Last Friday I submitted my final university assignment. I have completed my course, after only six years for what amounts to three semesters of full time study! I must admit I was feeling pretty unsure as to whether I would finish, having taken a leave of absence on two separate occasions. This round of studying was a lot different than my undergraduate experience when I was still young.

I think the obvious difference is that most of us really don’t have nearly as many distractions and commitments when we are younger. And I don’t think we appreciate the freedom that we have for study either. I have discovered that I am or have become far more easily distracted as I’ve grown older too.

Which leads me to the second difference. I know for a fact my brain is functioning at far lower levels than when I was a young adult. Sometimes I find it difficult to form a coherent sentence. So it’s a wonder that I can form a collection of coherent sentences to write an assignment. The second assignment this semester was a really difficult one. I suffered panic and found it hard to write anything at all. When I finally did, I wrote something up as quickly as possible. I realised towards the end that I had overlooked a crucial part of the assignment where I needed to narrow my topic to a particular area. I survived that assignment but tried very hard to plan ahead for the last one.

Which leads me to the third problem. I must have a procrastination gene. I think this because my mother confessed to me earlier this year that she has a hard time completing anything. I have always put off getting started on my assignments from as far back as I can remember. This never caused me particular problems when I was young. I remember actually completing a writing assignment early as an undergraduate and feeling really pleased with that accomplishment. Unfortunately, that assignment ended up with a poorer grade than any of the others and I think that has stuck in my brain because I’ve never finished any assignment early from that time. It doesn’t work so efficiently, though, when you go back to that first difference. Too many distractions make it a lot more difficult to whip up an assignment because you  just never know how everyday life is going to take your attention to something else. Then it’s a matter of getting back on track. To get back to the topic at hand, I did start work on my last assignment much earlier. But the writing of it still came down to the last couple of days.

A very significant change in my study this time around is that it’s been done completely by distance eduation. While it’s very practical and very flexible, it has some pitfalls. Some of the units I’ve studied have been very involving throughout, encouraging interaction online. But others, like the one I’ve just finished, have only a few students and the tutor/lecturer only pops in occasionally and makes a few comments then leaves. There is little to no motivation to interact or take part because there simply is no discussion. Then there was the internet studies unit I did last year where the online students were fairly interactive but the lecturer seemed to drop out after the first few weeks and take almost no part in the online discussions. Those students attending classes and tutorials had the benefit of his presence and involvement every week. But those of us online hardly heard from him at all. 

But now my official studies are completed and it’s just a matter of waiting for my diploma to be processed and sent to me. I completed and posted the intention to graduate form this afternoon and everything should be official by the middle of next month although I’m not too sure when I will receive my diploma.