Back from the edge...

Okay, I just took my final in a course in Software Testing and I now have my final grade. While I studied quite a bit for this exam I knew I wasn't well prepared because my heart wasn't in it. I answered all the give-me questions and gave only half hearted attempts at the more challenging problems. In the end I only scored a 75 out of 150 but because of my good showing on my mid-term I still ended up with a B+ for the course. I'm starting to believe that I've become burned out and I know I'm just going through the motions. I've now finished 4 courses that I need for my masters degree; however, I find myself thinking more and more about quiting. Does anyone have any advice on how to get that "fire" back?

 

Joann you are a lot further along than I am but, one word of advice that I can offer is to write down your reasons wanting your MBA and putting them up high somewhere that you can see them everyday. Maybe you could even tape it to your dashboard of your car.

 

You might just need a semester break, or perhaps only take one class next semester. I was very burnt out this semester too, but now I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Only 1 class to finish and the dissertation!!

By the way, have you taken any of the following classes?

COP 5555 Programming Language Principles (3): History of programming languages, formal models for specifying languages, design goals, run-time structures, and implementation techniques, along with survey of principal programming language paradigms.

COP 5615 Operating System Principles (3):The concepts and techniques of efficient management of computer system resources.

COP 5725 Database Management Systems (3): An introduction to systems and procedures for managing large computerized databases.

These are some DL UF courses I'm interested in. To me, they sound like introductory level classes for someone in management with little background in programming, but UF catalog descriptions are notoriously deceptive. Any comments/advice on the above?

 

Also feeling the burn out...

This is the first semester I have really taken fulltime hours, so that may be a factor in my burnout. But so far two courses totally done and three to finish by the end of the year: 1 four page mini research paper to complete a course, 1 lesson + final exam for another (lesson today, review and final tomorrow), and 3 smallish lessons, a term paper, and a noncumulative exam to complete the third.

If I can't manage the fulltime again in the spring with less burnout I will have to reconsider my plan to attend a traditional MS program next fall.

I don't work, but I do have four children who result in what seems lately like a constant stream of doctor visits, parent teacher conferences, and school meetings I need to attend during those few precious hours when they are supposed to all be at school.

Maybe burn out is just in the air this fall.

 

JoAnn,

I know exactly where you are at, because I am going through this myself. I took an "unofficial break" this quarter, (which is easier to do when you are in the dissertation stage), with the full support of my committee chair. My itch is coming back and after Christmas, I intend to go full bore into completing my dissertation proposal.

Since you are a masters candidate, you can't "coast" a quarter, but you could either lighten your load, or just put the books down and take a term off.

For most people, waiting a few more months to ern a degree in order to maintain balance in their life is a good thing.

For the record, I teach FT at a community college, adjunct on the side, and am happily married with 6 kids with # 7 due in May. I think I know what a busy life is

Best of luck JoAnn.

Shawn

 

Take a break and recharge your mental, physical, and spiritual batteries. After burning out (career and education) it took me about a year to get the "fire" back. So, please, do not push yourself to the point of burn out.

While others will undoubtedly tell you to push onwards, and they will be well-meaning, they cannot possibly understand the "running off a cliff" feeling that burn out commonly inflicts upon the human mind.

You are only four courses from completion of the graduate degree. Take some time to savour life. Resume studying when you are once again excited by the effort necessary to successfully finish the degree.

 

Re: Re: Back from the edge...

What sentinel said.

I was in the same boat as you about 1.5 years ago with my MBA. I was burnt-out and tired of the program. I took a semester off and jumped back in at full speed. The time off really helped.

 

Both COP 5615 and COP 5555 are considered core courses for the MS and PhD degrees and as such, there is a general understanding that they will entail more work than one of the other CS elective courses. For COP 5555 you end up implementing a compiler by the end of the course, so obviously, there is a lot of programming. For COP 5615, there are 2-3 programming projects which are pretty advanced as they require understanding how to use OS primitives to support multithreaded, parallel programming.

As for COP 5725, this will require a lot of SQL programming, but it may require some Java/C++ to interface to JDBC (an API to SQL databases.) Based on my undergrad course in the same subject material, I suspect there would be a considerable coverage of relational algebra, data structures for databases (i.e. B+ trees, hash indices, etc.) as well as understanding the workings of statistics-based query optimization.

I think its safe to say that almost all COP prefixed courses will have a significant programming element. COT prefixed courses will be most algorithmic/theory/math based, and CEN prefixed courses will have a significant applied aspect. I suspect that unless you have significant programming experience with at least some generous exposure to discrete math and/or data structures I don't think I could recommend these courses to someone without a CS or CE undergrad.

Are you looking to satisfy a minor requirement of your PhD or are you just crazy? ;-)

Have you considered CEN 5035 Software Engineering? There is no programming required for this course (although you might be required to read/understand code) as it covers the process involved in developing software (i.e. requirements analysis, design, project management, models of software development life-cycles, quality assurance, maintenance, etc. Dr. Thebaut will be teaching this course by DL next semester and the grade is based 100% on two exams. If its like his Software Testing course I just completed, the final will not be comprehensive. I could see someone outside of Computer Science completing this course successfully. Of course, with your background I suspect you might find the management aspects of this course to be really high level.

