Who are your fellow students? It can feel like you are all alone in your studies, but across the nation, around the globe, students like you are also pursuing their AU education, and The Voice Magazine wants to bring their stories to you. If you would like to be featured next, do not hesitate to get in touch!
The Voice Magazine recently had the chance to chat with Sabina (she/her) from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, the traditional Treaty 6 territory of the Nêhiyaw (Cree), Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Dene, and Nakota Sioux.Peoples and Métis Nation of Alberta (Region 4).
Sabina is currently completing her Bachelor of Commerce, with a major in Accounting, hoping to pursue her CPA designation after graduation.
From Grande Prairie, Alberta, Sabina “attended college there for an office administration diploma right out of high school.” She stated, “I worked in accounting for four to five years before I decided I wanted to go back and complete my accounting degree. Now, I currently live in Fort Saskatchewan and am one year away from completing my degree.”
She credits her father as the one person in her life that has had the greatest influence on her desire to learn, “because he was the one who initially pushed [her] to go to college right after high school.” She explained, “I took an office administration program and really enjoyed accounting, and that is why I am pursuing my accounting degree now.”
Sabina is enjoying AU’s online learning environment. She stated, “I like all the freedom it gives with not having to be in a class at certain times. Since I live outside of Edmonton it is nice that I don’t have to drive into the city every day for classes. But it can be tough and time consuming. I find I spend the majority of my time studying because I don’t have someone else teaching me.”
However, like many students, she has wavered about continuing her educational journey. She related that this occurred recently, just after she had “completed [her] third year and it has taken [her] five years.” She explained, “School was starting to feel like a lot: doing it on my own and taking so long to finish. But I am also a year away from completing my degree now and there is no way I could quit after the amount of classes I have completed and just a small amount left.”
For her most memorable course to date, Sabina chose MGSC 312: Stats for Business and Economics, stating, “I actually got 100% on the midterm.”
As for communication with her course tutors, she finds it “generally pretty good,” explaining, “It is different depending on the class but the majority of the ones I have been assigned have been very helpful.”
When she is not studying, Sabina spends her summers “garden[ing] and enjoy[ing] the outdoors.” She continued, “In the winter I usually hermit in my house and do a craft like macramé or binge some television.” She is also “binging The Office over and over,” and is “currently reading the Bridgerton series.”
When asked about the most valuable lesson she has learned in life, Sabina stated, “Failing is okay and you can’t be good at everything. I learnt that by having high expectations for myself regarding marks but learned pretty quickly some classes you just need to barely pass and move on. And having to rewrite exams is not a sign of failure.”
As for her proudest moment? “My proudest moment is being so close to accomplishing my degree because I have been doing the entire thing online. It takes a lot of self-motivation to complete a number of classes online by yourself. Especially because there are no deadlines other than the course end date.” Best of luck Sabina!