't worried about the Health class, before I realized I didn't have anymore access to the online lessons to study since they expired.
I took those two finals this past week before I start a new semester of on campus classes. I did the Health exam first since I would be flying blind anyway. I got a 65% which is a D. I did worse than I expected but it was harder than I expected. Since I had A's on all the quizzes it averaged out as a B+ for the class. I'm happy with it, but disappointed in myself for being cocky thinking that I could take an exam without studying because it would be "easy".
The next day I took the American Heritage exam. There were multiple choice questions, definition of terms and 4 essays. This test was not Scan-Tron but Instructor Graded, so I do not know what I scored. The instructor has two weeks to grade and post the results. This class was hard. I'm not a very political person. This class was not a History class of dates and events, but more about the political philosophy behind the events and the people involved. I flunked this class the first time I took it back in 1991-92. I'm just hoping to pass it, but I think I did well.
So let this be a lesson to you to not procrastinate, because you just end up running out of time, rushing and cramming.
Today I start the Fall Semester of classes. These are on campus in the aftenoon and evening. I will be taking 16 credit hours! These classes are for the Special Education Teaching program. I have 1 1/2 - 2 years of this program and then I will be a Certified Teacher. That is assuming that I pass the PRAXIS which is the exam for certification.
i loved my american heritage class. the teacher would just lecture all class period long and then i would take the tests. i almost never even opened my book.
ReplyDeleteThe Praxis tests are cake! You'll do just fine. I've only known 2 people who have failed either of them, and that is because they ran out of time, not because they didn't get a high enough score. Yea! The program class are so much better than general ed...it actually makes you feel like you're going to school for a reason!
ReplyDeleteTime, energy, money... it is all tied in with you going to school. You are worth it and you have a goal. Good luck with all the future classes you have now, and don't forget it takes all you've got to do that and family. Just don't let it lead you to going Nuts!
ReplyDeleteyes! braless while studying is best!!! whoo hoo!!
ReplyDeleteand i only have 1 teacher that lets us "go ahead"... the other 2 of my online classes are fairly structured with weekly deadlines. so i have be sticking to things pretty good... too bad i just can't blog my way through school!!! lol!!!