My Journey into the Culture of an Online Campus

By Ashley Cartagena

Here I am wondering what do I do next? I picked Psychology as my major, since it has always piqued my interest. But now I want to help my community. Mental health is so important. I see the need for the Human Services field. Do I switch to Human Services? All these questions whip around my brain while I schedule a call with my advisor. Already anxiety ridden, I see I will be scheduling with someone other than my normal advisor. Still, I made an appointment and went about my day. I took a mental note about the appointment. The next morning comes, and my call is at 9 AM. I kept my phone in my hand all morning, not wanting to forget about the call. My little chihuahua starts barking insanely, and I rush to take her outside. I came back in to see a missed call. Panic set in. With frustration, I raced to call back. I curse myself for missing the call as it rings. It feels like it is ringing forever, but it is in my head.    

Thankfully, the advisor answers after the second ring. I apologized profusely and we got on with the call. “I see you got an A on your last class. That’s wonderful.” The advisor says she is looking at what my previous advisor set up for me. A warm feeling came over me. I feel stupid sharing this with anyone else, but I felt proud of that A. My good grades have had such a positive effect on my self-esteem. It is hard for me to feel proud of myself. I come from a very unaffectionate culture. I have never had a parent tell me they were proud of me. Somehow this random person on the phone line made my day. It was nice that it came from someone who understood. She begins going over my classes for next semester, and the conversation is flowing. She was so easy to speak with and had answers right away. She could not tell me what to do, but she helped guide me in the right direction. Before the call ended, and I got all my questions out, she told me to ask myself what I wanted to do. It was that small moment that meant so much. I had thought about it repeatedly. After all the cliché answers, I knew I really wanted to help people like me. I am underprivileged, low income, struggling with mental health; I only had community health centers to turn to. Community health centers are spread so thin and try to help everyone they can. I want to help make the system better.               

“I see you got an A in your last class. That’s wonderful.” This statement spoke volumes for me. Stupidly, I did not want to tell anyone. I have kept my school journey very secretive because of my own insecurities. My first journey through college did not go well at 18. As a first-generation college student, the journey was lonely. No one around me could understand what I was going through. I filled out every form and made every decision alone. I was not mentally prepared for the first time around. My advisor’s unprompted statement did so much more than the advisor even knows. I did not have to ask for support; it was just given to me. Neither of my parents graduated from high school. My mom had me at 19 and going back to school as a single mom felt impossible. When I flunked out of college at 19, I felt a world of shame. I could not even face my mom. I cannot bear to disappoint the people around me. However, this time is different. I got my first A. The beginning of many until I can walk across the stage. That one statement meant so much. I wanted to tell everyone I got that A, but my inner burdens would not let me. The staff here is a testament to the campus culture. The support given to the students gives them the tools for success.

Without experiences like this, students like me would feel alone. Instead, I felt like I could call right back with no hesitation. I felt supported and confident. As online students, we must build a community to have one. But it is one call away, and that is the most important thing. Across the campus I have had the most positive experiences, and that is because of the campus culture. Positive campus culture significantly impacts a student's academic experience, personal growth, and long-term success.

A responsive and inclusive campus culture fosters critical thinking, builds real world skills, and develops informed citizens. Exposure to diversity in a campus environment enhances the learning experience. Real world skills like problem solving, communication, and teamwork are essential for a strong community. Students carry empathy, critical thinking, and collaboration learned on campus into their careers. As an online student, I have come to understand campus culture in a different but equally meaningful way. Even from a distance, I have learned that campus culture is not limited to classrooms or campuses, it is the way we communicate and encourage each other. We can still create a sense of belonging despite our different schedules and locations. To conclude, my experience shows that campus culture is not defined by geography but by the people who show up.

Hi! My name is Ashley Cartagena. I am from Queens, New York. I am a Psychology major here at the University of Bridgeport. I am a mother and a future Social Worker.