Did you read superhero comics when you were a kid? I did. And I wonder if that influenced my temper today. Or is there something to the zodiac signs after all? If so, it would fit: I’m an Aries, and I tend to take on big projects and sometimes overburden myself just because I know I can handle it.
When I had to decide on the variant of the Master’s programme I intended to study, it happened again. I was pleased to see that one could study the same content either online or on-site. And in both cases, you could decide between studying a part-time or a full-time programme. Today, I know that this is called Flexible Learning. At the time, I was simply thrilled with the possibilities—especially the chances of meeting people in person in any case.
I knew that I would opt for distance learning, as I live too far away from the university. Nevertheless, there was still the question of full-time or part-time. There were hints on the website that part-time study was suitable for people who were working on the side. This was true for me. However, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be bound to timetables and deadlines for two years. It felt so long. The superhero Aries inside me suggested: how about just gritting your teeth and—as we say in German: “eyes closed and through”—going full-time despite family and job?
There was an orientation website trying to guide people in their decision. I cannot recall the exact adjectives the site used. Still, I remember how those adjectives only spurred my ambition even more: Difficult, intense, time-consuming, stressful? No problem. Bring it on!
Then I came across that number which suddenly made the decision very easy for me. The website explained how full-time students reported that it took them about 50 hours a week to cope with the workload.
Fifty!
This number immediately deflated all superhero tendencies in me. I could see clearly that 50 hours a week plus job plus family plus sleeping, eating, etc. would not work. And I made the right decision: part-time.
Despite the part-time, I still need a lot of super strength to handle my studies. As a part-time student, I occasionally have the feeling of stress and overstraining, but at least the things from the first part of the programme could sink in before moving on to new topics.
I wonder how studying this MA is even possible as a full-time student. It was good for me that I was able to digest the learning content. It was good that one year later, I was able to make a new connection to it (through another module which referred to that content). As a full-time student, all this would have happened simultaneously. One example: In the winter of the second year, I was able to concentrate fully on the research report instead of having to do all the first-year assignments on the side. Without a doubt, I learned more this way.
Therefore, my thanks go to the people who decided to ask full-time students about their experiences and to publish the results. It was helpful to not only read about qualitatively estimates (using adjectives) but also being confronted with quantitatively predicts. The required number of hours per week, based on the student’s experience, helped me to make the right decision for me and my situation. Without this number, I might have benefited less from the whole programme.
API docs and me 