Nichole's Survival Memo

I commented on  Groups 6 and 4's survival memos.
As I've mentioned (obnoxiously often) to my classmates, wrapping up this course marks the halfway point in my degree. "Survival" feels like an appropriate way to describe where I am at this point in the semester! Each of my courses has been rigorous in different ways, and this one's challenges were organization, technology, and collaboration.

I consider myself organized as a student, but in a very particular way. When things aren't my way, I sometimes have to consciously take some time to examine the new system and figure out how to work within it. My first suggestion to future students is that if you're like me and like to have things organized your own way, you need to get as familiar with the syllabus, the layout of the course in Blackboard, and the course schedule as possible. Tip 1: There are multiple ways to get the information you need, so streamlining it to the way that works for you every week is important. Develop a schedule that helps you stay ahead of the game by checking your preferred locations for the assignments early, and checking all of the Blackboard tabs frequently. If you usually know what's coming up most of the time, the things you didn't anticipate aren't so huge.

The second challenge I faced was technology. I learned to use new software and tools while taking this course, a process that I found interesting and useful. However, this class provides a crash course, not a comprehensive overview, of these tools. I had to learn them much more quickly than I anticipated, but I think ultimately this was good for me. Sometimes an introduction to a new skill is enough to get you thinking about all that the tool is capable of. Tip 2: Don't assume that you need to become an expert every time you use a new tech tool in this class. That approach makes it much more intimidating than it has to be. From the tools offered for assignments with a new tech component, choose one from the lists provided in the assignment description and go for it. Most of them proved much easier to use than I thought they would be.

Finally, group collaboration was much different in this course than in others I've taken in the past. As opposed to a new group for each project or one group working on a final project over the whole semester, the majority of our papers were done in a group established at the beginning of the semester. This was a new way of doing things. We experienced a few dips in the road, such as losing two members early on and various personal issues that cropped up during the semester, but I think overall, our group did find a rhythm. We tried various communication methods, including discussion boards, e-mail, and conference calls, but it seems that text messaging has been the best way for us as three working adults to keep in touch and make sure everything gets done. Working with groups has inherent challenges, but ours ran fairly smoothly. Tip 3: Once your group is established, communicate frequently. Find the method of contact (or a few) that works well, and stay in touch. The assignments come quickly, and if you're approaching the group assignments in this class the same way you would on longer projects with plenty of time to plan and work on your tasks, you'll be perpetually behind. As soon as one assignment is turned in, start planning for the next one.

Hopefully my survival tips will help you get the most out of EDAC 631. The course is interesting and packed with information, so take your time and approach it with a learning mindset to not only get the basic information you need from the course, but also to see yourself as an adult learner and consider how you fit in with the students you want to serve.