Summer Courses Anyone?

[PrincessMommy]

Who else is taking classes this summer?  Which ones?

Our community college has 2 summer sessions that are about 5-6weeks each.  I'm taking one class in the first session which I'm looking forward to.  It is Human Evo and Anthro.  3 nights a week... so I feel like this is doable.  I won't be taking anything for the 2nd session as we have a new grandbaby coming in July and our family vaca at the beginning of Aug.  

 

[hornblower]

oh your courses sound fun! I'll cheer you on 
I have 2nd year Health, Nursing Knowledge, Pathophysiology, Skills,  + 2 days of clinical (which is taking care of patients while being orally examined on diseases, meds, lab values, and procedures all day) 

[Jenny in Florida]

My university is not offering the one class I need to finish off my graduate certificate until fall. I would like to use the summer to expand my skills with one or more of the popular e-learning authoring programs, but there are some logistical things to work out (specifically the fact that I don't have access to the programs, which are super expensive). Also, I have just started a new job that may or may not be a good fit, so I need to put some energy into either figuring out how to settle into this gig or find something better.

[Peach]

Financial Accounting II condensed into 4 weeks. 2.5 hours a day mon-thur.

[AmandaVT]

Hope it's ok to jump in here. I am starting a Masters program this summer. We had our accepted student "meet and greet" last night! 

I'm going to be working toward a Masters in Math Education and my first two summer classes are Math as Second Language and an Algebra class. 

[hornblower]

Hi Amanda, congratulations on your acceptance to the program and starting your courses! 

 

[hornblower]

My semester started off with a bang - or a whimper, I guess? I failed a small quiz 😕. Only worth 2.5% but still, I was choked. 5 questions, including 3 that were multiple select. No part marks. Passing grade is 65% so you can only get 1 question out of 5 wrong. Last semester we had a similar set up in one of the classes but the quizzes were 10 questions and they were easy - meant to just test basically if you'd done the readings;  these were tough questions, more like what you'd see on a midterm or final. Sheesh. The instructor is new to the course so we're all scrambling to figure her out.  I got 100's on two other quizzes in other classes the following week so I redeemed myself a bit but man, this program is fast and intense. First midterm on June 6 & 2 more right after...

[PrincessMommy]

On 5/25/2019 at 7:36 PM, hornblower said:

My semester started off with a bang - or a whimper, I guess? I failed a small quiz 😕. Only worth 2.5% but still, I was choked. 5 questions, including 3 that were multiple select. No part marks. Passing grade is 65% so you can only get 1 question out of 5 wrong. Last semester we had a similar set up in one of the classes but the quizzes were 10 questions and they were easy - meant to just test basically if you'd done the readings;  these were tough questions, more like what you'd see on a midterm or final. Sheesh. The instructor is new to the course so we're all scrambling to figure her out.  I got 100's on two other quizzes in other classes the following week so I redeemed myself a bit but man, this program is fast and intense. First midterm on June 6 & 2 more right after...

oh man, that can really be a crusher - especially right at the beginning.  I've found that new teachers start off with hard stuff until they get their sea-legs.   Hope you all can work it out.  

[dirty ethel rackham]

On 5/24/2019 at 2:37 PM, AmandaVT said:

Hope it's ok to jump in here. I am starting a Masters program this summer. We had our accepted student "meet and greet" last night! 

I'm going to be working toward a Masters in Math Education and my first two summer classes are Math as Second Language and an Algebra class. 

Congrats, Amanda!  

[AmandaVT]

On 5/25/2019 at 7:35 PM, hornblower said:

Hi Amanda, congratulations on your acceptance to the program and starting your courses! 

 

 

4 hours ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

Congrats, Amanda!  

 

Thank you! I may also be starting a Special Education program this summer, so my summer is looking very busy! Trying to get lots of fun reading in now because I don't' think I'll have time starting in July.

[Peach]

What a difference a week or 2 makes! My summer plans have changed radically. J (hubby) was working as full time IT staff but on contract. The IT dept on campus has reorganized several times int eh last year (don't even get me started on this) and his group has been part of 4 different areas in a year. Now, they are consolidating, so his contract wasn't renewed. Granted, he thinks it was due to the fact he hasn't graduated yet and does not have his official degree, but that doesn't change our situation. It was like the first domino falling. Because of this, we had to drop the mortgage loan we have in processing - it was a pre-qual so no real house involved at least. I dropped that summer class. He only has 3 classes to finish, but one of them here was not till Spring. We found it online via the Univ. of Maryland and his department has approved it. He can do it this summer and graduate in December.

The reason we want him done by December is that we've decided to  move back south to be closer to my brother and his family. Them and us are about all that is left of this branch. The fact that he lives at the beach, and in my favorite city on earth, is a big plus 🙂 Nothing like suddenly-changing circumstances to make you realize what you want. We are supremely tired of snow and cold.

Things changed rather radically for me too. I got an email from my Ph.D. committee chair yesterday in which he told me he is retiring after the upcoming spring semester - i.e. before I'm done. What that means is getting another chair or moving one of the current members to that spot and shifting my focus. I could do that, but it was just one more thing on top of everything else. So, we've decided to schedule my comp exams for the end of this fall semester. I wiil still need a couple of classes to finish out the required coursework credits, but I can do those after we move and transfer them back here. At that point, I will just be writing the dissertation and I can do that anywhere. It also gives me all summer and fall to prep for them.

