Trying new things is a way of life for Zbigniew Kowalewski. A registered nurse in Poland, Zbigniew moved to Canada and knew he would have to start fresh.
“When I left Poland in 1987 it was a communist country; there wasn’t much opportunity, “he says.
Zbigniew soon discovered his nursing credentials didn’t apply in Canada and he would have to upgrade his education.
“By the time I learned proper English, I wanted to do something different.” Taking charge of his future, Zbigniew started taking distance courses at Mount Saint Vincent University. “My very first course was taking statistics though distance. It helped because I didn’t have to come to the university and it saved me on commuting.”
Trying to balance work and full time schooling can be challenging, but for Zbigniew, distance courses helped lighten the load.
“For me distance was actually easier than going to class. When watching a DVD, if I misunderstood something I could always rewind it or stop it.” With a smile Zbigniew admits he likes the freedom that comes with distance learning. “It’s nice to be able to walk away and make myself some coffee or tea and then come back,” he says.
Time management is a major priority in university and it’s just as important when taking a distance course. “If you don’t have to come to the classroom then you have to make your own decisions about when you choose to study. You have to be responsible enough to do the readings; for me that was never an issue,” says Zbigniew.
In the dead of winter, Zbigniew can’t think of a better time to take a distance course. “I would recommend distance classes to anyone, especially in winter. If you can save on commuting and looking for parking, that’s already a lot of time saved right there.”
As for the future, Zbigniew smirks over post-graduation plans. “I plan to enter graduate school; I will definitely pursue my education further. I will see, I won’t reveal it to you.”