Things to Know About HOL Classes
From HOL Wiki
Books: Nope, you don't need to buy books for HOL classes. Most of the materials you'll need are available either on the classroom website, or on the Internet. Age Limit for Professors: Yes there is one - professors need to be 17+ years for maturity and responsibility reasons. HOL is ageless, but those in positions of authority must be able to handle the responsibilities from start to finish. Exceptions from this rule are very rare. When the window for professor applications has closed, please sit tight with your idea until next spring.
Class Prerequisites: Most classes do not require that you have taken an HOL class before, but HOL has a few advanced courses. READ the class information when posted... if a prerequisite class is required, the class information will indicate such.
Drop a Class: Just send your professor an email asking to be dropped from the class.
Exams: Exams are held essentially the same way homework is handled, and so it depends on the professor.
Homework: Although each professor is different, they generally prefer to receive homework in the text of the email, or posted onto a forum. Check the classrooms of those classes you wish to take; it's generally indicated there. Or, you can check to see if there are any prefects in your class, and ask them.
Number of Classes: Each student may take a maximum of five classes at any one time, so choose your classes wisely.
Vacations: Yes, professors need, deserve and get them, just like in real life. Summer Break: typically July 1-August 31, and Winter Break: typically December 20-January 8ish. Do not email, PM or otherwise bother professors during these breaks unless they request it or deserve it.
Suggestions to help students better understand the demands we make of professors, and what they deserve in return:
Essentially, professors create a website filled with information and homework assignments. They receive 40-200 assignments a month to grade, spend hours inputing points earned for the work, and answer questions from students who need help. All of this for HOL, in addition to their real life demands. Why on earth do they do this? Because they want to! They enjoy it, just as we enjoy being students.
What do professors ask in return? From what I've seen, they've asked very little, as many homework assignments are optional. Here are some basics that professors graciously require to make their work load a little lighter:
Include your HOL name and ID with every homework assignment you submit.
In the subject of your email, include the class title, or whatever the professor may indicate - they may receive hundreds of emails daily, and if they cannot distinguish at a glance what the email is. They may delete it along with the rest of the spam they receive.
Have patience. Patience is a Virtue. Professors will respond to your respectfully written emails and PM's in due time. Lack of immediate response from a professor does not indicate any sort of malice, it merely indicates a busy schedule. Assignments will be graded, points will be awarded. Just be patient.
Be respectful. Speak (well, write) to these professors as you would speak to Professor McGonagall if you were Harry Potter.
