After struggling as an on-campus student, Geoff Boldt has achieved academic success by learning online with Oregon State Ecampus while also building a promising career.
Lessons learned online help this aspiring appraiser advance his career
Earning a college degree has always been a life goal of mine. So, after attending Oregon State University at the main Corvallis campus with minimal academic success, I really struggled trying to find my place in the world. I searched for months to find a job that would make me an acceptable living wage but the options were bleak.
In a pleasant surprise, I discovered the world of real estate appraisal and have been training for my certification ever since. Studying economics online with Oregon State Ecampus has already been a great help in my analysis of market trends, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made things a little erratic at best. Understanding why the market is reacting a specific way is crucial to finding an accurate value of a home.
“As I am actively working in a field that uses my future degree, I am able to apply what I am learning immediately.”
To earn the highest level of certification as an appraiser, a college degree is required. This was finally the last little push I needed to give school another try. In the future I hope to obtain this last level of certification and earn a professional designation from the Appraisal Institute, which is an organization that educates appraisers.
Attending classes on campus again would have forced me to move, and taking classes in the middle of the day was not an option for my work. Due dates for OSU Ecampus are typically Sunday night with the occasional Wednesday or Thursday. These are ideally placed for someone who is busy during the week and unable to put a lot of time into class until the weekend.
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Learning economics online has had a direct impact on my academic success. Logging in to do an assignment or listen to a lecture whenever I am able to* has made a world of difference to me. Education does not have to be “one size fits all,” and Ecampus proves that by making it possible for people to work full time and continue their education.
Before, I had a very difficult time attending class and keeping up with assignment due dates. The Ecampus platform is easy to use and includes a built-in calendar that helps me keep track of what needs to be done. This is exactly what I needed in order to be successful academically.
My advice for someone who is hesitant to attend school online is to take the leap. The stigma around online learning being insufficient is entirely false. As I am actively working in a field that uses my future degree, I am able to apply what I am learning immediately. This helps me understand how relevant the material is and makes the classes that much more interesting.
There is a lot of freedom involved in the Ecampus programs that make it accessible to people with all sorts of schedules. Starting or finishing your degree is possible for you.
*A note that Geoff’s reference to studying whenever he is able to is in reference to Ecampus courses being flexible but not self-paced. Learn more about how Ecampus courses are delivered today.
The Ecampus staff thanks Geoff for sharing his story about Oregon State’s economics online program as a part of the OSU Everywhere campaign.
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