Hybrid courses are slowly becoming more and more popular on college campuses. Being a mass communications major, I had my first hybrid course last spring. This fall I have 4 hybrid courses and it is both a blessing and a struggle at the same time. If you don't know what a hybrid course is, it is when you meet in person as a class certain days of the week and have out of class work on other days of the week. For example, my Global Communications class is scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but we only meet in class on Mondays and every other Wednesday leaving Fridays to work on your own time. If you have taken any hybrid classes before, I'm sure you can relate to these X reasons why it is both a wonderful and stressful thing.
1. You don't have to be in class on Fridays
Sure Fridays are set aside for out of class assignments and time to study...but lets be honest, thats not how you will spend your time on Friday. Odds are you will be scramming it all on Sunday night before its due Monday.
2. You can knock out multiple classes at once
The best part about taking 4 hybrid courses at once is that Im actually knocking out two classes that are offered at the same time in one semester. This is such a beautiful thing because both classes are offered Monday, Wednesday, Friday but one class meets on Monday and every other Wednesday where the second class meets on the off Wednesdays and Friday. Such.a.beautiful.thing.
3. But you never know which class you are actually in
Ill never forget the time a friend came to the wrong hybrid course and didn't even realize it until the class was over.
"Okay class don't forget about your 15 page paper due soon, have a great week."
"Wait isn't this media programming?"
"Um no this is media regulations. Media programming meets next Wednesday."
"You mean I didn't have to be here this whole time?!"
The struggle...
4. And you get confused on which homework is due
Its so important to keep the syllabus from all hybrid courses to remember when you're meeting in which class and what homework is due when.
5. Overall you get to work at your own pace which takes the stress away
It is so nice being able to work at my own pace and learn how I want to learn things. It takes so much stress away from having homework due all three days of the week since you aren't actually there most of the time. Not to mention it makes the semester feel so much faster because you spend less time inside the physical classroom.
