“They say there isn’t a perfect experience, but I think I’ve had an almost perfect experience,” says Allison Elibasich, a graduate of Bryan University’s Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies.
Allison was always drawn to the legal field, and before committing to law school, she went the paralegal route to get an authentic feel for the industry. Since graduating from BU, she’s worked as a paralegal at two personal injury law firms in Chicago. She loves to help people and make a difference in their lives.
She found BU while she was searching online for schools. She needed something that she could do as a busy mom. She said reaching out to an academic advisor was really helpful and made her feel like there were people she could turn to at BU.
“It was just so easy and like everybody was just so helpful,” she said. “If I felt like oh my god I’m so overwhelmed, I’m behind, all I had to do was book a session.”
She first earned her Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies at BU and enjoyed the experience so much that she continued into the bachelor’s program. At BU, our programs are stackable which allows students to directly transfer credits. BU also offers students the flexibility to resubmit assignments to gain greater mastery of the content, which was another aspect Allison found helpful.
“The instructors were very communicative if there were any issues, if we had any questions or concerns like the discussion post, it was very essential to them communicating with us,” she said. “When we turned in assignments, their feedback was very helpful, and if I needed to resubmit something the feedback was very informative.”
She said she liked learning online and found it as close to a traditional classroom experience as you can get. “I don’t have the book in front of me, I don’t have the blackboard, but it’s the same concept: just take your notes, pay attention.”
In addition to liking her instructors, she said she felt prepared to actually work in the industry. She said in her first job as a paralegal, she used Clio, a software that was used in the program which gave her more confidence in her new role.
Her biggest challenge with learning online was being able to fit everything into a busy life, so she would give herself deadlines. She was even able to fit her homework time in while her kids did their homework.
“Sitting down in the evenings to help my children with their homework I’m like you know let me pull out my laptop, let’s all do our homework together,” she said.
Being able to openly communicate with her instructors and feeling that support from them was something she said was a big factor in her ability to manage her time and complete the program.
She said she initially felt like the program was too good to be true. Her advice to anyone else considering the program is to ask questions and take advantage of the resources BU offers.
“It’s not too good to be true. Sign up. Keep going. If you have any questions, ask, ask, ask. Utilize your resources,” she said. “They are there to help. Communicate with your instructors, they’re very understanding and very helpful with whatever you need.”
At Bryan University, we offer a Paralegal Studies Undergraduate Certificate, an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies, and a Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies.
Our paralegal programs are 100% online and include real-world practice using systems like Relativity and Clio.
Learn more online or call us directly at 1-888-768-6861 today!
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