Molly Alexi
Meet Molly Alexi
Name: Molly Alexi
Age: 35
Marital Status: Married
Children: 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Current Location: Oakboro, NC
Employer: North Carolina Cooperative Extension
School: NC State University
Target: Master's of Extension Education, Fall 2007
As a student pursuing her Bachelor’s degree at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Molly Alexi remembers a student in her class who had two young children and traveled over two hours just to get to class.
"I now understand how hard that was," says Molly, an Oakboro, North Carolina resident with two children of her own who is working on her Master’s degree.
She’s glad she made the switch from on-site classes at North Carolina State University to taking them online. "If I hadn’t switched to online, it would have been much more stressful on my family, job and myself," she says."
Online learning is nothing new to this 35-year-old student, who has seen the distance learning platform evolve with technology advancements. "I started taking online classes four years ago, and they have really developed at NCSU," she says.
"One of my first online classes I took was just reading and completing assignments, but recently, I have been taking interactive classes using webCT and Eluminate. Some of the professors even use webcams."
At 35, Molly is like most working adults who are trying to balance continued education while making time to enjoy her family life.
She currently works for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Stanly County as a Family and Consumer Services Extension Agent, and plans to complete her Master’s degree this fall.
She is planning to apply for a title promotion upon graduation, and expects to receive an immediate 5-percent pay increase if she gets the job. "I don’t have any plans of changing careers," Molly adds.
With one more semester to go, we caught up with Molly as back-to-school time looms for her and her kids.
When and why did you start to consider going back to school?
I decided to go back to school when I became employed with Cooperative Extension. Extension is a very big supporter of lifetime learning, and they encourage all of their employees to earn higher degrees and take classes of interest and professional relevance that will ultimately help to strengthen their county programs.
These programs focus upon enhancing agricultural, forest and food systems; strengthening and sustaining families; developing responsible youth, building quality communities, and conserving and improving the environment and natural resources.
Why did you decide to go with distance learning rather than go in-person?
Working full-time and raising two young children distance education was the best choice for me. It takes over two hours to get to campus, and parking is limited.
When I took a class on campus, it took eight hours out of my day, and I still needed time to work on my assignments. Taking the online classes has saved me a considerable amount of time, and I have been able to devote more time to my assignments, work and family.
Why did you select your particular field of study?
I chose Agriculture and Extension Education because I truly believe in the Extension’s mission of helping people put research-based knowledge to work for economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and an improved quality of life.
Also, the Master of Extension Education program at NCSU was especially designed for extension agents like me, as well as agricultural teachers, youth educators, and other professionals involved in communicating agricultural and family and consumer science information to others.
How many schools did you consider in total?
The only other school besides NCSU that I considered was University of North Carolina at Greensboro, because they have a great Human Development and Family Studies department.
However, they weren’t offering online classes, and NCSU’s Family and Consumer Sciences Department is offering many classes that met my needs with their new Family Life Master’s Degree.
What is your current course load this semester?
I have taken one class a semester including summer for the last four years and hope to finish this fall with my last classes.
On average, how many other learners are in an online class?
About 20 people.
Where did you buy your textbooks?
I ordered my books online if I needed one, but most of the required readings were downloaded off the Internet.
What technologies and tools are used to deliver your program?
WebCT (the University's learning management system), Elluminate (an online web conferencing service), asynchronous message board, and NCSU library.
What's the best thing about distance learning?
The best thing about distance education is convenience and the amount of time and resources being saved.
The only way I have been able to balance work/school/and personal life is because of the support and encouragement from my husband, Daniel, and my County Director Lori Ivey. It is very hard juggling everything sometimes and it is tempting to give up, but with the support of family and friends helping me I have been able to succeed.
And what do you believe is the worst aspect?
The worst thing about distance education is getting used to emailing everything and there is a lot more reading.
And what is the most surprising thing about distance learning?
How easy it was, and that the technology is available.
What do you think is the biggest myth about online learning or an online degree?
The biggest myth would be not having contact with the professor or others in the class. Most of the online classes that I have taken have set times where the class meets online and some of them have been very interactive.
Would you consider pursuing additional online educational opportunities in the future?
I think the only way that I would consider another degree would be through distance learning.
Do you have any advice for prospective students who are considering an online degree?
The only advice I would give would be stay on top of things, and don’t get behind in the classes. There is a lot of independent work and if you let yourself fall behind, it is very difficult to catch up. Also, save copies of everything you send and all emails. And, most importantly, don’t give up!
What have you learned about yourself during this process?
I never saw myself as someone who would receive her master’s degree. It’s hard for me to believe that I am almost finished. It seems like forever when you are just chipping away one class at a time. This has been a great experience for me.
