One of the things I love most about taking all my classes online is also one of the most difficult aspects of online classes, making my own schedule. In previous semesters, when my only internet access was down in my freezing cold basement, I would work on my classes during the kids' nap/quiet time and after they went to bed. I always tried to do my reading that wasn't online during the day up in the living room or kitchen where I was still easily accessible to the kiddos.
This semester is proving to be different due to two factors. The first factor is that I have a laptop this semester and wireless internet in my house, so I can work on my classes upstairs. The second factor is that I'm taking three classes instead of my usual two, which means more work to do. Not to mention that class number three is statistics, which is incredibly time consuming.
Most of my professors organize the course content into weekly units that are due every Friday. The unit includes all your reading, assignments, quizzes, or exams that you may need to complete that week. I really like this system because I can look at all my work for the entire week on Monday, figure out when I will work on what, then get it all done by Friday and take my weekend off. But this semester....not so much.
My statistics class is organized into weekly modules which go from Wednesday to Wednesday rather than Friday to Friday. Why does this matter? Because it totally throws me off my groove. I find myself working to finish statistics by Wednesday and then cramming in my two other courses by Friday. Then, just when I could use a break, I have to get started on stats again or else I won't be done on time for the Wednesday deadline. I'm not gonna lie. It's wearing me out already. My goal for this week is to find more of a balance. Maybe I'll set a goal to get ahead on my stats work so that I'm turning in Wednesday's work on the previous Friday.
Anyway...that's my dilemma this week. Finding the time.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Trouble with Statistics
This semester I'm taking STAT1040, introduction to statistics. Now, I haven't taken a math class since my AP Calculus class my senior year of high school so you can see why I was a bit apprehensive about taking one now. I feel like with each child I had, a little bit of my brain power got sucked out. I feel a lot more forgetful and flighty than I did pre-motherhood.
I've heard conflicting opinions on the difficulty of statistics classes. For some, they're incredibly difficult to understand and for others it's a piece of cake. I think I'm somewhere in the middle. So far, I'm finding the material pretty easy. I think the most difficult part of it is understanding exactly what these questions are asking you for and remembering the formula or procedure to get you there. My biggest problem with this class so far is the sheer amount of work! I've taken A LOT of college classes, so I figure I've got a pretty good frame of reference for the amount of work they usually require and I'm finding that I have to spend significantly more time on this class than any of my others.
Each week we have a module to complete. The module consists of online lectures to watch, chapters to read, worksheets to complete, and various activities and assignments to turn in. My professor says that she designed each module to require about 9 to 11 hours of "effort" to complete and I'm finding that she's right. I don't remember ever having to spend that much time on any other class. Maybe it's because it's a math class. Like I said, I've never taken a math course at a university. Regardless of the "why", it sure is exhausting trying to keep up with the modules and my other 2 classes. I think that next semester, when I have to take Statistics in Psychology, I'll only be taking two classes. Until then, I see a lot of frozen pizzas, unfolded laundry, and dust covered furniture in my future. Sorry family. Mommy is checked out until the end of the semester.
I've heard conflicting opinions on the difficulty of statistics classes. For some, they're incredibly difficult to understand and for others it's a piece of cake. I think I'm somewhere in the middle. So far, I'm finding the material pretty easy. I think the most difficult part of it is understanding exactly what these questions are asking you for and remembering the formula or procedure to get you there. My biggest problem with this class so far is the sheer amount of work! I've taken A LOT of college classes, so I figure I've got a pretty good frame of reference for the amount of work they usually require and I'm finding that I have to spend significantly more time on this class than any of my others.
Each week we have a module to complete. The module consists of online lectures to watch, chapters to read, worksheets to complete, and various activities and assignments to turn in. My professor says that she designed each module to require about 9 to 11 hours of "effort" to complete and I'm finding that she's right. I don't remember ever having to spend that much time on any other class. Maybe it's because it's a math class. Like I said, I've never taken a math course at a university. Regardless of the "why", it sure is exhausting trying to keep up with the modules and my other 2 classes. I think that next semester, when I have to take Statistics in Psychology, I'll only be taking two classes. Until then, I see a lot of frozen pizzas, unfolded laundry, and dust covered furniture in my future. Sorry family. Mommy is checked out until the end of the semester.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Finally Out of the Basement!
