Elevator Speech
Yesterday, I was talking on the phone with my cousin Lori. We were discussing the work she is doing to get her nursing degree. She has a small daughter, and is attending traditional on site classes. I told her that I was finally going back to college too. She asked how I could possibly find time for class while raising three children under the age of three. I told her I was attending Axia College, an online university that allows me to do my work when it is most convenient for me. She said she had heard of The University of Phoenix, but that she had never quite understood exactly how distance learning worked. She thought it just sounded too easy to be true. She asked if there were any specific times that I was required to be in class. I explained to her that the classes were all based on asynchronous communication, and that I could post my work at any time, and read what my fellow classmates had written. I explained that there were several different forums, where I could chat with fellow students, find my assignments for the week, and post my individual work. She asked how I could tell what the other students were discussing, and I told her that each forum used a threaded discussion format. I could simply find the post I was looking for, and each response to it would be connected directly beneath it. I admitted that I was so nervous about doing well in my classes, and how relieved I was to be able to post privately when I needed feedback from my professor. Knowing that there is help available has definitely eased some of my anxiety. We discussed some of the class requirements, and she was surprised at the level of difficulty and amount of participation that was expected. She had assumed that online learning would be easier because I didn’t have to go to a traditional class. I assured her that it was just as demanding as on-site learning, but it fit so much better into my hectic schedule! By