{"id":1457,"date":"2020-07-10T10:00:13","date_gmt":"2020-07-10T17:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1457"},"modified":"2024-08-05T18:14:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T01:14:20","slug":"political-science-online-jeffery-tobin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/political-science-online-jeffery-tobin\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon State Everywhere: Embracing change and challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_1458\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-744 alignnone\" style=\"width: 744px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1458 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jeffrey-Tobin-744x478.jpg?resize=744%2C478&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Jeffery Tobin, a political science graduate of Oregon State University who earned his degree online\" width=\"744\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jeffrey-Tobin-744x478.jpg?resize=744%2C478&amp;ssl=1 744w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jeffrey-Tobin-744x478.jpg?resize=320%2C206&amp;ssl=1 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeffery Tobin says &#8220;time management and an ability to self-manage&#8221; played a key role in his ability to earn a political science degree online\u00a0from Oregon State University.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Political science alum finds &#8216;perfect&#8217; experience online with OSU after leaving media career<\/h2>\n<p>After 20 years as a professional journalist, it was time for a change.<\/p>\n<p>Two years ago I made a life decision that Oregon State Ecampus helped make possible. I gave up my career in media to pursue a <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/political-science\/\">bachelor of arts degree in political science online<\/a>, with the goal of moving on to a Ph.D. program.<\/p>\n<p>I graduated from Oregon State last month, and next month I begin my Ph.D. journey at Florida International University. While there, I will study American politics as well as political systems of Latin America (specifically Mexico) for a separate Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textBox\" style=\"width: 30%; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 25px;\">\n<h3>Tell us your story<\/h3>\n<p>Write your own OSU Everywhere story by sharing the triumphs and challenges you faced as an OSU Ecampus student.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"button\" style=\"margin: 12px 0 6px 0;\"><a title=\"Undergraduate degrees comparison\" href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/forms\/osu-everywhere.htm?onid=none\">Share story<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p>The decision to leave the media industry was not an easy one to make. While I was ready to move on to bigger and better things, I was also leaving the only career I had ever known. But my interests had evolved over the last 10 years or so, and I was excited about the opportunity to learn new skills and be part of something new.<\/p>\n<p>With the help of my amazing wife, Julie, I narrowed down how I wanted to achieve the first goal in my plan: I would take online courses only. All part of the new adventure.<\/p>\n<p>After intense research on which institution to attend, Oregon State became the clear choice due to its rich course selection, excellent faculty and overwhelming positive reception by former students. The guidance of instructors and advisors kept my studies on track and my drive focused in the right areas. Learning online was perfect for me. The classes are wide-ranging, and the faculty bring a broad expertise to their online classroom environments.<\/p>\n<p>Several political science instructors at Oregon State helped me figure out how I wanted to move forward with my education, challenging me along the way. The challenge is important. It helped me prepare for the arduous task of applying to graduate schools and made me a better overall thinker. All of the classes I attended at OSU fall into this category \u2013 they make you think critically.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"smartquote\">&#8220;<\/span>Don&#8217;t be afraid of using your life experience to your advantage. You have skills that are very useful in the virtual classroom.<span class=\"smartquote\">&#8221;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Being an older student presents its own set of challenges, of course, but if you have the passion to meet them head-on, you will be rewarded. Don&#8217;t be afraid of using your life experience to your advantage. If you&#8217;ve been in the workforce for a decade or two like me, you have skills that are very useful in the online classroom. Namely, time management and an ability to self-manage are huge in succeeding in this program.<\/p>\n<p>My future goals are still up in the air, but I would generally like to either teach at the university level or work for a policy think tank. But we&#8217;ll see what the next several years bring. There&#8217;s still a lot of road ahead before I get to my final goal.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>The OSU Ecampus staff thanks Jeffery for sharing his experience as a political science online learner through the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/tag\/osu-everywhere\/\">Oregon State Everywhere campaign<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Discover how learning online with Oregon State can help you advance your career.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rfi-button\" class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/contact\/form\/\">Request information<\/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>&#8220;After intense research on which institution to attend, Oregon State became the clear choice due to its rich course selection, excellent faculty and overwhelming positive reception by former students. The guidance of instructors and advisors kept my studies on track and my drive focused in the right areas. Learning online was perfect for me.&#8221; \u2013 Jeffery Tobin, political science graduate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":1458,"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":[1,6,3,677,8],"tags":[75,640,544,50],"class_list":["post-1457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-features","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-college-of-liberal-arts","tag-health-and-human-science","tag-osu-everywhere","tag-political-science"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jeffrey-Tobin-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-nv","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1083,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/oregon-state-public-policy-online-degree\/","url_meta":{"origin":1457,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State University unveils 100% online public policy bachelor\u2019s program","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"November 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In fall 2019, Oregon State will launch a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy program to be delivered 100 percent online. The program will train the next generation of public policy professionals to tackle complex challenges including climate change, demographic and population shifts, rapid technology development and a global economy.