e-Insights

Drexel Online Graduates Discuss: Experience vs. Expectation Part 2

When these students entered their respective online programs, they had certain expectations. Now that they've graduated from Drexel, hear how their experiences measured up.

Nancy Barker, Master of Science in Nursing
I was pleasantly surprised [by my experience]. I wasn’t sure how great it was going to be or if I was going to have the same experience as my traditional education experience. And actually it was superb. The instructors and professors were wonderful. I actually did have a lot of interaction with my fellow classmates. And I felt like I got a really quality first rate education at Drexel.

- - - - -

Xiomara Diaz, Master of Science in Engineering Management
My expectations going into the program were completely surpassed, mostly because the interaction that is offered with the professors as well as the classmates—who can be anywhere across the world—was superb. It was more than I ever anticipated or imagined. That interaction makes it worthwhile because you’re not just staring at a computer trying to punch in answers.

- - - - -

Linda Gaines, Master of Science in Higher Education
Starting the program I was apprehensive because my bachelor's degree program was hybrid; it was one day a week in class and the rest was online, so I did know the online component. But this particular program was 100 percent online. So I was apprehensive whether or not there would be the engagement or the faculty interaction I was looking for. But my expectations were met and exceeded. People will ask me [how I liked the online program or what it was like never meeting your professors] and I tell them I had more interaction with these professors than I did with the ones in classrooms. You can email them, they would answer you within 24 hours. My expectations were definitely exceeded in this particular program.

- - - - -

Sadie Davis, Master of Science in Sport Management
When I entered the [online Master of Science in Sport Management program at Drexel], my experience differed from what I expected because I thought there was going to be a more nonchalant feel about it. I didn’t think I would really get responses from the instructors. I thought I was going to be on my own, basically. But it was totally different. The support was there not just from the instructors, but from my fellow students as well.

- - - - -

Karen Boncic, Bachelor of Science in Education
I thought the experience [of earning my Bachelor of Science degree online] was incredible. I had taken classes previously in a situation where there was a giant auditorium and you didn’t have that personal interaction with the professors. I felt like I was able to get to know my classmates and professors more in the online experience than in a classroom setting. The reason I think is because people let their guard down and they’re able to share their feelings and they’re able to tell you real experiences that are brought in from their life. I don’t think you get that in the same way in a classroom because people are looking at you…it’s a little bit different. So I think the online world allows you to really get in depth with other people—which sounds ironic actually.

Drexel Online Graduates Discuss: Experience vs. Expectation Part 1

When these students entered their respective online degree programs at Drexel Online, they had certain expectations. Now that they've graduated, hear how their elearning experiences measured up.

Shani Ferguson, MBA Anywhere^TM
As someone who has been online for almost 20 years now--I was an early adopter--I was very comfortable with the idea of an online program, but the reality surpassed my expectations. It was a wonderful program. There was a very free exchange of ideas. There were students from right out of college through late fifties in our group. Everyone had different perspectives, and it was a really easy way to share them online.

- - - - -

Sean Elwell, RN to BSN
The online experience was much [better] than I could have expected. The flexibility and the hours and scheduling [were] great, as well as the attention of the professors and their ability to interact with the students even though we weren’t face to face.

- - - - -

Tonnetta Graham, Master of Science in Higher Education
I’m not a “techie,” so to speak, and I must admit was kind of apprehensive at first to do a total online program, being more social - and people-oriented. However, the support that I received in utilizing the technology…was excellent. No matter what time of day [you contacted them] you always got the help that you needed. And the way the technology was incorporated into the program was also very good.

- - - - -

Denise Carr, MSN in Innovation and Intra/Entrepreneurship in Advanced Nursing Practice
To be honest, when I came into the program, [I expected it to be] a breeze. I thought that it would be easy…because it was online. However…it challenged me to a level that I never knew that I could get to. I might be able to start a nonprofit this summer because of the push from my teachers. It developed me into a person that I never thought I could be.

