{"id":1273,"date":"2019-11-26T09:30:26","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T17:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1273"},"modified":"2024-07-23T14:37:37","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T21:37:37","slug":"online-learning-advice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-learning-advice\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon State Ecampus graduate &#8216;shocked&#8217; by her scientific success"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"744\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c71lEk1CpKc?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Fisheries and wildlife student puts struggles behind her to earn degree online, change career trajectory<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cYou are more than you think you are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It took Andrea Fuchs a few years \u2013 and a fair amount of self-doubt \u2013 to come to that realization. Her journey toward earning a degree online with Oregon State University was not without its obstacles and letdowns.<\/p>\n<p>As a kid, Fuchs dreamed of someday working with animals. Those dreams were squelched \u2013 at least in her mind \u2013 because she struggled in high school math and science classes. She figured she\u2019d never work in any science-related field without being skilled in those disciplines.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textBox\" style=\"width: 30%;\">\n<h2>OSU fisheries &amp; wildlife program wins national award<\/h2>\n<p>A track record of student success and faculty satisfaction helped Oregon State&#8217;s fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences program earn the distinction of being one of the best online degree programs in the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/oregon-states-fisheries-and-wildlife-online-program-earns-prestigious-national-award\/\">Read more \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>But when a web search for reputable online degree programs led her to discover Oregon State\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/fw\/\">fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences bachelor\u2019s program<\/a>, she was overcome with nostalgia. Her childhood aspirations were all she could think about.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew this was the degree for me,\u201d Fuchs recalls. \u201cEven with a major hesitation about being good enough to take science and math courses, I just decided to go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her lack of academic confidence didn\u2019t go away, though. In fact, it increased when she learned that the Ecampus fisheries and wildlife curriculum required her to take multiple chemistry courses and labs online.<\/p>\n<p>Fuchs was so intimidated \u2013 coping with \u201ca bad case of impostor syndrome\u201d \u2013 that she expected to do poorly and need to drop out of the program after her first chemistry class.<\/p>\n<p>Spoiler alert: She earned A\u2019s in every one of her Oregon State chemistry and math classes.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"smartquote\">&ldquo;<\/span>Her classes were not easy by any means \u2013 I worked so hard to succeed. &#8230; I found out I love chemistry and how impactful it was to each of my classes.<span class=\"smartquote\">&rdquo;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>On some level, she still can\u2019t believe it. \u201cMy younger self would be absolutely shocked,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>According to Fuchs, she owes a great deal of her success to the support and encouragement she received from OSU chemistry instructor Marita Barth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoing into Chemistry 121, Dr. Barth made sure everyone knew how much she wanted us to succeed. She made sure that we knew science was for everyone,\u201d Fuchs says. \u201cHer classes were not easy by any means \u2013 I worked so hard to succeed. &#8230; I found out I love chemistry and how impactful it was to each of my classes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The fisheries and wildlife coursework also required Fuchs to do hands-on field work in her local area on Florida\u2019s southwest coast. One such assignment for the Systematics of Birds class sent her to the beach to identify all of the shorebirds she could find in several days.<\/p>\n<p>During the course of her studies, she lived out the beginning stages of her childhood dream by working for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Part of her duties involved helping to track wildlife for the organization&#8217;s research purposes.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1294\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-200 alignleft\" style=\"width: 200px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1294 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/andrea-fuchs-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?resize=200%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Andrea Fuchs, an Oregon State University Ecampus graduate in fisheries and wildlife sciences, stands on the OSU campus in Corvallis in June 2019.\" width=\"200\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/andrea-fuchs-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/andrea-fuchs-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?zoom=2&amp;resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/andrea-fuchs-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?zoom=3&amp;resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Fuchs once feared the idea of taking chemistry and math classes as part of her Oregon State degree program. Those courses ended up being some of her favorites \u2013 and the ones she thrived in most.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Fuchs graduated with honors in June 2019 and traveled to Oregon State\u2019s Corvallis campus to participate in the commencement ceremony. While in town, she met some faculty and administrators from OSU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/fw.oregonstate.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>All of that self-doubt was long gone in the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n<p>She told Ecampus staff then that her long-term career goal was to teach people about animals \u2013 especially those less-cuddly creatures, like native snakes \u2013 and why they are so important to our ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>In September 2019, that goal became a reality \u2013 and then some \u2013 when she became certified and accepted a job to teach biomedical science to high school students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlthough it&#8217;s slightly different from the degree I received, I&#8217;m able to take what I learned in all my courses and apply it to my (lessons). I&#8217;m so thankful for all the long nights studying the biology and the anatomy of different mammals,\u201d says Fuchs, who noted that she recently had her students conduct a lab experiment after learning how important the blood of horseshoe crabs is to the medical industry.<\/p>\n<p>And what words of wisdom would she give to incoming Ecampus students?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe advice I would share is that you are more than you think you are,\u201d she says. \u201cYou can push harder, you can fight for yourself. And you can earn the degree. It&#8217;s possible. And it&#8217;s such a great experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your future is out there. Count us in.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rfi-button\" class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/contact\/form\/\">Learn more today.