Randy Manley, BS in Justice Administration Student
Current occupation: Student
What made you decide to pursue your degree as an adult?
I initially got offered over $52,000 dollars to go back to school to achieve my Bachelor of Science Degree, so I accepted it and went back. I got tired of working “dead end” jobs and wanted to improve my KSA’s enough to get back into federal government employment. Plus, it is something that I have always wanted to do in my life as a “lifetime achievement” as well.
Why did you choose to study at Tiffin University?
I chose Tiffin University because the first school that I went to for Criminal Justice closed down their Bachelor of Science Program in the same field right after I achieved my Associate of Applied Science Degree there. So, this was the only other affordable option for me to continue pursuing my BSJA degree in.
What has been your experience with the program so far?
Overall, my experience with this program has been wonderful. I absolutely love the online learning format even more than the old “brick and mortar”, old-style building learning that I was used to all my life. It provides you with more freedom and flexibility to learn. It is also 24/7/365 availability as well. The teaching staff has been very good as well, for the most part, with a few exceptions thrown in there as well. However, overall, the majority of them have been superb!
What keeps you motivated to stay in the program?
My motivation to stay in the program comes from the fact that I keep getting closer and closer to finishing-up my degree after each successful class is completed. I love to learn new things and I am a “finisher” in everything that I do in life. In addition to this, my initial goal for each course is to achieve straight “A’s” for all of them as well.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about going back to school?
The advice that I would give a prospective student who is thinking about going back to school is to always keep an open-mind about all of your possibilities. To also stay positive in your thinking and always believe that you can and will achieve anything if and when you put your mind to it. Stay hungry and motivated to keep pushing forward and try to achieve the highest amount of learning for each course possible. What you put into it, is usually what you will get out of it.
TU’s motto is: Without risk there is no gain. Can you tell us about a time when you took a risk and what you gained from it?
My whole entire degree program has been one enormous risk for me at already being in my middle ages. The cost of books, tuition, and the degree program itself has left me with an enormous amount of debt. However, I am not worried at all about it because I believe the rewards that I will achieve afterward will last a lifetime and that they definitely exceed the risks that I have taken over the course of the past several years.