[Listening to: "Tik Tok" - Ke$ha; currently playing the "Animal" album by Ke$ha]
No, I'm actually not sipping on either coffee or tea; I was just trying to think of something nifty for the title... Although... I might make myself a cup of tea before going to bed tonight. But we shall see.
How is everyone doing? Did you all have a good weekend? After a long week of back to back work days, I got one day off - today - and I won't be off again until this coming Saturday. After that? ...well, I won't really know until the schedule comes out... which should be, hopefully soon.
I've had a good day though; last night after coming home from work, I finally got started on my homework for my online classes, particularly my Old Testament class since the assignment is actually due today. I turned in my acutal response this morning and responded to a few discussion essays from my classmates. I'm actually looking forward to reading the passages in my new Bible; for me, it'll be a refresher because it has been a while since I looked at the Bible seriously, and I'm also hoping to find some spiritual inspiration from the passages. I'll let you all know how that goes as the class progresses. :)
In addition, I'm slowly becoming more acquainted with my other online courses - Accounting II and Art History. In all honesty... I'm not really looking forward to Accounting, particularly because I've been dealing with accounting courses in the last couple of years and... Let's just say that I'm tired of dealing with numbers, and the accounting principles are just too confusing for me to even care. Art history, on the other hand? ...well, I don't truly know. I've actually never taken an art history class before, so this should be interesting.
It has been a while since I've navigated Blackboard for an online course, but I'm now getting the hang of it. I'd prefer to do the online classes as opposed to going into an actual classroom. ...now before anyone starts trolling, here's my 2 cents:
As much as I do enjoy going to campus and getting a better understanding while in an actual classroom setting, at the same time I can't get comfortable for a few reasons: -the time, distance, and additional cost of having to go the campus for a few hours during the day; -tolerance for the professors' teaching styles; -being around other students who act as though it's high school all over again. I could really use the money for something else rather than spend it on gas to get from place to place, so I'd rather not travel a long way. I'm sure a lot of students would agree about the teaching styles of the professors - they're either really good or, put bluntly, they suck. Thank goodness for RateMyProfessors.com. I'd prefer to go to a class that is enjoyable for me that it would motivate me to want to actually go to each class session; however, if a professor can't sell me their best lesson, I'm not buying it. And finally... Gosh, sometimes a lot of the students, even in the community college that I go to, act as though they're in high school all over again. Yeah, after attending accellerated courses last summer for Economics, and almost surrounded by students younger that me who seem to act like arrogant know-it-all-wannabes... Needless to say, I'm never going through that again. Seriously, when will they grow up? =/
Taking online courses is, for me, a better option. It's a given that it takes a lot of discipline to do well in the course(s), but given the time and the will, the work can be done. I'm on my computer a lot so that benefits me in navigating the sites and communicating with my professors and classmates efficiently. What I like most of all is that I can take the course at my own pace; at times I can be a very slow reader, so I make sure that I'm given a lot of time to myself so I understand the material(s) better. The discussion board function on Blackboard is a great source of communication, and I can interact with people without having the pressure of having other people literally watching me. (Paranoid much?)
Oftentimes, I get asked whether it's best to take an online course or actually go to the campus for class. The best answer I can give is to try either one to see which style works best for you. However, when you're taking an online course, you really do need to discipline yourself so that you can understand the materials on your own, so the best advice I can give is to devote your time to do well in the class(es). Yes, you will have to make a few sacrifices by doing so, but you can do it if you really do try. Trust in your strengths, and your instincts!
Oh, remember when I mentioned that I was going to use up most of my check for all 3 of my textbooks for this semester? ...well, apparently I used up to 90% of my paycheck in 1 day just for those books. Did I also mention that I'm taking an Art History course? That new book is a $180+ MONSTER. I better get something good back when I sell it back after the semester. T_T
...just thinking about it just made me not want to make that cup of tea. Damn. =/
~Reiko ☆*.
Edit: Feel free to tell me: What is the best style for you - being in class or self-study for online courses. And why? (This sounds like a homework question, doesn't it? Not intentional, I assure you!)
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