Student Spotlight: John Visone

When the instructor went over the course syllabus and John Visone opened his math book for the first time, he thought his number was up.

"Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions -- I thought, oh, I got myself in trouble. I look back now and wish that was all I had to do!"

That very same day, the instructor handed out a flyer about tutoring services offered through College of DuPage's Learning Commons, where Visone found an answer to his math problems and more challenging coursework to follow.

Exploring his career options with a COD counselor, Visone decided to pursue a doctorate in pharmacology and complete all of the prerequisite courses at College of DuPage.

"I used the Learning Commons for just about everything -- writing, chemistry, math, a little bit of anatomy,"

Visone said. "A lot of people think you have to go there if you're failing. In the beginning, that was the way I looked at it because I was getting a C in my math class and I needed to pass the class. But as I progressed, it was the flip side: 'Hey, I'm getting an A, and I want to maintain this A.' "

After earning his Associate in Science degree, Visone plans to enter pharmacy school. But he came to COD with "zero college experience." Years before, he took a few COD graphic design classes to boost his job skills and salary.

"It had nothing to do with my current mission; I basically started from scratch," he said. "It was a little difficult for me at first until I realized that wow, it's actually becoming good, and I'm actually getting better. I couldn't have done it without College of DuPage."

As president of the Veterans Association at COD, Visone meets a lot of people, some straight out of the military,ready to begin the next phase in their lives. To help them get acclimated at COD, Visone shares his own experiences and encourages everyone to use the Learning Commons. His advice to others: Make the most of all the College offers.

"I started with the lowest level math class and got a C," he said. "The last math class I took, Business Calculus, I got an A. Some of my friends pointed out, that's quite a journey."

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