- - - - -

Beth Henderson, Master of Science in Information Science
I was concerned when I entered the online Master of Science in Information Science program because quite honestly I'm not the most computer-oriented person, and I wasn't sure how I would be able to manage the skills that I thought would be required, but I did fine. It was very easy; the help was available either through the instructor or through the online personnel. I thought it was interesting to be in class with people form all around the country, especially because a lot of us were practicing already in the field and it was interesting to be able to compare notes on how things were being impacted by information technology, by government cuts around the country. I thought it was a really enriching experience to do it this way.

Student Perspectives on eLearning: Not Just an Education but a Way of Life

Kathleen Morris [BSN, 2004; MSN, 2008] describes her experience with the online learning process as very positive, and that it has made her more intelligent, resourceful, and organized. "I enjoyed being able to attend class or do my schoolwork around my busy lifestyle. I could log on anytime, anywhere, this truly helped me maintain a balance in my life," she said.

"Contrary to what some people might believe, online learning is not easier than attending school in a classroom setting," says Kathleen Morris. Morris, who had never taken an online course before Drexel Online, feels the experience made her more intelligent, resourceful, and organized. "I loved [that] it made me search for answers and kept me disciplined."

Kathleen said Drexel's reputation was the biggest factor in deciding where she wanted to go back to school. "Drexel is known for delivering the highest quality education in forward-thinking ways. Drexel is always thinking outside of the box, and because of that they graduate some of the top leaders in many industries," she said. Along with its reputation, the convenience of Drexel's online learning format also played a large part in Kathleen's decision.

"Online learning is a wonderful way to learn. It will teach you how to navigate your resources, organize your time, and develop your self-learning skills. All of those are traits you will use in the health care field. Health care is always changing and as practitioners we need to be able to change with it. Online learning gives you that edge," said Morris.

"I also enjoyed being able to attend class or do my schoolwork around my busy lifestyle. I could log on anytime, anywhere. This truly helped me maintain a balance in my life," she said.

Currently, Kathleen is the Stroke Program Coordinator at St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, NJ. "I recently returned to this role after two years of being the Critical Care Nurse Manager. I would not be able to do either job without the education I received from Drexel; it gave me the foundation I needed to succeed," said Morris.

Student Perspectives on eLearning: Eliminating the Barrier of a Long Commute

Dayton Handrick began his journey in the field of education 15 years ago, when he took a job at Towanda Area School District. He served as Dean of the Students at Towanda Middle School for six months and during that time he became interested in educational administration, so he began looking for programs to earn his principal's certificate. He found what he was looking for with Drexel University Online.

"I chose Drexel Online for a few reasons. I live in a rural part of Pennsylvania, which would require at least a two hour commute [one way] to accredited administrative certification programs. Balancing coursework, a full-time teaching position, and coaching sports would not have been possible if I had been commuting four hours to and from classes. I wanted a program that would challenge and prepare me for the position instead of one that would simply provide me with a certificate," said Handrick.

He earned his certificate in fifteen months and was hired almost immediately by Towanda School District to be the elementary assistant principal, a position he held for five years. Last August, Dayton became the principal at Sayre Area High School and was excited for his new challenge. Drexel University Online helped Dayton achieve his goals.

"I was able to enter the administrative field as soon as I completed the program. It gave me the flexibility, along with my teaching experience that encompasses both elementary and secondary assignments, to be a K-12 administrator," said Handrick.

Online Students Discuss: Advice for those Considering Online Degree Programs

Choosing the right college can be a challenge. Choosing to earn a certificate or degree online has so many additional factors to consider. Here's some advice from Drexel Online students for anyone considering online education.

"If I had any advice to offer anyone who is looking into an online degree program, I would tell them to go for it. Having online courses allows you to complete your degree while maintaining your life."

Colleen Stam – M.S. Library & Information Science

- - - - -

"An online degree is not an easy degree to pursue, but it is beneficial for a number of reasons. You can still work while you’re earning your degree, so you can get real world experience, which many on-campus students aren’t able to do. You’re able to make your own schedule. Because [most of] the classes are asynchronous, you can do your work [whenever is convenient for you].

