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I'm twenty and almost done with my Associates. Probably half of my classes overall have been online and I've never lived on campus. The dorms seemed ridiculously expensive when my parents live 20 miles away. Sure, the dorms have a pool. So does my parent's house.
Of course everybody is different. I'm not really a social butterfly or a partier, so campus life never appealed that much to me. I go to Community College, so the cost of the dorm is about the same as tuition.
Online classes do vary. I've had online classes over the summer as well as winter courses (winter courses are between Fall and Spring. They are only offered online). I had a writing class over Christmas. I got an A. It was just basic College Writing, so it wasn't that hard. It was fast-paced, though. If you take summer classes, whether in person or online, they will be faster paced than Spring or Fall classes. Some summer classes meet five days a week instead of twice a week like they do during the Spring and Fall.
As far as the OP, I would tell him that online classes are more flexible and easier to fit into your schedule. Some classes are only offered during the day anyway. Some classes (like the in person ones I am taking right now), are not offered online.
It just depends on the person whether they like online classes or not. They're not for everybody.
The OP graduated high school in 1995, so he's out of the demographic of the typical college freshman, and probably way past the age where he'd enjoy campus life.
But I totally agree -if any parents here, have the opportunity/means to send their kids to a regular college with dorms and a campus and the whole thing, and your kids show even a hint of interest - send them.
At the very worst, he'll drop out, and be able to say he gave it a try and hated it. At the very best, he'll get the full college experience and learn not only from class, but from the interaction you can only get in that kind of setting.
well, I agree with everything you say except that I am a GIRL!!!!!Or a woman for that matter. if I was a guy I would have named my self A-Pitcher-Of-Beer
I have taught online. Many of the reasons I chose to do so are very similar to the above poster's reasons for taking classes online.Flexibility is especially beneficial. I will say, however, that I think folks just out of high school should not only take online courses. There are many lessons to be learned from classroom interaction with other adults.
Taben
Most definitely. Most of my classes during undergrad were on the smaller size (25 students or fewer) and the discussion time and real-time interaction was very valuable.
Science lab courses are probably best taken in person, at least the lab portion (if the lecture has 200 students it is likely to be lecture and note-taking, and something that can be done the way the class I recently took was done - record the lecture with clips attached to each power point slide and put it in the course folder online). Lab not only is valuable to be done in the lab because the equipment and supplies cost much less when you are using the university lab, but also because the TA is there to help, you learn to work with your fellow students, helping or asking for help, and you learn to budget your time in the lab well because you have a set number of hours to get your work done.
I did many many credit hours of face to face classwork before ever taking an online class. The internet as we now know it did not exist when I took my first course. I think face to face college is a valuable experience for any college student, and online has a good place as well.
I have heard Math is another one that is good to take in person.
I'm taking World Regional Geography online this semester and there is a lot of reading.
I hate online classes because there usually is more work involved. But what can you do when you work full-time and the class isn't offered at night. Damnit.
I would think online classes would be tougher than on campus. On campus you have a professor to break down stuff and explain it in detail. Online, if you don't understand something, you can send your professor an email and hope to hear back before the assignment is due. I've always been an on campus student. This semester is my first online. Besides being able to do your work on your own time, there is nothing easier about it. I must say though, I enjoy not having to wake up every morning and the first thing I have to worry about being my hair and makeup.
I'm taking World Regional Geography online this semester and there is a lot of reading.
I hate online classes because there usually is more work involved. But what can you do when you work full-time and the class isn't offered at night. Damnit.
I'm taking geography as well.
I have a test next week so I need to finish my reading. Mostly we have a bunch of maps to color, though.
Online classes can be more work. It depends on what the class is. I've had some that were a lot of work and some that were not. I've had a few online classes that were all tests. Some people like that and some don't.
There are pros and cons to online classes, just like in person classes.
I just started back to school and so far things are going well. I graduated HS in 1995, and I realize after only 3 weeks how much I dislike school.
{SNIP}.
I take the Biology class on line and let me tell you, just because your classes are online does not mean it is any easier to get a better grade. Have any of you ever had an online class?
I'm 40 years old and recently returned to college via an online program at a well-respected state university. After two semesters, I decided to attend in a traditional classroom instead. I found online classes to be very labor intensive, mainly because of online discussion requirements. This wouldn't have been such a bad thing if the instructors participated actively or meaningfully in the discussions, but only one of them ever did - so I frequently felt like my classmates and I were essentially teaching ourselves. With more and more schools using far-flung adjuncts with no real dedication to the (often multiple) institutions they teach for, a lot of online courses don't deliver much real instruction for all of the effort you have to put into them.
I'm actually planning to re-take a couple of courses in the regular classroom that I took online last year, because they're important to my major and I am not confident that I learned what I needed to the first time around.
Going back to a brick and mortar school is inconvenient, but so far I'm finding that I'm learning more and spending fewer hours on each class so it balances out.
Just my opinion, of course. I've known others who swear by online classes and have had very different experiences to mine.
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Or a woman for that matter. if I was a guy I would have named my self A-Pitcher-Of-Beer
, and I realize after only 3 weeks how much I dislike school.
