Hi Everyone,
I would like to address a few FAQs related to the Flex section. Here we go -
Q. Are the online classes sync or async?
A. Majority of the classes are async and can be seen at your convenient time. Class recordings are done by the professor and TA and uploaded on the learning website. There are online office hours scheduled by the faculty once in a week and they are usually short (an hour or two). You can see the professor via video conference solving problem sets and ask questions if required. These are not mandatory to attend. Most of the video recordings in the first quarter have been async so far. You can also adjust the speed of the video i.e., 1x, 1.5x, 2x and so on.
Q. Does the Flex class have any students from LA and surrounding areas?
A. Yes, lots of them! Several classmates live near the LA area or Orange County but attend the flex section because they either travel frequently in their current jobs or have other commitments. The flex schedule provides them enough flexibility to stay out of town for business purposes and still be able to keep up with the demanding program. We have students coming from Northern California, LA, Orange county, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Idaho, Las Vegas and even Houston!
Q. How often does the class meet on campus?
A. Once every 3-4 weeks
Q. Where do out of town students stay on Saturday nights?
A. A number of students stay at one of the guest houses in the UCLA campus. Others prefer hotels near the campus area and some have friends/relatives in the LA area.
Q. How do you keep up with the curriculum when you are not visiting campus every week?
A. There are assignments, quizzes and papers that need to be submitted almost every week. Some of them are individual assignments while others are group assignments. Learning group members meet each other via video conferencing tools to discuss these assignments during non-campus visit weeks.
Q. Is it a pain to travel from long distances?
A. I find it manageable because its only once every 3-4 weeks. During a normal on campus weekend, my day starts at 6am CT to catch a 9am CT flight to LAX. I reach campus around noon which gives me enough time before the classes start at 2pm on Saturday. The class ends at 7:30pm and several classmates meet outside campus (usually Westwood) during happy hours set by the social representative of the class. Next day - Sunday, everyone meets for breakfast on campus between 8-9am. Classes go on till 3pm with a lunch break in between. Time for another happy hour after class! Students who do not have to rush immediately to catch a flight hang around a bit longer. I usually catch a 7pm flight back to Houston and arrive home at midnight. Yes, its a long tiring weekend but its time well spent. Otherwise, I would have just wasted my entire Sunday watching NFL. Now, I only get time to watch Red Zone highlights :)
Feel free to reach out to me if you have more questions and I'll be happy to answer them. Have a great weekend!
Cheers,
Sandeep Shah
FEMBA Flex Section
Class of 2016
IBM