Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > Jenn G., Master of Education
"From my experience," she says, "online you get just as good an education as if you went to class." If anything, Jenn warns prospective online students to "be ready to do a bit more work than you would if you were in a classroom."
Name: Jenn Griffiths
Age: 28
Marital Status: Married
Location: New Jersey
Current Occupation: Elementary School Teacher
School: Grand Canyon University
Target: Master of Education, 2007
Jenn is currently wrapping up the last of the five semesters that make up her program. Each semester consists of two consecutive eight-week courses and the work is quite intensive.
Every week she has several assignments, including discussion questions, journal entries on the assigned readings, and a longer paper of 1000-1500 words. The paper alone would often take her 5 hours to complete each week.
"It definitely helps to be disciplined and have days you dedicate to each assignment," she advises.
The upside for Jenn is that she has been able to complete much of the work in her pajamas!
"I liked the idea of being able to be comfortable when I was doing my own work and liked that I could do it at my own pace throughout the week," she says. "When I had a moment that I felt productive I could act on it, and if I was busy or feeling uninspired about my paper topic that week, I didn't have to work on my assignment at that time."
She readily admits that school usually does not top her list of priorities. "My work and personal life generally come before my school," she says. Her philosophy is that "without a job a masters degree is not worth much and without family and friends, your life isn't worth much."
That doesn't mean she neglected her schoolwork. Her online program simply provided the flexibility to allow her to prioritize in the way that was right for her.
"I have been up late many Sunday nights working to finish papers because I have had a busy week at school or family events to attend over the weekend," she says.
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