George Aulisio – MS Library & Information Science

- - - - -

"If I had to give advice to someone considering an online degree it would be to seize the opportunity. There’s never going to be a better time, there’s never going to be more money, you’re never going to be in a better situation. And once you [commit to it] be prepared to take detours to reach your goal."

Judith Bardsley – MS Library & Information Science

- - - - -

"If you’re considering an online education it requires some discipline. You have to organize yourself very well, and just not be afraid to start typing things. [There are some things like] online chat that you’ve got to get used to, but after that it’s just like any other class."

Thomas Lord – MS Library & Information Science

- - - - -

"My advice for anyone pursuing their degree online, is don’t procrastinate. Sometimes you are working in team projects with students who are in different time zones, two or three hours ahead of you, so it requires careful planning."

Alla Powers – M.S. Library & Information Science

- - - - -

"When pursuing a degree online, you really have to find the right place for you, the right program for you, and a structure that works to fit your lifestyle."

Jean Logan – Bachelor of Science in Nursing

- - - - -

"The advice I would give to other people interested in pursuing their degree online is 'do it.' Doing your degree online is fabulous. It allows you to have the flexibility to work a full time job, to spend time with your family. I’ve known people who work rotating shifts, and doing a traditional, in-classroom format is not a possibility for them. So just having the flexibility of an online education is great for anyone who has other obligations in life."

Katie Ingram – Master of Science in Higher Education

- - - - -

"The advice I would offer [to someone interested in pursuing an online degree] is to be consistent, be organized, stay positive, and reach out to your classmates and your professors. They’re there to help you and once you reach out it becomes a community just like a traditional classroom."

Sara Collins – Elementary Education

- - - - -

"The first bit of advice I would have for someone [looking to pursue an online degree] is don’t be intimidated. Just because it is online doesn’t mean it’s of lesser quality than a degree you would get in person. It does involve a lot of work, but I think it really paid off in the end."

Erika Eberly – Masters of Science in Engineering Management

- - - - -

"The advice I would offer to people interested in pursuing a degree online is 'do it'. It was comfortable for me. It was my school in my living room, at my desk, in my house. Twenty-four hours a day I had access to classes. So if you have children, if you’re working full time or several jobs, it’s doable. The professors are amazing, easy to communicate with, and I loved the whole experience, this whole past year has been amazing."

Nellie Rodriguez – General Studies Concentration in Marketing

Student Perspectives on eLearning: Earning a Dual Degree Online

Carol Smith began her studies as a double-major in Economics and Arabic from the State of University of New York at Binghamton (now Binghamton University). "I loved studying languages and learning about other cultures, and entered college knowing I wanted to combine that passion with a practical business career," Smith said. After working in the oil industry for over 9 years, Carol knew it was time to act on her dream. "I had talked about becoming a librarian since I was at least six years old...it was finally time to act," she said.

"I lived in Montana when I decided to go back to school and, as there were no nearby library programs, I knew I had to look at distance learning programs. I researched many programs but quickly chose Drexel for its reputation, flexibility, broad range of electives, and perfectly balanced emphasis on essential library skills and emerging technologies. I had no thoughts of pursuing a dual MSLIS/MSIS when I first began my studies at Drexel. One degree was daunting enough! After a year or so though, I began to settle on a career in academic librarianship and became aware that many academic jobs, particularly tenure-track faculty positions, require a second graduate degree in a subject discipline," said Smith.

Currently, Carol is working as an Assistant Professor of Library Services/Business Librarian. She just completed her third year at the University of Central Missouri. The tenure-track position required two graduate degrees; Drexel's integrated program allowed her to obtain a second, highly complementary degree, in a very efficient way. Her employer was specifically seeking newly graduated librarians with technical training, and the MSIS, in combination with her prior business experience, sealed the deal.

Carol loved everything about her online experiences, so much that she is now pursuing her Ph.D. studies (University of Missouri - Columbia), and is focusing her research on online learning issues, such as how to effectively deliver library instruction in virtual learning environments like Second Life. "I really loved every minute of it. Okay, well, I was developing a mild case of 'discussionboarditis' by the end of my time at Drexel, but I recovered. And I'm still on discussion boards every day, as part of my continuing studies. It's become a way of life!"

