Online classes help military wife finish degree

Amy Young traved the world with her military husband, raised three children and tried several times to get her degree, but she always had to move again before donning the cap and gown. That all changed in 2005, when she earned her online degree in health care administration.

For over two decades, Amy Young traveled the world with her husband and their three children. As a military family often on the move, they were never in one place long enough for Amy to complete a degree program through the traditional college experience.

When Amy and her husband finally settled down in Melbourne, FL, she decided to complete what she had started all those years ago. From a very early age, she had an interest in health care. “Either that or being a nun, and I could not see myself as a nun!” she joked.

That interest in health care led her to Keiser University, and she graduated with an online associate degree in health services administration in 2005.

Q: Why did you choose online courses instead of on-campus?

A: As a military family we relocated every two or three years, and my attempt at getting a degree was getting nowhere. Just as soon as I enrolled in college, it was time to move again, and the next college would not accept the credits, so I always ended up with many “floating” credits.

After my husband retired from the Air Force and we settled back in Florida, where I’m originally from, I decided to look into taking all those credits that were floating around and try to turn them into a degree. I probably had enough unusable credits to obtain a PhD! I had to work, but I also wanted a college degree, so I contacted a local university that I knew offered online degrees as well and made an appointment to meet with one of the admissions counselors to go over my college credits.

Q: What were the greatest benefits of earning a health care administration degree online?

A: Completing my degree online was very beneficial because I was able to work and take college classes at the same time, and at my convenience. I could be drinking coffee, eating, watching TV or listening to music at any time of day or night while “attending” class online. Many times I was online working on a paper in my pajamas at 2:00 AM!

Q: What were the challenges of earning your degree online?

A: I like to interact with the teachers and other students, and I like to ask questions. I’m not a very patient person, so I found it challenging to wait several hours for a reply to one of my questions.

Q: Was that challenge a surprise to you?

A: I had a pretty good idea of what to expect because I had done some research prior to enrolling in the online class.

Q: Did you miss the face-to-face interactions with your fellow students and professors?

A: Yes, many times, but you get used to that eventually.

Q: How did your associate degree help your career?

A: I obtained the knowledge necessary to open a nonprofit organization that helps low income and uninsured women receive free mammograms. I was also able to move into administrative positions and receive promotions or a higher pay rate than my coworkers.

Q: What advice would you offer students who are considering an online degree?

A: It’s a wonderful way to obtain your degree if you are focused, committed and organized. If you have a tendency to procrastinate and need a little push to meet your deadlines, you may want to consider taking most of your classes on campus, and maybe one class online to “test the waters” and yourself. If you need to work or need more flexibility with your time schedule, taking an online class is the best way to go. This is especially true for young stay-at-home moms.

Online degree helps soldier transition to civilian life

William Curtis served his country in Iraq, but that wasn't enough for this overachiever. Despite his military duties, spotty Internet access and hectic schedule, William earned his his associate degree online through Central Texas College.

William Curtis was determined to earn his degree. Though he attempted a traditional college experience fresh out of high school, he faced the difficulty of choosing between attending class and supporting himself. When he went into the military, Curtis saw the opportunity to earn education benefits while he served. Rather than wait for his deployment to be over, he started on the path to his degree while in Iraq.

Today, Curtis is pursuing not one, but two bachelor’s degrees. He earned his associate degree online through Central Texas College.

Q: Why did you choose the general studies associate degree?

A: When I chose my Associate of Arts in General Studies, I really was unsure about what I wanted to be when I “grew up.” I figured it would be a good general degree that I could take anywhere and it showed I had the ability to learn. Due to my work schedule and constantly being either in the field, deployed or working odd hours, an online degree gave me the ability to be flexible.

Q. How did online learning fit in with your busy military life?

A: I was able to take all the courses except for one–math–while I was in the military. The freedom of not having class was great. I knew what I had to do and got it down. I had just a handful of deadlines, unlike a traditional class where you are required to attend regardless of what the teacher said. If I had to work more I was able to do so without the fear of missing class.

