Taking a few online classes in an undergraduate program is quite common today at many universities. But what about an entire online program? There seems to be a misconception that online degree programs are not as prestigious as traditional programs, but I will be first to tell you that online classes are the real deal.

I took traditional on-campus classes at the University of Central Oklahoma for two and a half years until I moved out to California. Before I moved, I met with an advisor to discuss what steps I needed to take in order to still graduate from UCO. I was assured that the remaining 24 credit hours I needed to complete my bachelor’s degree in English would be offered online.

Unfortunately, after three semesters of these classes not being available online, I decided to look at other options. I soon discovered that being a senior transfer student with over 100 credit hours was going to be a challenge for many of the universities in California. Between having to pay out-of-state tuition and having to take significantly more hours than I needed in order to graduate from a different school, I began to question how I would ever finish my degree.

As it turned out, my manager at my new job was close to graduating with his master’s degree from Arizona State University. I was confused as to how he managed to work in California yet attend classes in Arizona. He explained to me that ASU offered numerous graduate and undergraduate degrees completely online. He had experienced a similar situation as I had about not being able to find the right school to attend.

I decided to look into the university and the programs they had to offer. I spoke with an advisor who explained that they would accept a majority of my credits from UCO, and he told me I would only need to take a minimum of 30 hours at ASU to graduate with a degree from them.

I decided to apply and was accepted quickly to their online English program. Four semesters later, I took a plane ride to Tempe, Arizona and graduated with my bachelor’s degree my very first time on the ASU campus.

Taking online classes is not as easy as some people might think. But it is an awesome and unique experience.

I didn't have to physically go to school, but I did have to make time for my classes. The three hours a week I would spend on campus for one class became three hours spent at home or at Starbucks or wherever to "attend" my online class. And I always took four or five classes a semester. I had to watch countless lecture videos or listen to presentations. And if I did not understand what was being taught, I couldn't just raise my hand and ask the professor to explain it again. I had to replay the video over and over again until it clicked. Or I emailed the professor and hoped they replied with clarification before an assignment was due.

I didn't have to talk in person with other students or the professors, but I did have to interact with other students, something I tried to avoid on campus. Most classes required weekly discussions where we had to reply to topics related to that week's novel or lesson. We then had to respond to three other student's posts. I absolutely hated this at first. But I grew to really value these discussions. These type of talks didn't happen in any of my classes at UCO.

Taking a math class online is probably the worst idea ever. ASU's core requirements were different than those at UCO, and my college algebra course from UCO didn't transfer over as an equivalent to ASU's course. Trying to teach yourself how to solve complex equations isn't something I would wish on anyone. For the final in this class, I had to use a testing service called ProctorU. An employee from ProctorU actually watched me take the test using the webcam on my computer. They could also see what was displayed on my monitor.

Instead of worrying about being absent in too many classes, I had to worry about computer and connectivity issues. If the internet went out, well let's just say that's too bad. Professors don't care. Most had a little blurb in their syllabus explaining that internet failure was not an excuse for not turning something in or not taking a test by the deadline. I remember panicking one time because the power at our house went out right before I was going to take a final. I had to lug all my stuff to Starbucks and take my final there. Talk about test anxiety.

I know making new friends is an important aspect of going to college. Surprisingly, it is easy to make friends in online classes! The same students ended up being in a bunch of my classes, so we got to know one another over the course of the semesters. In my Spanish 3 and 4 classes, we had small groups that we had to Skype with each week. I became quick friends with a girl name Maggie, who lived in Minnesota. We talked at least once a week for months, mostly about Spanish (and in Spanish!), but also about our personal lives. We made sure to sit next to each other at graduation!

Even though I never got to experience classes or student life activities on the actual campus at ASU, I still feel a strong connection to the university. I am proud to be a Sun Devil. Forks Up!