By: Ella Cobb

Since the pandemic, online education has become more popular. With that, prospective students and parents often wonder what an online education will look like. Many worry that students will not learn as much or gain real connection with professors and other students.

I graduated in December with my Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. I have taken around half of my classes online throughout my time at MTSU. This includes both general education and major courses. 

As a second semester freshmen in 2022, I had my first experience with a life-changing online course. For my general education English 2020 credit, I decided to take the online section that concentrated in Holocaust Survivor Literature with Dr. Elyce Helford. She is the director of the Jewish and Holocaust Studies minor here at MTSU. 

Throughout the semester, I grew close to my professor through frequent communications she would provide thorough direction and feedback on my assignments. 

Toward the end of the semester, Dr. Helford emailed me to notify me that she had nominated a poem I wrote about Night by Elie Wiesel for the General English Education Awards. I was beyond excited to submit my application.

Almost a year later, I was notified that I won first place in the 2022-2023 General Education Writing Awards (Category 3). I was so surprised and excited to hear this news. At this point in my life, I had only ever written a few poems. 

Dr. Helford gave me the opportunity to grow and express my creativity. It is through her that I felt my confidence in my writing grow which led me to writing here. 

I met Dr. Helford in-person for the first time a year after I took her course at the awards ceremony. We had a great conversation. It felt like I had known her in-person all along. I will always remember the impact she had on my life as a student and writer. 

In the Spring of 2024, I took Marketing 3010 Personal Branding online with Dr. Lucy Matthews. I wanted to take her in-person after reading reviews and hearing from other students, but I was not able to get in the in-person course. 

Throughout the semester, I noticed the way Dr. Matthews planned and operated her online class. She communicated frequently with her students. 

I followed her on LinkedIn. I saw a post that she shared talking about an opportunity I was interested in. I emailed her and asked for advice on how to navigate that process and future goals. 

She set up a phone call, and we talked in length about my professional plans. I have her for another online class this semester, and she has been just as helpful. We email frequently about opportunities, course work, and more. 

We met for the first time last semester to talk about my future goals. She was incredibly helpful and instrumental in my graduate school decision. I now help her and another one of my professors with research for their next project. 

In both online and in-person courses, I have made incredible relationships and connections here at MTSU with professors and students. While in-person courses can be a very impactful and meaningful learning experience, online courses can do the same. 

I always recommend that students reach out to their professors and start communication early into the semester. It is a great way to get to know your professors. It is important to remember that in online courses there is less direction. You are responsible for checking your email and D2L account frequently. 

You can be successful in in-person, online, remote, or hybrid courses. Your experience is what you make it. Online is not for everyone, but it worked really well for me.