 

Thanks to everyone for their advice. At this time I think my best option would be to go ahead to tough out a single course this spring; however, I will definitely be taking summer semester off. I really think I need to take more than that; however, I will need to talk to the department to see what my prospects for being re-admitted into the program after taking a year off.

Thanks everyone.

 

A little bit of both. At one time I was looking for a minor I could do strictly DL in case I left Gainesville. These courses looked like they might fit the bill. However, I decided to stay on-campus.

 

Resigning from something because it's not right for you is understandable. Sometimes, it takes more courage to walk away from something than it does to stick with it, but...

... quitting is a different thing. To me, quitting is what we do when we have something left to give but we either lack the courage to give the effort, or we're just too lazy to do it. There is no honor in quitting. If you quit, you'll never forgive yourself for it.

I'm currently enrolled and studying with 4 schools, maintaining a 4.0 at each while maintaining a full-time position, and a separate career on the side. I barely get any sleep, but I don't care. My mindset is that the goal must be accomplished, and nothing is going to stop me.

In the end, it just comes down to whether or not your desire to achieve the goal is greater than the obstacle.

 

Take one course in the Spring is good . . .

I just finished my master's degree a couple of weeks ago. This past January, I had to take one course to get through the burn-out. Of course, the course I was suppose to take in January ended up being my very last course of my program. At least taking one course kept me in the game. You know your limitations; however, my advice would be not to quit a semester completely. Continue to take one course for the Spring and one for the Summer and then finish your master's full blast.

Best of luck to you. I understand what you are going through, but you can do this!!!

 

In an ideal world I would readily concur. However, there are usually external forces or circumstances which often impact the person despite their desire to overcome certain obstacles. I wanted the end goal - career and degree - and nothing was going to deter me. Well, let's just say ignoring problems does not make them go away even if your educational and career pursuits are tracking nicely. Burn-out sneaks up on you and if not properly dealt with can hurt you.

 

This isn't one of those "ideal world" types of situations to apply to this. In this situation, someone is presented as capable of achieving the goal... overwhelming external situations were never mentioned.

If burn-out is going to stop you, then your desire is not great enough. I've been burned out more times than an old candle... I still didn't quit on the goals I'd set for myself. I refuse to do that.

Of course, I do realize that everyone is different and everyone has a different measure of strength. Unfortunately, the people who give up are usually the ones complaining years down the road about what they didn't do, while the people who didn't give up are reaping the rewards for making things happen. You just have to choose which person you're going to be.

 

Learning Addict,

I don't sense that JoAnn is "quitting." She wants to take a break. Taking a break and quitting are two totally different things.

Shawn

 

JoAnn is not giving up nor quitting; she would like to take a rest as far as I an infer from her own words. Someones a break is necessary before continuing towards their goal(s). My assessment is that she is a person who makes things happen.

It took six months before I was able to mentally commit to continuing studies towards my educational goals. Having taken the time to refresh, recharge, and refocus means I will be finishing my undergraduate degree during the spring term 2007.

 

JoAnn,

Having read a number of your pragmatic posts in the past I know you are someone who would not start a thread like this unless you truly felt what you describe. That actually made me feel better. I too am getting a burn-out feeling one year into my DL MBA. Maybe not so much burn-out, but with baby number 1 coming any day now I simply cannot motivate myself. Studying managing marketing and performance seems so dry when really I want to read about raising children and understanding babies.

When I started my course the head tutor said something that stuck with me; he said 25% of you will sail through the course with no problems, 25% of you will quit. 50% will struggle on through, hitting the sides repeatedly along the way, but will get through in the end. Perhaps for those 50% (us) the final victory is sweeter.

Keep your eye on the end goal and keep picturing that proud graduation day. It's what keeps me going.

Good luck.

Dave C.

 

When you hit the half way point, all you see are the rest of the courses you need for your degree. You don't see how far you have come. Life weaves its way in and out during this process of gaining your education.

When I was half way through, it was like my God I still have this much more to go. The pressures of life and my job and my kid and anything else just mounted on me. Pretty soon, I was able to say that I had three courses left. Then, all of a sudden I was in my last course.

I am a career counselor in the Navy. I tell military members all the time to not stop. Cut your course level in half, but don't stop. Education is the one thing we put on the back burner when life seems to consume us. It is so easy to quit, but hard to start back up. Maintaining a steady forward march is the way to go.

There were times that I am surprised I made it. I just did the work. I didn't put the extra learning into it. There were other times that I put myself 100% into my coursework. I guess this is why they call it a "college career". Careers go up and down with happiness and frustration.

Anyway, just relaying some of my experiences. In the end, you have to do what is best for you.

Good Luck and Happy Holidays!

 

Take a break if you need it. I know what you mean about burn out. I am teaching 18-21 credits next semester, working full time in a corp job, taking a class for my PhD and the last on for my UF certificate. After that semester, I will take a break!

Do what you need to do so you do not kill yourself but you do finish in the end.