Being able to transition from learning online for my undergrad to working on-campus for my master’s (both with Arizona State University) has been a dream come true. I have built lifelong relationships with the professors that guided me through my bachelor’s online and even met with online classmates! Funny enough, I ended up working and becoming great friends with a classmate here in Arizona while we were both in different states getting our degrees through ASU Online (shout out to you, Lexi!).
While I look onwards to finishing my thesis and starting PhD applications, I have given a lot of thought about my time with ASU Online. Earning a degree online may get a bad rap, but there was never a moment where I felt I was “just” doing school online. I was enveloped in the school culture and community, and I have been a Sun Devil since day one. Finishing my bachelor’s online allowed me to work full time and pay for my master’s purely out of pocket rather than by getting more student loans. I was able to travel to several different countries and states, and I created endless memories without worrying about missing a physical class or working it into my schedule.
Although my journey with ASU Online has come to an end, I will always be grateful for the opportunities and freedom it gave me while still receiving a top-notch education and developing lifelong relationships. Now, in the last couple semesters of my graduate program, I have been given the opportunity to help teach alongside to ASU Online students in my favorite course, COM 453 (Training and Development). Not only do I love getting to teach and be an integral part of one’s learning, I get to do it through the same platform that inspired me years ago.
For anyone contemplating an online degree via ASU Online- do it. You will soon be surrounded by supportive faculty, advisors, and friends that will make you wonder what took you so long to start. Always proud to be a Sun Devil, online and everywhere.