University of Phoenix Online-A Success Story or Joke?

The title University of Phoenix Online-A Success Story or Joke was originated because there appears to be mostly negativity getting attention when you Google the school name for information.  Some people seemed to find it difficult to believe that you can successfully get a degree online from the comfort of one's home.  While others complained the curriculum is too difficult, yet others felt it's too lax.  It was not until I read one person’s comments that it begins to make sense that, “Overall, people have a tendency to read and write about the negative more readily than the positive.” And while negativity might draw in more readers; well, I’m choosing to take the positive road. However, I promise you that my story is not an easy road that was “always happy while skipping down the road to la la land” type of narrative.

Because I grew up on a farm relatively poor without adequate guidance on what to do after high school, I did not immediately go to college. A few years into the workforce however made me realize the importance of having a degree. I began to pursue my associate degree from a junior college in Tennessee and four years after attending night school and working full time I accomplished that goal.

A quote by Bobby Unser says, “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Well for me preparation and opportunity met shortly after 9-11 when the financial market began to grow weaker because of Enron, Worldcom, and other scandals. Because of the impact of these two major events I decided to create my own job security by going back to school. It was also during this time that the company I worked for supported its employees with 100% financing for every accredited college course taken as long as you maintained a “C” average.

The drawback however was that my job position had mandatory overtime which consisted of 60 hour work weeks. Since most days I never knew what time I would get off from work, I decided to go to college online. My company promoted education to its employees by annually inviting colleges to come to our main office to recruit and provide information. After doing some research of other colleges offering online studies; I met with a recruiter from the University of Phoenix and started the journey towards attaining a BS degree majoring in accounting.

You may have seen the “I am a Phoenix” commercials during football games or at other prime times. The video to the right is one of my favorites because Connie and I have similar stories. Many nights I stayed up till 2 a.m. and got up to work another 12 to 14 hour day. During these commercials you may have picked up on the pride of accomplishment that the spokesperson has about their achievement. Many have been through struggles and made sacrifices that only those closest to them know about.

If you are familiar with the story about the phoenix bird then you know that there are periods of struggles. As the story goes at some point and time during the mythical bird’s life cycle it gets plummeted to the earth where the bird and its nest are fiercely burned to ashes, and from those ashes a new phoenix arise. Well, I feel that I’ve taken that plunge at least four times while pursuing my degrees:

• The 1st occurred unexpectedly about a month prior to my graduating with BS degree. My mother had a massive heart attack on her birthday and died. I’ll never forget struggling through that last class while attending my mom’s funeral in Tennessee and then having to report back to work only five days later. I’ve never experienced “the numbness of life” that I did during that period of time. You wake up in the morning and ask God to help you feel and help you make it through that particular day. Sure I could have delayed the class; however, I knew my mom would not have wanted me to do that.
• The 2nd time happened shortly after I began taking courses for my MBA curriculum.I was awaken in the wee hours of the night by a next door neighbor shouting, “fire, fire, you’ve got to get out of there.” Another neighbor had set their condo on fire and it had moved over into my unit. Thank goodness I had grabbed my laptop and spent the next eight months displaced from my condo, dealing with insurance companies, shifting thru 15 years of personal belongings, moving out and moving back in once reconstruction was completed; and yes still determined to continue my online classes.
• The 3^rd time took place eight months into my pursuit of an MBA when I was told that my assignment would be over in a month in which I would be severance from the company that I’d worked for nine years and August ’08 would end my tenure. Since the company was no longer providing assistance for my curriculum I chose to take out federal school loans and continue to pursue the goal.
• The 4^th time happened again without prior notice when my father got sick and died from complications two classes before finishing my MBA. I had spoken to him about making a trip to Tennessee and he told me to concentrate on my schooling. I often wonder if he didn’t know the inevitable outcome when he told me that to prevent my having to make two trips home. So for a second time, I felt, “the numbness of life” and had to ask God to help me through it. And though faith and God’s grace I succeeded in attaining my MBA/ACC.

Yes, I could have quit and perhaps later on pointed fingers at others as to the reasons I did not succeed, but rather than ranting and raving I chose to rise up from the ashes in anticipation of new beginnings. So that there are no misunderstandings, the University of Phoenix staff no teachers in no way influenced nor asked me to go through the struggles that I did. Teachers while did not bend any rules were more than happy to assist me in any way they could. I chose to continue my curriculum during such stressful times, however, those decisions were for my own sanity, self-determination, and success. Again with God’s help, my family’s support, and sheer grace I made it through and as the school motto goes, “I am a Phoenix” and proud to be one.

Still some may be thinking, “Is the University of Phoenix a success story or a joke?” Because negativity seems to attract more attention than positive; I feel that it is necessary to give exposure to some of the positive reviews that have been written by others. When you Google U.O.P. Online for reviews; most of the first page is filled with negative accusations as with other universities dissatisfied students are happy to express their opinions about a school.

Overall the University of Phoenix has been a very positive and rewarding experience for me. Was it difficult? Definitely so, everyone will not be able to sustain the fast pace nor the detailed studying that this curriculum requires. There were numerous individuals at work that started the program when I did and many quit because of personal reasons and or the requirements were just too overwhelming. I recall numerous of others that went to other colleges that did not have near the amount of homework and or class time as I did. Several admitted they would not go to U.O.P. for that reason while others just desired to have a traditional classroom setting rather than a virtual one.

Was it worth it? Definitely so, I would not have been able to achieve my degrees any other way given my work schedules at the time. Would I do it again? Absolutely, especially now with the economy the way it is, I feel this is the ace that will assist in moving me forward toward the best opportunity. Were there any bad experiences? Definitely so, there were a few teachers that I did not like or disagreed with, an incident with a guidance teacher, and way too many calls from enrollment recruiters in the beginning. However, I think those are issues that you will find with other schools as well and after all with life there will always be disagreements and obstacles.

With that said, I’d like to end this hub with a quote that I heard one night when I was flipping channels on the television,

“In this life the only thing you can expect is the unexpected sometimes the road that you are on will take you to the mountain top and sometime it leads you into a valley. Only you can decide how you are going to look at your situation; at your lowest point you can always look up. I believe that everything happens in the exact time and the way it is supposed to, even if we don’t understand it at the time. And please don’t forget the knowledge that our sister, Angie Stone dropped on us, “Stop trying to put a question mark, where God has put a period.” Mo’Nique 12/18/09

So, is the University of Phoenix Online, a success story or joke? I would answer that only the individual participating in the journey can make that determination. Because as one famous quote goes; “The mind is everything. What you think you become,” –Buddha.

O.k. BookFlame, I apologize for the lengthiness, but now you have your answer to what made the cute and spunky I choose University of Phoenix Online. As always comments are welcomed…