self-paced classes suck
 

has anyone taken these? sort of like online classes, but no computer involved. basically you read/study on your own and then go and take the test whenever you want during office hours.

i took an oceans class and it sucked azz. there were 10 tests, with each test covering 2-3 chapters. the only good part was that we were able to retake a test as many times as we wanted if it was below an 80. the highest you can get when you retake was still an 80. so, if you made a 60 and retake to get a 100, the highest would be an 80. there was a cut-off date 2 months into the class to retake tests 1-5. after that you only get 1 chance.

the sucky part was that we would all wait till like 3 weeks before the semester was to be over to cram all 10 tests in :rolleyes:

I just finished an online calculus class and I will say I have to disagree. I'm not saying self-paced/online classes are for everyone, but in my case it worked well. We went to one lecture a week and then we did our homework and quizzes online at home (completed by a certain deadline). The only time we had to go to the math lab is to take tests (4 of them) and the final exam. I think for some people who need structure and guidance, these classes are a nightmare. For people who are more self starters (or keep weird hours) self paced is the way to go.

I do awful in 'self-paced' classes! I've never had a class where you can take the test whenever you want though, mine were always project oriented classes.

My graphics prof did the same thing in every class I took with him: He would just keep giving us assignments to work on, letting us decide which we wanted to spend more time on and when we wanted to spend time on it, and a week or so before each of them was due he would tell us when to have it turned in to him.

I have way too much of a procrastination problem to be able to handle classes like that..

I took a Linguistics, Sociology, and Psychology 'UNIT MASTERY' class, as that's what we called them at UH-M, and I always did awful. In the 2nd semester of my freshman year, I heard about how you didn't have to go to class, and that you'd just have to take the tests as you go along. Once a week you'd meet with your lab group and apply what you learned in your text (providing that you're keeping up and you're on track).

Yeah, so you couldn't freaking move on to the next unit until you passed the chapter you were on. By the end of the semester, I was ishtting bricks.

It was as if my entire live revolved around these Unit Mastery classes, and if I wasn't buddy-buddy with the lab tutors/monitors, I don't think I would have passed any of them.

I have nieces and nephews just starting college, and I've made it known to them over and over again to NOT take these classes -- they're procrastinators just like me.