Studying Online

 




I just knew I wanted to study.I was at a stage in my life where I wanted a challenge.I love pumping my head with information.The amount of info I have had to deal with working as an article or academic writer is immense. I was tired of doing it for others and wanted to do it for myself.

Here I was, a stay at home with just a desire to read.I had no transport to go to a physical class.I knew the only option was an online University .I did not want a short course,i have done alot of those over the years.I have attended various courses from Ajira Digital to Cousera,Duolingo and .

I began to google ,to check which university offers this and I must say that the courses that were on offer were not interesting.Then I remembered of a university in my backyard-Open University of Kenya(OUK) only Ksh 50 from my house.Upcoming and little known but doing wonders on the digital space.

Did I mention I only had faith,no job and no school fees?. Desire,ambition,anxiety,joy and happiness were feelings that were running in my heart.I thought of advancing my career as a journalist but then if my role model still runs shows on NTV long after I graduated,for how long did I have to wait to become a practicing journalist?

Then I remembered my second passion,content creation.I love crafting stories.I love challenges that entail coming up with twists and turns in a story.I just knew that is the line that I needed to pursue. I had this hidden passion for animation.I would look at stories running on TikTok and say I know I can make this. However,I wanted to practice it as a profession.I did not just want information but to earn a skill.

I began by cruising through looking for the best course. I went and searched online for schools that offer animation.Institutions such as Shang Tao popped up but going to Nairobi from Makueni was an uphill task. I decided to check OUK courses and voila there it was- Interactive Media Technologies

The course I had been looking for all my life.My desire to tap into this unknown space was borne.I wanted to grasp knoweldge like my life depended on it. I discovered that I did not even need full school fees.I just needed to pay 1,000 for admission and around 790 to register for a course. There I was with less than 2,000 enrolled and looking forward to studying.

I was anxious to know what it entails.There was an orientation week where i joined a Zoom session with over 1000 students and we received info on what we needed to do to become better OUK students. I was told that I needed to be proactive since everything is provided online.Infact ,one underlying truth that was mentioned in clear words was that the only time I would meet my classmates was on graduation day.

I embraced this because why not- challenge! I was in for it 100%.I now had a platform that offered me online content,assignments and discussion forums that i needed to participate in.Lecturers adorned new names-Facilitators.They would facilitate through online Zoom Sessions in the evenings from 6.00 p.m to 8.00 p.m.If we were lucky we received even morning zoom sessions between 8.00-10.00 a.m. First and Semesters moved on so fast not without more challenges,steeper ones.

I am at a point in my life now reminding myself of subjects that I thought i was done with back in high school.Doing Mathematics has been the downside of the course.I have told my classmates over discussions that if i knew that i would be handling Calculus and Discrete Mathematics,they would not have had the pleasure of knowing me.

However,I choose to look at the big picture.On this course,i have yearned to learn animation,its not yet here,its in the subsequent semesters.But I have had the pleasure of learning how to code,design learning content, embraced 3D modeling and learnt how to create digital stories.

I am not yet where I need to be but the future looks bright.OUK has provided me a new family.I can laugh on a google meet with classmates.One is in Nakuru, another in Bunguma, i have some in Nairobi and i give them my perspective from the not so green kamba land.

I tell them that OUK is near my home but I have never even visited the place.But I plan to soon as I intend to see the institution that is changing my life.I am an online student,proud mother and an eager worker on the online space. Till next time.

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