Some students find themselves dreading taking a winter class — and I was one of them four weeks ago. But, after a lot of work in a little bit of time, my mind has changed a bit. It really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

Sometimes, the problem with breaks is that we completely shut off our brains, and many of us rely on the ability to do so. When I registered for this class, I had to remind myself to not shut off my brain, and to keep my mind open to new thoughts. 

For the specific class I was in, the workload started out fairly light and easy. I was able to complete it over Christmas time with no issues. As the weeks progressed, the course sped up. During our busiest week, we had one discussion post due every day besides the weekend. 

I will say, I really utilized my free time for my work in this class. On my days off from work, I spent my time writing case studies and replying to my peers’ discussion posts. That kind of work is daunting: starting it is the hardest part. But, once you start, it really doesn’t take you that long — especially if you understand the course material. 

It was nice not to have to walk in the multiple inches of snow that we received over break. I am grateful that I was able to complete all of the work on my computer, from my home. I usually struggle with online classes during the typical semesters, but taking a class during the winter term is different. You have less time to get everything done, so you have to be on top of the work. I also only had one class — so that made things easy to handle. 

I believe the key to success with taking a winter class is setting aside time to work on things. That might mean staying up late after you get off work in the evening. I found a good process on days I worked: Do the discussion post before your shift, and reply to others after your shift is over. By that time, many others have contributed thoughts — which gives you more of a choice.

Every student is capable of taking a winter class. It all comes down to making sure you know when due dates are, and completing your work at the pace which the class modules typically suggest. Don’t let your brain slip up — it makes it harder to catch up when the weeks come to an end.

I was the one who slipped on the ice

Contrary to my feelings after finishing my winter course, I was a student who looked forward to my winter class. The idea of only taking one course during this time and working 40 hours each week seemed simple.

After a crazy fall semester, I was excited to have some free time to not only complete a general education course but also make some extra cash. What I forgot to consider was the fact that I was already extremely burnt out from the previous course load and my body probably needed more rest than I gave it over winter break.

My days often consisted of getting up early to work at 6 a.m., getting home and taking a nap and then doing my homework. What I also didn’t think about was that sometimes I would want to go socialize with friends… who would’ve guessed. This turned into a back-and-forth between getting ahead on assignments or seeing my friends for the evening. I admit, sometimes I forgot to do an assignment and had to turn it in late. But when you have a few assignments a day, it’s unfortunately easy to leave something out. 

Although the coursework was overwhelming, the class I took was extremely interesting and I did like the professor, which helped keep me motivated over the four weeks of daily assignments. 

Also, the feeling of submitting your last paper for the course was incredible. I have never felt more accomplished and relieved in my life. I was done… and now ready to start another chaotic semester. Sigh.