by Kathryn Shield
The Seattle Times recently ran an article about a woman who went back to college two decades after her original class had graduated. The accompanying picture showed a 40-something woman wearing a T-shirt with the wry slogan, “Older Than U.”
Well, she sure didn’t look older than me, but I knew where she was coming from. I, too, am a middle-aged student who took a long break between college stints. But if I wore an “Older Than U” T-shirt to class, none of the other students would even see it, because I’m getting my master's degree online.
Some people might think that online distance education is an easy way to get a quickie degree without all the hard work. Some people would be wrong. Take it from me: An online degree program is just as challenging as getting a degree from a brick-and-mortar university.
Is online learning for everyone? No. But here are some pros, cons, and reasons why it has been a good match for me.
First, a quick bio: I’m a single mom with a demanding full-time job. I got my B.A. degree from Yale University about 25 years ago (when dinosaurs still walked the Earth). Yale’s a mighty good school, so I felt sure I had all the education I needed in life--and I probably did, until recently.
A little over a year ago I started feeling like I needed a new challenge. I wanted to move on to more interesting projects at work, and in my department here at Microsoft, that means helping create new products for students and teachers. How could I show my managers that I was ready to take an important role in this initiative? Well, how about if I went out and got a master's degree in education? Bingo!
Thinking About an Online Degree?
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eLearning: Online degrees•
How distance learning works•
Who would hire an online grad?First I tracked down catalogs from local colleges and universities. There were some good programs to choose from, but they all required attending class on campus--not easy to do while holding down a full-time day job. Some offered evening classes, but there were still many disadvantages to this option, such as having to pay a baby-sitter, drive to the school, park, etc. It would also mean spending a lot less time with my young daughter. Sorry, not happening.
So I started looking into online universities. Now, I admit it, I started this venture as something of an Ivy League-degree-holding snob when it came to education. Getting a degree online seemed a bit like buying a strength training course from the back of a comic book. How legit could it be? (See the article,
"Are Online Degrees Real?")
It was the convenience factor that finally won me over. Just think: I could go online and attend class while my little girl slept in the other room. I could wear pajamas and bunny slippers "in class." I could study anytime, anywhere (coffee shop with Wi-Fi + laptop = classroom). With some accelerated programs, such as the M.Ed. program offered by AIU Online, I could even get my degree in less than a year. What's not to like?
There is one obvious difference between online learning and the traditional classroom. I’ve never actually seen my professors or fellow students. I’ve “met” them in classroom chats, phone conversations, IM, and e-mail. We’ve even collaborated on group projects. But getting together for a cup of coffee just doesn’t happen when the class is scattered around the world. I’ve listened to presentations from professors in New York, Texas, Tennessee, and Illinois. My classmates attended online lectures from such diverse locations as Florida, Montana, Hawaii, Guatemala, and Guam. A few students joined the class while traveling, logging in from hotels and airports. Somehow, we’ve been able to bridge cultures and time zones to build a community of learners.
Which is not to say that all is rosy in the online world. Sometimes it’s just plain awkward and uncomfortable. One professor told us repeatedly that she wished she could see our reactions so she’d know if we were following what she said. In another class, the chat forum became an interactive showdown when one stressed-out student accused another student of plagiarism. The class jumped in to defend the accused, and heated words were exchanged. Finally, the professor stepped in and virtually separated the students from the online brawl. Sure, some variation of this could happen in an actual classroom. But angry words in a chat room stay online for people to read again and again. We learned the hard way that discretion is the better part of getting along with people you have to work with again in the next class.
Online education is not for everyone, but for me, it was the right choice at the right time. Maybe it’s an age thing. Back when I was “younger than U” I was eager to meet people and make new friends. I’m glad I spent my undergraduate years on a traditional campus, complete with roommates, cafeteria food, and football games. (I mean, what kind of team would an online university have? The Fighting Modems? The Virtual Vikings?) At this point in my life, however, I’m not looking for opportunities to socialize. Family, friends, and co-workers provide all the “face time” I need.
I have now completed the master's program, and I admit that my snobbery about online degrees was totally misplaced. This online program was the real deal, and it took hard work and true dedication to get through it. My classmates and I devoted 12 to 20 hours a week to our schoolwork. Everyone made sacrifices. For me, going back to school meant saying goodbye to spare time, folded laundry, and a weeded garden, and hello to chronic sleep deprivation.
Has it been worth it? Oh, yes! Originally, I thought going back to school was just an investment in my career. Of course, career advancement is a big part of it, but I’ve gained much more than that. My mind has been opened to a world of information and ideas. I’ve rediscovered the joy of learning.
I’ve also found out what I’m made of. Getting any kind of college degree, especially when you’ve already got a job and a family, takes time, effort, and the stubbornness to keep going when part of you just wants to quit. It’s tiring. It’s mentally consuming. And it’s the best darn decision I’ve made in years.
There's just one question left for me to deal with:Now that I’ve finished school, what am I going to do with all that spare time?
For information about online learning programs, see:
eLearning: Online Degrees.A helpful FAQ on the topic is found in the article,
"How Distance Learning Works."To learn how employers view online degrees, check out
"Who Would Hire an Online Grad?"-Kathryn Shield is an education editor in Microsoft's Education Product Group.
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