by Brenna Mae

Created on: February 05, 2009   Last Updated: February 17, 2009

I wake up each morning and go to work. Sometimes it's boring, sometimes it's stressful, but in the end, I love it. Every once in awhile, I get some free time at work to catch up on homework.

How convenient- I work with a computer, and my classes are on a computer.

This convenience of pursuing an online degree is what made me finally become a successful college student. No I don't get to sleep in everyday, and I don't do my homework in my pajamas. I live the life of a normal person in our society.

In my case, my classes are fast-track. They are each 5-weeks long, and I take three at a time. For the classes I've taken so far, I have, on average, five units each class, all about a week long. We also usually get a few days to study for the final exam.

Even with this fast pace, going to an online school gives me a lot more free time. I don't have to go back and forth to class, the library, or to labs. I don't have to take off work to meet a professor's office hours. I don't have to alter my work schedule every single semester, just to accomodate my new class schedule.

I can't ever miss a class either. The materials are still there, even when I get off of work, and after I have adequate time to clean my apartment or go grocery shopping. When I attended a traditional university, I actually had to skip classes for work sometimes. I wish I didn't have to work so much, but with my life, I do.

Every Sunday a new unit opens up. I love having the option of getting it done with my free Sunday's though. I review the new list of assignments, projects, and material. Sometimes I can get assignments done with what I've learned from the readings in my book or from the sources my professor has given me online.

At other times, I wait until the live presentation chat session. It's sometime early in the week, and it goes over all are material in an interactive way, and allows us to ask questions on the spot. Once I started an online university, this was the last thing I expected. I was pleasantly surprised by the school's motivation to turn my college experience into a true one.

My teacher is online a lot with a live messenger in the virtual campus, available for me to ask questions. She's also available through email, discussion boards, or her cell phone. I seem to have an easier time getting a hold of my instructor with an online school, than with the traditional university I was attending before.

By the end of the week I've learned a lot, and am looking forward to the next unit. Online schooling is not any easier than a traditional university, just more convenient. I'm now getting the grades I deserve, because I now have the time to get them. This always makes me feel incredibly accomplished.

When people hear I transferred from a well-known state university, to online schooling, the majority seem to look down on me. Slacker, lazy, and dumb is the impression I get from them. I know that because of my situation, however, I'm able to to learn more than I ever had before at my two previous, stressful years at that traditional university. Obtaining an online degree is a new idea, with a lot of bias still. I don't care what others will see me as though, it's the best decision I've ever made.

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