Anne's Blog

New Year's Eve

2009-01-01T00:02:00Z

Ok…I still have not begun studying for the class that starts in soon. I am the queen of procrastination, that is certain. Yesterday, I had a minor medical procedure done which wiped me out for the day (gotta love Valium and Vicodin) but still…there have been numerous opportunities to dig into my coursework for this class that starts on January 6^th.

Maybe it is the sheer intimidation of the class. Maybe because the class I dropped (which was the Statistics class from he**) was a sample of what is to come and consume me for the next 10 weeks? Maybe I just do not want to face school? Maybe I just wanted to take two weeks off?

I know that spending time preparing for these two classes is important and, of course, beneficial. I know that if I do not take advantage of the opportunity that I will have wasted it and it will not present itself again.

I know.

I KNOW.

But the movie I was watching was a good one. I enjoyed the home-cooked meal that took me half a day to prepare. The dog was happy to fetch the ball for an hour, and the cats (as far as I could tell) appreciated the extra skritching behind their ears.

Hey…I’ll start next year. I still have 5 days before class starts…

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!

Still One More Week Off

2008-12-29T07:46:00Z

I remember saying that I was going to spend my time off of school (and off of work) studying in ALEKS, the math program used in my coming Statistics classes. I know it is important that I do this because Statistics is THE hardest classes I will have in my program. I know it. My academic counselor agrees. My daughter, who has taken Statistics recently warned me. Generally, everyone says that I will hate this class that starts on January 6^th.

So, I have (had) two weeks to prepare. Two weeks to study. Two weeks to get a jump-start on reading the course material. Two weeks to practice in ALEKS (because my math skills are far from exemplary).

The first week I spent how much time in ALEKS? Zero. That was dumb. Ok, maybe I felt that I deserved the break. No, I KNOW I deserved the break. My family deserved the break too. I admit, it has been nice having time to do normal things like sit down with the family for dinner or watch T.V. or go over to friends’ homes. After all, it IS the holidays.

Now…there is one more week. So THIS week, I will dig into ALEKS and the course material and get a jump start on the class that starts on January 6^th. Aside from needing to make room for my husband’s uncle who is moving in with us on the 2^nd, I really have no excuses for avoiding this task.

Starting now (no tomorrow—today is over) I will begin to practice in ALEKS and prepare myself for the two worst classes in my program. Statistics I and II.

Reprised Christmas Poem

2008-12-25T22:02:00Z

Last year I posted a poem inspired by a traditional Christmas poem and influenced by a stressful week of final papers due and imposing holiday madness. I thought it would be nice to post it again this year. Enjoy!

‘Twas the week of class finals and all through each night…

…the caffeine pot bubbled; winter break was in sight.

The previous eight weeks were spent dutifully confined…

…to textbooks, chatrooms, and classrooms online.

Midweek are due CheckPoints, called capstones, to tell…

…to the teachers what students have learned very well.

Winding down toward Sunday when final projects are due,

Bleary-eyed students tweak a sentence or two.

When suddenly an A-student anxiously sees…

…a vision of her grade report showing a D.

She quickly perused through her homework although…

…she was doubtful such fate could befall her four-oh.

Through pages and posts, both on paper and not…

…she flipped and she scanned wondering what she forgot.

The grades were all there, the assignments turned in…

…the feedback is gushing, what then was her sin?

When, what to her wondering eyes she did find…

…but an error, not hers, from a teacher who’s blind.

The assignment’s not mine, she exclaimed with delight…

…the teacher had made a mistake one week’s night.

For three anxious days, she awaited relief…

…from the teacher whose error had caused her such grief.

When finally after untimely days off…

… “The grade is correct,” the teacher did scoff.

The teacher insisted an appropriate grade…

…had been given the paper that was turned in that day.

No wrong grade was given, she continued to try…

…to show proof to the miserable A-student why.

If it weren’t for the fact that the teacher did try…

…to prove to the miserable A-student why…

The A-student would have reluctantly taken…

…the D grade and remained permanently shaken.