The ability to move at my own pace was great. I recall finishing a course that was supposed to take eight weeks and I finished it in five weeks. I wouldn’t have been able to do this if I was in a traditional setting.

Q. Were there any hurdles to earning your degree online?

A: I think one of the biggest challenges was planning time for my class work. Most of my courses had something to turn in once a week. I would need to start on it at the beginning of the week rather than wait until the end of the week. Being in Iraq and having spotty Internet didn’t help matters either. But the instructors understand you are busy and have a life and all of those other things going on. They are willing to work with you more so than some traditional teachers I have had.

Q: What was the biggest advantage of earning your degree online?

A: Many military members leave with just the experience they had from their jobs. I had my experience along with a college level education, which has been a strength as I compete in the job market.

Q: Did you miss the face-to-face interactions with your fellow students and professors?

A: One thing that was missing in some of the classes was the meaningful discussion and expressing of ideas. I took a politics class. It would have been interesting to hear others ideas but the course was not set up that way. With that said, I took a history class that was set up for students to express their ideas, which was not as enjoyable as I would have liked.

As for time with the professors, any time I had an issue I could email the professor and usually within the day I would have a response or clarification to my question.

Q: How did your associate degree help your career?

A: I served seven years in the military and have a ton of experience. So do a lot of the other soldiers that served with me. When it comes to jobs I am able to stand out because while they were only doing their job, I left having earned a degree while I was in as well.

Q: What advice do you have for students who are considering an online degree?

A: Do your homework! Both about the school and for the class. Know what the school is geared for and if they are supportive of your schedule. Don’t procrastinate on the class work. Often working on the readings or homework a few hours a night is so much easier than waiting until your day off to do it all. You will run out of time by waiting.

Also, plan out your classes. Don’t take two classes that are reading-heavy if you don’t like to read. Always talk to your professor and let them know if there is an issue going on in your life that could affect your school work.

Full-time working mom Jeannine Traynham finds time for her education

This Georgia mom went to work after high school, but always wanted a college degree. Read how an online degree program helped her achieve her goal.

Jeannine Traynham of Douglasville, Ga., didn’t go to college after she graduated high school in 1995. By the time she realized a degree in early childhood education would help her advance in her job as a childcare worker for Head Start, she had two children–then 8 and 12–and was working full time. Deciding that on campus learning would be too challenging logistically, Traynham opted to pursue a degree online. She proudly graduated in May 2011 with an associate degree in early childhood education earned online from Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pa.

Q:What made you decide to go for your online early childhood education degree?

A:Being a wife and mother, it was easier for me to do schoolwork online. Who would watch the kids if I were in class? I searched online for 18 months to find a program I was comfortable with and found one at a community college in Pennsylvania. Having lived in New York, I was familiar with where it was. I called and spoke to their advisers and decided it was the perfect program for what I wanted.

Q:How did you juggle family, work and earning an early childhood education degree online?

A:When I came home from work, I’d have dinner with my family and then I’d go to the computer and do my schoolwork. I always made sure I got my schoolwork done–despite the many challenges that came along during the two years I was taking courses, including having a torn retina and needing emergency eye surgery my second semester. Because I couldn’t see, I had to dictate my assignments and have my husband type them in for me.

Then I suffered two deaths back-to-back the second spring semester. My uncle passed away and my grandmother right behind him. It was my grandmother who raised me and so we were very close. Then my computer got a virus and I had to go to my mother-in-law’s house and beg the neighbors to borrow their computer so that I could get my assignments completed on time, but I was determined not to let anything get in my way. Not anything.

Q:What was the biggest challenge of earning your degree online?

A:If I had a question, I couldn’t just raise my hand and ask the teacher. That’s a big difference between studying online and in the classroom. But I’d email my professors, and all the professors I had over the past two years got back to me very quickly. I never had to wait too long for a response. The biggest advantage of earning an early childhood education degree online is that you set your own schedule and being an adult learner is much different from being a teenager–you have so much going on in your life that you have to make time for.

Q:Were you able to interact with other students while studying online?

