Final thoughts

I have learned some things this semester, and they don't all relate directly to the goals of this course. I did learn course-related material; I now have knowledge of how materials should be cataloged, although that knowledge is not as extensive as it could be. That is my fault, and that realization is part of the other learning I have done. Looking back over the semester, I see that I should have applied myself more. I should have participated in, or at least perused, the discussions. I am going to end up with a grade that is less that what I would like to have, but what I will receive is what I have earned. I have found that I enjoy online coursework, but I have also discovered that, left to myself to study, with large gaps of time between assignments, I tend to wait until the last minute to do anything. During my first semester, which was in the summer, I was taking two classes, and there were assignments due almost every other day. I felt stressed by the schedule, but I believe I was better off by being under pressure on a more consistent basis. There was more accountability. I don't have a direct quote, but I believe someone once said something about the things that are more difficult are better for you. Maybe it was, "no pain, no gain". Now, I am not saying that I blame this semseter's schedule for less-than-perfect work I submitted, but I am saying that if I come across this type of schedule again, I'll need to force myself to pace my work so that I don't try to do it all at the last minute. As a classroom teacher, I have found myself acting like some of the students I teach - the ones that frustrate me the most. Go figure.