But there in the indignant proof she presented…

... (the teacher the A-student surely resented)…

Was not the hard work that the A-student claimed…

…but the work of a classmate with similar names.

Oh my gosh, oh good gracious it was not just once…

…it seems that her teacher’s a bit of a dunce.

“It’s not mine” she exclaimed in all capital letters…

… “My name is not hers and my work much better.”

A couple more pleas in the individual forum…

…convinced the teacher of her lack of decorum.

With the D-grade corrected, retracted, and fixed…

…the slip from her four-oh is now likely nixed.

With a smile and a grin, she returned to homework…

…and completed her finals with at least A+ work.

And posting by midnight, Arizona time…

…the A-student finished Block VII, week nine.

But she said ‘fore she signed off, in the survey she wrote…

…that teacher’s a problem, she’s really a dolt.

Otherwise, she enjoyed all the lessons she’d learned…

…especially where keeping her four-oh is concerned.

Merry Christmas everyone! (and to all a good night!!)

Christmas Eve Injection

2008-12-25T06:53:00Z

Near the end of the calendar year seems to be the busiest time for my doctors’ offices because patients rush to endure procedures covered by the current year’s medical coverage which resets on January 1. I am no exception and being that I typically meet my annual deductible by mid February every year and being that once again this year I have nearly met my out-of-pocket maximum for medical copayments, it is not unreasonable for me to try to obtain whatever necessary medical attention possible before midnight on December 31^st.

In November of this year, I had two steroid injections in my cervical spine with the intention of reducing the inflamed nerve endings in my neck which have for more than three years now caused me pain and numbness and general clumsiness due to improper ergonomics at work. The ergonomic set-up was long since corrected but the damage was done and although initially, three years ago, the injury was being treated as a workers compensation injury, a massage endured last summer triggered the injury to produce symptoms once again. The workers compensation people felt that since the massage, which is a non-work-related event, triggered the onset of symptoms, they would no longer treat the injury under workers compensation.

Go figure.

Anyway, it was probably just as well since the doctors and clinics one must use in workers compensation cases leave much to be desired (scary, some of the time even), I could now go see a ‘real’ doctor.

Good thing I do not have any schoolwork to worry about…because the injection was not much fun and sitting at a computer for hours working on statistics likely would undo any benefit the injection would have provided anyway.

I think I’ll go help my husband stuff stockings…it IS Christmas Eve after all…

Ho Ho Ho!

What To Do...

2008-12-21T03:52:00Z

Wow…It is Saturday and I am at odds with myself! Normally, I spend all day on Saturday and Sunday catching up on schoolwork because the rest of the week is crammed with work-work leaving schoolwork for the night time. Since dropping my class, I find I have the whole weekend to catch up on other things instead. What a concept.

I have had so many projects on hold since returning to school. The closet is full of good intentions; stuff to sell on eBay or Craigslist, or just donate to charity. Stuff that has been waiting for mending, fixing, cleaning, sorting…and that is just my closet. Then, there is the stuff in the shed, the hall closet, under the bathroom sinks—both of them—and under the kitchen sink (scary in there). For having lived in this house less than two years, there sure is a lot of stuff that needs going through.

Today, however, I think I will bake. Won’t it be nice to bring homemade Christmas cookies to the office on Monday? I haven’t done that in ages.

Somewhere in one of these closets are my recipe books…

Later on Saturday…

It occurred to me that a tradition I started ages ago was to bake shortbread cookies for my dad every Christmas. I cannot recall the last time I sent him some. I’m going to bake some for him right now and surprise him.

I’m thoroughly enjoying that I can do that. I have time.

I even watched T.V. today.

Big Smile.

Whew!

2008-12-19T21:50:00Z

I officially dropped my Statistics class. That teacher was crazy!! Ok, maybe not crazy, but his expectations for distance learning students most certainly were unreasonable. Coming from two classes back-to-back that were extraordinarily stressful due to either team deterioration or a vindictive instructor, I could not grasp the sheer quantity required of me from that instructor. Adding the stress of the holidays and getting ready for my husband’s elderly uncle to move in with us at the beginning of next year did not help either. Thankfully, I only delay my program by one week since the university closes down for two weeks over Christmas anyway.

