With my first semester of college grades in my hand, I was feeling a little (overly) ambitious and decided to take a winter class online to get ahead. That way, I can be able to take a lighter course load somewhere in the future. With the way our semesters work out, a twelve week class is smushed into four weeks. Plus it's online (with notifications popping up all over the place, and no office hours to go to) and you have to do the homework on your own, like any other class you've ever taken; but you also have to find the time to teach yourself some of the material.

Even myself, who's pretty damn good at time management, thinks this is a whole lot to manage. Again, I really don't consider myself much of a procrastinator, but after a semester of working hard and being on top of my game, I want to be home enjoying my break and spending time with a friend I haven't seen since I left for school.

Doing school work is the last thing I want to think about, let alone doing. I mean, I'm not sure I even know what day of the week it is now because it just doesn't matter right now, right? There's no classes to wake up early for or meetings and study groups to get to late at night. But no! Every time I slide to get into that break mentality, a little reminder will come from somewhere telling me that I'm still in school, even if I am not on campus. I still have due dates and homework and studying to do.

At least during the semester it's easy to study with other friends or set aside time to go to the library, but now there's no study buddy (I'm not even sure who else is in my class), theres no late night library -- there's just me, sitting on my bed on my computer. I'm making my own schedule, trying to remember to carve out the time to do homework, and watching my friend not have to think about school for at least two or three more weeks.

Taking an online class isn't a bad thing, don't get me wrong. I just don't think that winter (or summer... but that's a story for another time) is the right answer, they just cause more stress. During the semester an online class seems like a wonderful resource for those commuting to school from a distance or when two classes you just have to take are only offered at the same time- but cram it in to 1/3 of the time?No thanks!

Maybe down the road, when I'm in the middle of a particularly heavy semester, I'll be happy I took this extra class, but for now -- I just with I had had my winter break to myself.

*In terms of summer classes, I would say they're just as mentally trying as a winter class. It may be only six weeks (only half a regular semester), but who wants to have to pass on vacations to the beach, days at the pool, or star watching at night just to do school work? Having classes over the summer plus that full time job (to put some spending money in the bank for the rest of the year), and trying to enjoy your last summers of "freedom" is far more exhausting than enjoyable, if you ask me.