“If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.” — George Bernard Shaw
So my revision came back from the Writing Center with a seal of approval, meaning I'm in much better shape. Now that I'm halfway through my second semester and am finally really into the groove of what I'm doing with my program, I decided to check out my ADP, or academic degree plan, that I was sent at the beginning when I first enrolled. It's the plan I'm to follow during my entire time with the program, which is pretty neat because it means I know from the start what courses I'm taking all the way through.
Finally giving it this close perusal, I noticed that next semester I'll have two courses that are seemingly Master's level. One is HEd 600, Foundations of Learning. The other is HEd 601, Instructional Design and Program Planning.
Now, my Master's is in Education, so I like to think I'm already conversant with the foundations of learning. But I also specifically took a course in Instructional Design, so another thing I like to think is that I don't need to take another one, if it's meant as an introduction to the subject.
I'm unsure how to approach this. I'm scheduled for 76 semester-hours, and the minimum in this program is 60, for those who have a Master's in Health Education specifically from A.T. Still University. I could ask simply to be exempted from these courses so I can move more quickly through my program. If they say yes, that's ideal. But if they say no and instead want me to take other courses instead, then I'll have made things harder on myself because actually taking those courses should be a walk in the park.
I know: that sounds terrible, right? Shouldn't I be gung ho to learn as much as possible and therefore to take as many courses as I can? Well, sure, in theory. But I have a lot I want to do with my life that involves putting this education to good use, and besides, these courses aren't even remotely free — I'm keenly aware that the day of having to pay back student loans will someday be upon me and that my overall burden, while less than many people's, will be sharply felt by my monthly budget.
So I'm going to think this one over for a few days. The start of the next term is eight weeks away, and in the meantime it's not like I don't have a lit review to complete!
Next up, I eventually do submit that lit review.