After one semester, Sydney Fussell decided the small college she had chosen wasn’t the right fit for her, but she didn’t let it disrupt her progress. She moved home and completed her spring semester at a local community college before transferring to The University of Alabama as a sophomore in Fall 2018. She completed her fall and spring semesters on campus, but moved home in Summer 2019 to give birth to her daughter, Merritt.
“I really didn’t want to stop my degree, so I kept taking classes after I found out I could still earn the same business degree from home if I changed my status to a distance student,” she said. Sydney made the switch and was able to maintain her academic progress toward her Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration. With all of her classes now online, she could complete them from anywhere.
In September 2019, Sydney welcomed Merritt – right in the middle of a full semester. And having a baby wasn’t the only major life event she managed alongside a full course load – in February 2020, she got married. Thanks to the flexibility of her online courses, she was able to stay on top of her coursework for both of these exciting developments. “I didn’t have to reach out to any of my professors for extensions or anything, because I made sure that everything was done ahead of time. I did have to ask one professor to open a module early for me so that I could work ahead. She was totally fine with it and very helpful.”
Sydney says all of her classes have been good so far, but GBA 300 Business Communications particularly stands out because of the instructor, Sarah Miesse. “She is by far the best professor I’ve ever had,” Sydney said. “She really went out of her way to make sure that we all understood what was going on. She was very approachable, communicated very well and had Zoom meetings with us every week.”
Even though Sydney has been off campus for a year, she still feels very connected to campus as a student. Now on track to graduate in 2021, she appreciates the extra time that online coursework has given her to care for and enjoy her daughter. “If it wasn’t for the online option, there’s no way I’d be able to finish on time. I’m so glad I can stay home with Merritt and work to complete my degree.”
Published: August 31st, 2020