Students working during the day are unable to take certain classes essential to their major.  This is creating a dilemma which a greater selection of online classes could help improve.  

By Tara Mondelli 

As I ran across campus and pulled out my phone; it read 2:32pm. I cursed under my breath while simultaneously daydreaming of holding my diploma. I prayed for some miracle to make it to building 2S by 2:30, a feat proven to be impossible since I didn’t leave work on Huguenot Avenue until 2:10.  

Why give myself early onset balding with the stress of sprinting to class and showing up disheveled you may ask?  Well, I’m majoring in English and finally found a class offered during the day that I could possibly make doable.  I say possibly because it is barely practical and sets me up to feel anxious the entire class.  The reality is, CSI does not offer enough online options for students who work full time.  

This is a worldwide issue that doesn’t start or end at CSI.  According to The Lumnia Foundation, 64% of college students work, and 40% work full time. To drive this point even further; 49% of college students are financially independent from their parents.  These are statistics that elevate the importance of options for students who have to find ways to balance their lives successfully.  Online class options can create a more seamless path to graduation.  

At CSI, there are in person, online, hybrid and asynchronous classes offered.  So, why am I complaining?  Although I’m grateful to be given these options, it doesn’t help much when the options don’t apply to the classes I need for my major.  I’m a twenty-seven-year-old who came back to college after taking a few years off, and working full time while trying to navigate a major with limited time and instructional modes has been discouraging to say the least.  

Hybrid classes referenced prior entail half the material being offered in person with half being offered asynchronously online.  The asynchronous option entails work and instruction entirely online; giving students the flexibility to create their own schedule.  

At CSI, there are very few classes that offer these modes, specifically for English Writing majors like me.  The solution; offer more asynchronous and hybrid EWR and ENL classes.  In reality, of course, it’s easier said than done; considering the college only has so may professors and time slots.  This is where the flexible learning provided by online classes would be a practical halfway point to meet at.  

A study conducted at Irvine college found that “the flexibility of online courses helps students juggle work schedules and family responsibilities with school. Online classes often have larger enrollments, allowing more students to take a popular prerequisite class that they might otherwise be shut out of.”  

Christian Fischer, an assistant professor of education at the University of Tübingen in Germany, spoke for The Hechinger Report, explaining his support of online schooling.

“Finding ways to help students graduate more efficiently can really benefit students,” said Fischer. “College completion is really important for their whole life trajectory, employment and mental health. Yes, students are doing slightly worse in the online courses compared to the face-to-face classes, but it’s a really small difference.”

Hearing my name called as I receive my hard-earned degree is a dream I share with so many college students around the world.  Education is crucial for a prosperous and functioning society; so why not make it as seamless as possible to achieve this harmony?  Online classes should be just as widely offered as in-person options, if not more.