Online College- Good or bad?

[pink]

Hello everyone!
I've been having a lot of unpredictable health problems lately that have caused me to miss a lot of school. These problems have also lead to some social insecurities and I have trouble breathing around people my own age. So I've been considering online college. I found a great journalism program from the University of Mass. So my question is for anyone who has ever taken online courses or fully taken college online- is it worth it or not? Thank you!

:mickey:

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I completed my degree on-line, and loved it!

In my case, the degree is exactly the same as if I had completed it in-class, there is no way to tell (unless you really look at my transcript) to know that I took the courses on-line. I did have to go to the campus to write my mid-term and final exams.

What I've heard from HR people and the like is that if the degree is from a "traditional" university, it doesn't matter if you've completed the courses on-line or in person. Some of the newer uniquely on-line universities are still struggling for respect.

I found the on-line degree process to be amazing. I really enjoyed the freedom to study whenever I was able, and it made it way easier to study while still working and spending time with my family. It was very interactive, with on-line chats, message boards, etc. I found that the profs gave great notes, and that the classes were often a mixture of textbooks, DVD's as well as on-line web-sites and notes.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the amount of research for papers I could complete on-line. Most university libraries have amazing on-line collections. Only twice in my studies did I have to physically go to the on-campus library for research.

Good luck with your decision, many universities have the option to take some on-line classes, with some on-campus classes. That can be a great option, as you aren't limited to just the on-line offerings, which are usually less than the on-campus ones.

[CAS]

This is usually the case; if it's from an accredited "physical" university with the same in-person courses then it's widely accepted. The new online-only degrees and universities aren't quite the same and can vary in significance.

I did both: my bachelor's from University of Nebraska and my master's online from the same. Even though the master's was online I went to class about half of the time since with some of the topics discussion was necessary. All testing was done in person. I have to say however that even our physical classrooms are nearly all virtual anyway. Our discussions, papers, syllabi, and even a great deal of research is now done online.

I enjoyed both equally I would say. :thumbsup:

[tinkerbell04]

I have completed several courses for my masters on-line and have loved the experience. :mickey: If you think it is something that will work for you, try it out.

[ncscgirl2005]

I, like the other posters, am enrolled in an online program. I could not have chosen a better route to go. Online classes give me the freedom to live a "normal" life without having to stop to go to a seated class. Most of the time you can work on your coursework whenever you please. When I first started I would "go to school" after the kids went to bed at night, all comfortable in my PJs and bedroom slippers.

Like the others have mentioned as well, most of my classes required testing to be done on campus. We are given a 4 day block to go take out tests (usually Wed-Saturday). Our testing center has flexible hours so I usually take my tests after work since they stay open until 9 during the week or on Saturday mornings. Some of my classes have required scheduled weekly chats but those are usually flexible and can easily fit into your schedule.

Honestly, I don't know if I could ever go back to the traditional style of learning. For me, online learning allows me to control my class time. By that I mean, I don't have to deal with interruptions by other classmates or professors that like to get off focus or missing classtime because of a sick kid or doctors visits. I can do as much as I want in one sitting or I can do the bare minimum. I have never been a very good math student but I have found my online math courses to be much easier than other seated classes (except for my current Trig/Precalcus class-yikes!) I have taken in the past. I think this is because I usually need a bit more time to understand concepts. Most professors in seated classes I have encountered in the past won't stay on one subject too long just for one person (which is usually me). In online courses, I don't move on until I am ready to move on. There are plenty of videos and even web support to help you out when you get into a sticky situation. Also, if your online professor chooses a good interactive program to help support your class (particulary Math) then you should be fine. The problem I am having with my current class is that the interactive website the professor chose is not very helpful at all and can sometimes be very confusing. Even the text book can be a bit misleading.

If I were you, I would probably start this summer with enrolling in just one course to see how you like it. I started out with one course of the summer and loved the flexibilty because I didn't miss not one day of work, nor did I miss any of the kids summer activities to go attend classes. All in all though, online classes are big committment and they do require time and effort. You have to have a certain amount of discipline in order to succeed.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes!

[DisneyDudet]

My father finished his undergrad online. He went through an actual online college (checked all references and accreditations before starting) and finished quickly. He enjoyed it. He had online chat discussions with students, which he enjoyed quite a bit, as the people were from all over the country, and there was a lot of input from so many different places!

He graduated, and is now in a semi-online master's program with a local university. He has to attend classes, once a week, and the rest is online.

I think this is a perfect way, especially for master's programs, as you are generally working anyway. This allows you to work, and get school work done on your own time.

I am all for it!

[FlaTinkRAMESAM]

I go to Troy University through their eCampus. As a single mom it gives me the perfect schedule where I can get online whenever I need, read when I need, etc. Many of my classes (especially my senior level classes that I am in now) require me to go in for a proctored mid-term and/or final. I go to my old high school and the career resource specialist gives me my exams. My father went through their eCampus as well, and you can't tell his degree from someone that attended a physical university. The only downside is the fact that I don't get to have that face to face interaction with professors or my peers, and sometimes you get REALLY lazy professors that take weeks to answer emails. But I really enjoy the time I get to spend with my little munchkin while she is growing up and I can still work.

[pink]

Thank you so much for all of your input. I'm kind of nervous about jumping into an online college so I think I'm going to look into taking one course over the summer and see how I like it like someone mentioned. From what all of you said I think it will be the right thing for me. The only thing I'm not looking fowaard to is telling my parents that I want to take my courses online because they're pretty traditional. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again!:mickey:

[BronxTigger]

I am getting my masters degree and most of my classes are traditional-style where I actually have to go and sit in a classroom. However, I have taken a couple in the on-line format.

Honestly, the online thing is not good for me. It's better for me to physically be in class and be discussing the topics in person.

However, the online classes do have several benefits, such as saving time in commuting (my commute is over an hour each way) and usually you can choose when you log in to do the assignments.

In your situation I think it would be a good fit for you. Try it and see what happens. Can you transfer those classes you do take online to a traditional program if you find it's not working well for you?