I decided that I should use the time off wisely and practice the math in ALEKS so that when I start my rescheduled class on January 6th I will be ready. Or, as ready as possible, anyway.

But first, I think I will take a few days off and just relax. I have not done that in ages and I deserve it. My husband deserves it too! For a couple of days, I am going to not think about school. I am going to bake cookies and I am going to go Christmas shopping and I am going to go to bed early and revel in more than 4 hours sleep a night. Tomorrow is Saturday…I think I’ll sleep until at least Noon.

It’ll be great.

Dropped Class

2008-12-18T18:00:00Z

I wrote my academic counselor late last night and said I wanted to drop my Statistics Class because I was so overwhelmed by the workload. When I had not heard back from him by this morning, I called. He was not in, but I managed to speak to another academic counselor and explained what I wanted to do. She asked me to give her an example of the requirements for week one. I hadn’t gotten a third of the way down the list when she interrupted me and agreed that the teacher’s expectations were abnormally high.

Maybe not for a traditional classroom…but most certainly for distance learners who work full time (like me). My financial counselor said that because I had already posted in the class, I would be responsible for paying one fifth of the tuition but then he also said that I may be able to take advantage of a one-time credit where the penalty is carried over to the rescheduled class.

Luckily, the school was about to go on holiday break, so my rescheduled class begins on January 6^th meaning that that I’m only delaying graduation by one week.

Whew.

Now…what will I do with all of this free time???

Woo HOO!

Whether Or Not To Appeal

2008-12-18T07:24:00Z

My academic counselor responded to my email about this denied grade dispute. He said that he was able to view the letter that was sent to me, and that he understands my frustration. He said that while the wording in the letter was a little vague, they did actually research my grade dispute and decided to keep the grade the way it was. The actual request was honored, but they did not find anything that would cause them to change the grade.

WHAT??? Even with improper semantics, the letter gives no reason why my grade dispute was denied. It further states that the student be directed to the faculty and the faculty's decision is final. This, as I have previously posted in this blog, is the problem in its entirety. The faculty is the problem. The malicious and vindictive action of the faculty is the problem. Going back to the faculty can result in nothing but a dispute denial.

If an unbiased review of all the proof I submitted still leads an unbiased committee to find nothing that would cause them to approve my grade change, then my first impression of the process stands: The university condones such atrocious behavior by faculty. Because the many examples I submitted clearly show several valid and compelling reasons to change my grade. If, however, the review was done with that faculty member’s collaboration, then the review was biased.

Why my concern was not escalated in the first place is unacceptable. They could not possibly have viewed all of the compelling proof I provided and still determined the grade to be fair.

My counselor said I could appeal again but doing so would mean I would have to start the process all over again. He’s got to be kidding. Why in the world can they not just use the same material I already provided? Why did they not just escalate it to the top like I THOUGHT it was going in the first place.

Unreal.

I sent an email to my brother-in-law…he’s a big-wig at a major university. Maybe he has some advice for me.

Day Two of Statistics Class

2008-12-18T01:22:00Z

Typical classes in my college experience thus far set aside day one for the introductions, the dissemination of crucial university policies and important teachers’ supplemental policies and procedures. Additionally, day one is usually filled with posting and responding to individual biographies and getting a general feel for how the next five or so weeks will play out. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I had a sense that this class would not be typical at all. My first clue was the email sent by the instructor two days before class began. One day before class began, this instructor posted no less than a half a dozen posts for the class, and then on day one he posted at least a dozen more.

OMG.

The syllabus showed there to be no less than 14 action items due before day 7, not including reading five chapters and posting at least twice in 4 out of 7 days. Of the 14 action items, one was a research paper, one was a slide presentation, and one was at least a half a day spent in ALEKS, which is a math program used heavily in Statistics classes (among other classes).

OMG.

