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Speeding up your degree One night a week for just 5-8 weeks, and you're one course closer to your degree. Sound appealing? Many adult students think so. Since time is the luxury they don't have, an accelerated format can sometimes make that elusive degree possible. In response to student demand, many colleges now offer some variation of an accelerated program in addition to regular adult degree-completion programs. Through creative scheduling, you can complete 12 credits – a full-time schedule – over the course of a traditional term. Of course, there are no more summer or winter breaks! By going to school non-stop, you can earn your degree in the shortest possible time. What's it like? It's intense. If you're taking a 5-week course and are absent for just one class, you've missed 20% of the material. You must be ready to make a significant time commitment – even if it means rearranging the rest of your life to accommodate your classes. It's focused. Taking only one course at a time allows you to concentrate on the task at hand without distractions – no more juggling and trade-offs between homework assignments and study time. It's supportive. These programs are typically set up in cohort format. That means you take all your classes with the same group of students through completion. You're all in this together! Often the only way to get through – as in workplace teams – is to divide up the work among the group. This provides an unusual amount of interaction and interdependence that draws students into a close community. The pros – and cons This may sound ideal for busy adults, but there are disadvantages, too. Even if you're prepared for the intensity, there are tradeoffs. With limited time, some subject matter may be skimmed, or at best covered only superficially. And there's no time to explore new issues raised. Subject matter, at least currently, is still limited. If you're willing to commit to an accelerated program, but don't want to study business, you may be out of luck. Most important, they're not for everyone. You must be able to make the time commitment. You should be in a position to put theory into practice on the job. Accelerated programs are also not designed for students just returning to college. They work best for students with considerable previous college experience (the more, the better!). Is it for you? The accelerated format assumes education is a means to an end. And in many cases, that's what's required. Perhaps you have to get that degree fast in order to keep your job or get a much-needed promotion. Or maybe you have a job opportunity at the end of the year that you just can't pass up. What the format misses is some of the joy of learning, especially the time to explore and experiment. If you decide to go for it, try to treat yourself, sometime in the future, to a course just for the sake of learning. 11/04/01 TOP |
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