Online Moms Make the Grade (Continued)
First published in Distance Learning Today, February 2008 issue

Ms. Stevenson chose distance learning because it allows her to be at home when her sons, ages 15 and 10, return from school. Also, with just one car in the family, getting to campus would have been difficult. She was attracted to the online program at Berkeley College because of the strong focus on career preparation, and the online academic support and online career fairs.

“Our online students have nearly round-the-clock access to the faculty, the library and librarians, as well as their advisors in student development, advisement, and career services,” says Berkeley College Online Dean Dr. Susan Biro. “Students can choose from 15 online degree programs and they have access to a lifetime of career assistance.”

Stay-at-home mom Tania Hannon is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management through Berkeley College Online.

“I am running from 5 in the morning to 9 at night with my kids,” says Ms. Hannon, a single mom to Aaron 19, Christina 18, Azia 11, and Alyssa 7. “I am very involved in their schools and in our community, so it would be impossible for me to attend regular classes on campus.”

Ms. Hannon sets aside Wednesdays as the day she completes assignments, prepares for tests, and gets the bulk of her reading done for the week. She shuts down her computer and becomes a mom again as soon as her youngest returns from school. Homework time is often a family affair with mom studying alongside the kids.

“On nights when I have trouble sleeping, I can get up at 2 a.m. and jump back on the computer to catch up on classes or post to discussion boards – that’s the beauty of being an online student,” Ms. Hannon says. “I have a syllabus and a deadline, and I have the entire week to accomplish my goals. I send assignments straight from my computer, I can take tests online, and I love that when I e-mail a professor I get a response back on the same day.”

The 39-year-old is a returning college student having overcome many challenges – including a heart attack, a battle with cancer, and co-caretaker of her father who died of cancer last year. Ms. Hannon returned to the online “campus” in the Fall of 2007.

What are the greatest challenges of being an online mom?

Ms. Stevenson says she sometimes has to remind her family that unless they absolutely need her, she has to have a set amount of time to finish a paper or prepare for a test. “They are getting better at respecting my time,” she says. “Tyler is great to chip in and will get dinner started or do the dishes if he knows I am falling behind in my studies.”

Learning to be more responsible is just one of the benefits of having an online mom. Watching how hard his mom works at her studies has also encouraged Tyler to take his own schoolwork more seriously.

“I think he feels like he is competing with me and his grades are starting to go up,” Ms. Stevenson says.

Staying focused is one of the greatest challenges for Ms. Hannon.

“There’s a lot to keep track of. Making sure the kids complete their homework, that they are dressed and ready for school, that they have their lunches, and that I have completed my homework,” says Ms. Hannon, who also does volunteer work for the local American Red Cross, Girl Scouts Troop, and the Mayor’s Office. “It really boils down to time management.”

Despite these challenges she is determined that nothing will stand in her way this time round.

“Now, more than ever, I need to complete this degree, for my father and out of respect for myself,” she says. “It will also be a good example for my kids. They will see that despite all I have gone through, I still managed to get my degree."

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