Whew! What a whirlwind these last 2 weeks have been. The idea of comps is scary but at least I have plenty of time to get ready.  It means two four-hour written exams, then an oral exam, then discussing my dissertation proposal. The good thing is that if I'm iin Charleston (SC), the historical resources are vast and I could more easily write about that area than I could if I'm still out here.

[PrincessMommy]

wow, Peach - those are radical changes in the last few weeks.   I'm so glad your dh has found a workable solution for his degree.  Yay UMUC!!   Let me know how he likes the online classes.  I keep toying with going that route (I'm in MD) but have had little success with online classes at the community college level.

How exciting that you're getting closer to your phD - even if it isn't the way you originally planned it.  Moving to SC sounds wonderful.  We have many old family friends who have moved there.  

But, I am sorry your dh lost his job - how frustrating. Does he have anything lined up in the mean time?

[elegantlion]

I'm doing an independent study this summer. I'm working on 12th century English forest law and there are a tons of sources to read through, both primary and secondary. This will help me get a head start on the fall. I'm reading through the Latin with my former Latin instructor, who has become one of my good friends, so it's been a blast so far. 

[Peach]

He's got some leads, one with the manager of a department his group was in before they were moved 🙂 There are even more changes. I got another email....another member of my committee is leaving to go take over the film department at Univ. of Utah, leaving end of June. The big thing is that the dissertation topic idea we've been planning is his area of expertise. I spent a few days pretty lost and still am, sort of. It's really rare for a committee to blow up like this but it's a big deal. At this point, I'm thinking of taking the semester off completely while I regroup. I can delay the exams and just fly back here to do them, but I think a break is a good idea. In the meantime, it means I can actually read books for pleasure this summer, at whatever speed I want, without having to take copious notes on them 🙂 Also, I have time to get to the gym often, which should ease the mountain of stress that's hit. But this is me this past week or so:

[PrincessMommy]

@Peach = The researcher my son was looking to join for doctoral work announced he was leaving Drexel and going to a university in TX.  It wasn't such a big deal for my son, since he hadn't actually started, but it was a huge deal for those already in the PhD program.  They had to choose whether to move to TX with their advisor or start with a new one (and presumably a new focus).    I just can't imagine when you're one year or less away from finishing having to refocus and figure things out.  

[elegantlion]

Ugh. I saw a glimpse of those committee issues this semester as they announced 5 professors were retiring this spring. I'm not sure who that affected in the PhD program, but in my cohort it sent 2-3 scrambling to find someone else to oversee their thesis work. I think we're losing at least one student because of it. 

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

On 6/14/2019 at 12:28 PM, PrincessMommy said:

@Peach = The researcher my son was looking to join for doctoral work announced he was leaving Drexel and going to a university in TX.  It wasn't such a big deal for my son, since he hadn't actually started, but it was a huge deal for those already in the PhD program.  They had to choose whether to move to TX with their advisor or start with a new one (and presumably a new focus).    I just can't imagine when you're one year or less away from finishing having to refocus and figure things out.  

 

On 6/17/2019 at 10:23 AM, elegantlion said:

Ugh. I saw a glimpse of those committee issues this semester as they announced 5 professors were retiring this spring. I'm not sure who that affected in the PhD program, but in my cohort it sent 2-3 scrambling to find someone else to oversee their thesis work. I think we're losing at least one student because of it. 

 

That's a shame that there isn't a succession plan for these things.  Ds25 is working toward a PhD under a professor who may be retiring before he is done.  She has told him that, if there is a buyout, she will take it.  But, they are planning for this.  He has chosen people for his committee that he will likely transfer to either of their labs if she retires before he is done.  Everyone is on board with this.  Since he has fairly regular meetings with all of them, they are up to speed on what he is doing and prepared to continue to advise him.  She is helping him set up nicely to continue his work after she retires.  He is going to conferences and making connections.  

[sassenach]

On 6/19/2019 at 3:25 PM, dirty ethel rackham said:

 

That's a shame that there isn't a succession plan for these things.  Ds25 is working toward a PhD under a professor who may be retiring before he is done.  She has told him that, if there is a buyout, she will take it.  But, they are planning for this.  He has chosen people for his committee that he will likely transfer to either of their labs if she retires before he is done.  Everyone is on board with this.  Since he has fairly regular meetings with all of them, they are up to speed on what he is doing and prepared to continue to advise him.  She is helping him set up nicely to continue his work after she retires.  He is going to conferences and making connections.  

A young man that we know had his advisor suddenly die when we was about a year from finishing up his PhD. Even worse, he's an American studying in Scotland, so there was a lot of scrambling and worry to make sure it didn't completely derail him. Thankfully it all worked out.

[wintermom]

@Peach So sorry to hear about these issues for both you dh and yourself. Double whammy that this is happening to you both simultaneously. 

All the best figuring things out. 

[Peach]

Thanks! I'm taking Fall semester off while I sort this all out. I'm going to delay comps till spring.