I would be lying if I said I emerged from my second Bachelor's degree program unscathed.
After completing the typical on-campus 4-year degree back in 2015, I decided it was time to try out the virtual world and pursue a second degree. Being a self-proclaimed introvert, I looked forward to the idea of self-teaching and learning on my own. I didn't plan on being changed by the potentially lonely experience of online college courses.
Surprise! After 18 months of back-to-back classes, I am in no way the same woman I was when I started. Here are 5 things I learned from my two, separate college experiences.
If you can have both experiences (on-campus and online) do them both!
College campus
As mentioned above, I'm a bit of an introvert. At one point or another, I thought the on-campus experience would kill me because there were constantly people everywhere and a flurry of activities spinning around me. There was never a dull day on campus and there were times when I felt like I was drowning in the constant bustle of college life. I was relieved when my on-campus experience ended in 2015 and looked forward to the solitary journey of online learning in 2017. Upon beginning my online learning journey, however, I realized that there were vital aspects of on-campus learning that I'd underestimated. My ability to converse with my instructors and peers effectively was somewhat dampened in the online learning arena. I could shoot my professors an email and anxiously await a reply, but it was difficult to have any actual feel for the instructors or the class. Nothing about online learning was tangible and, although I loved many things about that, the intangibility itself fell somewhat flat. I realized that, although I receive mental energy from personal introspection and quiet moments, I missed components of a physical classroom. In short, if you are a college senior debating online or on-campus learning, go for the on-campus learning even if you claim to hate being around people. Being around other people in a college setting will teach you more than you could ever know about life and living it. There's always time to try out the online learning environment because it will only teach you the subject matter you desire, not the metaphysical components of life that you should know.
No, college will not prove to be your downfall. You're made of stronger things.
Stress written in scrabble letters.
I cried a lot in college. A lot. As in, the Nile's got nothing on me. It's a difficult lesson to learn but being overwhelmed and afraid in college is normal. What isn't normal, however, is never finding coping mechanisms. Whether it be the resolute grasp of a spiritual faith, going out with friends, or going home for the weekend, we all must find what works for us. There is so much to contend with as a young adult that it's easy to feel like you're drowning and no one cares. If I learned anything about myself in college, it's that I'm made of stronger stuff than stress, than fear, than doubt. For all you Game of Thrones fans out there, "My skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel." There were moments where I knew I couldn't do it, whether the "it" was an assignment, a final project, or even just walking into class. I couldn't do it alone. I had to turn to my Faith in order to save me, to teach me how to push through whatever frightened me. In the process, I discovered what my Savior sculpted me from--and it was far stronger than anything I feared. College is just the beginning of the challenges that you will face in your professional and personal life, don't shy away from it. Embrace it.
The first degree will always be the hardest.
Colorful numbers.
If you're crazy like me and you love learning new things, chances are, you will end up at least pursuing another degree. I learned that the second degree is a cake-walk, especially after the mayhem of the first one! After getting all of your pre-reqs out of the way, it paves the way for a very smooth, second ride in the college circuit. If you go straight to college from high school, chances are that you're a glorified toddler who happens to think that you're an adult. It sounds brutal but it's true. The first college experience, particularly an on-campus one, tends to be quite tumultuous. That's part of the reason any first degree, whether it be Associate's, Bachelor's, etc, will always be the most difficult. You're thrown into a completely foreign world and, if you're barely out of your teens, that just makes the world seem a whole lot scarier. But hardly does it make it unconquerable. If you find yourself done with your first degree and another subject grabs your interest, don't be afraid of pursuing it for fear of "going back" to school. It really isn't that bad. If anything, the second degree is like a walk through a field of daises compared to the flame-throwing, bomb-dodging world that is the first degree.
It's hard working 40 hour weeks and going to school full-time. But it's possible.
Time.
Although online schooling is much more flexible than on-campus learning, it's still difficult to fit everything into a 24 hour time period. I worked 40 hours/week throughout my time as an online student and I had to work hard at focusing on homework, even when I didn't want to. There were Sunday's where I REALLY just wanted to go play tennis with my husband, go for a walk on the river-walk, or anything else for that matter but I knew I had to get my homework done. I would get home from a 9 hour day and remember I had to complete my non-fiction piece or literary theory paper. It was hard, but I did it because I knew I could. I will say that if it hadn't have been for the support of my wonderful husband and family, I wouldn't have made it through my second degree. Where time wouldn't allow me to relax, my husband and family would force me to do what was right for me. I can't say that I had considered how my family's support would affect my ability to graduate but, looking back, I see where I would have struggled without them. I suppose anything is possible with the right drive and support.
I'm terrified for the future, but only in the most positive and fearless of ways.
Graduation silhouettes.
I woke up on Monday, August 27th and immediately thought to myself, "What schoolwork do I need to get done today?" My brain hesitantly came to the realization that I didn't have any homework that required doing. I'd turned in my final project. My graduation regalia was on its way. I was done. Yikes. I automatically went into panic mode. I didn't have any papers to turn in and that meant that I was onto the next step of the whole education thing. Finding a job. I hated that step after completing my first degree and I can't say my fondness for job hunting has improved. It took a couple of days but I came to the realization that it's okay to be nervous about the future. It's unpredictable and a control freak like me doesn't care much for unpredictability. However, that doesn't mean that I can't learn to deal with it. I'll continue to grow as an individual because I had to in order to survive college. I'm nervous to move onto something unfamiliar in life but that doesn't mean that afraid to do it.
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