We live in an older home. You know, the type where there's no adequate insulation and it's always freezing cold during the winter no matter what you do. The only place in our frigid abode where we can put the computer and get the internet is in the basement, which is even colder than the rest of the house. Another problem with our computer locale is that the kids are hardly ever in the basement. Their rooms are upstairs and that is where spend most of their day. So I've spent my last two semesters either waiting until nap time to squeeze in some of my online assignments or readings or exams or waiting until after they're in bed and asleep to get things done. I tried working on things while they were awake, but the inevitable interruptions just frustrated me.
At the beginning of this semester, I used my financial aid money to purchase a laptop so that I could do my schoolwork upstairs. A lot of my professors have readings or lectures that I can only access online, not to mention quizzes, assignments, etc. I figured that with a laptop, I can work at the kitchen table while the kids are playing and still be accessible to them. There was only one problem. We had no wireless internet.
We were planning on getting a device from my husband's work in a few months. We were given a wireless router, but I couldn't get it to work and concluded that it was incompatible with the software on my laptop. So I've been freezing my kertuckiss off watching statistics lectures and doing assignments down in the abyss for the past two weeks.
Last night, we had a birthday party for my oldest and now, thanks to my brilliant older brother, I am typing in comfort at the kitchen table. My brother is a whiz with computers. He looked at the router and worked his magic on the computer and voila! It's so much nicer up here. I can hear what the kids are up to, my toes aren't going to freeze off, and snacks are handy. Snacks are very important while taking online classes.
I look forward to diving into watching my statistics lectures tomorrow and reading my adult development lecture notes in warmth and comfort. Not to mention getting my work done during the day so that my 'after-the-kids-bedtime' hours can be spent they way they're supposed to....relaxing on the couch watching a movie with my husband. Hooray!
At the beginning of this semester, I used my financial aid money to purchase a laptop so that I could do my schoolwork upstairs. A lot of my professors have readings or lectures that I can only access online, not to mention quizzes, assignments, etc. I figured that with a laptop, I can work at the kitchen table while the kids are playing and still be accessible to them. There was only one problem. We had no wireless internet.
We were planning on getting a device from my husband's work in a few months. We were given a wireless router, but I couldn't get it to work and concluded that it was incompatible with the software on my laptop. So I've been freezing my kertuckiss off watching statistics lectures and doing assignments down in the abyss for the past two weeks.
Last night, we had a birthday party for my oldest and now, thanks to my brilliant older brother, I am typing in comfort at the kitchen table. My brother is a whiz with computers. He looked at the router and worked his magic on the computer and voila! It's so much nicer up here. I can hear what the kids are up to, my toes aren't going to freeze off, and snacks are handy. Snacks are very important while taking online classes.
I look forward to diving into watching my statistics lectures tomorrow and reading my adult development lecture notes in warmth and comfort. Not to mention getting my work done during the day so that my 'after-the-kids-bedtime' hours can be spent they way they're supposed to....relaxing on the couch watching a movie with my husband. Hooray!
Friday, January 21, 2011
What's the Story Morning Glory?
My name is Ashley. I used Amley in the title of this blog because I have an aunt who would always call me Amley Shay. I've created this blog as a way for me to record my journey to my bachelors degree.
Let's start with a little background, shall we? I've always been a good student and loved learning. Growing up, college was never a question. It was simply the next step. I graduated high school in the year 2000 and began attending Southern Utah University that fall at the ripe old age of 17. It was my first time living away from home, which was up near Ogden, Utah. I lived in the dorms and had a great time with my roommates.
I was at SUU on academic scholarship as a music education major. I later switched to a vocal performance major after I decided that teaching wasn't my thing. I stayed at SUU for three semesters, fall 2000, spring 2001, and fall 2001. I think my big mistake was taking 21 credit hours during my fall semester while working part time and having to attend recitals and do performances. I got overwhelmed and decided to move back home and attend Weber State. My mom worked for WSU, so I got half off tuition there. Also contributing to my decision was the fact that I'd gotten a 3.85 GPA instead of the 3.9 that I needed to keep my academic scholarship. Now that I look back, I really just wimped out. I loved SUU. I should have stayed.
