Graduate Profile: Marj
UT Pan American Graduate, Summer 05
(Walked at December 05 Graduation)
Current Job: Fitness and Wellness Coordinator
What made you choose Kinesiology for your graduate work? It was a change from your original undergraduate study…
My undergraduate was in journalism. I actually walked across the stage for my bachelor’s diploma one morning and had my first son that afternoon. As a working reporter I discovered crime doesn’t happen from 9 – 5, so I found the work conflicting with time I wanted and needed to spend with family. I’ve always been interested in fitness and made the career change to fitness and wellness work with A&M University a few years ago. Universities are family friendly – you can get time for parent teacher conferences etc. I wanted to go into management and a master’s is preferred to get the wellness jobs I wanted. I’m very interested in this field so returning for a master’s in Kinesiology held tremendous appeal.
They offer an undergraduate in Kinesiology here at A&M Corpus Christi, but not the master’s. I found the Kinesiology program on the UTTC site. It was easy to navigate and user friendly and liked the program format once I got inside the courses. By the end of my first semester I was completely comfortable with the online format.
What did online learning offer you that differed from what you may have found in a traditional classroom?
Lots! I am not one to sit and listen to a lecture. With the online format, as you’re reading you can stop and ask questions, or research a topic of interest as it comes up. As someone who enjoys research and asks a lot of questions, there’s immediacy to the learning that I like. I also enjoyed some of the support services – SMARTHINKING was great. For Dr. Mottinger’s class I needed their help with preparing a thesis. Dr. Mottinger has very high standards and very specific instructions for proper presentation of topics. She challenged me and supported me, but it was quite difficult. I used SMARTHINKING to help with the structure and scientific language necessary for that writing, which differed substantially to my training in journalistic writing. The tutors were very helpful with constructive criticism.
I also obviously like the flexibility. Frankly, I could not have earned my master’s were it not offered online. My husband is a pilot with Southwest Airlines. For four days out of every seven I am the single mother of three boys ages four, seven and 11-years-old! Sometimes I’m studying at traffic lights as I take them to and from school and all their activities.
You are obviously a hands-on kind of person with a high energy level. Did you find that you felt detached or engaged with other students and your professors?
Well that part was surprising. The frankness and depth of the conversations was amazing. Sometimes that can be great, sometimes it’s tough because some students can get close minded or argumentative but you get deep discussions. The only negative experience I had with interaction was trying to get a slacker on team projects to participate. In face-to-face you can shame them into participating but it’s difficult to do online. We made a few suggestions to our professors about this. Peer review may prove useful if accompanied by a pretty strict rubric. At one point I just posted a comment to the public board asking where this person was and that helped. Most of the professors are excellent at monitoring student input. There were students I became very close to. There are a few I email now even though we’ve finished the program. You can actually get very close to each other.
As for professors, Dr. Eldridge had a profound effect on my learning through interaction that exceeded my expectations. I asked him a question about something I read – sort of a side bar Kinesiology discussion really apart from the textbook topic – and he emailed me back thoughts, references and websites that addressed this topic. I took these to work and before long the whole office was engaged in this discussion. He and I continued to discuss this, along with my co-workers findings and perceptions, long afterwards. Ultimately, my understanding was so much greater than it might have been in a traditional scenario.
How did your master’s relate to your career goals and did it bring you any additional opportunities?
It got me this job! I graduated in summer and got this job in October – a job I would not have been able to get without the credential. I’m the Fitness and Wellness Coordinator for Recreational Sports at A&M Corpus Christi. It’s a great job. The degree gave me tremendous confidence in my training and also in my new work as an adjunct professor teaching Kinesiology. I never want to go back to traditional learning but I do want to back to school. It’s made me realize how much I love learning and I want a Ph.D. now, but only if it’s offered online!
Do you have any advice for students just getting into online learning or considering it?
Yes I do! I’ve thought a lot about this in my studies and my work.
- Self evaluate. You simply must be self motivated. I always want the A, nothing less will do. This helps me in online learning. You don’t have to be quite that determined, but you’ll need to be goal driven to do this well.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes you’ll feel alone in your room studying and you need help. Ask for it! Do not hesitate. I went to my advisor Dr. Mottinger frequently. Granted, I’m fortunate I had the best advisor on the planet. I could email or pick up the phone and we’d work it out. I was so glad she made the effort to meet me face to face. (see photo)
- Make sure you have your family’s support. This is important to any adult student but critical to the online learner. My kids know when I’m at the computer I’m working. My husband bought me a great desk and super comfortable computer chair when I was working on the master’s. I’d say to him, “you’ve got the kids, I’ve got a research paper.” You’ll need that support.
- Be curious about your field. There is so much research and so much to learn. Be adventurous. Go after the hard stuff – really explore your field.
Great advice. Any parting thoughts?
I miss it. I miss learning online. I’m proud of my achievements and I want to continue. Where’s the Ph.D. program – I’m ready to be your first student!
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