How to Survive Grad School Online

In December 2019, Michelle Hunt strode into the Cajundome clad in a black cap and gown, smiling as her family cheered from their seats. Within the hour, Michelle was holding her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration.

That night, Michelle became the first person in her family to earn a graduate degree. She says while the coursework was all her own effort, the whole family worked to get her across the commencement stage.

“It was a family effort from my husband to my kids, my parents, relatives. After graduation, at dinner I said, ‘A part of this degree belongs to everyone in the room because everyone helped me,’” she says.

Michelle completed her degree while working full time as a UL Lafayette online student enrollment specialist. Her role enables her to work with potential students to identify the best online degree program for their goals.

Having completed her master’s degree online, Michelle has some insight into what it takes to be successful as an online student.

She recently shared some of what she learned in the course of earning her degree.

Include your people

Michelle says preparing to earn her degree meant getting everyone on board. She and her husband brought together their blended family before she started her courses to set expectations.

“At any given time we have five kids in our household. I’m ‘mom’ to some and ‘Shell’ to others. We said this is what we’ll need from everybody: you’ll do your own laundry, we’re going to have chores,” she says.

“I think it was exciting for my kids to watch me walk because everything I was doing, they were a part of that. It was the tangible outcome of what we were all working towards.”

Establish a schedule

From afterschool activities to meals to coursework, the Hunt household knew the kitchen whiteboard held the family game plan.

Michelle managed her course calendar with her family calendar so she could balance being available to her children with her studies.

“When I had assignments, I'd check what was going on that week because that tells me when I need to do what. If the kids have something important on Wednesday and Thursday, I knew I had to do my assignment Monday,” she says. “It was very integrated into my life.”

Know your learning style

Everyone has a distinct learning style — some learn better by listening, others by reading, others by doing. Knowing your learning style can improve your effectiveness in grad school.

Michelle describes herself as a “pen-and-paper gal.” Because the program uses online open educational resources and textbooks, she adjusted for her learning style.

“If there were materials I wanted to write or highlight on, I would go to the public library and print them,” she says.

Set realistic goals

Graduate students are typically juggling a lot of responsibilities, putting them at risk of burnout.

Michelle says she nearly found herself there at the end of her first semester and learned she needed to set more realistic goals.

“Don’t undermine your abilities, but you have to pace yourself,” she says. “Be realistic about how many courses you can take and what you can achieve at home and in your coursework.”

Michelle says she also had to be realistic about the time she needed to commit to her coursework.

“I had to have mini-come-to-Jesus conversations with myself,” she says. “If other people were going to be helping me, I had to do my part. I had to tell myself: ‘If you say you’re going to study when the kids go to bed, you’re going to study. Turn off Netflix, open the laptop, and do it.’”

Get your timing right

Michelle says those considering a graduate degree should consider two questions. Do you want to enroll in grad school, and is it the right time?

She wanted to earn a master’s degree when completing her bachelor’s in 2012, but it wasn’t the right time.

“It was put on the backburner once I started having kids and other responsibilities. When I saw UL Lafayette had an online program, I thought this would be perfect for me. I said, this is the right time to do it and the right way to do it — online.”

Ready to earn your degree through one of UL Lafayette’s online degree programs? Contact our Enrollment Support Team or email online@louisiana.edu to request information.