So, I started at Weber in the spring of 2002 as a vocal performance major. I enjoyed it, but preferred the SUU music program. I sang in their concert choir and auditioned and was accepted into the chamber choir for the following fall. Things were going great and I was right on track with all my classes. Then I met Nate. I fell head over heels for Nate in April of 2002. We were married that June. I returned to Weber State in the fall as a distracted newlywed. One thing you have to know about Nate is that he was raised in Las Vegas and hates the cold. So, after our first winter together in northern Utah, he was ready to get back to a warmer climate. We moved to St. George, UT in December of 2002. On the wonderful advice of my mother, I took an online class from Weber to earn my A.S. degree. The next spring, I talked Nate into moving to Cedar City so that we could both go to SUU.
Nate started at SUU in the summer of 2003 and I returned in the Fall. But there was one hiccup. I was pregnant. Our son was due January 21, 2004. But that didn't stop me from taking a full load of courses and doing my voice lessons and recitals. My last recital was the second week of December when I was very, very pregnant. It must have been pretty amusing to watch my belly bounce up and down as I sang "E'amore Un Ladroncello".
After our son was born, I didn't return to school for over a year. By then we had moved back up to Ogden and Nate was attending WSU. I decided that I didn't want to finish my degree in music, but wanted to go in a different direction. I chose family studies. I took three courses in the spring of 2005 and two in the fall. Then I was pregnant again.
It wasn't until this last summer, five years and two more children later, that I found a way to go back. Being a stay at home mom with three young children makes going to school on campus in a traditional manner pretty impossible. After a lot of searching, I was delighted to find the online Family Life Studies program at Utah State University. I'm on my third semester now and loving it.
So there you have it. That's how I got to where I am. Feel free to hang around and see how I handle being a full time mother and wife and a part time student.
Let's start with a little background, shall we? I've always been a good student and loved learning. Growing up, college was never a question. It was simply the next step. I graduated high school in the year 2000 and began attending Southern Utah University that fall at the ripe old age of 17. It was my first time living away from home, which was up near Ogden, Utah. I lived in the dorms and had a great time with my roommates.
I was at SUU on academic scholarship as a music education major. I later switched to a vocal performance major after I decided that teaching wasn't my thing. I stayed at SUU for three semesters, fall 2000, spring 2001, and fall 2001. I think my big mistake was taking 21 credit hours during my fall semester while working part time and having to attend recitals and do performances. I got overwhelmed and decided to move back home and attend Weber State. My mom worked for WSU, so I got half off tuition there. Also contributing to my decision was the fact that I'd gotten a 3.85 GPA instead of the 3.9 that I needed to keep my academic scholarship. Now that I look back, I really just wimped out. I loved SUU. I should have stayed.
So, I started at Weber in the spring of 2002 as a vocal performance major. I enjoyed it, but preferred the SUU music program. I sang in their concert choir and auditioned and was accepted into the chamber choir for the following fall. Things were going great and I was right on track with all my classes. Then I met Nate. I fell head over heels for Nate in April of 2002. We were married that June. I returned to Weber State in the fall as a distracted newlywed. One thing you have to know about Nate is that he was raised in Las Vegas and hates the cold. So, after our first winter together in northern Utah, he was ready to get back to a warmer climate. We moved to St. George, UT in December of 2002. On the wonderful advice of my mother, I took an online class from Weber to earn my A.S. degree. The next spring, I talked Nate into moving to Cedar City so that we could both go to SUU.
Nate started at SUU in the summer of 2003 and I returned in the Fall. But there was one hiccup. I was pregnant. Our son was due January 21, 2004. But that didn't stop me from taking a full load of courses and doing my voice lessons and recitals. My last recital was the second week of December when I was very, very pregnant. It must have been pretty amusing to watch my belly bounce up and down as I sang "E'amore Un Ladroncello".
After our son was born, I didn't return to school for over a year. By then we had moved back up to Ogden and Nate was attending WSU. I decided that I didn't want to finish my degree in music, but wanted to go in a different direction. I chose family studies. I took three courses in the spring of 2005 and two in the fall. Then I was pregnant again.
It wasn't until this last summer, five years and two more children later, that I found a way to go back. Being a stay at home mom with three young children makes going to school on campus in a traditional manner pretty impossible. After a lot of searching, I was delighted to find the online Family Life Studies program at Utah State University. I'm on my third semester now and loving it.
So there you have it. That's how I got to where I am. Feel free to hang around and see how I handle being a full time mother and wife and a part time student.
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