This quarter, Neumont Univeristy implemented a new scheduling system they called the Sprint System. Essentially, the Sprint System is a block schedule in which classes are half a quarter long, but class time is double. So essentially we finish the class in half the physical time, while completing the same number of hours the class requires. The decision to move into this new scheduling system was made right before the previous quarter ended and was sort of sprung on a lot of the student body, although I had heard rumors of a scheduling change for a while prior to that.
Neumont just implemented the Sprint System, and because of that I haven’t exactly made up my mind as to whether or not I like or dislike it simply because it’s new and the Neumont administration hasn’t had the time to modify it.
When I learned that we would be put on a new schedule I planned accordingly, and took the required number of classes in order to be a full time student. For me that was four classes, or two classes a sprint. The mistake a lot of people made was thinking that the sprint system was an excellent way to blow through a lot of classes in one quarter. So a lot of people took 3 or more classes during the first sprint alone. What they failed to realize however, is that the sprint system will require you to work TWICE as hard as you normally would. Meaning double the homework, double the quizzes, and double the exams. The extra homework alone swamped a lot of people. I heard from a lot of different students that the sprint system was too fast and that it was destined to fail all of the students. I found this to be untrue. Number one, the people of complained the most either didn’t know how to code very well, or they didn’t study as much or as hard as the could have. Number two, I fell off of my bike and punctured my lung during the first sprint, causing me to miss 4 days of class, and I was able to catch up within the weekend. I missed a few assignments, but I was still able to pass the class. So if I can pass with almost a B after missing almost a week of class, anyone can pass.
However, there is one problem I have with the sprint system.
Core classes like Java II simply cannot be taught in a sprint with the same degree of quality that teaching them in a quarter provides. While I was taking Java II I noticed that the class was pretty watered down so that we could speed through the material. I barely had the time to fully comprehend everything before we had moved onto the next section. I was able to compensate for that by reading the chapters and writing notes on the chapters. Had I not done that, I would have failed. Plain and simple.
That’s my only problem with the sprint system, and if Neumont would simply lengthen the big classes to a quarter and make electives sprints, the sprint system would work perfectly.
Those are my thoughts on the issue. =D
The Boring Techie 