1. What is your occupation?
Full-time Mom and Student

2. What is your college major?
Biology

3. Why eCore?
I chose eCore because I was pregnant with my son and wanted to continue going to school while pregnant and be able to still attend without going and reporting to a professor, since I was due during the fall semester.

4. Who is the biggest inspiration for your education? 
My parents were the biggest inspiration for my education. They passed away a year after one another while I was still in high school. My dad passed 2009 (junior year) and my mom passed 2010 (senior year). Neither of them were able to see me graduate, but as I was growing up I always told them "I am going to become a dentist." I believe they will be really proud of me and that this is what my parents would love to see me doing...going to school to achieve my goal and graduating high school and college. Presently, my children also give me the strength not to give up.

5. What three words would you use to describe your online instructors?
Helpful, Honest, Reliable 

6. Where is your favorite place to visit in the USA?
Niagara Falls

7. What kind of mood are you in right now, and why?
Happy, because I am watching my daughter playing and trying to be helpful with your brother. In addition, I'm thinking about how my life could not possibly be any better than what it already is.

8. Your favorite study spot?
In my bathroom with no electronics (including phone), because I am still at home with my babies in the other room.

9. What is something your online classmates don't know about you?
That I seriously love to read and enjoy taking classes.

10. Plans beyond eCore? eMajor, etc...? 
I plan on attending more classes whether it is eCore or on campus, until I get my bachelors in Biology. Then, I'm going to work my way up to a master's, and then go on to dental school.

11. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself? (Favorite class, challenges, eCore tips, your town, family, goals, any "shout-outs" to any professors or students?)

I am very thankful for all of my eCore professors. They have worked with me through my fall semester taking ecore classes by helping me continue classes after giving birth to my son. I also want everyone to know, do not be afraid of talking with your professors no matter what kind of situation; they will work with you and make sure you are successful in their class. I also want to thank my extended family for their help in taking care of my children while I studied, took finals, and also made sure that I was successful this semester.  

To the future eCore students: make sure you know how to manage your time. It is not as easy as you might think it will be, you will get behind if you procrastinate. 

Thank you to every classmate and all my professors. I had a wonderful experience with eCore and I believed I made the right decision to do Fall Semester with eCore. 

I also want to thank my professors individually - Molly Stoltz, S Lewis, David Biek and Anna Rulska. They all worked with me and made sure I succeeded. Again thank you!

Real Student Stories

5:08 PM

eCore student Kevin Sutor is currently stationed in Kuwait, where he is a US Army IT Specialist/Information Officer/Sharepoint Administrator.

Kevin attends Middle Georgia State College, where his major is B.S. Information Technology with dual concentration in Network Administration and Information Security (an online degree program).  


Last semester, Kevin took 6 courses, and earned As in all of them.

"One of the reasons why I've been so successful recently is because I've made bold decisions when lacking self-confidence. I honestly didn't think I could handle taking 16 online hours while getting deployed, but I signed up for it because I was determined to finish my degree as fast as possible," he says.

"We are all afraid to push our own boundaries and test our limits, but by pushing ourselves past the point that our mind thinks we can handle, we start to discover how amazing our true potential really is. But in order to do that, we need to take the bold first step," he continued.

This semester, two of Kevin's courses are offered through the USG eCore collaborative program - US History and Communications.


"What I learned from Communications that is helpful to my future is how to give a presentation. Some little things to notice like body language, avoiding jargon (which is somewhat difficult for me being in the IT field), and remaining confident. These all sound like they would be easy when put in words. Having to actually give a presentation to an audience was a different story. I never knew that live presentations required so much practice. I always thought it was something that just came naturally for most people."  

Kevin says that his favorite study place is in his bed with a laptop.

"It's so much easier for me to study and do my assignments when I feel relaxed, compared to being stressed when sitting down trying to cram information into my brain. It really depends on the week. Some weeks I have plenty of time to finish all of my assignments, but others require some late-night studying/reading. That's why I generally work on my assignments during a lunch break or any small off time that I have. All of the small breaks add up to a lot of total time spent on schoolwork during a week. I've never missed an assignment (aside from an extra credit one) so I can't say it's too hard to keep up. A lot of it is about time management," he explains.

Kevin also recently passed the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) Exam, and is now CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, and now CCNA certified.


Kevin says, "Part of my job is to ensure that proper policies are being followed, and if there are any issues with design, permissions, or general questions of how to use SharePoint, I'm the first point of contact. I also schedule conference rooms for the multiple amount of meetings that different sections of my unit schedule. As an IMO, I ensure that all data is transferred in a secure fashion. I'm responsible for applying patches and installation of any required software for our machines. I am also responsible for adding, creating, and modifying any users in my organization. Aside from that, I perform my normal job function which is to resolve any IT-related issues that arise within my unit in theater."


"I'm really excited that I'm making myself more marketable for job opportunities," he says.

In his spare time, Kevin enjoys Anime, including Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Naruto Shippuden, Fairy Tail, Gitama, and One Piece. "In between readings and assignments I always like to watch a 20 minute episode of anime just to let my brain cool down so I don't overload myself," he says.

Kevin will return to the United States in about four months, and hopes to one day live in the Steamboat, Colorado area, where he has fond memories of skiing with his family as a child.


  

military Real Student Stories

6:18 PM

Every student must take at least one - and in most cases two math classes. Mathematics is an essential part of a strong liberal arts curriculum which is why it's included as part of the Core. But which math class should you take? The answer is, well - that depends. eCore faculty have created a variety of course sequences that allow you to fulfill your mathematics requirements. Which sequence you should take depends on your intended major, your mathematical preparedness, and your career interests.

We begin with the most straightforward case. The physical, natural, and computational sciences include majors such as Physics, Biology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science. These fields generally require Calculus and above. If you are interested in pursuing one of these majors, you should plan to take MATH 1113 - Precalculus followed by MATH 1501 - Calculus. Although it is possible to place directly into MATH 1113, some students may need a little refresher first. If this is the case for you, then you should first take MATH 1111 - College Algebra to help you prepare. The thing to remember is that this sequence of classes is preparing you to move on to more advanced mathematics - the fun just keeps on going!

On the other end of the spectrum are the Humanities which include majors like Art, English, Drama, Comparative Literature, and History. These disciplines generally do not require any more mathematics than what is in the core curriculum. The courses MATH 1101 - Mathematical Modeling, followed by MATH 1401 - Introduction to Statistics, is a sequence that provides students with basic problem solving and reasoning skills that apply more to everyday life. In most cases, if your major is based in the Humanities, these are the only two math classes you will need to take.

What about those disciplines somewhere in between like Psychology, Business, Sociology, and Education? Well, now it gets a little fuzzier. It is likely that most of these majors will require MATH 1401, but whether you take MATH 1101 or MATH 1111 first depends on what your major requires. The best thing to do is check with an advisor to make sure that you're taking the right course.

One last note of advice. Whichever math class you enroll in , try to approach it with an open mind. Mathematics can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding and even fun if you let it. 

by Barry Monk, eCore Math Professor

Dr. Barry Monk is Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Associate Professor of Mathematics at Middle Georgia State College, Macon Campus. 

Student Success Tips

5:30 PM