As far back as I can remember my mother has always worked at some level of nonprofit. This was not a career that she set out to do necessarily. In fact when I was very small she was a dental hygienist. But I guess this field didn’t really appeal to her in the long term and as her kids grew she was freer to explore other industries where the hours may not have been conducive to her life of getting kids on and off the bus. She started working as a secretary in one nonprofit and has worked for many organizations since then – working her way up the ladder into fundraising and even nonprofit management. Now that she’s reached a certain level, however, regardless of her work experience, she has hit a salary ceiling because she does not have her degree.
Not one to let something like this stop her from getting what she wants, my mother – at the age of 61 – simply decided that she would go back to school. I was worried and couldn’t imagine her running around between classes and work and trying to juggle studying and homework on top of it all. She would run herself ragged and I wasn’t even sure she would be able to make it work with the schedule as it was.
But as usual my mother was right and I was wrong. She had no intention of returning to the classroom and no intention of commuting to and from campus. Not at all. Instead she had explored the possibility of getting an online nonprofit management degree through a reputable online school.
This seemed the perfect solution to me. My mom could pursue her degree in nonprofit management from the comfort and convenience of her home and not have to sacrifice her career. When will I learn that mother always knows best?
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I could not remember a time when I had been as excited as when I was preparing to go to college. I was finally done with high school and so, so ready to move on with my life; to get out of my hometown and be independent. Most of all I was excited about studying computers – something about which I had been passionate for some time. I reasoned that computer technology would offer me many career options in a tough economy and would give me the flexibility in terms of where I could live and the types of companies for which I could work.
I was scheduled to begin my college classes in a week when I found out that I had mononucleosis; a virus that – among its other symptoms – causes you to be very, very fatigued. I hadn’t been feeling well for some time and this certainly explained it. My doctor told me that I could not go to school or would I risk even more severe illness. I was devastated. My education was put on hold while I began to recuperate – at home, in bed.
Now that I’m feeling better I am anxious to get into the swing of school but the doctor has advised against it; plus the semester has already begun. So I decided to check out some alternatives and what I found changed everything. Specifically what I found was an online IT degree program that would allow me to work from home – even from my bed – and still begin my education. I am so excited that this is available to me; it allows me to still start school without compromising my health. I know that this is just a moment in time but I didn’t want to miss it; my online IT degree program has allowed me to get in the game.
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In the last post I talked about the truly horrible experience of losing my very best friend to cancer at the age of 40. She was such a lover of life that she was almost our hub of energy and when she passed away it was like a light went out for good. I could have very easily wallowed in my grief for years to come but instead I chose to honor her life by stepping outside my comfort zone and taking some of her lessons to heart. She was never one to sit around waiting for things to happen; if she wanted something she went after it completely and totally. This was what motivated me to change the way in which I saw the world, change my behavior, and go after what I wanted now instead of later.
Part of what I did during this time was throwing myself into finding more information about returning to school – something that I had long wanted to do. I had always wanted to go back and get my MBA but I couldn’t figure out a way that I would be able to make it all work. So I took a page from my friend’s book and I committed myself to finding a way no matter what. I didn’t have to do much research before I found the information I was looking for – the online MBA program. An online MBA program would allow me to juggle my job, my family, and the responsibilities of school because I would be able to do all of my school work and attend all of my lessons from home.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn how much was available in the online programs out there. The online MBA program was not the only thing available – there was the online IT degree program, nonprofit management program, online business degree program, and much, much more.
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Two years ago I lost my best friend to cancer. She was only 40 years old. I could go on and on about what a tragedy it is – and it is – but ultimately I can just imagine her saying, “oh, get on with it.” And that’s what I learned from her. We are not guaranteed all the time in the world and so we might as well get on with it; do those things we want to do now because there may not be a tomorrow. My friend truly lived her life this way and while it is horrendous that she should be taken from all of us at such a young age at least she knew that she always did want she wanted to do and never hesitated for a moment to live life to the fullest. It’s a trite expression but it makes sense in these kinds of circumstances.
