The Voice Magazine recently had a chance to chat with Megan Rosen (she/her), a 38-year-old Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resources Management student currently residing in Wainwright, Alberta.
Megan let us know that, while she moved to Wainwright from Lloydminster, Alberta, she grew up in Washington state and in Saskatchewan. She is married, with one child, and worked as a retail manager for more than fifteen years before quitting in 2023 to be more present with her son and “help him adjust to school life with ADHD.” She continued, “This also gave me the perfect opportunity go back to school and get a degree like I kept saying I would!”
This busy student had some great study tips for fellow AU learners. “I find it varies for each class a bit! For me, I just keep trying until I find a system that works! Often I like to change things up! I do find using ‘read aloud’ options help when I am having trouble focusing. Also, getting out of the house and studying somewhere like the library help as well! Setting reasonable daily goals helps a lot as well as allowing for down time! I am a planner and a list maker, so I of course have everything I need to get done on a list that is updated daily,” she stated.
She also had some great advice for new students and/or prospective students. “Ask for help! I am still working on this one, but, reach out for help from your tutors and faculty! Most of them are very helpful! Also make time for this, you will find things easier if you have allotted yourself the time to do it,” she emphasized.
When she is not studying, she notes “[I] spend a lot of time playing with my son and doing mom stuff.” “I like to renovate, paint, and read.” She continued, “I also really enjoy cooking, but hate the dishes!”
She credits her mom with having had the greatest influence on her desire to learn. “She would say, ‘Life is about learning; there will always be things you don’t know. It would be pretty boring if there were nothing else to learn!’ My dad also taught me to seek knowledge and figure things out; if I want to know how to do something or how something works then I should actively seek out that information.”
Megan enjoys the fact that she can work at her own pace at AU. “It allows me to do what I need to at home and in my personal life and still pursue my education! I do miss connecting in person with coworkers and peers, but for me the benefits far outweigh the negatives!” she explained.
She considers ACCT 355: Cost Analysis as her most memorable AU course so far. “I did great in the end, but it was tough! I was really proud of myself for getting through it!” She also enjoyed ECON 330: Workers and the Economy and PHIL 337: Business Ethics, saying that they “were very interesting, but pushed my writing skills.” She also found IDRL 308: Occupational Health and Safety “very familiar and relevant to my career.”
As for communication with her course tutors? “Most of my tutors have been very responsive and nice, so I have been lucky in that! A few have been above my expectations.”
The Voice Magazine also asked Megan what her first project would be if she were the new president of AU. She replied that she would focus on “more video content and prerecorded lectures into the course content.” She continued, “Many of the classes I have taken are heavy ready, and not much for visual or audio! I, like many students, enjoy variety and would appreciate more variety in learning methods.”
As a final note, Megan let us know about her most valuable lesson in life. “For me it’s again asking for help, I have come to realize I am, in fact, not superwoman, and that I can’t do everything alone and there is nothing wrong with asking for help! Doesn’t matter if it is help with school, work, or personal life!”
As for her proudest moment? “The birth of my son! He is everything to me! I have loved watching him grow and being his mom!” Best of luck, Megan!
At times, in an online learning environment, it can feel like you are all alone, but across the nation and around the globe, students just like you are also pursuing their Athabasca University (AU) studies! Each week, The Voice Magazine will be bringing you some of these stories. If you would like to be featured next, do not hesitate to get in touch!
