Back to School: Q & A

On my post Back to School: Report Card, Terri had some questions which were left in the comments. Instead of returning my reply in the comments, I created this post so everyone can read my responses.


How long have you been taking these classes?

I had planned to start September 2008, but a pesky hurricane got in the way. Two weeks without power, four weeks to get back on track, I started in November, 2008.

The format isn't classes in the traditional sense. It's 3 CDs with about 16 lessons. There are no due dates. I have to stay motivated and disciplined to keep the wheels turning.

Do you find that you are learning a lot from them?

Some material is new, some I already know. This course is helping me fill knowledge gaps. I'm also getting practical experience with citations.

I've only done about 25% of the assignments, so I'll have a better answer down the road.

How much time do you have to devote to these classes?

I spend 3-4 hours a week on reading, notes or assignments. Even if I only have a few minutes to spare one day, I'm always trying to make forward progress. I have been known to take a week off if life gets in the way.

At this pace, I finished an assignment every 2-3 weeks.

Do you feel it is worth the money asked?

For now I'm going to say yes, but ask me again when I'm done. I did pay extra for the grading option. So far, feedback has been minimal but positive. I don't know if the graders are supposed to praise the good and sugar coat the bad OR I actually did everything right, so there wasn't much to constructively criticize. I'll know more after I submit and receive other assignments.

The cost of this course seems comparable to the price of a semester class at a university.

Terri, I hope these answers help. This American Genealogy course is not difficult. Beginners can do it. Intermediate researchers can challenge themselves further by selecting more difficult genealogical problems to solve for the assignments. You get out of it what you put into it.