4 of 25

Write now Article Tools

For a long time it was only a dream. I always wanted to pursue a degree. I can't believe it's finally happening. Modern technology has given me a new lease on life.

I have a few minutes before my 9 to 5 job begins for another day. Great! That gives me time to check my e-mails and see if my quiz grade has been posted yet. I e-mailed my instructor last night regarding a question I had for this week's assignment in the Medical Nutrition class I'm taking via Distance Learning. This semester I'm taking six credits online in the Dietary Technology program. After this semester I will be a little over half way through my degree requirements.

Oh good, she replied to me. Prompt, as usual. Having online access to the instructor is the best. If I have a question, day or night, even on the weekend, I just type it in an e-mail; send it off, and Voila! I receive a concise, in depth answer. I never have to compete for her attention with fifteen other students in the classroom or wait until the next class to ask my question. Online, it's just me and her. Talk about individualized attention!

This has been a hectic semester. Between the demands of this job and taking care of my home and family, it's a wonder I've been able to accomplish so much towards my degree. That's the advantage of online classes. Readings, assignments and tests are posted at the beginning of each week. I'm on my own to fit in study times according to my own time table. I would never be able to commit to a scheduled class time each week, not with my busy life.

The instructor is great. She's led three other classes I've previously taken online. We've developed a good student/teacher relationship. This semester's coursework has been pretty technical. She has already made herself available twice for a personal meeting in her office to explain some of the formulas I was struggling to understand. And she did it around my schedule. Since she doesn't have traditional classes to teach, she is able to establish more liberal office hours.

Another student in the class lives out of state. Of course, he wasn't able to have an office meeting with the instructor when he needed help, so she conversed with him in the Live Chat Room set up on the course site. We were all able to benefit from his questions and her answers when we were "lurking" in the Chat Room.

Online education has given me an opportunity to pursue a degree that would never have been possible in a traditional setting. Next semester should prove to be interesting. I'm taking Advanced Statistics online. It looks like there will be a lot of Chat Room sessions going on during that course.

Well, there's my phone. Time to get back to the work world and earn that paycheck. We can't all be professional students.

Learn more about this author, Leann Zotis.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Reflection: Diary of an online degree student?
We want to hear your view. Write now!