I chose to learn something from the whole experience and I immediately set to work doing those things that I had put off for far too long. The big one was going back to school. It sounded noble in theory. But it was only ever an idea in my head that didn’t seem to translate on paper. I wanted to go back to get my MBA but with so much going on in my life and the inability to juggle the things that were already on my plate I could not imagine how I would be able to fit one more thing into my schedule – especially something this big.
Ultimately the online MBA was my answer to this big question. There was no need to physically juggle the logistics of going back to school when online degree programs were available. Now there were no more excuses and I had to really, truly, get on with it.
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No matter what I plan ahead of time I always wind up having to change what I started because things somehow, some way go awry. It’s not always for the worst; things change and sometimes it turns out that it was the best thing that could have happened in the end. But it can be frustrating to put things in motion only have to turn and go in another direction. Most of this change has been because of upheaval that happened earlier in my life – having to drop out of college, moving far from home, having a baby at a young age. You just adapt, do the best you can, and keep on going.
Getting my college degree, however, had really turned out to be a thorn in my side – until now anyway. I dropped out into my second year of college and had tried to go back several times but to no avail. Every time I worked something out something else would come up to block my path. I had a job where I had changed my hours so I could leave early for school but then that fell through when one of the other employees quit and I had to take over the shift. Then I got laid off from that job and I enrolled in classes only to find another job – which I was happy about but which stopped me from once again pursuing my degree in nonprofit management.
But this time I found a foolproof plan to get my nonprofit management degree. I enrolled in an online degree program that will give me the ability to work and go to school. No excuses. No changes. No stopping me now. I’m finally getting that nonprofit management degree and the Internet is my key to the education I started all those years ago.
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In the last post I talked about the schedule that most working mothers share – the craziness that doesn’t end from the time you wake up until the time you finally hit the pillow at night and pass out. It can be difficult to squeeze in time for a cup of coffee with a friend let alone attending your own school program (who has time for that when you’re helping your kids with their homework?).
I was struggling to find time for myself between my family, my home, and my full time job. But I also desperately wanted to get my MBA. I had already gotten my undergraduate business degree and was very happy with my job so I didn’t want to have to leave it to go back to school – especially in this economy. However, I did want to take advantage of the enthusiasm I was feeling for school and felt this was the time to finally pursue my MBA. Luckily an online MBA made all things possible and convenient for me.
The online MBA program that I chose allows me to do all of my work at night or during the weekends – it’s a crunch but it’s certainly doable. This is the only option that would have ever worked for me in my situation and I feel so incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to attend school in this manner and further my education as I have wanted to do for so long.
I found out a lot about online learning through my process of researching and was subsequently able to recommend several programs – including an online IT degree program and an online Masters in Education program – to some friends who were also considering going back to school. With online learning on our side we can still have it all!
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Any working mother will attest to the juggling act that happens on a daily basis. There is the alarm going off seemingly seconds after you close your eyes, the breakfasts to make, the lunches to pack, the homework to check, the papers to sign, the beds to make, the house to clean, the laundry to do, the shopping run to make, the dinner to plan, the appointments to schedule, the after school activities to attend, and – oh yeah – there’s your full time job. As if you didn’t already have one. This is a lot to manage for anyone under any circumstances but when you throw the potential of school into the mix it gets a whole lot more complicated.
