Happy spring y’all, the temperatures are changing and things are coming back to life. As this new 7-week session has started I figured it would be the perfect time to talk to a student/close friend of mine who has had experience with the 7-week sessions.
I’ve taken a winter semester and a 7-week session in the summer. My personal experience was very good honestly. It reminded me of being back in high school and doing work for the same class every day. When I took those classes it was before covid and they were very virtual and self-taught/paced. I didn’t meet with a class on zoom or on campus. The professors would post either a weekly announcement on what had to be done or you just kept a close eye on the class schedule for when assignments/ readings are done by. These classes definitely take some discipline but the end result is so great.
I would like to introduce you a very good friend of mine, Micheal Rice;
What makes you want to take the 7 week sessions CCBC offers you?
I took the 7 week session because it was shorter and I wanted to see the experience of having a 3 hr class. On top of that when I first started CCBC it was the first option.
Have you ever taken the full semester sessions, and how do they differ from the 7 week sessions?
I have taken a full semester session and the only difference is that the classes are shorter and you’re more tempted to leave early in a 7 week session because sitting in a class for 3 hrs can be boring. They also give you breaks to not be in class and get something to eat or drink in a 7 week session but I feel like in an online 3 hr session students are more tempted to get distracted and get up. All in all props to the 7 week session professors for having to stay up and not cancelling class.
What’s one thing you would tell a first time student taking 7 week sessions?
I would tell them to save themselves and not take them lol but on a serious note if it’s their only option get lots of sleep and a lot of the time attendance counts and missing 1 day is like missing 3 weeks with the class being so condensed and they’re more likely to hate it and appreciate the regular session classes and if your someone with a short attention span don’t take them. Time management is also important, stuff is due sooner than a regular session due to it only being 7 weeks and when finals time come around it’s go mode!
What’s one major downside and one major upside to taking these classes?
A downside is the length of class and due dates being due sooner. An upside, it’s normally a 2 day thing so treat it like a shift at work and push through. Also once you finish you feel accomplished as professors tend to work with you and help you get an A. Some professors can be understanding and try working with you. Oh! and the main upside is getting breaks and having the decision to leave early a lot of the time the professors will dismiss early.
Do you feel like your professors are as active as they are in full sessions?
Yes, they are very active when it comes to helping you with assignments before the due date comes around mainly because you have so little time to do so. Since the class is 3 hrs long there’s time to get help afterwards because sometimes they’d let out class early and stay behind to help students. I also find they respond quicker when you have questions and it’s like they push everything to the side to only focus on your needs.
Do you ever feel rushed in these sessions? And how did you manage to get it all done?
I’m pretty decent when it comes to time management but I also procrastinate and when I do I feel rushed trying to finish something last minute. An example of this is my English 101 class in a 7 week session where we had to write a lot of essays and they were due that week. So waiting the day of or before would make my anxiety increase and I would rush and still make a great final product on anything I was turning in… Also my motivation to get through the pressure was that these classes are 3 hours long, I’m not taking these classes again so I’m treating my assignments seriously, and focusing on getting them done.
What do you think would be a sane limit amount of classes to take during the 7 week sessions, and why?
I took 4 classes during the 7 week session but only 3 were 3 hours long and I felt that it was sane. They were English, CSIT, and Math. Although math was at night and having that 3rd class for 3 hours would get annoying but having them on different days helped because CSIT was on another day from English and math which made life much easier but it’s like you get through one 3 hr class and before you celebrate you remember, man there’s another 3 hour class… Honestly I chose to take 3 of these type classes so I could hurry up and get my credits to work my way towards my degree. I felt the more classes the better so I could knock out what I could. I would honestly recommend 2 for someone who’s just started though, but if you had the mindset I had, 3 would do just fine. I pushed myself and passed all 4 classes with A’s!!!
Is there anything else you would like to add Mike?
I would like to add a special thanks to all the professors I’ve had during these 7 week classes for pushing me to be the best version of me, working with me, and understanding that these classes can be challenging. Don’t forget there’s still coach classes which I know would seem like a headache to attend after a 3 hr class but there’s plenty of semesters to get through and coach class is only there to help. Me personally I never used it lol but it’s still there… I wouldn’t recommend 7 week sessions, but it’s not as bad as it seems. You’ll start to get used to it and it will feel like the norm. After taking a 7 week session you begin to appreciate a 14 week session more. I think the time of the classes and it being a late start is what makes people not want to take them until they understand the reason 7 week classes are 3 hours long is to fit the time limit of a 14 week session so in reality it’s the same length… Once you remind yourself of that, the semester will be smoother than cream cheese on a bagel. Thanks for your time Sincerely current CCBC student Mike 😎
Mike and his older brother Shaun on the Essex campus
I’ve known Mike since 11th grade AP English at Kenwood. I can definitely say taking math 135 in the fall of 2019 with Professor Askarpour brought our friendship back together. Mike is the prime example of a great friend to have in life and college because he is very school driven/smart, but we can also be goofy together. We had our own little study group with another classmate and we helped each other out. I haven’t taken anymore classes with him because our majors are different but I know he will do great things in life. Keep on shining Mike!!! Thank you Mike for taking time out of your busy schedule to help me compose this blog. I hope all your dreams in mechanical engineering come true and I know you will always have everything under control.
