Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > Terry, A.S. in Marketing
“I'm working alongside people half my age who have bachelor's and master's degrees,” he confides. He is seeking a degree “in order to remain competitive.”
Name: Terry C.
Age: 42
Marital Status: Married
Children: Two, ages 11 and 17
Current Location: Oklahoma
Advice to Online Students: "Leave the TV off and just do your work."
School: Penn Foster College
Target: Associate of Science in Marketing, 2008
“It's a prerequisite almost,” he says of the importance of a degree in this day and age.
“I feel lucky that I've been able to make a career change without a degree.” He credits his degree-seeking status for landing the job.
“Part of the reason I was able to do that is that the interviewer knew I was working toward a degree.”
His return to school has continued to be a solid decision despite the toll it has taken. The results are apparent.
“I am always learning something new which helps me with the job I currently have.” There is an added benefit as well. “I think my current employer was impressed that at my age I'm even bothering to further my education.”
Staying true to that goal has been a challenge. Terry didn't want his family, which includes children aged 11 and 17, to be too affected by his decision to complete his education. Yet, it was inevitable.
With a full-time job at the publishing company, and a part time job at a retail store--in addition to his study load--the situation reached a breaking point.
“My family only saw me going to work, coming home from work, or doing homework,” he recalls. “That was the longest year of my life. One of my jobs had to go.”
The extra time and energy he would glean would be necessary for him to get back on track. It had taken him longer than he had projected to complete one of his early courses. “Business Math was my roughest course so far,” he says. “I don't know of any traditional program that could take six months [to complete] one class.”
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