Hi Leyla,
Thanx for the informed reply. Good to hear someone else has also tried this approach out. I hear what you're saying about the one exam approach and it's not my style of learning either, but they said they offer two graded mid-term exams that are voluntary, which helps break up the learning process.

And I can say over the years, I've seen that I do indeed have good memory skills, retaining info on things that make an impression on me. I've written quite a few ride/travel reports, reaching 30,000 words/50 pages, mostly from memory and photos.

Yes, discipline with a routine looks the way to handle something like this. I like your approach of dedicating mornings instead of evenings to studying and I'm sure I can pull it off. Currently, as I'm recovering/rehabbing from knee surgery (torn ACL while skiing), I'm getting up at 4:45 am to go swimming for 2 hours before work each day. Grueling routine, but if there's a strong enough purpose, the will is there.

By the way, great looking website and looks like lots of useful info, even for male travelers


Hi Mark,
Great points. Yes, I've thought and researched as much as I can about the value of this degree and it seems it's geared more towards the executive kind of degree program, where yes the coursework is lighter as the students are expected to be fully engaged in another activity besides the degree (a job), but I believe the subject matter demands more thoughtful reasoning for comprehension.

Regarding the merit of the program, I'm fully confident in it, as the college that's offering it is well-respected internationally and they say their alumni are employed with organizations such as the UN, Oxfam, and various other development organizations. Also, the professors for the courses seem to be leaders in their fields.

In terms of knowledge retention, I'm hoping that since I'll be in the 'field' experiencing situations described in my courses, I should be able to build more neuro-connections (experiences) to help retain the info. I'll be looking at contacting some development projects along the way and asking if I can monitor or volunteer for a while.

This is really something I'm looking to commit the next phase of my life to. So, I think as long as I get reinforcement along the way of my decision to head down this direction (by seeing what a beautiful world there is to cherish), I should be able to have the will power to commit enough discipline to get the subject matter done.

I do concede that I'm definitely hoping that this degree will at least open doors into the field of sustainable development for me.

And yup, plans can always change, but I'm hoping to at least direct them a certain way.

Thanks for the feedback.

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J A Y | Riding a 98 Suzuki DR650
Current ride thru Latin Am and Africa > Jammin thru the Global South