Many people believe online learning means struggling through coursework alone, but two online business students prove that is not the case!
When Krysia Adamczewski, from Chicago, and Gwen Youngblood, from Birmingham, enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration program online at The University of Alabama, neither imagined what was in store.
Both women enrolled in the program for similar reasons. As working moms they needed the convenience of online learning. Little did they know, one class would completely change their experience.
“In GBA 300, like other online courses, we had to introduce ourselves to each other. The difference was we had to tell the class why we would make a good teammate. I read through all of the posts and knew that I wanted to be on the same team as Gwen, but was unsure about approaching her,” Krysia explains.
So Krysia waited until Gwen signed up for a group and then joined the same one. Krysia’s “stalking,” as the women jokingly refer to it, gave them the opportunity to get to know each other and soon a friendship was born.
“We hit it off immediately and bonded over being moms who worked full time while taking courses,” Krysia said.
They also discovered they had a few interesting things in common — like birthdays one day apart, which neither one believes is a coincidence.
“One thing I regretted about not finishing college in the traditional way was missing out on lifelong friendships and sharing those experiences with someone. We may not have been on campus and living together, but with the help of technology we do have memories and a friendship to endure distance, and there is no regret,” said Gwen.
Krysia said, “Gwen has been the best thing to happen to me during my journey in distance learning. It’s not an easy feat, but having a partner in crime who thinks just like you is such a blessing. I can’t tell you the number of times we were both sending a message at the same time to each other and it was the exact same message! The connection and the friendship we have is one of a kind and one that I treasure! I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her in my life.”
As they progressed through their coursework, both Gwen and Krysia leaned on each other for support. In Krysia’s case, she even took five courses in one semester to be able to graduate with her newfound best friend — a goal that she achieved.
The women met in person for the first time at their graduation. Six months later, they still talk daily and are planning future trips together.
“People say that it’s hard to make friends in an online class, but if you try to connect with someone you might surprise yourself and come away with a lifelong friend! My advice is to stalk ‘em!” Krysia said with a laugh.
Note: We don’t condone stalking, however strategic team planning is encouraged!
Published: March 18th, 2018