Online learning
getting Your e-Degree
by Leah Byrons
W
hen Christine Goudreau decided last year until midnight,” she says. “Once I did that one class, I
to finally pursue her nursing degree, her realized—wow, I can do this!”
first thought was how she would find the While she will be taking traditional classes on the
time to study. The 40-year-old Bloomingburg mom Sullivan County Community College campus starting
wasn’t sure she would be able to fit in trips to a college this fall, she plans to complete her bachelor’s degree in
campus while caring for her five kids at home. nursing via her computer.
That’s when she decided to get her degree online. Like Christine, many students going the e-degree
And statistics show she’s not alone. route stay at home to raise their kids, maintain a 9-5
According to The Distance Education and job, or have other demands on their daily schedules.
Training Council, approximately four million students The convenience of being able to plan their own study
are completing online coursework at colleges and schedules is more appealing than commuting to a
universities across the US. With more people looking college campus several days a week and still having to
to boost their skill set or even switch careers, those squeeze in homework time to boot.
numbers are rising. Meg Benke, PhD, dean of the “The flexibility is immense. It enables students to
center for distance learning at Empire State College, not quit their career or not leave their kids at home.
says online enrollments are up 15 percent at the They can get online 24/7,” says Todd Cunningham,
Saratoga Springs-based school. vice president and director of the Jersey City campus
For Christine, being able to determine her study of the University of Phoenix, where 67 percent of the
time based on her family’s needs, rather than follow population is female (the national average, he says, is
a class schedule dictated by the college, was a major only 57 percent).
motivating factor. Still she wasn’t sure she could juggle To make getting a degree even easier, Empire State
schoolwork with family time. She took one class as College has five terms per year beginning in September,
a sort of trial by fire. “I would put the kids to bed November, January, March and May—each 15 weeks
at 9 and if I was still feeling awake I would do work long. “It’s delayed so that parents getting kids back to
14 I Tri-County Woman July/August 2009
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