Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > David I., Master of Science in Forensic Studies
He did get an "A" in the class, but was appalled when the school contacted him about pursuing another degree. "I reminded them of this incident and told them I would find a school that wants to help students learn, and is not so worried about a stupid rule," recalls David.
Name: David Ingram
Age: 44
Marital Status: Married
Children: One stepson
Current Occupation: Dockworker & Yardman
School: Villa Julie College
Target: M.S. in Forensic Studies, 2008
"They called me back and wanted to know the name of the instructor and told me they would 'look into the situation.' I told them not to waste their time, I wouldn't be returning."
Another thing that bothered David about AIU Online was the amount of classmates who were told, when they were close to getting their degrees, that they needed to take more courses.
"They were not told of this at enrollment and many of them said they wouldn't have enrolled had they known the school was going to do this."
An Educational Answer
Thank goodness for Villa Julie College, which turned out to be a right fit for David. He began classes towards his Master of Science degree in Forensic Studies there at the age of 41, and has been pleased with his graduate education ever since.
"Villa Julie has stood out like a sore thumb compared to AIU Online, Utica College and Ellis College at NYIT," he says, as he contemplates the differences between his current school to the others he has tried. "Students are really treated well by this university."
During David's first quarter at Villa Julie in 2006, he had considered leaving the program after wondering if the master's degree was really going to propel his blue-collar career forward.
He said his teacher and program director took the time to talk to him about his career prospects. He's glad they did, because Villa Julie has proved to be the right place for him. He expects to stay there until graduating in 2008.
"Furthermore, the program director at Villa Julie called me and suggested a firm that I should apply with to get my foot in the door as a background investigator," says David. "I had my second interview today and expect to be offered the job in the next two weeks."
David had a lot to say about the pros and cons of distance learning.
What is the hardest thing about distance learning?
This hasn't been a problem at Villa Julie but it's hard when you are struggling with an assignment and the instructor does not answer your e-mails or phone calls in a timely manner.
When a person has assignments due each week and the instructor takes 48 hours to reply, it really puts a student in a tight spot.
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