Should I take 12 summer credits at WNMU?

This board is a godsend. I am still getting over the devastation of not having enough money/aid to attend Sarah Lawrence College.

I found Western New Mexico University due to this board, and am hoping they will admit me for summer 2010 to their MAIS program. I'd like to concentrate in psychology and writing so I can teach at the community college level online while pursuing a doctorate at likely a foreign university (due to money.)

Right now, I am self-employed. This summer I could work 10 hours a week or less and not starve.

I am thinking due to money and time (I don't want to take 2 years to finish this MAIS.) I should take 12 credits this summer as well as next summer, as WNMU charges non-resident rates for more than 6 credits only during the summer.

Is this a bad idea? The classes I want to take in summer 2010 are two in psych (one in an area I know very well) and two in writing (both in areas I know well, and one is actually more of a publishing than writing class.)

How demanding are these types of classes?

Thanks!

 

Twelve hours of graduate summer session work will be a sizable challenge no matter what the courses; I know because I completed 9-hours during two (2003 / 2004) summer semesters in residence while working full-time. Additionally it was mandatory that a student obtain special authorization for enrolling in additional hours over six during a summer term with 9 total hours as the max allowable summer term academic load. It’s doable; however, I wouldn’t personally repeat the undertaking again. Nonetheless, in your own situation you require as few as 10-hours per week at your work and such a decision would be economically feasible while also meeting both your tuition benefit and program completion target date … why not.

BTW, will WNMU permit enrollment in 4-graduate courses during a 10-week summer session?

 

You're kidding, right? Masters-level classes are significantly more demanding than undergraduate classes. So if you're judging by your undergrad experience, get that out of your head right now.

Twelve semester credit hours at the graduate level is one third of most US masters degrees which are intended to take two years to complete, even for those going full-time. So, then, by attempting 12 semester credit hours at the graduate level in a single summer, you're talking about doing quite a bit more work -- pushing double the amount -- in that time period than even a full-time student is really supposed to attempt.

All that said, if you really are able to work only 10 hours per week -- and especially if you could schedule those 10 hours on a single work day -- then, who knows, maybe you could actually probably pull it off. If work weren't a factor, and you'd be willing to have basically no life some weeks, it might actually be possible.

The department faculty may not allow it, though. That's another thing to consider.

Some things just take the amount of time that they're going to take. And sometimes it's better to just not mess with that so that one's life can be a bit more balanced througout.

Were you paying me to advise you, I'd say not to try it. But... who knows. Maybe you're sufficiently special that it would be no skin off your nose to give it a shot. Only you know that.

 

I agree with Steve. You never know until you try, but it will be extremely difficult to complete that much work in such a short time. So, if you drop, make sure you are aware of the deadlines for getting your money back.

Some here may disagree with me on this one, but I think the work load will be even higher due to the fact that this will be done online. (It is online, right?) In my experience, an online class has anywhere from 30% to 50% more work than a comparable in-person class. The fact that you know much of the material already may mitigate this issue to some extent.

 

Could become a new board subject: The WNMU summer challenge. Who is able to pull of the most credits If you are really going for this I keep my fingers crossed. Sounds like a crazy way to spend your summer.

 

Hey, maybe a new reality show!

 

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<cough> uhhh, really?
Three things- grad classes are much more work than undergrad classes. I won't even get into why. Next, summer session is much shorter than full semester classes, so you'll be doubling up on the work. Third, if you exceed the 6 credits at WNMU, you blow up the economic advantage you had by getting the discounted rate.

So, 1 grad credit requires 3-5 hours outside of class for a 16 week semester. 12 credits would require 36-60 hours of study time, then you're accelerating the schedule by half- so no fewer than 72-120 hours per week alone in your own head. As a psych concentrator, you must see the irony. Anway, I'm not sure what kind of quality learning or what kind of grades can happen under that kind of schedule- but that's a hell of a lot of APA style writing.

 

The tuition cost at WNMU zooms up for more than 6 units.

 

Go for it

When I was in my MBA program at the University of Akron, I lost my job in December 2001. At that time, I was 18 credit hours away from graduating. I looked at the schedule, and realized that I could graduate in December, since the 18 hours I needed did not conflict wuith each other (My MBA was brick and mortar in the evening).

