Many adult learners juggle full -time work, family and personal commitments while obtaining their diplomas. For the experienced civilian engineer, Marc Seter, this balancing act is not only a challenge – it is a competence that he masters. Between working full time, take care of the family and continue their IT Master Degree of Cu Boulder, he found creative means of bringing learning into his life. One of its most unique study strategies? Incorporating lessons in his daily swimming routine.
As a person who regularly works 60 hours per week, benefits from a range of hobbies and is active in a plethora of family commitments, Marc celebrates the flexibility of this program. His trip is not only to obtain a diploma; It is a question of staying curious, continuously growing and proving that with good mentality, learning has never to be stopped.
Dive into his studies
Every day, Marc spends 90 minutes in the swimming pool, but instead of simply counting the towers, he listens to audio lectures or Siri read his manual aloud. This is his way of making the most of every moment.
“If there are never readings of a manual, I will buy 2 copies. I will take one of them, remove the spine with my jab saw and pass the entire manual through my scanner and the OCR (recognition of optical characters). Then transform this into text that Siri can read me while I am in the pool.
In addition, once Marc realized that all the readings of his manual are not easily understood by Siri, he went further and taught him to interpret the Greek alphabet as well as many mathematical symbols.
“And so I went ahead and I found a way to teach Siri the Greek alphabet. I taught Siri to talk to myself my manual while I swim, ”he shared, laughing. “This is my study time. And I have the impression of switching and driving on my program now.
For Marc, learning does not occur in isolation – it is woven in its routine and its fundamental values, proving that with the right approach, even the busiest hours can adapt to continuous education.
Why flexibility is important
Marc’s calendar is crowded – not just with his career and other hobbies, but with family responsibilities as well. As a goalkeeper for his wife, his two children and his parents-in-law, he notes that emergencies can often occur unexpectedly. Being able to take a break at school if necessary has been essential to manage the balancing act of your busy life.
“There are times when everything is going very well and I move very quickly. And then there are other moments when, for any reason, I need to slow down a little. It’s absolutely huge for me, ”he said.
The flexibility of the program allows him to adjust his rhythm according to what life throws him, that it means working in advance when things are calm or by backing up when his family needs him.
From learning to application
For Marc, learning does not only occur for learning – it applies what it takes up immediately. At work, he used dynamic programming techniques that he learned in class to optimize an algorithm called automatic reconciller, which contributes to correspond more effectively to financial transactions.
“I applied certain dynamic programming techniques to speed up one of the algorithms we have,” he said. “It was a direct point of view of my lessons.”
For Marc, it is the biggest victory – not just winning a diploma, but acquiring skills that make a real difference in his work.
Love the learning process
Marc fully appreciated the study program and is not in a hurry to graduate. In fact, he has trouble choosing the specialization on which he is concentrated because he finds value and is interested in everyone.
“I want to take them all,” he admitted. “I think of the wilder approach – by making each credit except one to obtain my diploma, just so that I can integrate all the specializations. But, practically speaking, I have the impression of being able to finish the program, obtain mastery and continue to take courses through other specializations. »»
His interests are wide, ranging from quantum computer to robotics through the ethics of artificial intelligence. The rapid progress of AI excite it, and it sees a growing need for professionals who include both technology and its ethical implications.
“The AI market is only growing, and it is a set of skills that will be in high demand,” he said.
The value of errors (and a good joke)
Marc also appreciates the way the program allows him to make mistakes and learn from them. Unlike traditional assessments where a bad answer is only a brand against your note, this program transforms errors into teaching moments.
“One of the things I really like is the quizs and assignments. I feel like I learn more when I make a mistake than when I understand the first time, “he said. “I was even tempted to go through some of them and respond with all the bad answers because the comments provided by the teacher are extremely useful”
What makes the process even better? The sense of humor of his teacher.
“The professor has a great sense of humor and will often understand jokes in the comments with bad answers. I really appreciate this – it makes him very fun.
Ahead
Despite the juggling with so much juggling, Marc is booming. His ability to mix education in his daily life – whether in the pool, at work or in a few moments – keeps it on the right track without feeling outdated.
Her story really talks about what is possible with online education. The ability to study your own terms, immediately apply new skills and learn in an unconventional way proves that higher education does not have to be rigid – it can adapt to your life.
(Tagstranslate) IT
