Column: Eight-week courses are a viable option for students

Eight-week courses are an option for students who want to fit more courses into a semester.

With this, a student who needs a specific course who is missing a prerequisite can take the prerequisite during the first eight weeks of the semester, then they are able to take the follow-up class in the second eight weeks if they receive the grade needed.

These courses are also taught during longer class sessions at an accelerated rate.

Taylor Herndon, junior, Communication major

I took two eight-week courses for the first half of this semester, and I am scheduled to start another one on the 15th of this month. I went into the classes expecting to have to work significantly harder, but did not feel this was the case. I personally felt that I benefited more from the accelerated course, as it gave me less time to forget the more intricate details of the content.

Visual Communication 1 required the use of Adobe Creative Cloud. I could not find a way to get the program through the university, but the program is installed on computers on campus, which were available to use whenever the class was not in session. This was slightly more challenging because this meant that my remote class required me to visit public campus spaces.

Overall, I would say that the option for taking eight-week courses is beneficial.  However, this does come down to the individual and all students interested should discuss the option with their advisor.  This type of course is also currently only available in some majors.

Jillian Paige Hicks, sophomore, Communication major

I completed my first two eight-week courses this week, with one more to follow. I didn’t know what to expect, but I am satisfied with my experiences. I had about six assignments a week from my Communication 101 class with Dr. Jason Munsell and about three assignments a week from my Honors 201 class with Dr. Melencia Johnson.

Expectations were clearly outlined in the syllabus and assignments were easily accessible. My professors were wonderful and offered opportunities to catch-up or earn extra points. They were responsive, helpful, and posted grades to Blackboard as we went. Managing my schedule more intensely was a learning curve, but I feel less stressed having learned to do so.

I am grateful to have been able to get some more credits this semester due to the eight-week structure. The only downside I could discern is our complete lack of a spring break, but with proper scheduling, one could schedule a day off or two off during the week.