What is your motivation for obtaining your degree?
My motivation for obtaining my degree has many facets involved. First, I work in an environment where I encourage students to finish their classes at the community college level and then to transfer to a four-year university. I needed to be more than the encourager, I needed to finish the journey that I had started after I graduated from my community college. My second motivational factor was to gain a better skill set for my current position. As my job duties changed, I found myself in a predicament where I knew that I needed a professional degree.
Why did you choose Averett’s Graduate & Professional Studies Program?
I saw a doable solution to earning my degree online in a timely manner. The structure of the GPS program is challenging and rigorous but I felt that I was determined enough to complete the requirements to receive my bachelor’s degree. I also wanted to finish an earlier attempt at earning my degree that I started years ago. My supervisor had arranged for a representative from Averett University to come to discuss the Graduate & Professional Studies Program with our faculty, staff, and students, at Piedmont Community College, (PCC). I attended the informational session to learn more about the programs that Averett offered. After listening to the representative share the details of the Graduate & Professional Studies Program, and receiving the list of credits that would transfer to Averett, I signed on with great excitement!
Please share one tip for your fellow classmates and future AU students:
My tip to fellow and future classmates is to take an online personality self-assessment and answer the questions truthfully to learn what type of learner you are. Start finding resources that address how you learn and develop a study plan that addresses your needs. Schedule time for studying just like you would for other important events in your life. Personally, I took advantage of the services that were provided to me free of charge from Averett University such as the Blount Library, tutoring services from the Student Success Program, and SmarThinking. I love the support services that Averett provides for their students.
What helps to keep you motivated while you are in the program?
After having a discussion with my supervisor about returning to school to finish my degree, she was so excited for me! After my classes started, I remained motivated by my instructors encouraging words of feedback detailing strengths and areas of improvement pertaining to my assignments. As I earned good grades, my husband motivated me by showing me that he was proud of my progress because he wanted me to reach the goal of earning my bachelor’s degree. I was also motivated after integrating processes that I learned in the classroom into my work environment and witnessing the changes occur. I received immediate results from my classroom training by applying techniques learned from my leadership classes into my role at work. Seeing the progress motivated me to keep striving for my degree.
What is your anticipated Date of Graduation?
Averett University, Class of 2017!