Forget the Expectations

I had always been slightly skeptical about online jobs but I’ve never been so sure about the influence of the Internet until now. This course has made it possible for thousands of people from around the globe to connect, regardless of age, social background, pre-requisites, and location.

This Group Open Online Course (GROOC) follows the idea that if similar people with similar interests get into a group and put their ideas together, a great social initiative can come out of it. Therefore, the course is pushing for group learning and group brainstorming at all times. The teams on the GROOC range from environmental to educational and health initiatives. We have groups approaching ocean trash, others approaching human rights and more. There are people from separate sides of the globe connecting over this one website to discuss making a change on this planet. The world once seemed enormous to all of us; now, we are able to connect with others who are just as passionate as us through this one medium.

I started realizing that this whole course was bigger than anything I had ever imagined. Our expectations were blown out of the water. Everything we thought would happened took a left turn. The field of “Communications” once seemed so distant to me and now a taste of it lies in the palm of my hands. I have been able to see the impact that making conversation with others throughout the globe has. Better yet, all you need is a little bit of internet. This is becoming more and more possible every day as NGOs take on missions to supply poverish countries with computers and internet, realizing the possibilities that come with these implementations. This GROOC is a perfect example: it is one of millions of courses of free education taught through a top university…offered to everyone, everywhere.

There are two things I wish to convey to readers:

1. If you ever have the chance, take an online course offered through EdX.org or Coursera.org. Before this course, I was taking “Marketing in a Digital World” through Coursera over the summer. These websites are a chance for you to take courses outside of your field of study. It’s a chance for you to explore classes and careers for FREE. 
2. Take on an online job at least once. These jobs are flexible and all it takes is a reasonable commitment to stay connected over social mediums or E-mail in order to stay up to date. I recommend this for the school year especially when you feel as though you can’t take several hours out of your day to go to a job. I also recommend this for the summer if you’re traveling but would still like to be getting some experience under your belt.

Let’s try to take the stigma off the internet and social media by transforming it for the better. Let’s start using it productively. Find people throughout the globe who think just like you. Network, create connections. Build relationships. The internet has the power to make a good change, a good community; all we have to do is put it to proper use.