It is day 2. I have to read every post the instructor makes. I have a job that takes up 10 hours of my day. When, exactly, am I supposed to work on these 14 action items?

I called my daughter and asked her how her first week of Statistics class went. “Breathe, mom” she said. “It’s hard” she said, “but you’ll get through it.”

“You don’t understand,” I told her (secretly, I’ve been wanting to say that to her for years…hasn’t every mom heard that from their daughter a million times?), “there is no way I can keep up with this teacher,” I complained. She asked me to show her.

I gave her the link…and told her to call me back. Within the hour, she called me.

“Drop the class, mom,” she said… “that teacher is crazy,” she said.

Yeah. I agree.

Worse Than Math?

2008-12-17T06:20:00Z

Today begins my first of 12 weeks of statistics. Technically, I have only 10 weeks since each class is only five weeks long. However, because the university’s 2-week holiday break falls within the first 5 weeks, that first 5-week class is essentially extended to 7 weeks. A good thing, I hear, because this and the next class are (again, I’m told) the hardest ones I will take in my entire college career. Worse than math.

How can anything be worse than math?

After thoroughly reviewing the syllabus, I am a little more than anxious about this class. I was nervous before—after all, my daughter took this class already and warned me that it would be the most difficult one of my whole program. Another friend also at the UoP said pretty much the same of his experience in Statistics classes. Yes, classES. Plural. There is another one after this one. Ugh.

Two days ago, the instructor emailed me (and presumably the entire class) with a welcome note and some instructions. He said to make sure that his instructions are followed exactly. He said to make sure to read everything he posts. He gave a half a dozen references to outside sources for help and gave recommendations for other help sources offered by the school.

This is not looking good.

Grade Dispute Denied

2008-12-16T05:17:00Z

I received a letter in today's mail from "Student Resolution Committee" (unsigned, by the way), dated December 10th, and denying my request to review my grade. How can they deny a grade review request? The letter goes on to quote me university policy on grade disputes (of which I am fully aware) but does not give me any reason why they won't even review mine. Then, it continues with a statement that the university will not consider course grade changes for any of a list of reasons, none of which mine fell into. The paragraphs also states that grade disputes must be initiated within six (6) weeks of the grade posting date...which I did.

In other words, they blew me off.

Responses such as this are what give organizations a bad name and I am seriously considering researching another school at which to finish my education. It is clear to me that the university values faculty (if that is what the university considers the joke that is the “facilitator” I had in that class) over students, and even more clear to me that the university has no qualms with hiring faculty who blatantly skirt university policy. Moreover, the university has now demonstrated to me that it condones the demoralizing actions of faculty toward their students.

I was under the impression that my request was going to be directed to someone who has the student's best interest in mind. My academic counselor’s email to me stated the matter would be directed to Academic Affairs. This letter says that “students disputing a grade received may contact the Director of Academic Affairs or designee who will assist them in contacting the faculty member to discuss the grade dispute.” As I mentioned in earlier blog posts, contacting the faculty member is/was not an option for this issue. Was the “designee” this Student Resolution Committee?

I am thoroughly disappointed and disgusted with the university right now. I have yet to receive a response to any of my requests for response on more than 2 years of end-of-course surveys. I have busted my behind to keep my GPA stellar and one teacher derails it maliciously and vindictively and Academic Affairs can't see that in all of the proof I provided?

There is absolutely no good reason why I should not have received an A in that class.

I am flabbergasted.

Countdown to Final Exam

2008-12-09T18:15:00Z

The instructor posted that our final exam in this class will be closed book, closed notes, closed…closed. YIKES! This makes me nervous. Although, really, how would he know that I did not consult my books or my notes. In distance learning, there is nobody looking over my shoulder, is there? Still, not being able to consult my notes concerned me some since I can’t remember my keys when I leave my house unless I write myself a note.

I emailed my instructor and expressed my concern. He said that if I studied the self-assessment material in eResource, I should have no problem with the exam. Still…I’m worried.