I went ahead and did it, My final classes were:

Product and Brand Management
Strategic Financial Planning
International Business
Leadership within the Organization
Labor Relations
Strategic Decision Making (Capstone)

I lived at the University Law Library since it was across the street from the College of Business Administration. End result, 5 A's, 1 A minus. It was a crazy semester, but looking back, no regrets.

Sometimes windows of opportunity open for a reason, and if the window is open, go for it, because you don't know if you'll get another opportunity.

Shawn

 

Holy crap! That is insane. I have had a difficult time taking 2 graduate classes during the same term, I can hardly imagine taking 5...yikes.

The intelligence and work ethic of the posters on this board is remarkable.

As others have noted, it costs way more to take over 6 credits at WNMU.

Remember too, that the job market is still very tough. Perhaps it might not be a bad idea to prolong the school process a bit?

Good luck to you!

 

My advice: DON'T DO IT!

I was considering taking 9 credits last summer. I settled on 6. Even that was a killer. I took an 8 week class which overlapped a 4 week class in the end. I seriously wanted to shoot myself in the face the whole summer. I'm soooooo glad I didn't take 9 credits.

Someone laid it out to me like this:

If you spend approximately 10 hours per week in a 16 week course, condensing the course to 4 weeks would INCREASE the amount of time spent per week in the course to 40 hours per week. I thought I cold do that, considering I'm a high school teacher, and I was off for the summer. Of course, I had to go and take that 8 week course too. It was killer.

I appreciate your "gung-ho" attitude towards the MAIS program, but trust me, I know the tuition is dirt cheap, but you don't want to screw yourself (and your GPA) up over taking too many classes in the summer.

-Matt

 

I did 4 at UT Martin this past summer. They comprised of a 2 and 2 with each course being roughly 5 weeks. It was tough and I put in a lot of time but I finished. This was a unique program, I'm not sure if I would dare take on that many unless I saw a precedent set by someone else.

 

Actually, it was 6 classes. I had a lot of hoops to jump through to get permission as well. The school originally was not going to let me do it, but I was persistent.

I also got a head start on reading materials. I purchased my books as early as possible, reviewed old syllabi, etc., so I was actually working for about 20 weeks.

When I said I lived at the law library, I meant it. The law library was open 24 hours a day. After classes ended at 10:40 p.m. - I'd head over there and review materials until 2 - 2:30 a.m., and then go home. I was usually on campus again by 12 noon. I also did NO school work on Sunday - that was my rest and recover family day.

Ultimately, you know yourself better than anyone on this board does. 9 - 12 hours is usually considered full-time for grad school, so to me, if you are working only 10 hours a week, I believe it's feasible. Not easy, but feasible.

Shawn

 

Thanks for the thoughts. Maybe I'll try to take three instead.

FYI: WNMU offers online students who are non-residents discounted/resident tuition rates for more than 6 credits ONLY in the summer. Hence, why I was contemplating doubling up on the summer.

I don't even know if I'm admitted. I also e-mailed the psych adviser to ask her about requirements for the departments internship, thesis, directed research, etc. and haven't heard back.

 

No, you should not try 12 graduate credits in one term.

 

I did hear back from the psych adviser. She was wondering how the MAIS fits into my doctoral plans.

I have a few ideas but no concrete answer. I also don't want to tell her I'm a bit worried I don't have the set of research skills needed for a doctorate.

 

As a professional graduate student (tee hee), I would not do it.

 

I think everyone has said it already. I enrolled for 9 credits my first summer at WNMU, and was taking another class at another school. Due to the demands and the fact that I was working and traveling, I had to drop one of the class at WNMU for a total of 9 credits between the two universities.

What's nice abou WNMU is that you can transfer in 2 classes. If you look at some other schools that have 1 semester intensive schedules, or that work on quarters, you could take 2 classes and transfer them in. In addition, you can technically take as many classes as you'd like and still pay the residential fee because WNMU waives the out-of-state fees during the summer.

While working full time as a teacher, I have found my maximum to be 9 credits. I took two writing classes during the summer and it was intense because it was a lot of work in a small amount of time.