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Public policy bachelor's program online at Oregon State University","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/public-policy-bs-flags.jpg?fit=744%2C320&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/public-policy-bs-flags.jpg?fit=744%2C320&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/public-policy-bs-flags.jpg?fit=744%2C320&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/public-policy-bs-flags.jpg?fit=744%2C320&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1649,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-economics-hope-sims\/","url_meta":{"origin":1457,"position":1},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: Developing passions, adding skills for the future","author":"Hope Sims","date":"December 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"The courses that I\u2019ve taken have helped me expand my education in economics and further develop my passions for sustainability. With the online education, I\u2019ve been able to work toward my goals as a sustainability ambassador.\" \u2014 Hope Sims, OSU economics major","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo of Hope Sims, Oregon State Ecampus online economics student","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hope-Sims-ECON-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hope-Sims-ECON-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hope-Sims-ECON-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hope-Sims-ECON-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1581,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/public-health-masters-erin-devlin\/","url_meta":{"origin":1457,"position":2},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: &#8216;I am so grateful to have taken this path&#8217;","author":"Erin Devlin","date":"November 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"If it weren't for the online program at Oregon State Ecampus, I would not have had the chance to get the Master of Public Health. I wouldn't have complemented my work in OSU Extension Family and Community Health with classes that taught me the science behind program decisions. And I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Oregon State University Ecampus Master of Public Health student Erin Devlin sits on a lakeshore with her daughter, Molly","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Devlin-MPH-student-2020-daugther-Molly-744x478-201026.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Devlin-MPH-student-2020-daugther-Molly-744x478-201026.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Devlin-MPH-student-2020-daugther-Molly-744x478-201026.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Devlin-MPH-student-2020-daugther-Molly-744x478-201026.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1469,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/sustainability-online-carlee-sedgwick\/","url_meta":{"origin":1457,"position":3},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: Prone to wanderlust, but at home with Ecampus","author":"Carlee Sedgwick","date":"July 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I think my favorite part about Ecampus, besides the community and approachability of all the faculty, is the overall flexibility allowed through online classes. ... When I graduate, I want to continue my education before pursuing a career that involves conservation, environmental justice or really anything to do with environmental\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carlee Sedgwick, a sustainability and sociology double major with Oregon State University Ecampus, stands with ocean cliffs behind her. She is in the environmental and natural resource option in the sociology bachelor's degree program.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/carlee-sedgwick-sociology-sustainability.jpg?fit=744%2C498&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/carlee-sedgwick-sociology-sustainability.jpg?fit=744%2C498&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/carlee-sedgwick-sociology-sustainability.jpg?fit=744%2C498&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/carlee-sedgwick-sociology-sustainability.jpg?fit=744%2C498&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":546,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/ecampus-ranked-1-liberal-arts\/","url_meta":{"origin":1457,"position":4},"title":"Ecampus ranked #1 in U.S. for online liberal arts education","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"July 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State is the best university in the nation when it comes to delivering a high-quality liberal arts education online, according to a new ranking released last month. Oregon State's College of Liberal Arts offers 11 bachelor\u2019s degrees and two master\u2019s programs online through OSU Ecampus, the university\u2019s distance education\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/osu-sign.jpg?fit=638%2C319&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/osu-sign.jpg?fit=638%2C319&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/osu-sign.jpg?fit=638%2C319&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1319,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/environmental-sciences-online-heath-blackmon\/","url_meta":{"origin":1457,"position":5},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: \u2018My Ecampus degree gave me an edge\u2019","author":"Heath Blackmon","date":"January 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"The quality and the rigor of courses that I took at Ecampus were on par with any in-person class and prepared me for a future in science. Even though my classes were taken at a distance, the professors built learning activities that gave me firsthand experience in analyzing and interpreting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Heath Blackmon, Oregon State University Ecampus environmental sciences graduate and assistant professor at Texas A&M University","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457","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\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}