<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>As a kid, Andrea Fuchs dreamed of someday working with animals. Those dreams were squelched \u2013 at least in her mind \u2013 because she struggled in high school math and science classes. But when a web search for reputable online degree programs led her to discover Oregon State\u2019s award-winning fisheries and wildlife sciences bachelor\u2019s program, all she could think about was her childhood aspirations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,7,677,8],"tags":[638,206,255],"class_list":["post-1273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-graduation","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-conservation-and-natural-sciences","tag-fisheries-wildlife-and-conservation-sciences","tag-online-chemistry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/andrea-fuchs-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-kx","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1292,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/fisheries-and-wildlife-program-earns-award\/","url_meta":{"origin":1273,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State\u2019s fisheries and wildlife online program earns prestigious national award","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"November 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A track record of student success and faculty satisfaction have helped an Oregon State University online bachelor\u2019s degree program be honored as one of the nation\u2019s best. OSU\u2019s fisheries and wildlife sciences bachelor\u2019s program on Tuesday won the Online Learning Consortium\u2019s John R. Bourne Outstanding Online Program Award at a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A graphic with a trophy icon above the words fisheries and wildlife sciences, John R. Bourne Outstanding Online Program Award, set above the Online Learning Consortium's logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/olc-fisheries-award-graphic.jpg?fit=744%2C558&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/olc-fisheries-award-graphic.jpg?fit=744%2C558&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/olc-fisheries-award-graphic.jpg?fit=744%2C558&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/olc-fisheries-award-graphic.jpg?fit=744%2C558&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2180,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/jane-vinesky-fisheries-wildlife-conservation-sciences\/","url_meta":{"origin":1273,"position":1},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: Finding community and support from all points on the map","author":"Jane Vinesky","date":"December 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Faculty made time to tutor me, teach me, counsel me, write recommendations and discuss professional opportunities. Although I was an Ecampus student, the Oregon State community is so strong that I felt its support from wherever I was in the world.\" \u2014 Jane Vinesky, fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences graduate","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Jane Vinesky","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jane-Vinesky-800x450-221201.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jane-Vinesky-800x450-221201.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jane-Vinesky-800x450-221201.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jane-Vinesky-800x450-221201.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1519,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/fisheries-wildlife-scholarship\/","url_meta":{"origin":1273,"position":2},"title":"Ecampus student 1 of 7 at OSU to earn study abroad scholarship","author":"Steve Lundeberg","date":"August 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Esmeralda Sanchez, an OSU Ecampus student in fisheries and wildlife sciences, will participate in a forest conservation program in Malaysian Borneo after being awarded a\u00a0Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship\u00a0to study internationally during the 2020-21 academic year. It's part of a congressionally funded program designed to broaden U.S. participation in education\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An aerial photo of a rainforest in Borneo. Online fisheries and wildlife","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/borneo-forest-online-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/borneo-forest-online-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/borneo-forest-online-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/borneo-forest-online-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1032,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/jordan-levi-fisheries-wildlife-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":1273,"position":3},"title":"Experiential learning led to flourishing career prospects for fisheries, wildlife and conservation sciences alumna","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"October 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"New textbooks, classmates from all over the world, the cover of the forest, calls from birds unseen, the fresh smell of soil (and sometimes fish). These are all the well-known staples of a college classroom. At least, that\u2019s what Jordan Levi came to expect of her learning environments while enrolled\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fisheries and wildlife sciences alumna Jordan walks outdoors and carries a tablet in the bend of her left arm.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jordan-levi-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jordan-levi-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jordan-levi-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jordan-levi-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2557,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/explore-3-online-degrees-focused-on-animal-science-and-conservation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1273,"position":4},"title":"Which online animal science or conservation degree should I choose?","author":"Elena Moffet","date":"November 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State offers several bachelor's programs in conservation and animal sciences that you can earn online. Learn what makes each unique and the different skills you'll gain.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A grey heron stands in shallow water with a captured fish in its beak, reflected on the water\u2019s surface.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":829,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/erin-mathias\/","url_meta":{"origin":1273,"position":5},"title":"The first in a legacy of many","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"March 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The past does not dictate the possibilities for one\u2019s future. Erin Mathias knows this firsthand. She enrolled online in the Ecampus fisheries and wildlife sciences program to pursue her dream career, becoming the role model she needed when she was younger and serving as inspiration to her siblings and African\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fisheries and wildlife sciences alumna Erin Mathias is pictured standing to the left of a rhinoceros at the Oregon Zoo. Erin is smiling and resting one hand on the rhino's snout. She wears a gray and orange Oregon State zip-up jacket.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Rhino-8.jpg?fit=743%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Rhino-8.jpg?fit=743%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Rhino-8.jpg?fit=743%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Rhino-8.jpg?fit=743%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}