The Road to Success: Tim’s Story

After 30 years as a truck driver, Tim wanted a career change to “move up” in the world. Attending college seemed the best option, but a traditional campus wouldn’t work as he spent two weeks at a time on the road. Tim had a couple difficult hurdles to surmount to achieve his goals and the guidance of Bob, his InsideTrack coach, helped him strategize and meet these challenges.

“He hadn’t attended school for a long time and had never worked in an online classroom,” Bob said. “He had computer skills and was savvy enough, but unfamiliarity with the online environment can be intimidating.”

Bob helped Tim learn the technical steps to navigate an online classroom and boosted his confidence so the unfamiliarity and complexity of attending college online wouldn’t overwhelm him, causing him to quit before he even got started. As with many adult students who return to school after a long time away, Tim wrestled with belief in himself wondering if he had what it took to succeed as a student.

Tim also struggled with time management, and Bob assisted with organizing routes and schedules, so Tim completed his assignments in an engineering-related program in cafes, truck stops or hotels where he stayed the night. By doing his homework on the road, Tim filled some lonely hours and could spend his time at home focused on his wife and kids.

“It was a little bumpy at first as he got used to working online and being back in school,” Bob said. “he was really dedicated. It was incredibly impressive.”

Tim did well in school, and his confidence grew as he tackled and met challenges. “I worked with him for his first few semesters,” Bob said. “The last time we spoke, he was doing well and had his family behind him.”

Student name has been changed