I can’t speak for everyone, but overall, the structure of courses for OSU’s online CS degree has been really beneficial to me. I’m originally from Texas, and with K-12 and my initial bachelor’s degree being structured the same way, it was refreshing to learn in a more structured, focused way (I.e. less classes at a time, but more time to spend with each one). I’ve been taking 2 to 3 classes each term while working part/full-time, and while certainly do-able, the latest term has certainly pushed me to the brink.
Let me clarify a bit more. I’ve been in classes, almost nonstop, from the age of 5. I am currently 26. I love to learn, don’t get me wrong, but we almost certainly all attended school to better ourselves and our futures, but in doing so, a lot of sacrifices were made, whether that be financial burdens, social relationships or familial ones, or perhaps even our own health. For me, it’s been all of the above. Had family pass, friends move on, and just 2 weeks ago, caught covid and forced myself to continue working on school because it wouldn’t wait on me, especially with the accelerated 11-week courses. And so far, I’ve received almost no benefit and certainly not a monetary one. And in the midst of all of that, I realize it’s baffling that I still have this drive to succeed. By all means, I shouldn’t.
This blog is for anyone who may be feeling that fatigue, who might be ready to just give in, or who might be thinking the costs just aren’t worth it. Keep going. You are learning a skill that not everyone knows or can do. Being programmers, we probably like to think that coding is easy. Routine. A process. And others like to say not everyone can think that way or comprehend it. But, your ability to understand and comprehend it is a result of hard work and dedication to learning code. Don’t work yourself to death; the world can wait. But with that said, don’t stop once you’ve started.
