From Georgia to Tanzania: Meet eCore student, Haley Norman

Haley and her husband, Mason.

Haley Norman, 21

University of North Georgia

AS in General Studies

Expected Graduation: Fall 2017

Tell us about your path to college and how you ended up enrolled at the University of North Georgia.

I am a missionary in Tanzania, East Africa. Upon graduating from UNG, I will have taken all of my UNG courses online due to my location. I am thankful that UNG offers all-online degrees for people in unique situations like mine.

Why is completing your college degree important to you?

I understand that to be successful in the real world, a degree opens up great opportunities for financial success and stability.

Why did you choose to take online classes?

I chose to take online classes because I live in Tanzania, Africa and am not in the position to be a traditional, on-campus student. eCore offers great tools to learn how to navigate courses, assistance with courses (tutoring), librarians, and more. Some of these aids are offered 24 hours a day which is great for me because of the minimal 8 hour time difference.

Besides being a college student, what do you spend your time doing?

Mission work keeps me quite busy, but I love biking on the beautiful African trails with my husband and cooking/baking.

Mount Meru in Tanzania

How and when do you make time to spend on your school work?

I have found that maintaining a rigorous daily schedule helps me stay disciplined and contributes to my focus and success in my courses. I am a full-time, all-online student, so I have very little free time and cannot afford to be distracted and lose focus or motivation. I break my days down hour by hour so that I can give all of my attention to the one subject in that time frame and not worry about other due dates and assignments until their allotted time.

What would you say to someone who is considering taking their first online class?

The best advice I could give someone who is considering taking their first online class is to stay focused, motivated and disciplined. Be intentional in your planning and time management so that you stay on top of your work. Lastly, plan time for yourself and spend some time doing something you love. Even if that is taking quiet time to just breathe, do it. "You-time" is imperative to prevent burnout when the semester gets rough.

eCore (through UNG) has enabled me to obtain my degree from over 8,000 miles away!

Comments

3 Things to Consider Before Taking an Online Class While Overseas

Online Learning allows students the flexibility of continuing their educational journey from anywhere in the world. Online classes are an excellent option for students who are studying abroad for the semester, military members and families who are stationed overseas, or even those who want to take classes while traveling for pleasure. While online classes can usually be accessed from anywhere with a reliable internet connection, there are some things to consider before registering for class if you intend to complete the course while located outside of the U.S. Availability of a Reliable Internet Connection To access most online classes, students must have a reliable internet connection. This may be a challenge in some areas of the world due to various issues such as local network instability, outages, firewalls, or restrictive local internet policies. Before registering for an online class, research the internet accessibility situation in the area in whi...

USG eCampus Helps HR Staffer Find Second Chance at College After Pandemic

Jasmin Khan recalls the unease she felt when working at a hospital as a Human Resources Assistant during COVID-19. Like so many, Khan found unexpected challenges when the pandemic brought physical and emotional hardships to most Americans. Acknowledging the “chaos in her life” caused by the pandemic, she left the job she loved to take a remote role. While remote work felt safer, she soon realized that her lack of a four-year degree limited her career opportunities. When considering pursuing a promotion, she became concerned that she had the skill set but was lacking the required level of education. No matter how impressive her experience, career progression was difficult without a bachelor’s degree. And as a busy mother of two young children, she found flexible and affordable options for returning to school very limited. The Search for Flexibility and Quality Then she discovered Georgia Southwestern University’s online programs through USG eCampus. “It felt like a breath of ...

Four Enchanting USG Institutions to Visit During the Holidays

With holiday breaks soon approaching, there’s no better time to hit the road and visit a few of Georgia’s most beautiful college campuses. Whether it’s an old-fashioned postcard scene with snow-capped mountains or a symphony of lights, several colleges and universities are already hauling out the holly. Here’s a few of our favorites: University of North Georgia - With a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, UNG’s main campus is in Dahlonega, which Southern Living has named the “perfect Christmas town.” In addition to a variety of musical performances that you can catch on campus during the holidays, the town itself goes all out with lights, a festival of trees, and daily carriage rides. Georgia College and State University - This beautiful liberal arts college is steeped in tradition and will perform the 25th year of its Nutcracker ballet – right on campus. December 8-10, 2023 University of West Georgia – Just an hour from Atlanta, UWG is a newcomer to the holiday scene. 20...

Planet eCampus

Search This Blog