This week Conor, Elizabeth, and Michael offer advice on how to effectively balance CORe with jobs, travel, and big life events!
My CORe experience so far has been overwhelmingly positive. I won’t lie, though; it has been challenging. That said, I feel I have already learned more about the material than I have thus far in my life. Terminology that I had previously heard or read, but never fully understood, has now become a clear and useful part of my lexicon.
My biggest concern in the weeks leading up to the start was this: How will I be able balance the CORe material with my full time teaching schedule?
I owe my capacity to do so to the accessibility of the CORe platform. That is, it is not necessary to devote 2 or 3 or even 4 hour chunks of time in a day to do the work.
Even if you only have 45 minutes free, you can log in from anywhere (home, coffee shop, library, etc.), make some progress through a module, then get back to your daily tasks feeling like you’ve made some headway.
A single lesson usually consists of a short video (3 or 4 minutes), some further written explanations or diagrams, followed by some ‘knowledge check’ questions or a short written reflection. The platform does not allow you to continue to the next concept until after you’ve completed the current questions or reflection, which ensures that you are actively participating as opposed to simply reading or listening passively.
The compact nature of each lesson can really drive home a point without taking up too much time. Logging in a couple of times a day not only allows me to pace myself, but also keeps the material fresh in my mind without feeling overworked. This routine fits my schedule well as I teach in the evenings and am not able to designate that time for CORe.
Also, my advice is to take pen to paper notes while going through the modules. It has helped me thus far on the quizzes which can be a little nerve racking :)
The February 2015 cohort of CORe has started, and the race to learn the material and to complete the assignments due is most definitely on. The HBX team is right when they let the applicants know that CORe is not for the faint hearted (especially if one has a full time job).
It is fascinating, the technology behind the platform is breath-taking and getting to knowledge bomb your team at work is great fun, but it is a true commitment of time, energy and mind.
So what happens when you are doing CORe and have a full time job and simultaneously your sister is getting married…?
For those of you avidly following my blog posts you will know that I have three sisters (I’m about as lucky as they come). One is getting married this week which immediately raises the question, “How do I complete my CORe work and celebrate with my sister?”.
The CORe team does a great job of pacing the modules and assignments which helps to keep the panic levels down but also means that it is more difficult to “get ahead”.
Good news, there is room for manoeuvring for those willing to work hard. It is absolutely possible to ramp up on CORe ahead of a big event or a holiday.
You have to be willing to devote a significant portion of your time leading up to the event to working on CORe to obtain this mobility, but in my mind, if the trade-off is a couple of late nights to be able to enjoy your sister’s wedding, then the choice is clear.
My CORe experience thus far has exceeded expectations already. I am very pleased with the interactive platform, the case study method, and the quality of interaction between my peers in the course.
I find myself surprised at how engaging the platform makes each module. The videos, the animations, and the cold calls and reflective responses all together have made my learning experience very enjoyable.
The first modules for each course laid the foundation, and I’m looking forward to diving deeper in the upcoming weeks. I’m also really looking forward to meeting up with my fellow HBX peers in the Boston area, as we plan on meeting soon.
I was fascinated reading through everyone’s background as they introduced themselves on the HBX group Facebook page. It’s evident the individuals assembled here are very bright, courteous, and respectful.
While I continue to work at my job during the week day, I try and dedicate an hour to the course before work and an hour or two after I get home. I traveled to Arizona for work this week and I found myself doing classwork on the plane. The course is flexible enough to allow me to do both work and class, on top of other commitments.
