Tortoise or Hare? The Candid Results
The results are in, and a vast majority of Kiosk readers would prefer a “tortoise academic pace.” Thank you to all who participated and shared so candidly. For those just joining the discussion, the tortoise/hare survey included in the Letter from the Editor: Team Tortoise or Team Hare? was birthed by this writer’s imperfect recollection of “The Tortoise and the Hare” children’s story, which obviously left an impression since it was heard as a child but is used as an analogy today. The survey prompts were:
- Team Tortoise or Team Hare;
- How many courses do you typically take per semester; and
- A “Here’s why” section allowed respondents to share qualitative data.
Quantitative Data
Quantitative results show that 80% of participants are Team Tortoise and the remaining 20% Team Hare. Fifty-two percent of tortoises take two courses per semester. Yours truly is in the lower percentile; only 4% of participants take one course per semester. Twenty-four percent of participants take a whopping four or more courses per semester.
Qualitative Data
As you can see from the word cloud image, time (or more often the lack thereof) is the main reason participants prefer to study at their own pace rather than at a pace forced upon them. This leads to a whole other stream of issues such as financial aid requirements, seven-week semesters, and the like. For example, did you know that you cannot make the dean’s list unless you are enrolled in a minimum of twelve credits per term?
Here is another example: A student who would prefer a tortoise pace but must study at the pace of a hare made the powerful statement below, which begs the question: When will financial aid and other requirements match the varying needs of today’s students, that is, when will the “traditional student” be redefined?
Financial aid only!!! I would strongly prefer a slower pace due to life being hard!!!
These comments touch on cost and academic advancement:
Two courses are all that I can afford at the time. Also, I work full time and as course numbers get higher in the program, assignments are more challenging.
I knew I wanted to go to graduate school. Therefore, protecting my GPA was critical.
Receive tuition reimbursement; taking more than 1 or 3 classes a semester would put me over my reimbursement limit for the year.
Another compelling argument for limiting coursework is shared by this participant:
I am a disabled student with a full-time job.
Know thyself is another strategy:
I fail a lot. I typically only pass 25% of the courses I take.
I need time for information to gel.
As is getting to know thyself:
This is my first time doing an online course, so I am pacing myself.
Currently I am taking two courses while I relearn to balance work and school. In a couple of semesters, I hope to move up to 3-4 courses as I would like to complete my degree before my financial aid runs out.
Congratulations to this lane changer, whose response shows a flipped perspective to the above approach:
I started as team hare, because I wanted to complete my degree while I was not working. However, I landed a full-time role and relocated to a new state. This forced me to switch “teams.” I am now taking one course and am in the tortoise lane.
Mental wellbeing is another guiding factor:
Sometimes taking more than two courses can lead me to feel overwhelmed and stressed out.
A Team Hare perspective is no time to waste:
At this point in my life, getting my degree sooner could mean a huge difference in whether I can start my next career and get a jump start. I have found through my years in the workforce that keeping a snail’s pace at work will leave you out of very important milestones in one’s career.
Trying to be done as fast as possible!
Of course, this turtle appreciates all perspectives shared that get students over the finish line. Let every tortoise and hare move forward with unwavering determination. We may not finish first, but we can all complete the race as winners.
Featured Image: “Hares and Tortoises Win” by Microsoft Copilot, Dec. 4, 2025
