When studying online, be prepared to meet people from all over the globe. I mean, really, from St Kitts and Nevis, from Russia, Italy, the Philippines, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal…

In the first few terms, I became friends with Chakib from Morocco and Aldy from the Philippines. Later, I met Rahel from Switzerland, who was living in South Africa with her parents at KwaSizabantu, a mission station. I met her for coffee at a mall when she was visiting Pretoria. And I met Ana in the Economics class. She is from Spain but lives in the Netherlands. Massimo is from Italy but lives in China, and David is from Ireland and lives in Australia.

I love people, and I find mixing with various cultures enriching. I love talking to them in the Discussion Forum and seeing the different approaches they have in the same scenario. Absolutely fascinating!

But then there is the other side also. A bit of a darker side. It did not surprise me, but if it were not there, we would have appreciated it. Abraham Lincoln famously said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

And the test of character comes to the fore on the Moodle server when you give people power. While I am writing this, I am 55 years old. I submit my work for peer assessment to some of these people, who are half my age and have not experienced life but still have strong opinions about it. I am giving them the power to assess my work and assign me marks based on their opinion of its worth. Some have a feeble command of the English language and cannot understand what I say. Some love this power, and they exercise it as if they are the absolute authority on the subject at hand.

Fortunately, UoPeople understands that unfair assessments can occur, and we can bring them to the instructor for a reassessment. I have had to do it several times, and the results have been satisfactory. But I hate having to complain about it.

The instructors are another online crowd we as students encounter, and I have been pleasantly surprised. Except for one or two of them, students have been treated respectfully, and they got the same in return. All of the instructors are volunteers who give their time and effort to tutor a group of students they will never meet in person. I have made a point of thanking the instructors for volunteering their skills to teach us.

Most students and instructors are from the United States of America. UoPeople is an American university, and most of the textbook material is American. Therefore, a solid American point of view is coming forward in tuition. When, for instance, Business Law is discussed, it is American law. Some European countries do not accept American accounting practices, but that is what we are taught. But I cannot expect UoPeople to make adjustments to cater to the international audience they serve. I tell myself that I can take from the American viewpoint what applies to me and see what I need to do differently in my home country.

But that has never stopped me from reminding the Americans that the world does not revolve around them! In fact, I had a lot of fun doing so, poking them with an African stick.

Which brings me to humour.

I love writing, and humour is always part of it. But dealing with such a wide variety of people in one forum can make me misunderstood. Even those brilliant Chinese students who do so well in most courses do not understand puns and the humorous nuances of the English language.

The students of the University of the People are primarily working people studying after hours. A few of them are full-time students. The variety is enormous. There are those from war regions. And then some live in poverty. Some really struggle to stay focused on their studies. I believe that this university is building alumni of character. The university is ten years old now, and I look forward to hearing of great men and women from this university who have become movers and shakers in this world.