UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Joining organizations is part of the quintessential college experience. But what if you’re one of the growing number of students going to school online?
Ray Vasquez, a Penn State World Campus student from Dallas, who lives more than 1,000 miles from University Park, started the World Campus Technology Club this year as a way to get more involved in college activities and collaborate with other students.
“I wanted to help people network and gather around a specific interest,” said Vasquez, who turns 27 in April. Vasquez has a full-time job as a training manager for a Dallas security firm in addition to taking classes toward dual bachelor’s degrees in information sciences and technology, and security and risk analysis.
More than 5 million students took at least one online course last year, according to the U.S. Education Department. Schedules, work and family commitments, and geographic separation make it more challenging for online students to connect with other students, said Terah Richardson, a World Campus academic adviser and staff adviser for the technology club. Online clubs let students socialize in a fun, informal way that’s different from their in-class interactions, she said.