The pandemic changed the way we work and learn.

When college campuses closed, students shifted to online courses.

Even as universities reopened, many of those students decided that online learning was a better fit for their lifestyle.

More in tonight's look at education matters.

22 year old Princess Reed is a social work major at Western Kentucky University.

Taking 12 hours this semester to finish up her degree.

I like that.

I can go at my own pace.

And it's not necessarily confined to like a day in a time.

When the pandemic hit.

She moved out of a residence hall into an apartment across town.

I've actually found that online classes worked better for me.

I was able to go ahead and start working in my field, work full time and take courses full time and just get my degree.

And it worked better for me.

So I just ended up staying online after COVID.

We are seeing individuals who are more and more willing to embrace that as a learning option.

All my classes are asynchronous, so that means my professor will upload lectures for us to watch any time throughout the week and usually most assignments are due on like a Sunday or just a Saturday throughout the week so I can work on them at my own pace.

U.S. News and World Report recently ranked WQ among the top 55 Best online Bachelors programs.

It's a real testament to the effort that we've put into that, to making sure that our online students are supported, making sure that we're being as flexible as possible in meeting students where they are and recognizing the challenges that some students may have with coming to campus and taking a traditional face to face course.

Interested in licensure.

For Reed, who struggles with dyslexia, she says it's been the best path forward to graduation.

Just being in the classroom and having that test, taking anxiety, being in the comfort of my own home, or just wherever I take a test or a quiz, I'm able to just like be in my own environment.

And I find it that it's more comfortable for me.

We've got online writing labs for students who may need access to that.

We've got online tutoring available.

Reed, who juggles her college coursework with a full time job and a volunteer position, is also involved in campus life.

I think my situation is a little different just because I started on campus and then transitioned online.

However, I'm still fully involved in campus, actually find myself going to campus multiple times a week.

Jay Swartz says it's important to the university that their online students don't feel isolated.

Even though they may be learning online exclusively.

They still have access to a lot of those support services that you typically associate with a traditional face to face campus experience.

And so I think our faculty and staff have worked really hard to build and instill that sense of community in our online education experience.

Reed is now planning to pursue a graduate degree at Ohio State University and says she's considering going online for that education as well.

I think really the pandemic taught people, wow, I can have effective engagements over the computer, I can be successful in my academic pursuits, even online.

COVID kind of made everything hard for everyone, but I'm happy that I was able to persevere.

And I'm at the end of the road now, graduate in May with my best W and I'm excited.

And that was Laura Rogers reporting.

WQ offers more than 80 online degree options.

U.S. News and World Report also included University of Kentucky on its list of the best.

U.K. was ranked number 49 for its online bachelor's program.