Why I'm Open to Attending Online College Classes

At the end of 2014, I dropped out of community college. It was for medical billing and coding. They say you can get the certificate between 4 and 15 months. In my case, it had been a little over two years since I had my first class, which was Medical Terminology back in 2012. My late teens and early 20s was a bad time for me. Although I passed the classes I attended, I had no motivation to get my Medical Billing and Coding certificate. Not only that, there was one class where I had to use the Protomed software. It was extremely difficult especially for me since I was never really good at math. I barely passed this class by the skin of my neck. But I was so glad I did at least on the surface. I basically bowed down to family pressure and decided to attend community college just to keep up appearances. Deep down I knew many of my relatives looked down on me, yet I decided to enroll in school just to impress them. It didn't work. Especially since I was only enrolled in community college part time and not a full-time student at a four year school. On top of that, I was also expected to work part time while going to college full time. As a person on the Autism spectrum, it wouldn't have worked out for me. I would've burned out like that and had to choose one or the other.

The most challenging time during my short stint at CCBC, which stands for Community College of Baltimore County here in Maryland was between 2012 and 2014. I knew I didn't want a Medical Billing and Coding Certificate and hated attending classes in person. I wanted to take a foreign language course but was afraid DORS would deny giving me a voucher if I told my old counselor this. DORS, which is Division of Rehabilitation Services, here in Maryland is supposed to help those with disabilities obtain employment or attend a four year or community college program which is supposed to lead to a permanent position in their field. Not only were my dad and I facing financial difficulties at home, I wanted to go in one direction but was being pulled in another. Late 2014 was when I said I had enough. While things were getting better for my dad in terms of employment, I decided not to attend anymore classes for medical billing and coding. Since I left CCBC, their customer service has gone downhill.

Dropping out of community college really got me thinking. What if I did get my medical billing and coding certificate? Would I even get hired? Many jobs especially ones at hospitals or clinics want you to have some experience before they even hire you. This includes entry level jobs as well. For instance, an entry level medical billing/coding job may want a candidate to have 6 months to a year at a previous job or internship. How would I get an internship for medical billing and coding? Furthermore, would I be paid at least a minimum wage or would I be working for free? We all know many internships pay little to nothing but you still must do all the requirements as a paid employee the entire time you're there. And lastly, would I even be hired as a paid employee once my time ended? Let's say I do get a job as a medical billing and coder, it would distract me from the things I actually wanted to do with my life. I know writing this sounds unrealistic, but I feel like I missed out on a lot in my late teens and early 20s because I listened to bad advice.

Now that I'm getting closer to 30, I really want to make it count. I want to do at least some of the things I couldn't do in my 20s. I have an interest in foreign languages and have been learning Japanese on the side for several years. Right now, I'm learning through an app known as Duolingo and Memrise. I hope to enroll in an online foreign language course sometime before 2022. Maybe I could get an online certificate. I also have an interest in tutoring English to children and or adults in Asian countries. So, I may sign up to be an online tutor in the near future. Furthermore, you can get a life experience outside of college. Traveling the world is just one example. Before COVID-19, many people who opt for an online college class did so for convenience. For example, they may have had a full time job or other commitments. In the era of COVID-19, many people are considering an online degree to avoid close spaces and possibly getting infected with the virus. When it comes to me, there's a whole host of reasons why I decided to an online college class is for me. One of them has to do with convenience.