So, at the point when I am starting this, I am halfway through my last class - Capstone. When I publish this, I will have completed the course - so that you get a sense of what my last 8 weeks have been like.
No one really prepares you for this.
Your class opens a week or so before the official start of the class. You have the opportunity to review the syllabus. Because by the 3rd day of class you have to have selected a group to work with for the 8 weeks and to have posted your introduction.
If you don't find a group to work with, you get randomly assigned to a group. Or put with people who haven't already committed to be in a group within the roster alphabetically.
You have to meet up with them very fast because before long, you have to submit who each week's group leaders are (everyone gets the opportunity to lead) and sign up for a time to meet the professor.
There is one assignment that is due within the first week of class. That is the only assignment you do on your own (unless you plan to do the extra credit at the end of the class).
Everything else is with your group.
Due to the rapid pace and numerous items of things due, you spend more time with you group members than you do with your own family - or so it seems. It isn't uncommon to have a meeting with them 4 out of 7 days in the week.
Just as you finish one major assignment, the next is due.
Forget about much of a social life.
My teammates and I all had full-time jobs. Luckily most days we kept about the same work hours, so we had the same availability after work. But I found myself cutting out some of the things I do for myself, like attending Bible Study, so that our group could meet earlier and not spent all night working or reviewing assignments.
Sometimes I skipped special church services to prepare for presentations.
Some assignments we had to repeat completing multiple times because of how we interpreted the instructions based on what was expected.
Grading rubrics were helpful guides to know what we needed.
Sometimes team meetings came when I would usually be watching my niece. My awesome teammates (Patrick and Emily) were great about allowing my niece to hang out with me while we met. Usually she just lay down next to me playing on the family tablet. She became an honorary member of our team. And she liked to wave and say good night to them when it was her bedtime.
Every time there is a paper due, the next day a presentation on the material is expected. If it is the Easter holiday weekend and your paper is due on Good Friday, you have a presentation the Saturday before Easter. Even if it's not on the syllabus, the final campaign includes a presentation. The first presentations are less formal than the last one so you can obtain feedback on your paper before moving on to the next one. Sometimes there are conflicts with scheduled presentation days and you find you want to do them earlier than later just to get them done.
When the 8 weeks are done, you feel a huge sense of relief. You made it! But, then there is also a sense of sadness. Because it is done. And, I enjoyed working with my team, so not talking to them on a regular basis felt strange. And a sense of fear - because you are waiting for final grades. That last campaign grade. The class grade.
When you see 100% completed and a great GPA for all your classes, you breathe a sigh of relief.
It's over.
It's done.
It's finished.
You survived.
You passed.
Enjoy graduation.
Then think about what's next.
