After graduating high school in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, I decided it would be best to take some time off of school. Two years later, I applied to Suffolk County Community College to pursue a general studies degree.
However, the traditional on-campus learning structure didn’t fit into my hectic life. I had a full-time job and took care of my grandmother who suffers from dementia. Thankfully, Suffolk’s availability of online courses allowed me to come back to school and learn at my own pace.
When I first returned to school, I felt equal parts of excitement and apprehension. I had grown bored of working at a job where I knew I had no future and was eager to move into a new phase of my life.
Naturally, going back to school felt like the first step. Yet I couldn’t help but feel as though I would be in over my head.
When I learned that Suffolk provided fully online classes, I knew I’d be able to both work and attend school without needing to sacrifice my sanity.
During my first couple of semesters, I chose to do both in-person and online classes. It was a good transition for me considering I hadn’t been in a classroom in over two years. I decided to switch to a fully online curriculum when my father unexpectedly passed away in February 2023.
Being a college student in charge of creating your own schedule and following your own deadlines can be challenging. For me, it includes multiple calendars, planners and a plethora of Post-it notes. It also takes a great deal of dedication and trust to teach yourself what you may otherwise learn in the classroom.
My advice to anybody considering coming back to school but is hesitant how they’ll be able to handle the workload is to consider Suffolk’s online courses. They helped me not only succeed but also to excel, making the Dean’s List last semester.
Emily FitzMaurice • Oct 17, 2024 at 8:10 pm
Beautifully written and great perspective!! So many young adults in similar positions would benefit from reading this article. Congrats on deans list, you deserve it!