Looking Back

As I look back at my previous 4 weeks of journal entries, I still feel like a newbie at online learning.

I do appreciate the assignments giving me the discipline to actually write out my ideas. I also appreciate the strict page limits, which keep me from agonizing too much, since there is only so much you can do with one page. As a perfectionist, I can endlessly overthink something, and having a goal of 1 page gives me some discipline to my thoughts.

I wonder if it takes other people as long to post entries. I'm still surprised by how long it takes me to process everything and write an original thought. In a classroom, I can spend weeks just reading and listening to lectures. In this online class, I'm daily asked to not just absorb the readings, but to write an original reflection that will actually contribute to class discussion. It takes a lot more time and mental energy than a traditional classroom!

Nearing the last week of class, I feel like I am finishing a sprint. It's been a lot of information and discussion compressed into 5 weeks, I think I might prefer the pace of a regular 12 or 14-week course, where you have a little more time to breathe. At the same time, I do like taking just one class, and not having to juggle multiple classes.