Online Student Spotlight - Alyssa Brookner
"My name is Alyssa Brookner and I am currently a graduate student in the Master of Accounting program. I am also a graduate assistant for the School of Accounting and am studying for the CPA exam. I will graduate with my MAC in December of 2018, so I am aiming to complete the CPA by then. I currently have passed the FAR section of the CPA and will begin full-time with Ernst & Young in their assurance practice in January of 2019. I also have been selected as the School of Accounting’s Student of the Year for 2018. The MAC program offers many of their classes fully online. Online classes have greatly enabled me to have the flexibility and time to take graduate courses, work part-time, and study for the CPA; it allows me to be able to complete my online courses’ work from anywhere!"
What is your major?
Master of Accounting
How are online classes making it possible for you to keep working towards your degree?
I am a graduate student, work part-time, and am studying for the CPA. A lot of classes in the MAC program are offered online, making it possible to multi-task effectively. I can get a lot more done in a shorter time frame by not having to travel.
What did you like the most about online classes?
What I liked most was the flexibility to pick which day and time of the week I wanted to dedicate to a specific class, rather than having to go to class every Tuesday at 9:30am, for example. This way, there is no way to miss class and the material needed is always accessible.
What is the most important benefit offered by online classes?
The most important benefit is the flexibility. You can do your school work for an online class at home, a coffee shop, or anywhere else that for be more convenient for you than on campus. If you have a hectic schedule, online classes make school a lot easier to manage.
How do you balance work, family and school?
Most of the week I am usually juggling between school and work, which includes studying for the CPA exam. I typically leave one day during the week as a relatively free day that I can make time for family and personal time. Online classes make this free day possible because this day isn't always the same every week; online classes allow me to pick which day would be better for family and which day I can then dedicate to school.
What advice do you have for future Owls considering FAU?
FAU has a lot of class-style options to choose from, including fully in-person, fully online, or a mixture of the two. Definitely take advantage of the ability to have a flexible class schedule by looking into online classes, where you can do all your school work from home!