Today I almost quit school. Literally. It is not that the work is too hard or I'm too overwhelmed with work and school and life. It's because this is totally disorganized. One instructors isn't returning emails, constant updates to the syllabus, classes aren't working as intended, and the school platform is not user friendly. I actually looked for other distance learning MSW degrees online today. I'm yelling at my husband and being grumpy to my dogs because I can't (and neither can others) get an email from our instructor to explain which chapter in the book we are supposed to read to write our papers tomorrow.
I am so frustrated. Knowing this, I know this is HSU's second run at giving an online MSW program and I need to cut them some slack. I know that technology is not for everyone and nobody (except me) checks their email every two seconds (because it beeps on my phone). I'm struggling because I expect to give 110% at everything I do. It doesn't mean that I am 110% good at everything I do, just that I expect myself to do my best at everything. When I have barriers, I'm really frustrated. I get this way at work too.
I also have in the back of my head that if my grades suffer because other people interpret the instructor's instructions differently than I do and the way the posts are posted are confusing (to me at least), I'm going to be mad. Not at my classmates, but at myself and the school. None of us are stupid people. We would not have made it this far if we were. But some clarity at the time it is needed is really important.
I'm a little calmer now, thanks for letting me get it out on the class (and my husband and dogs). I finished 3 1/2 years of my bachelor's degree in an online classroom. It was smooth sailing for the most part. I knew what my assignments were, I knew how many times I was supposed to post each week and by when. I knew when my papers were due, I knew the lay out of the class because each class's platform was exactly the same. It took the feelings of frustration out and allowed me to learn in a friendly environment that this doesn't seem to feel. AND... maybe it is also only week 4.
A friend last night told me to BREATHE..... maybe I'll do some of the mindfulness and begin again.
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Lisa,
ReplyDeleteTalk to the rest of the group if you are not clear on what to do! And if it makes you feel better, half the time I have no idea either on what to read or how to write. Just go with the flow and remember one of the papers is not due until Monday.
Mr. H
Thanks Mr. H! I have been communicating with a few of my class members and it seems we are all in the same boat. It just gets frustrating, ya know? Hope you have a great night.
ReplyDeleteHey Lisa -
ReplyDeleteI am frustrated by this process as well! Mr. H is right, I think we need to keep talking to each other and come up with the best solutions we can. I've decided that if, as a group, we are coming to some sort of resolution we can't possibly have negative consequences from the instructors....right??
Typically I am not a black and white thinker and can pretty easily roll with things, but I'm really struggling with that in this case. I need concrete answers about what the readings are and what is due and when. Again, not because I am a concrete thinker, but because I am a wife, a mom, a full-time employee, a friend, a sister, the list goes on and I need to be able to plan my life accordingly. It isn't fair to your husband or dogs and it isn't fair to my husband or kids.
Don't get me started on the thousands upon thousands of dollars I am investing into this.....
I want to second (and third) what others have posted. I think it has been particularly frustrating with the expectations not being plain and a lack of email response. At the same time, I have found that it is best to do what you can with what you understand and hope that the instructors are as accommodating as we are trying to be when directions are not clear or assignments are not posted in a timely manner.
ReplyDeleteYour cohort is here for you and I think that will help a lot. At the same time, I understand how the combination of factors and disorganization contributed to how you are feeling.