I was one of these working mothers and while I was lucky enough to have the help of a very hands-on husband he works long hours as well and often we are like ships passing in the night. I had the responsibilities of my job during the day and the responsibilities of home and family in my additional waking hours. There seemed to be little if any time for myself but that was exactly what I needed to carve out if I was going to have any hope of getting my degree. Education has always been important to me but now more than ever because of the competitive and dwindling job market. I had an undergraduate business degree and a good job but I had always wanted to pursue my masters. This would have been impossible in years past simply because there was no way I was ever going to find the time in my day to commute to school and sit in class. The logistics just didn’t work. But now, with the potential of working through an online MBA program school could finally be a convenience I could afford. More to come…
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My daughter did not have the typical college experience; she had my granddaughter when she was only nineteen years old and, while she had started her college classes, she wasn’t able to finish out the year, let alone earn her degree. Her subsequent marriage didn’t last and before long she and her daughter were living back at home with us – the entire family pitching in to try to make things work. She found a great job with a nonprofit organization and time marched on – all of us caught in the whirlwind that comes with having small children and working adults in a household. I was so proud of everything my daughter had accomplished on her own but I knew that she had things she still wanted to do and before long she found a way to go after them.
She told me that she was glad that she had gotten this job in nonprofit because while it may have just been a way to pay the bills at first it was quickly revealed to her as something about which she was passionate. In fact, she told me, she wanted to pursue nonprofit management as her long term career and she had found a way to earn her degree – online.
With an online nonprofit management degree program she could continue to work full time and care for her daughter, while doing all of her schoolwork at night or on the weekends when we could help with the baby. Everything was done online – on her computer – and it was the most convenient and best way possible of earning her degree.
She earned that nonprofit management degree – and we were all so proud. But she didn’t stop there! It seems she really caught the bug after earning her undergraduate degree and so she’s quickly moving on to get her online MBA. Nothing can stop her now!
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The long term sub position came out of nowhere for me and it was a gift from the heavens. I had been pounding the pavement looking for a teaching job – fresh out of school – and with the end of summer approaching I had resigned myself to substituting here and there while working a part-time job to supplement my income. In the meantime, I decided to use this opportunity to pursue my Masters in Education. I figured while I had this time I might as well use it to further my education and make myself more marketable in terms of getting a job.
I had tossed around the idea of going back to the campus from where I had graduated with my undergraduate teaching degree. It wasn’t long after, however, that I reconsidered and chose instead to go for an online Masters in Education – thereby keeping my schedule open and clear for whatever substitute jobs came my way and allowing me to work in a non-traditional environment (home) at a pace that suited me. I have to say that after just graduating I was not at all anxious to immediately return to the classroom. This was a way to continue my education and not feel like I was back to the commute and back to sitting behind a desk.
It all worked out and thankfully I did chose the online approach to my Masters in Education - because a teacher who was on maternity leave in a nearby district decided not to return this year – opening up a long term substitute job for me. This was a great opportunity and best of all I could continue with my plan of earning my online Masters in Education without skipping a beat. All in all, at the end of this year I’ll have some experience and more education under my belt, which will hopefully open doors to a full time job.
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Getting my undergraduate degree was quite an accomplishment for me considering the financial and personal hurdles that I had to overcome to get there. I was flat broke, working a waitressing job that barely paid anything, and had loans through the roof. The stress was certainly substantial and I don’t think I had the fun, party college experience that most people my age had. But it was worth it – I got my degree and I never looked back.
One thing that I always wanted to do but couldn’t do at the time was go on to get my master’s degree – my MBA. I turned the world upside down trying to figure out a way to do it right out of undergraduate school but the fact was that I had run out of options and was lucky enough to get my undergrad degree. I would have to revisit my MBA at a later date.
Well this is the date. I am older, wiser, and far more financially secure. I feel lucky to have so many options available to me which is a good thing because, while finances are no longer my primary concern, fitting school into my work schedule is still a top priority. This time, of course, it’s not a part time waitressing job that I’m trying to juggle with school – it’s a full time career in business. I can’t put work on hold to go back to school even though I know it will greatly benefit my career in the long run. But it turns out that I don’t have to put anything on hold because with the option of earning my online MBA I can go to school in the privacy of my own home – and on my time.
The online MBA program essentially comes to me and I have the ability to do all of my course work during my “off” hours. It won’t be easy but it will certainly be convenient and I look at the online MBA as my reward for all the juggling I had to do so early in life.
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