Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Do you think that there is much of a difference between taking classes on-line and actually going to a college campus as far as the level of education you will get?
Do you think it makes a difference to employers which method you use?
All advice would be appreciated. Im thinking of going back to school to increase my earning power and broaden my career choices.
Not really sure yet . . . what would you recommend?
Whichever you choose, make sure that the program is accredited by its relevant accreditor. That is one of the most important things to consider. If there is no programmatic accreditation to consider, then I would choose online versus brick n mortar. Much more flexible for working adults.
Studies show that the two main factors for online success are a) how well you're able to organize your study time in order to meet project deadlines and b) how much the class is set up for students to interact with the instructors (student-student interaction in a class doesn't really have much to do with a good outcome for the class). Some schools do a self-assessment ssort of deal before or when you register for an online class to help you determine if online learning is right for you. As for b), it should be fairly easy to look over the syllabus for the course you want to take and see if it looks like you'll get an acceptable amount of student-instructor interaction.
As for method, in many employers, there's a bias for in-person instruction still while at the same time realizing that not everyone is in a position to go the in-person route for their degree. And the name of the school on the diploma is typically more important than the way class materials were delivered. Where I work, we think U of Phoenix is a joke degree regardless of how you got it, but are perfectly okay with 95% online degrees from St. Leo's, U of South Florida, or Troy State, among others.
Half of colleges is the personal relationships and connections you make that will help you for the rest of your life-> professors and advisors who can help you with job interviews/ recommendations, friends & classmates who you can network with for your entire career, campus organizations that help you develop other skills that are valued in the work world (leadership, public speaking, etc). It's nearly IMPOSSIBLE to gain these connections & experiences with an online university.
In my area, there are Universities that offer programs geared towards older adults. They often meet at night, some classes will be four hours but just once a week, and some have on-line classes. Here is one close by college that has great success doing that - Lifelong Learning (ACCESS)
The college I am referring to is a brick and mortar school that is welcoming to older adults. A friend of mine got her degree there doing the ACCESS program and took a combination of classroom and on-line classes.
I'd definitely do an online program from a brick and mortar college if you have to go the online route. You don't get stuck with the "stigma" of an online school and often can put a nice name on your resume ie, Penn State, Boston University, Drexel, etc, etc.
I do have to second though that the networking/connections aspect is what you miss when you go online - and that's a major consideration given the current economy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