A:Yes, thanks to the discussion boards. The professors would pose questions at the beginning of the week and you had to give your response. There was a lot of back and forth that developed through the discussion board. We couldn’t see each other, but you still felt like you had classmates. You could still work as a team. I also liked when professors scheduled live sessions where you could hear their voices and those of your classmates who participated in the sessions.

Q:What advice would you give others thinking of earning a degree in early childhood education online?

A:First, I would say be organized and serious about doing your work. One thing I love about online courses is that you get all your work upfront. You know what your assignments are for each week of the 16-week semesters. If you’re studying online you have to be sure you stay on top of things because online learning can be challenging if you fall behind. Most professors are very understanding if you run into a problem, but you have to tell them.

Q:What are your plans now that you graduated?

A:I plan to continue to study online and earn my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. I am able to transfer my credits to a four-year school and will be attending Ashford University online in the fall. The community college has been very helpful and I’m sure that if I need a job, they will help me in any way they can.

Online learning allows father to juggle work, family and education

Earning an online degree is great for those who are juggling work and family obligations. Just ask Brandon Pipkin, who earned his online associate degree in business while traveling for his job, raising his five kids and still finding time for date nights with his wife.

Brandon Pipkin is a professional speaker and author of “21 Questions for 21 Millionaires.” He is also a father of five who juggled family responsibilities and extensive travel for his job while pursuing an associate degree in business online.

Why did you opt for an online degree rather than the on-campus experience?

I am a father of five children, four at the time I decided to return to school. My professional background up to that point had been in sales, sales management, leadership development and training, so business was a logical associate degree choice that was not only aligned with my professional experience but would also position me well to earn a bachelor’s in a business discipline as well.

As a husband, father, and a corporate trainer who traveled, I knew that the campus experience would be difficult, if not impossible, since I couldn’t be sure that I would be in town on a given night each week. Additionally, I had taken an online class during my earlier, mostly on-campus college experience and found that it worked out okay.

How did online learning fit in with your busy schedule?

Unbelievably well. I could work on and turn in assignments on my schedule. I kept up with the due dates as to not fall behind, but loved that I could do homework on an airplane, in a hotel room, and on the weekends, utilizing little cracks and big chunks of time as I wanted without being tied to a campus. I was also able to continue working on a book I was writing and have since published.

What were the challenges and benefits of earning your degree online?

I can’t say I experienced any challenges earning my degree online. The only pressure outside of wanting to get straight As that I felt was that of connecting with other students, which is encouraged. Because of my schedule, however, I barely interacted with other students in online forums and found that it impacted neither my grades nor my experience. 

Was online learning what you expected it to be? Why or why not?

At times I felt like the online learning might have been a little too easy. This is likely because although I was probably doing as much work as I would have in a classroom setting, I was able to do it with the book in front of me, with the Internet as a resource, and on my own schedule. Not that I would request the school make it harder, mind you.

What was the most surprising thing about the online learning experience?

The most surprising thing was how available the instructors are. Yes, they have preferred contact times, yet if you pick up the phone or e-mail they are available. Also, I found them to be interested in my success, which may not always be the case with a more traditional route.

How was your program structured? What was your typical school day or school week like?

When I initially began the program I was required to post a one discussion question response a week, and post two responses to other students’ comments. Additionally, there was a quiz due each week, and a paper due every other week, with a final project due at the end of the eight-week course. I believe I had to log on at least three times during the course of the week. Toward the end of my degree that was upped to four times per week, which I found onerous since it defeated some of the appeal of an online, asynchronous educational experience.

How did your associate degree in business help your career?

It gave me the foundation necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree, which should open up many professional opportunities to me which are closed without a degree. It also provides confidence and self-assurance that I’m on par with many of my peers.

What advice do you have for students who are considering an online degree?

Do it! Find a program you’re comfortable with and jump in. Just get the degree done and keep moving forward in your life. Because of the flexibility of online learning I was able to get a quality education while still dating my wife once a week, spending time with my family, working full-time, writing a book and volunteering. I don’t believe that would have all been possible with an on-campus experience.