It's all about me! (That's not me, but I did take it yesterday)

I’ve been pretty quiet updating all my blogs.  That’s likely due to working and studying is all I do.   That’s not quite true.  I’m attempting some weak effort to date and I may have set up a tentative date for about 2-3 weeks from now as that is when it will fit my schedule.

I’m in week 6/7 of the 15 week semester and my best take away from the program at this point is “It is all about me!”

What I mean is that doing an online MFA is a very demanding activity if I make it a very demanding activity.  I wouldn’t mind being a valedictorian, but I better work my tail off to get anywhere near there.

AAU admits near 100% of the applicants and thus your classmate mix will be…well…mixed.

I suppose this is no different from any other in-person or online class but the basic requirements are fairly simple to meet and some folks just can’t get them right.  Having completed my MBA in ’94 I remember well what student life wwas like and as an instructor/lecturer around the turn of the century I recall that some students just don’t get it too.  I’m not trying to get by,  I’m trying to do my absolute best so I can get the most out of this experience.  I’m paying a lot for these classes.  I pay for them in cash that I make from a part-time job  that eats into almost all my free time.  I damn well better make good use of my time and effort!

Some basics:
Submit stuff on time.  It’s better to so early during the assignment windows but poeple will be people and many turn them in on the last day.

Respond to your classmates work and do so in a meaningful way.  This means  thinking about the assignment, the work or the other student, and then constructing criticism aobut the work in a way that speaks to the course material.    Certainly, a comment that “I love that image” can be appropiate but when that is the bulk of hte comment it does not address the requirement of thoughtful discussion.  Online is potentially SO MUCH BETTER at doing this as you can look at the work of another student and then ponder it and answer it later.   You don’t have to respond to everything you see.  The more I respond to work in a thoughtful way the more I learn so I do that.  I try to make a point of responding to everyone that posts work,  I can’t always get to everything but I try.

There are no surprises so don’t be surprised.  There is a quiz at the end of every weeks’ work.  So do the quiz after you have turned in all the work for that week.

The basics are basically, show up (nice flexibility in an online course), do assignments (turning them in early gets you the opportunity to redo sometimes), do quizes, and get it all in by deadline.

Self-motivation is a huge part of taking online classes.  I thought this would be the case and it is!  I turn assignments in as soon as possible and as early in the week as I can.  I respond to lots of other work.  I mean how tough is it to do 10-12 reviews of a paragraph or two, sometimes it is tough actually, but it helps build discipline and that is something every artist can use.

I also blog here less and on my regular blog because I’m busy with classes…like I should be!

After all I’m doing this for me!