"Just take a three-credit class online this summer," they said. "It will be easy," they said. If you've ever taken an online class, you know the struggle is real. It sounded like a good idea at first, but you quickly realize you are in over your head. If you are anything like me, your experience went a little like this.
You think it is going to be easy.
But then the syllabus tells you that you have a discussion post and quiz due every week.
You tell yourself you are going to do two discussions and two quizzes a week so you can get ahead and finish early like a champ.
You realize you just lied to yourself.
You fill out the "introduce yourself" discussion with your name, grade, where you are from, and a little bit about yourself so your professor can verify your attendance.
A week goes by and since you aren't meeting in person for class, you forget you have assignments due.
You missed a quiz and discussion.
only get half credit for a discussion but don't know why, so you email your professor since online class = no office hours.
No response.
Someone writes a page of a response disagreeing with your discussion post.
Quiz time. Moral dilemma: To Google the answers or not to Google the answers
choose not to and fail. Great.
You see two people going at it in the discussion post comments.
Somehow you make it out alive and with a good grade.
You vow never to take an online class again.
Yet you sign up for an online class again next summer, promising yourself this time it will be different and you will stay on top of your work.
Disclaimer: This post is not about a specific online class or experience, just the experience in general. So don't worry if you are reading this, past professors of mine. Your class was the best one I ever took! Good luck to everyone in their online classes!
