Concentrated course classes create crazy hassles

In May of 2008, I had to take a break from the Parisian splendor surrounding me, sit down by the Seine, and begin reading a text book. Why? Because I’m a double major, and the only way that I could possibly graduate on time is to take core classes over the summer.

By Daniella Choynowski

Staff Writer

In May of 2008, I had to take a break from the Parisian splendor surrounding me, sit down by the Seine, and begin reading a text book. Why? Because I’m a double major, and the only way that I could possibly graduate on time is to take core classes over the summer.

At the time of registration for the college I was taking the class through, Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), I hadn’t realized there was a difference in section start and end times. I had signed myself up for the concentrated section of “Western Civilization I”: 18 chapters in six weeks.

Looking back, I can barely believe I made it through the class with an A. Just because the course was online didn’t mean it was easier. True, I could have the book open in front of me as I took the online tests, but they were timed, so I had to have an excellent understanding of the text. That meant reading the chapters at least twice.

The book never left my side. I took it on the Metro in Paris and took it to work when I came back to America. I always had the book shoved under the waitress podium during weekday lunches, which were prime study times (days shifts were slow).

Despite the stresses that concentrating an entire semester’s worth of history into six weeks places on students, there are people who do the work in half the time: in J-term and M-term classes.

Rose Kovach, a junior and another double major at SHU, has taken M-term equivalents at Franciscan University of Steubenville (FUS).

“I had to take core classes the past two summers because I worked the second half of June and then all of July and August. To get core classes out of the way, I had to take mini-sessions,” said Kovach. Since Kovach pays her own room and board, she has to work all summer. There was no other way for her to complete her liberal arts core and still graduate in four years.

Here at SHU, J-term and M-term were created so that students could study abroad through the university.

“Once we did that we realized that there would be students at home who wanted to do other things. And so we began to look at courses that would fit into that frame”, said Mary Ann Gawelek, Provost and Dean of Faculty.

Only certain types of core classes can be taught during the three-week time frame. Kovach took her science requirement during May 2008 at FUS. Since the class included both theory and lab sessions, she was in class all day.

Gawelek said, “I think it would be very difficult to teach any research course, to teach probably advanced to upper level mathematics courses. But you can teach theoretical material, or you can teach some levels of language study in that time.”

Due to the nature of the time frame, professors have to rethink their teaching strategies. Cynthia Magistro, Professor of Psychology and Interim Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at SHU said, “Rather than prepare one hour-long presentation or discussion at a time, the instructor needs to prepare a four-to-six hour day. Although it seems like the lengthy day would be tiring, I have found this schedule invigorating.”

“You have to rethink how you’re doing the projects, and redesign it depending on the amount of content you’re building on, or how repetitious the learning is impact how you can do in the intensive frame,” said Gawelek.

The students taking the classes have to rethink how they go about completing assignments as well. Often, work begins before even the first day of class.

“The students have to be fully prepared to have read everything they needed to before the first day. They really have to be able to give over their lives for three weeks and realize that just because it’s shorter doesn’t mean its easier. In fact, most students would say that doing the time intensive course is more challenging than in the full traditional sized time,” said Gawelek.

Gawelek and Magistro both believe that taking J-term and M-term classes isn’t for every student. It takes someone highly motivated and organized.

“I think that students who typically require longer times than most classmates to complete reading assignments or write papers should avoid J-term/M-term classes,” said Magistro.

Kovach didn’t have many problems with the workload. “It’s a challenge in that the class period is long, there’s a lot of work but because it’s so concentrated you get done with it quick. So it’s a lot all at once but as long as you’re not trying to work full time or doing a whole lot of other things, it’s no big deal,” said Kovach. “I got through it and it worked, and I never have to take science again.”