“Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk.” – J.C. Penney
It occurs to me that I may want to elaborate a little on why talking about personal goals is so important when explaining why I chose the program at A.T. Still University over all the others.
We get a lot of people on the eLearners forum who ask what academic program they should consider. Often times, they’re not asking about specific programs, but rather broad categories, or even just “I’d like to get a degree in something. What would be good?”
That’s not the way I see higher education. A degree (and the education that goes into it) isn’t a goal in and of itself. It’s simply a tool that helps one achieve one’s goals. So, when people talk about the program that interests them, I’m always interested to know why they chose it. Specifically, what can they do with that degree that they can’t do without it?
For example, let’s say I want to start my own business, so I do a Bachelor’s degree program in Small Business Management. The goal isn’t to get the degree; it’s to start the business. The degree program just makes that possible.
So if you find yourself looking at a particular program, ask yourself why you’re considering it. After all, you can’t travel the right road if you don’t select a destination!
Next up, I have committee members!
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About SteveFoerster
I'm an educational technologist and administrator who loves distance learning. I completed my Bachelor's in Information Systems by distance, and went on to do a Master's in Educational Technology almost entirely online.
Now it's time for doctoral study, and I've decided to stick with eLearning for many reasons, chief among them that the Doctor of Health Education program that interested me wasn't available from a local university. Also, I'm married with four school-age kids, so I definitely need the flexibility that online learning can provide. This program at A.T. Still University met my needs.
My other interests include veganism, developing world issues, open educational resources and free culture, and individual liberty.