When we decided to ‘stay around the house’ this summer I thought it meant we would be cruising. Lazy afternoons in the garden, get a few odd jobs done about the place. In November I thought, if I do a paper over summer I will finish my degree in June – that would be nice. Unfortunately in December it was decided that we will be painting the house and then the kids finished school and shouted “Let’s go Dad, what are we going to do first, camping or a beach trip?”
Christmas required a Jekyll and Hyde personality. By day I was the pleasant ‘Dad about the House’ and at night a maniac, reading and scribbling frantically in order to present my 2,500 words following the New Year. I was constantly distracted: “Ahh yes, those were actually for Isaac and if we open this it will probably be for Kendal”. Christmas was confused this year.
The house got its paint, two coats, we camped on two occasions and day tripped to the beach but I live with the constant nag that I have not done enough study. I feel drained, deferring exercise and sun for study, my energy reflecting the constant sub-dermal pressure of year-long study.
Summer study may be hell for me but there are others out there who are loving it. What is it that makes it work for them? I do know deep down that I will get through this. The contact course will help motivate me and I will get a week or two off before Semester One papers start. I won’t be giving up - but boy, these summer papers are hell.

I totally agree, with all of summers temptations it can be a case of doing just enough to get through. If it doesn’t happen already I think all papers offered over this semester should have a contact course or two to help keep those students up to date especially with the semester being the shortest of the three.
I agree that more support is needed for summer school papers. Rather than having to go to campus for a contact course I think an enhanced web support may be the way to go. That way you are not adding to the lack of time problem.
I have just done an accountancy paper 110:100 over summer. There was so much academic support you would have been forgiven for not realising it was a summer paper. Hats off to this team, they seemed to work throughout the whole holiday period. Hardly like a summer paper at all.
I will make sure the team at the School of Accountancy get to hear your comment. Great to get some positive feedback, there is a lot of inspirational teaching happening at Massey.
We know just how hard it is for all you at massey, whether you are an Extramural student or an in-house student.I would not like to be going back to study with the fees being as high as they are today.
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