Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > Brian, Associate of Science in Marine Technology
Though he had to pay out-of-pocket for textbooks, after reselling them online, his educational expenses came out to a mere $200.
Name: Brian Saulmon
Age: 38
Marital Status: Married
Children: 2 sons; ages 13 and 16.
Current Location: Panama City, FL
Advice for Students: Discipline yourself and set aside enough time to study and do your work.
School: National Polytechnic College of Engineering and Oceaneering
Target: A.S. in Marine Technology
But before he started, Brian was concerned that the online platform would be too complex for him, and found to his surprise that it was very easy to navigate.
"You just open up your course room: you have links to your studies and links to your reference materials. I didn't think it would be so easy to pursue and acquire materials, but everything's already set up for you."
For Brian, the biggest challenge was finding the time to squeeze in schoolwork with everything else.
National Polytechnic provided a curriculum that was focused and the classes were rigorous and challenging. "It was a little tough," he admits.
"The last couple of classes were pretty intensive. Work — there was no bending there, but every now and then I could do some school during lunch; I devoted one to three hours a night to my studies."
Sometimes Brian would even try to stay ahead so as not to jeopardize time with the family.
Throughout his educational process, he made a commitment to not to miss his teenaged boys' ballgames and to be able to eat dinner with his family every night.
"Taking the time to all sit down together is important," he says.
But it takes more than a little organization and discipline to make sure everything gets time.
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