My St. Petersburg College Experience

Is this good news or bad news?

2009-10-27T03:45:00Z

I just read a news report about employer perception of online degree programs. I know that so-called "online degrees" aren't nearly as well-thought of in the business world as traditional brick and mortar degrees are. I also know that outlook is changing, maybe because so many online programs have sprung up, even at traditional brick and mortar schools, or maybe because some of the traditional business leaders themselves may have taken online courses themselves.

I know that the modern generation of students, the younger set, are certainly accepting of the online medium as a viable method for education and earning degrees. I know that the older group of business leaders and executives and human resource managers are probably more stuck in the traditional mode of thinking and aren't likely to change their opinions. It's that middle age group that is probably those that make up the group that are beginning to change their point of view on the matter.

In any case, this news report (link below) says that:

In a July 2009 survey of human resources (HR) professionals across industries, 76 percent of respondents said they view online university degrees more favorably today than they did five years ago. Moreover, individual courses (as opposed to online degrees) taken through online universities are considered as credible as traditional university courses by 58 percent of respondents.

But my question is this: is the fact that more HR professionals view online degrees more favorable GOOD NEWS, or is the fact that a significant portion of them still view online degrees less favorably BAD NEWS? At this point, haven't the value of online degrees been proven sufficiently that they should be considered valuable by practically all HR professionals?

The article actually uses the word "stigma" regarding online degrees.

I don't know, this whole subject really rubs me the wrong way. I don't like the idea that some HR professionals possibly look at online degree holders as the "second class citizens" among college graduates as compared to those who earn a degree from a traditional brick and mortar school.

Anyhow, here's a link to the article:

Online Degrees Viewed More Favorably

Is the glass half empty or half full?

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Consistency is the key

2009-10-26T03:42:00Z

One thing I've figured out about myself is that I'm pretty inconsistent. In my almost 48 years on the planet, this is one of my traits that I'm aware of, but really haven't developed a plan to overcome. I'm inconsistent about many aspects of my life, personally and professionally, and I'm really rather ashamed to have to admit that. Yes, I know, the first step to achieving change in your life is to recognize and face up to the parts of your character that you aren't happy with or that appear to be a limiting factor in your success. Professionally I've had quite a bit of success, even without having earned a degree to this point in my life, but even when I decided to go ahead and finally get that degree -- 30 years later -- I still really approached the challenge in an inconsistent fashion.

I'm inconsistent in a lot of ways, and it is really starting to bug me a bit. What bugs me the most is that I've really allowed myself to put up with this shortcoming for so very long and have not yet resolved to actively attack and overcome this problem.

I'd like to declare that I'm going to change this part of my character, and I'd like to believe that I'm going to stick with that. Truly, I would really love to be resolved to fix it, but I know myself and I realize that I'm probably never going to be able to completely eliminate this flaw in my makeup. Instead, I probably need to focus on consistency in just one area, and perhaps I can apply that theme of consistency to the pursuit of my Bachelors Degree at Penn Foster College. I'd like to think that I can do that, because I believe now that consistency is truly the key to be able to earn my degree without stretching it out for another 30 years.

Maybe if I can do that, perhaps I can make myself a good example for my two daughters as well. I want them to not fall into the same traps that I myself have done.

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A very mature decision

2009-10-24T02:16:00Z

My oldest daughter, who is 17 years old as I write this, is enrolled in high school with Penn Foster High School and is working on her diploma. If you've been following my blog, you know that we took her out of her brick and mortar local high school and allowed her to work on her education online. It's really common for degree-seeking students to attack their degrees online, but seemingly much less common for high school students.

My daughter, who is still very much a kid to me, really surprised me a few weeks back. She made what I consider to be a very, very mature decision. In fact, the decision has really allowed me to see her in a different light. She's very close to being more than just a kid, but in fact she's close to being a woman. So what was this decision that impressed me so much? She quit her job.

Okay, before you misinterpret what I'm saying here, quitting her job was not because she is lazy or unhappy at work, but rather because she found that the time she is spending at work has started to put her a little behind on her graduation schedule. We've mapped out exactly when each unit needs to be completed at Penn Foster so that she will be able to graduate from high school at the same time as she would have had she stayed in brick and mortar school.

My daughter, who lives with us of course, doesn't HAVE to work. She worked because it gave her money to do the things she liked to do. She had no bills, no car payments, no insurance to pay for, she simply enjoyed working to have spending money. She made what I consider to be a very mature decision. She wants to make certain she graduates on time so she made achieving her high school diploma her top priority.

I'm impressed. And she spent the past few weeks starting to get caught up on some of those milestones where she's fallen behind.

Good for her!

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More bad news

2009-10-19T17:31:00Z

I feel very guilty about celebrating having received my degree. October was going to be the start of a new, positive, happy era for me and my family. If you've been following along with my blog for a while, you know that, as a family, we've all been through a bad patch. I thought things were on the upswing for us and that I could look forward to building on receiving my degree and find a little bit more joy. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

I got the news a couple of days ago that my cousin passed away, completely unexpectedly.

She was only 35 years old, and sadly, she died due to an undiagnosed condition. There's some debate as to whether she would have been able to extend her life significantly even if her condition had been diagnosed, but of course all of that debate and discussion really isn't productive. Diagnosed or not, she did suffer from a very serious condition that needed to be treated and that it was something she never had looked into. Perhaps she never even realized she suffered from a problem, because I can't imagine that she would have let this go without being looked at. In the end, what really matters for the rest of us is that she leaves a husband and two children behind to deal with the aftermath. Our family is, naturally, providing them as much support as possible to help them get through this very, very difficult time.

Sadly, I hadn't yet had a chance to share my good news with her. She would have been very proud to learn that I've finally received my degree after so many years. Since she lives quite a distance away, I was preparing to drop her an e-mail and let her know the good news. I would have even scanned the degree and sent it along for her to look at if she had wanted to.

It's tough. It is really tough and hard to reconcile when someone so young just ends up dead, without warning and without the chance receive treatment that may have been able to extend their life, even if only minimally. But in the end, life goes on, of course. And we'll trudge forward and hope and pray for happier days.

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My degree... so sweet!

2009-10-09T18:23:00Z

Ever since my degree came, I've keep looking at it. Right now it still lives in the carboard envelope that it came in, and periodically I will pick up that envelope and hold it in my hands for a moment, then flip it over so the back is facing upward, then I slowly slide that precious piece of parchment out of the sleeve and spend a few minutes admiring that degree which took me 30 years to obtain.

30 years?

Once I've lingered over my degree for a while, I gently slide it back into the envelope and replace it on the shelf, until I long to see the hard evidence of my accomplishment once again.

30 years!

Looking back, it is almost hard to believe that it really has taken that long to finally earn my associate degree. What's even more astonishing is just how quickly 30 years have passed by. Even though it has been decades, it seems like just a couple of years ago I was graduating from high school. Now I turn around and find that I've been married for more than 20 years and I have a pair of teenage daughters who are radpidly approaching adulthood.

Phew.

If you're thinking about starting or completing a degree, I encourage you to take action now. Don't wait, as proud as I am to have earned mine after 30 long years, I still wish I hadn't waited this long to get it done. If you need help deciding on a degree program that is a good fit for you, then you're in absolutely the right spot here at eLearners. This site is chock full of excellent distance learning resources, so spend a few minutes exploring what this site has to offer.

Now back to that diploma... I think I'd better start looking for a nice frame. Otherwise, this thing is going to get worn and dirty!

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