A bachelor’s degree earned online from Oregon State University can lead to more academic opportunities. Just ask Michelle Cimino.
For Cimino, earning a bachelor’s in zoology online prepared her for a competitive environmental science and policy graduate program at Columbia University.
We asked Cimino to share what she learned during her time as an Oregon State Ecampus student and how that experience shaped what came next.
Q. What specific habits did you develop while taking online courses with Oregon State that prepared you to succeed in graduate school?
“Time management. With my Ecampus courses, I had several short-term due dates I had to meet, and I had other assignments I needed to start well in advance. I learned how to manage a calendar to make sure I had all the work done on time.
“At Columbia, I used the same time-management skills I practiced as an Ecampus student, and I was just very on top of things. It was just an easy transition for me.”
Q. Your graduate program is highly competitive. What do you think helped you stand out in the admissions process?
“I was one of the only students focused on environmental justice and traditional ecological knowledge. I majored in zoology (at Oregon State), but I also minored in environmental science and Indigenous studies. In my application, I said I was really interested in amplifying Indigenous voices in environmental policies in the Northeast.
“I also was the only student who completed a degree online. Everyone was really interested and excited to learn about my experience. They thought all classes were Zoom calls. I had to explain that it was like a simulator or a video game. You do have prerecorded lectures, of course, but that’s just part of the experience. At Oregon State, online education is rigorous.
“So I think that’s what really made me stand out.”
Q. How prepared were you to interact with other students in person after completing your degree through online education?
“Very prepared. People ask me, ‘How are you so good at just talking to people?’ I say, ‘Ecampus taught me how to be out of my comfort zone and network.’
“Taking public speaking helped me build confidence to communicate because in that class, they required you to work within a group of four people. And I had people from all over the world, so we all had to coordinate and talk to each other.
“After that experience, I started using group chats for projects, with a mini-icebreaker to reduce awkwardness and help people feel comfortable. Then, I started using Discord for some of my courses, and I met two of my best friends that way. They’re like my people. I’ve never thought in a million years I would have met them online, but here we are.
“It was anxiety-inducing at first to enroll in in-person courses. I really didn’t know how I was going to socialize or go to events or attend classroom lectures. It was just so new to me. But I was able to adapt really well very quickly.”
Q. While you were taking Oregon State courses online, you also worked with an environmental group in your community. How important was that local involvement to your career plans?
“I think getting involved with the community really helped ground me and helped me understand what I wanted to do as a career.
“Now being a graduate student, I’m just so happy that I was communicating and being involved with my community because it really helped build professional experience.”
Q. Any final thoughts you’d like to share with students considering learning online with Oregon State?
“Oregon State has helped me so much. The ability to take a variety of classes ranging from philosophy to human ecology to climate science has given me an education I feel no other institution could provide.
“I am seeing how tremendously successful Oregon State was at preparing me for this intensive graduate program. It really showed me how effective online learning can be when you engage fully with it.”
How has learning online with Oregon State shaped your experience? Tell us your story for our Oregon State Everywhere series.
