Interview with an Online College Student

One of the misconceptions people have about college online, Magen says, is that "they are not serious programs, and that they are just fluff." Magen begs to differ. "It's been work; I didn't buy my degree. Strayer is an accredited university. I get e-mails saying 'buy your degree' every day. That's not what this is. I've really had to work, and I've learned."

Magen explains the dynamics of her online college student courses. "If it's asynchronous, you log in to the blackboard and access weekly video and audio. If it's synchronous (live teaching), you have a teacher who is live that you watch through a DSL Internet connection. You also have a live online chat during the lecture that the professor sees, where you can ask questions."

Magen praises the dedication of her professors. "I would email them and almost always got a response back within 24 hours." She compares her experience as an online student with traditional programs. "I went to a brick and mortar school for my first degree and I can honestly say I had a better interaction with other students through the online program." About 50 percent of the courses Magen has taken online had a group project component.

The students usually set up appointment times to meet over chat and work on their projects. "It's usually a PowerPoint presentation. You can actually present it to the rest of the class with audio if you have a microphone. Or you can do it over chat." Last week, she did a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis on a company with three other group members. Each member took up a portion of the project, and the group ended up getting a good grade. When Magen defends her master's thesis in two months from Germany, she will do so via video conference.

"Our midterm and finals exams are password protected and timed," Magen says. "Most are open book," she explains, "but that doesn't mean much. You can't be going through the book the entire time you're taking the test." For the most part, except for the in-person interactions between students and professors, online college courses operate exactly like traditional ones.

Magen says she understands the apprehensions others might have about an online college student program. "That's the way we were taught, and that's the way we lived. But this really works." She warns however, that students do need to have some resources on hand to make this work. "You have to have a fast Internet connection. You need to have a headset and speakers. And you need to have a computer. When I was doing this in Mexico, I had my laptop." All the other software and programs that Magen needed were provided by Strayer University

Magen has been living abroad for years now, and was in the U.S. for the birth of her first grandchild a few years ago when she decided she wanted to further her studies. "I went to several universities in the Virginia area, but I didn't find what I wanted. I wanted to travel and study at the same time. I needed an American university degree, but I was about to leave for Mexico. I saw Strayer on TV and then visited their physical location." She was impressed, and signed up. Magen stresses the importance of doing a thorough search when selecting a program. "When people are looking for online universities, they must make sure their program is accredited."

The key to being a successful online college student is motivation and drive. This type of program, Magen says, is for people who "really want it." Above and beyond what is needed to succeed in a traditional class room setting, an online student needs to be more "self-disciplined, have strength of character, dedication and determination." Magen runs her own business called "The English Club," which focuses on providing English, business and international tourism classes at private universities and businesses. She maintains a very strict schedule in order to complete her daily tasks.

Magen starts her day at 4:30 a.m. on weekdays and works continuously until about 10:00 at night. And although she catches up on sleep on the weekends, she ends up spending quite a bit of her weekend time working on her coursework. All in all, she's working and studying about 70 - 75 hours a week.

"When you go to school in the U.S., teachers push you along; when you go to university, there's nobody to tell you that 'you have to do this.'" Magen explains that the student is even more independent in an online environment. "You have to be more self-reliant." There is the financial investment as well, and taking the hit is only worth it if you are committed to working hard for your degree.

Magen financed her own education through loans. "I have government student loans - they do everything as they would in a brick and mortar school." But it's been worth it, as far as she's concerned. "A US degree is recognized all over the world," she says.

Magen's thirst for learning won't stop after she secures her master's degree in a few months. After a short break from school, she plans to begin her PhD at the University of Bielefeld in Bielefeld, Germany. And she will continue to travel. "I want to work winters in Germany and summers in China. Once I started seeing the world, I didn't want to stop."

From her hometown in Barbeau, Michigan, Kendra Magen really has gone far. What's her advice for those who are interested but hesitant about starting an online degree program? "Don't think about it, just do it…like the Nike slogan. At one time I was working two to three jobs, raising children, with no husband and no child support."

Others in her position might not have been so ambitious, but for Kendra Magen, it's her ambition that's got her to where she is now. She's been to 52 countries. She owns a business. She's a proud mother and grandmother. She completed her bachelor's degree in two and a half years and her master's degree in eighteen months. And she's well on her way to becoming "Dr. Magen."