I have only been in the MAT program for one term, but in that one term I have learned a lot about what it is like to be an MAT@USC student.
1. It’s not easy.
Some people might have false impressions of what an online MAT program would be like, including its level of difficulty. Let’s face it: Many of the online colleges we see advertised on TV or receive annoying e-mails from likely do not have the most challenging of programs. It is important to remember that USC is not one of those schools. MAT@USC students are still USC students, and that means our program is just as rigorous- if not more so, considering its length- as an on-campus program. Students who come into the program with the expectation that they will breeze through their graduate program will be very disappointed. Regardless of the program’s format, if you want a degree from USC, you have to earn it.
2. Papers are a big deal.
Unlike in undergrad, your grades in the MAT program are not relying on weekly quizzes, one essay, and a final exam. In the classes I have taken in my first term, papers are already a huge part of your grade. If you don’t know how to write in APA format, you will learn very quickly. If, on the other hand, you already love APA style (as I did), you might begin to resent it a little.
3. You have to have self-discipline.
Taking classes from home sounds great: You don’t have to drive back and forth to a campus, hire a babysitter, or even put on pants (although I do like to think that my classmates are all wearing pants). In many ways it is very convenient. At the same time, though, it can lead students into temptation. I know from my own experience that studying five feet away from the television can be very difficult when I would much rather be playing the PS3 or watching the Sex and the City marathon on the Style network. I also have difficulty staying on task when my husband has the day off. If he wants to go biking or watch a movie on one of these days, I have a lot of trouble telling him, “No, I’d rather spend your one day off shut up in the office writing this paper.” However, I am learning that with some self-discipline and better time management skills, I can often balance the fun with the schoolwork. When all else fails though, I just have my husband hide the remotes.
4. You do make friends.
One of the major worries I had going into an online program is that I would not have the opportunity to meet new people and make friends like I would on a campus. However, I am beginning to find already that this is not the case. I have already met really awesome people across the country (and in one case, across the world) that I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. My classmates and I proofread each other’s papers, give each other ideas, and act as motivators (and often comic relief) when we are struggling with a particularly difficult assignment. Surprisingly, in my entire undergraduate career, I was never able to make friends quite as easily as I have in my first term of this program.
5. You will change.
I have already started to see a difference in the way I think about education, teaching, and the world in general. I started this program with no experience and not feeling very confident in my own abilities. However, this month I will be teaching at a youth enrichment camp for inner-city children, and I am going into it feeling much more prepared than I probably would have had I not spent the last couple months in this program. If my abilities and my confidence as a teacher are already being affected after only my first term, I am excited to see how I will leave this program next year.
With three more terms left before graduation, I am sure I will add several more items to this list, and hopefully they will all be positive. So far, I love being a part of the MAT@USC program, and I am so excited to see what else is in store for me in the coming months.
