How I Earned My Bachelor’s Degree While Traveling

Exams can be stressful, but it helps when you can take them in paradise. I completed many of my college exams on the lanai in Maui (pictured above) and from a balcony overlooking the ocean in the Virgin Islands.

I recently graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition. Not only have I never set foot in Alabama, but I moved six times and traveled more times than I can count while I was working towards my degree. Probably not the most conventional or straightforward way to finish college, but I’m grateful for the opportunity do it on my own terms. 

I started at the University of Hawaii and three years in decided to transfer to a school where I could finish my degree online. By that point, I had two years left and was feeling stagnant. I wanted the freedom to travel, and I felt like in-person classes were holding me back. There were only a few schools with an accredited online dietetic track, so I enrolled in the distance program with the University of Alabama and left for a new adventure. 

Since then, I moved to Northern California and lived there for about a year. I spent time with family in Massachusetts. I lived on the beach in the Virgin Islands for a while. I spent my last Summer and Fall semesters living in Maui, Hawaii where I completed the internship I needed to graduate. And I had the freedom to travel at any time.

My classes were all online, but my degree did require some in-person experience

My lectures, assignments, exams, etc. were all online, but there were a few classes over the years with in-person requirements. I met with local nutrition professionals to gain experience in assessing patients. I spent a semester working under a food service director. I gave a community presentation on mindful eating.

I also spent my final internship, or “professional study,” working at a residential eating disorder treatment facility on Maui, and it was one of the best experiences of my college career. It made my degree feel worthwhile at a time when I felt like I had wasted my time with college. I was finally learning and working in the specialization that had prompted me to study nutrition in the first place, and I gained new insight into what I wanted out of a future career. It reminded me why I had started and what I was working towards.

The in-person requirements were valuable because they gave me real practice and experience in my field of study. And I still had location freedom because I had to set them up myself and could do so anywhere in the country. Because of that, I gained experience working in my field in California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii.

Some tips for online school:

• Find the right program. There are a lot of online programs out there, and they’re not all on the same playing field. Depending on the degree you’re looking to pursue, you may need to do some research to make sure the program you choose is accredited. (This will most likely be the case if your end goal is to gain credentials of some sort). I was pursuing the dietetic track with my nutrition degree, so I had to find an online program that was accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Otherwise, I could have obtained a nutrition degree but not had the option to sit for the exam to become a registered dietitian or dietetic technician.
• Make sure you have a strong internet connection. This one might be a no-brainer, but it’s also the most important. You could have everything going for you but if your internet connection fails at the wrong time, you’re out of luck. Some of the work can be done off-line (like writing papers and studying) but watching lectures, submitting assignments, and taking exams all require a reliable connection. When I was living in the Virgin Islands, there was a bad storm the day before one of my finals and the WiFi wasn’t strong enough for me to finish my exam. Exams are stressful enough without having to worry about your internet connection going in and out, so this is a big factor to consider and plan for.
• Manage your time. When everything is online, it’s up to you to manage your time. You’re given all the resources you need and the due dates for the semester, then you’re pretty much on your own. You don’t have a class to attend each week where you’re reminded of things, and you can watch the lectures at any time, so it’s important to stay organized to make sure you get to everything. I kept all my due dates in a calendar or planner that I would see every day and got into a routine that worked for me. It’s also a good idea to turn in assignments and schedule exams at least a day before their due dates in case something goes wrong (like your internet connection). Know your workload and the time you need to complete it so you can stay on track.
• Know how you learn. In an online program, the learning is in your hands. I think these last two points are true of in-person college classes to an extent, but online learning is much more independent. There are resources and support available through the university, and you can message your classmates or professors, but it’s much different from the support you would get in person. The professor will post lectures and material, but it’s up to you to go through everything and learn it yourself. Because of this, it’s important to know how you learn best and whether online classes would benefit you. It’s one of the things I loved about my degree because it gave me more freedom, but everyone learns differently so it’s something to keep in mind.

I’m grateful that I was able to live my somewhat nomadic lifestyle while I worked towards my degree. I’ve had so many experiences and opportunities that I wouldn’t have had if I was going to classes on campus and tied down to one place. If I could go back, I wouldn’t change anything. I’m still not sure exactly where I’m headed or what my future holds, but if my college journey is any indication, it’ll be a fun ride. Online school may not be for everyone, but I graduated knowing that I followed my own path and welcomed every adventure that came my way.