Experience success as an online undergraduate student

At Maryville, the most important thing to us is making sure our students feel supported — at every level, in every way. That’s why we have an entire team of academic experts dedicated to answering your questions about career outcomes, school-work-life balance, program logistics, and more. This team can also connect you with others in our support network, such as tutors and technicians.

For many of our undergraduate students, this is their first degree. Not only that, it’s their first online degree. If you fall into that category, we want to make sure you know what to expect before, during, and after one of our programs, so you can prepare and feel empowered along the way.

To give you a better idea of what our student support team does, we talked to Alma Fuentes, one of our support coaches.

Whether you’re starting right after high school, a gap in schooling, or years in the workforce, student support coaches like Fuentes help ease the transition into college for undergraduates.

“We are their go-to person when there’s an issue, question, or concern,” Fuentes says. “We may not always have the answer, but we point students in the right direction.”

Getting to know your support coach by meeting with them virtually or in person can save you time and even tuition dollars. Here’s how: They can help you avoid scheduling mistakes, get tutoring for a difficult class, and connect you to career resources. The more they know about your goals and preferences, the better support they can provide by anticipating your needs and tailoring suggestions to them.

“‘Where do I start?,’ ‘What needs to be done?,’ and, ‘What comes next?’ are all very common questions,” Fuentes explains. “Being able to help students answer these questions has a way of making the whole experience a lot better for them and is rewarding for us as coaches.”

At Maryville, we offer several support services for undergraduate students to make sure they’re successful while earning a degree with us. These include:

While many students are sure they can do it all — work, have a social life, and keep up with school — others often need more reassurance to achieve their goals. Our student support coaches are experts at helping you set reasonable expectations and make a plan that prioritizes a healthy school-work-life balance.

“To achieve that balance, planning and time management skills play a big role,” says Fuentes. “And while it’s impossible to plan for everything, it’s definitely easier to get back on track after a hiccup if there’s an existing plan in place.”

Support coaches can help you come up with a realistic plan and stay on track. They can also help make adjustments to your course load to accommodate unexpected life events, if needed.

Earning an online undergraduate degree takes courage, and that doesn’t go unnoticed by our student support team. They know the commitment you’ve made to yourself and your future, which is why they do everything they can to ensure you have a positive experience at Maryville.

“There are times when a student can turn to me feeling defeated, overwhelmed, and resigned to accept a situation for what it is. It’s a really wonderful feeling when I can say, ‘We can do this,’ or ‘These are some options.’”

The ability to help students and truly make a difference in their lives is what inspires Fuentes as a student support coach.

Student support coaches like Alma Fuentes are ready to assist you from enrollment through graduation, but if you’re just getting started, you’ll also be assigned an enrollment advisor who can guide you through the application process. They’re focused on making sure you meet the undergraduate admission requirements for a program that aligns with your goals.

All set to enroll? Our undergraduate programs can prepare you for careers in a variety of fields.
Take your next brave step.

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