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By the Newsletter team
Have you ever wondered what it's like behind the scenes at GetSmarter? In this article, we take you through an average day at GetSmarter.
07:42
Time to get breakfast – a rather frantic affair, which for many involves a scramble for morning coffee (paramount in the quest for education brilliance) and a quick catch-up with colleagues.
08:00
Sit at your desk and stare despondently at the to-do list that you need to accomplish. Then strategise what will be the most painless way to accomplish everything.
08:15
Bookkeeping: Start going through emails – sending people account details, telling them that payment is due, deciding if they are telling the truth about needing that extension for payment because the dog ate their bank card.
Coordination: Take a call from a student in a panic – they cannot upload their assignment. Okay... strange. They managed fine last week. Slowly walk the student through the process – 37 minutes and counting...
Marketing: Despite structure, planning and endless to-do lists, a marketing “bomb” gets dropped – time for an urgent meeting.
09:56
Coordination: Annoyed student calls in – when will the module be available? At 10am. (Like every week!) “Oh.”
10:00
Tea time!
10:15
Academic: Proofread some must-be-checked-yesterday, super-urgent-no-really marketing emails.
Marketing: Overload Sugar with too many emails.
IT: Resuscitate Sugar.
Bookkeeping: Give a little air punch when we see the payment from that student who has taken forever and a day to deposit his course fee.
10:43
Marketing: DJ reminds everyone that, “Guys, this has massive implications.”
11:03
Coordination: Check discussion forums, which often involves at least one funny post that brings a smile to your face. Read a discussion forum post that praises GetSmarter. Student cannot wait to do another course with us. Warm fuzzy feeling.
11:29
Academic: Convener submits a new module of notes and has somehow managed to delete all the document styles and the cover page. Lose an hour to formatting text boxes.
12:00
Lunch time! Berenice cooks up a storm and delivers a wave of delicious sustenance. Some enjoy lunch in the sunshine whilst others prefer to catch up on some work at their desks.
13:09
Marketing: Emma E, Paddocks marketer, explains once again that, no, she is not a legal expert and cannot elaborate on section 6.5.8 (a) sub-clause i.
Coordination: Spend 10 minutes shaking head at a student’s picture of their dog that they have decided to share on the discussion forum – of a business course.
14:00
Afternoon tea!
14:04
Academic: Andrea makes a pun about grammar – Anna laughs, while everyone stares on in bewilderment.
IT: Drain the tea out of Tamara’s Macbook.
Marketing: “Quick chat” turns into a two-hour strategy meeting.
15:21
Coordination: Student emails their written assignment. Phone them, informing them (yet again) that this is not the correct method to submit.
Bookkeeping: Start issuing invoices for students. Fail to understand why someone would want a VAT invoice if they are not VAT registered.
16:00
Popcorn time! Fully half the office mills around the machine waiting for the popcorn to finish.
16:23
Marketing: Explain with embarrassment that you made a typo and you meant to say “used” – not “sued” – your company. Margret tells everyone to clam down since “it’s Friday” (it’s actually Tuesday).
16:54
Winding down for the day. Finishing off last-minute tasks and preparing for tomorrow.
17:40
Lots of night owls still working industriously – more coffee anyone?
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
Back to SmartyPants Newsletter - December 2011 Edition
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