British Literature Daily time requirements does not include an estimate of hours. We’ve come up with a 2.5 to 3 hour time requirement.
Amy's input:
When I designed the course, I tried to keep just the READING to about 40 minutes. Of course, I timed myself, and I have already read most of the books more than once, so I don’t know that the timing is quite fair!) The discussion questions vary by assignment, and the creative writing also varies. I guess I was thinking that a normal daily class lasts about 50 minutes, and that is just for the discussion of what the student read the night before. Creative writing comes on top of that—I don’t remember for sure, but I don’t know that we stopped reading if a paper was due that week.
That said, I would ask my Dad about the amount required. After vocab and discussion and writing (as well as the rigorous reading pace—the course has WAY more books than I read in ANY high school course, AND way more than any college course), I did think the course seemed too packed. He responded that he likes the courses to be like traditional Thanksgiving dinner—you don’t HAVE to take everything, but it is there if you want it. You can stuff yourself silly or exercise restraint, at your discretion. So, like the younger IGs, too, the Brit lit IG is packed with more than most students will want or need to do, but it is there if you want it. The IG is supposed to be a helpful guide, not an unpleasant taskmaster!
I am sad that this young lady is getting stressed out. It might help to stop poetry for a time, and use that as a separate course next year. It might help to do vocab more occasionally, or to do only half the creative writing (or none at all for a bit). Maybe skip a book or two (though I don’t know which ones, since I like them all).