Recruiting students from across the U.S., Campus is the new alternative to online community college. We’re on a mission to maximize access to a world-class education to set students up for success no matter what their next step is. Read on to learn about our students’ unique experiences.
Embarking on the journey of higher education is a transformative experience, one that is often met with a mix of excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty. Whether you’re taking on the unknown adventure ahead on your own or with those you love, a few questions can pop up.
Thankfully, Sylvia and Bethany Sullivan, a remarkable mother-daughter pair from the Bronx who are also students in the Campus online associate degree in business program, have sat down with us to answer some questions student might have and offered some great pieces of advice along the way.
From tips on attending college with family members to understanding the challenges and rewards of virtual classrooms, join us as the Sullivans share their advice and shed light on the facets of online learning, making the decision to attend college, and the beauty of pursuing academic dreams side by side.
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What advice do you have for students who’re interested in attending college with a friend or family member?
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Bethany
Don't look at it from the aspect of being with friends or family. You may end up taking your education lightly because you'll lean on them more to do things for you. If you do that, you're not going to really earn that higher education. You're putting strain on someone else.
So I would say that you should stay focused on the main aspect: You're following your education.
However, if you do go with a family member [like I did], it’s okay to have them in your corner as a building block. You have someone there that's going to build you up! You can work with them, and it's like having a teammate that’s easy to go talk to. Plus, you may grow closer because you took college on together.
Sylvia
My advice for families such as moms and daughters or dads and sons, whoever it may be, is to view this journey as the opportunity of a lifetime.
Like my daughter, Bethany, said, the experience is for oneself. You can't always look for somebody else to push you through. You sometimes have to grab your education by the reins and really ride it through no matter how hard it gets.
However, if you view this as an opportunity, go into it with the mindset of ‘I'm doing this for myself because I know where I need to go,’ and you keep that passion, then you can be a great resource for yourself and those who are going through same experience.
Whether it be your family member, a friend, or even your peers, you're going through the same lessons and challenges, and it’s an amazing and rewarding experience.
Do you have any words of advice you’d like to offer to a student who might be considering college?
Bethany
When I started my journey in college education, I had my dream in mind. For those that don't have their dream in mind or are still wondering what their goals are, years of your life are still going to pass. Whether you decide to pursue education or not, you're still going to get older.
So if you have the ability to get your education and enhance those years as you grow, you're not going to lose anything.
Sylvia
Sometimes in youth, you can throw away opportunities, and I threw away my opportunities to go to college when I was younger. I figured that I would finish high school and go straight to work. I wanted to build myself in the professional field.
As I got older, I got to see that education in school was very vital. I'm big on education and teaching the young, and I found myself working in school areas. So the academics that I’m pursuing today are helping me in my goal to teach younger children.
My biggest piece of advice is don't lose your momentum. When you go through school, don't say ‘Well, maybe I can shorten my classes to get a little bit more work,’ or ‘Let me stop and I'll go back to school later.’ If you have to choose, push yourself with what's gonna give you the overall benefit, which of course, if you educate yourself, you have a lot more opportunity.
What’re some things you’ve learned about attending classes online that you’d want to share with other students?
Bethany
Online classes have benefited me because they’ve helped me build the confidence to be able to speak to others online. I think that's amazing because since we're living in a society that relies on being online, these skills I’m gaining aren't only useful in business, but helping me better interact with others in person, too.
I believe learning online has helped so much not only with my education but helped me master the basic life lessons that will continue to help me after my time at Campus.
Sylvia
Remote learning has truly been a blessing. Because I'm in the comfort of my home, I can be a mom, attend to my needs as a mom, and I can also attend to my needs as a daughter as my mom’s getting older. It's amazing because I feel like it's important for me to be at home and help meet the needs of my family without sacrificing my education.
I will say though, I feel with Campus, I was initially nervous because I'm not tech-savvy. But from day one, Campus was telling us ‘We give you resources, but also feel comfortable reaching out, people aren't gonna look at you badly.’ I used to dread it before, but now I feel comfortable exploring.
I'm also now comfortable in realizing that there are other resources. I don't have to burden my children by asking them to help me and making them stop everything that they’re doing or making them feel like they're obligated to help. Now, I find other resources, and I learned that on Campus, and I'm so grateful because it broke those barriers.
However, sometimes when I’m in class and I see all of my peers and how they'll answer questions, I feel like they have so many skills that I don’t. I might not have those skills, but it's okay because I'm here and the time that I am sharing with people, I can learn something. There's always opportunity to learn and I'm enjoying that experience.
Bonus: A Final Word of Advice
Sylvia
Take advantage of the opportunities you come across! It's my fourth quarter with Campus, and still, there's so much of Campus I don't know about. Their core foundation is to build you and prepare you for the future and they're very focused on that.
Their orientation, their purpose, is instilled very early on and it's to get you to the finish line so that way you're successful for the next running race that you have to do wherever you may go. The work is very real, but don’t forget to take advantage of the resources and look at everything that Campus itself has to offer.
And just to let you know, I'm focusing on Campus because I'm a student at Campus and I love Campus, but if you decide to go anywhere else, the advice is still the same. Embrace everything your school has to offer you: the resources, the platforms, the amazing teachers, and the amazing peers.
Learn More About the Campus Experience
If Bethany and Sylvia Sullivan’s advice resonates with you, or their words about Campus have caught your attention, be sure to check out the Campus online associate degree in business program or request more info here.
You can join inspiring students just like Bethany and Sylvia by applying to become a Campus Scholar today!
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