8 week versus 16 week course length

I have taken 4, 10, 12 and 16 weeks courses. I preferred the 4 week courses, with the exception of one Stats course that really kicked me in the gluts!

Tom

 

I also prefer the shorter courses. DSU offers 15 week courses in the fall and spring and 5 week courses in the summer. The 15 week courses seem to drag on forever. The 5 week courses are butt kickers, but I get a sense of accomplishment every time I complete a summer courses in 1/3 the time of a fall or spring semester.

The program I will start in January will have me taking 2 courses every 10 weeks with a 3 week break in between each semester. Hopefully this doesn't prove to be too much of a butt kicker.

 

I've yet to take an online course, but I agree with the poster above that 16-week semesters just drag on and I remember once a professor commenting in about the 14th week of a course: "I've taught you everything I know."

Does a list exist somewhere of programs broken down by semester length? (Yes, I searched here first.)

Thanks

 

It widely varies by college, for instance my CC of choice (Tulsa Community College) offers online courses in 2-7, 8 and 12-16 week formats. Each discipline is broken down into those three categories, with most classes being available in 2 or all three formats.

Quick question while I'm here, based on your previous experience what do you think the class length should be based on the below criteria:

Working full-time. (When I start, I'll be doing four 10-hour shifts with three days off)

Not much of a "social" life, considering I recently relocated and have yet to "social network".

I want to finish in the fastest way possible while still having time to digest the information and not be completely rushed.

Somehow it just doesn't seem possible to complete 20 classes in 64 weeks. Maybe I'm overlooking something, again.

 

It probably all depends on your motivation, but 2 concurrent 8 week courses was about all I could comfortably handle while working full time. I spent several hours each night and pretty much all weekend with very few "off" days to relax. More than one 5 week course at a time would have probably been a bit too stressful for me. Your mileage may vary.

Danny