Online Students Discuss: Interaction in Online Courses

It's a common misunderstanding that elearning is isolated and independent. However, while it's true that online coursework requires a certain degree of self-motivation, the classes themselves can be just as engaging as their on-campus counterparts. In fact, in some cases, online learning has unique advantages--for example, emailing back and forth with a professor any time rather than scheduling office hours, or completing a group project with someone halfway around the world.

These Class of 2009 Drexel Online graduates discuss their experiences with interaction in online classes.

"The interaction with the faculty and class has just been awesome. I’ve met some of the best friends I’ve ever had in my life. The faculty has been unbelievably good for me. They’ve understood my needs and requirements, but more importantly, they’ve challenged me [to do things] I would never have thought I’d be able to do."

Eric Vlam, Texas – Master of Science, Information Systems

- - - - -

"I think with the Drexel University Online program, I actually had more interaction with professors and classmates than what I normally would have with a face-to-face program. There were asynchronous discussions, a lot of communication among all of us. The professors were not your typical professors. They actually would jump into the discussions and really contributed."

Erika Eberly, Maryland – Master of Science in Engineering Management

- - - - -

"Online is difficult…[but] I was fortunate that I had some really excellent online instructors that built a community of learners at the beginning of the class. "

Patricia Finn Thornton, Pennsylvania – Master of Science in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum

- - - - -

"The interactions with my professors and classmates were very positive, very consistent, and frequent. Some of my classmates are now some of my best friends. I felt like I could call and count on my professors throughout the whole program."

Sara Collins, Illinois – Bachelor of Science in Education

- - - - -

"The interactions I had with my professors and my classmates were all positive. You may think that learning in an online environment you lose the networking and the personal touch that accompanies an in-person, in-class format. But that’s not the case—the program is what you make it."

David Oldham, New Jersey – Master of Science in Higher Education

- - - - -

"My favorite [experience with online learning] was when we were in Wimba sessions, which is our online virtual classroom. We could all talk to each other, instant message each other, and watch our Powerpoints. So we always had three different things going on at once, and it was really fun."

Paula Greenbaum, New Jersey – RN to BSN

- - - - -

"The interactions I had with my classmates were interesting because they were from all over the place. One of my classmates was in Germany at the time. Many were in Arizona, New Mexico, California. So it’s good to understand what they’re thinking out there. They have a wider range of experiences."

Thomas Lord, New Jersey – MS Library & Information Science

- - - - -

"I think people have no concept of what online education is. They think you just go online and you’re by yourself. But really, you do have interactions [with classmates and professors]. Even though you’re sitting at your computer and someone else is sitting at their computer, you actually are in class together. You are there as a group. You interact with each other, ask questions, and give presentations."

Kathleen Morouse, Pennsylvania – RN to BSN

Online Students Discuss: The Most Unusual Place I've Logged on for Class

"During the year and a half that I was finishing my BSN [at Drexel Online], I had my first grandchild. Within six hours of her being born, I was logging on to finish a paper. I was out there for a month taking care of [my daughter and granddaughter] afterwards, and I would not have been able to do that if I had been at a traditional school."

Diana Drake, Illinois – Bachelor of Science in Nursing

- - - - -

"I’ve logged into my classes from a multitude of locations, but I did my finals this quarter from the beach in Jamaica, which was quite a treat."

Jean Logan, Maryland - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

- - - - -

"The most unique place I logged on for school was Bethel, Alaska, which is 400 miles west of Anchorage. I was doing flight nursing at the time, and we were stuck out there because there was a volcano that was threatening to go off, and the planes wouldn’t fly into Anchorage because they were worried about the ash accumulation. I had my computer with me, and was able to log on…and keep up with my work while I was out there."

Joel Reitz, Alaska - Master of Science in Nursing - Acute Care Practitioner

- - - - -

"My laptop went with me to St. Louis for a family reunion, and I was taking exams while I was there. I also took it to Disney World with me and I would check in every morning and every evening, and I also did my coursework from a cruise going to Bermuda."

