Stay a step ahead
I may do a post on this every semester just before classes start.
This is an online course.
- I am responsible for my work.
- Turning work in late is unacceptable.
- The window to turn in work is about a week wide.
Turn in assignments as soon as possible after it is finished. This gives me the most amount of time to redo / update the work if it somehow fails the assignments. If I turn in work on a Monday with a Sunday deadline I can then
- Work on the next module
- Get the flu and not be worried about turning in work (this happened in Fall ’09)
- Plan for the final
- Never be in crisis ‘deadline’ mode
- Give the instructor and other students the maximum amount of time to critique the work and if necessary I can redo or create different versions – all of which help my participation.
There is a ‘whew’ feeling when I turn in work.
I treat class work as if it were customer assignments. The faster I get it done the more work I can do AND customer satisfaction increases. The faster I get quality work completed the more time I have to do more quality work! This means customer assignments or reviewing other classmates’ work.
Some instructors may change the assignments on the first day of a module, others will stick with everything that was available on the first day of class. Reading assignments don’t seem to change. Why not read the whole book before classes start and the review the chapters that are assigned? Talk to your classmates from prior semesters and ask them if they have taken that class and what was required during the first week or two. Better yet, get a full course module copy from a classmate (I don’t think that sharing my personal copy of all the course notes/handouts/webpages with another student that is enrolled in that same course violates anything), besides students do this all the time in the non-online world.
I’m taking these courses from AAU because they allow me flexibility. I don’t and should not take all that flexibility. If I get sick or in a car wreck or my proverbial dog easts my proverbial homework, I still have time to redo it. Making excuses to my instructor is like making excuses to the Boss for incomplete or late work.
OH WAIT! I (mostly) work for myself. I hate getting incomplete and late work so I better get it all in before the deadline. I try to get work to the boss as soon as possible. Sure, if it is raining and I can’t do the location shoot or I need another day to process work I still have that time available to me.
What I’m saying here is turn work in as soon as possible during the window when that session is open. You’ll be happier. You will do better work, you will leave better reviews, your grades will improve and you will do more work too!
BTW: The Boss is pretty happy with my output.
Post MPR classes
November 4th, 2011Passing the MPR is a big deal.
A wonderful aspect of the AAU system is that they admit everyone that has the basic requirements for enrollment. Getting into other institutions requires jumping over the hurdles and the high bars that those other places put up between you and a seat in the first class. That technique has been a foundation pillar in traditional American higher education since its inception. This follows a long line of traditional European educational admission framework as well.
What AAU does is create easy entrance and hard exit. The exit is successful completion of the program. I’ve heard that around 10% of those that enter this program actually complete it and EARN an MFA – Photography degree.
The MPR is a screening process. If you pass you are a member of a more select and qualified group of graduate students. It really does show when you take post-MPR courses.
Post MPR students in classes stand out. There exists a spread of talent and ability in this group but it is nowhere near as wide as found the general pre-MPR student group. For assorted reasons, some students don’t go beyond the MPR. I have some posts on personal responsibility and taking charge of your own success at AAU. Not everyone is cut out for the advanced rigor of the program.
When I take classes with pre-MPR students I can generally spot my post-MPR classmates. There writing and ability to discuss, critique, and offer suggestions about their work and the work of their peers is better than the work done by most pre-MPR students.
We are better students that are more intellectually prepared and focused because we passed the MPR gauntlet. Our experiences should be shared with others to help them develop and become solid MPR candidates.
Some classes have MPR as a prerequisite. These classes maintain a higher level of discourse, individual work ethic, and basically better art.
In all the AAU material I can’t find any place that says the experiences and quality of work students do in the program is extremely wide. If you feel frustrated that you are not being challenged enough and some of your classmates don’t put forth quality visual work and solid discussions, don’t worry. You are ahead of the curve and the curve will get closer to you after you pass the Mid-Point Review.
Classes are simply better because I did my MPR work and passed.
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Posted in Courses, General Comments, Mid-Point Review (MPR)
Tags: american higher education classmates MPR photography degree student group work ethic work students