I downloaded every self-assessment document for each week of the class. They are like little quizzes…and give the answers at the end. Ok…so far so good. Hey! I’m doing great. I aced the self-assessments.

Still…what kind of final exam will he post? Will it be some link to a timed program online? Will there be an essay requirement? Will there be terminology that I need to regurgitate the definitions of? The instructor’s post said it will consist of multiple choice, true/false, and an essay question. Ugh.

I hate tests.

Last Minute...AGAIN.

2008-12-09T07:43:00Z

Yesterday (no surprise) my teammates post with a bunch of “oops” and “sorry” and “I’m too busy right now but will post my section later.” Later. Great.

Once again, we are at deadline with not even a first draft of our assignment.

One team member (same one I mentioned in an earlier post) left out half of what he was supposed to include and did not respond to any of my posts requesting his corrections. This morning, however, just after midnight, he posts “It looks awesome Anne, great job.”

Uh. Thanks. But, where is the rest of YOUR part? I posted back. I sent him an email. I instant messaged him. I emailed the rest of the team.

Nothing.

At 5:12 PM today, I posted to the team to review and revise the draft which is due by midnight. At 8:26 PM, after hearing nothing from any team member, I posted again. At 8:46 PM, one team member posted her section and claimed that she was unsure if it was what was needed. Great. Two and a half hours before deadline and she just NOW wonders. Nice. Thanks a lot.

At 10:49 PM I posted to the team asking for help in contacting the one team member who, although he found time to say how awesome the draft looked failed to complete his own section. At 11:57 PM I posted the team’s submission without that team member’s section. The assignment was incomplete.

We’ll be lucky to get a B on that project.

I cannot WAIT for this class to be over.

The Final Team Effort

2008-12-04T06:12:00Z

The good news about this project due in 6 days is that it is a slide presentation taken from last week’s essay. The bad news is that the team still has no grade on that assignment and likely will not have that feedback until after this assignment is turned in so judging whether or not we were even on the right track is difficult at best. Now I get to learn whether or not my teammates’ claims of proficiency at PowerPoint are true. So far, they have failed to prove their claims of proficiency in spelling, grammar, research, communication, people, or team skills.

Somewhere between the first class of my Bachelor program and this, my fourth class, I seem to have lost my patience with my fellow classmates.

Responding to my post on Wednesday describing what I proposed to be the best course of action with reasonable guidelines for due dates from each team member, one guy said he cannot post until Saturday. WHAT? Saturday is the day before the darned thing is due. There is not going to be any time to review, correct, or revise anything this guy posts. This is the same guy who said he was proficient in teamwork and deadlines.

Great.

Everyone else responds in agreement and enthusiasm. Why am I filled with trepidation. Again.

So Much For Charter Deadline

2008-12-02T07:59:00Z

It did not help that nobody in the team (nor even the entire class, it appears) understood this week’s assignment. It was not until the day before the syllabus deadline that the team even got started on this project. I dug in as I assumed my team dug in yesterday and worked to pull together my contribution. My own individual assignment due in 24 hours as well, I anxiously posted to my teammates for help at 8:11 PM, at 9:53 PM, at 10:08 PM, 10:23 PM, 11:53 PM, and at 11:55 PM until finally, I posted the assignment at 11:57 PM—three minutes before deadline. Syllabus deadline.

Why bother writing and agreeing to a charter when team members ignore the guidelines written and agreed to? We wrote into the charter that the team assignments would be completed and posted 24 hours prior to syllabus deadline.

Midway through the night tonight I realized that I was the only team member even working on the project as the deadline loomed. Posts to my teammates returned nothing. Nobody was online, it seemed. Emails unreturned, instant messages ignored or unreturned.

Does nobody else give a darn how our effort turns out? Is nobody else desiring an A in this class? Week three of five demonstrated how the remaining two weeks of this class will likely progress. It will be tedious, that is certain.

Am I being overly terse? Or am I beginning to burn out?

I don’t know. We’ll see how Week 4 progresses… Thankfully, Week 5 has no Learning Team assignment.