Paula Greenbaum, New Jersey - RN to BSN

- - - - -

"I got married during the second year of my program and took my honeymoon overseas in Europe, and so I found myself perched in some of the Parisian cafes logging onto Blackboard. It was truly a unique experience."

Erika Eberly, Maryland - Master of Science, Engineering Management

- - - - -

"I ended up studying anywhere—on the subway, in the train station, in various university libraries across Philadelphia, in the lunchroom at work, in an empty office at work after hours."

Jesse Pearson, Pennsylvania - MBA Anywhere(tm)

Student Perspective: The Story of a Drexel Online Student

Joel Reitz has lived in many places throughout his life including PA, FL, IL, NY, and now he currently resides in Alaska, quite a distance from his origin in the suburbs of Philadelphia. "I love the fact that there is more wilderness than civilization here and more wildlife than human life" said Reitz on his outlook on living in Alaska. Reitz has been working for Mat Su Regional Medical Center ED as an RN since 2000, but after completion of the MSN Acute NP program, he now works in a NP position with Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. "My ANCP will allow me to move into practice as a provider giving me the intellectual challenge I was looking for and hopefully be less physically demanding" he said.

Reitz had requirements when it came to choosing the right university for him. He wanted an acute care program and didn't want to have to leave home or work to do it. Joel preferred not to travel a lot and wanted to do his clinical locally. He found that Drexel University Online met all those requirements, and it had the reputation he sought. "I think the Drexel online program was very well put together and technically functioned extremely well" Reitz said.

Even though being in a different time zone provided some challenges, Joel took to online learning like a "duck to water." There were requirements for synchronous meetings online that made it difficult to be present with the time difference, but he worked around it without too much difficulty. Group projects were also an issue, but he managed to work through those as well. "I doubt the difficulties were any worse than normal difficulties students on campus have" he said.

Joel had good things to say about Drexel University Online. "I would highly recommend Drexel Online to anyone. The ACNP program is well put together and the professors are very responsive, helpful, available, and knowledgeable. The courses were excellent, and I feel I received a very good education and am well prepared to enter practice as a NP. Overall, I could not be happier with the education I received through Drexel Online. I am very proud to be a Drexel graduate."

Student Perspective: The Story of a Drexel Online Student

Nellie Rodriguez graduated this past June after 14 years of attending Drexel University, and believe it or not, she completed her degree completely debt free! "With only transfer credits, I started at Drexel in the fall quarter 1995-1996. I graduated in June, 2009! That's a long time to finish undergraduate studies. However, I went to school when I could pay for it, plain and simple" said Rodriguez.

Her journey to attain a degree didn't begin at Drexel. "I started my bachelor's degree a long time ago. My journey started in 1985 right after graduating from high school. I went to The Community College of Philadelphia, then transferred to Temple University and successfully completed a few part time semesters. Temple University doesn't have the same tuition reimbursement program that Drexel University Online does, however, at the time I didn't know this." She always tried to take a minimum of two classes a term, and if the class was a five credit class, she would only take one. "In a year, I averaged six to seven classes. This past summer, I was so close to finishing my degree, I sacrificed going to Puerto Rico to finally get it done" she said.

Nellie originally began with on-campus courses and switched to online due to unexpected life events, that made her commute almost impossible. "I honestly didn't know I would be eligible to take online courses, but when I found out, it was a Eureka moment for me. A lot was going on in my personal life that unless I was able to attend school online, I would have had to postpone my degree yet again."

When asked what she enjoyed most about the online experience, she said "the online classes gave me insight into the world of technology as I never imagined. It was great knowing I could squeeze in my school obligations at three in the morning and, most importantly, anywhere I happened to be - home, while on vacation, or at a coffee shop. As long as I was a Drexel student, for me, that was the most important fact, and that provided me with the most comfort. I've never experienced a bad moment at Drexel, not with faculty and administration, billing, advising, or with my on-campus and online fellow students. My degree and my time at Drexel University has simply been the most gratifying personal achievement of my life."