Are online classes easy, fast, and better than going to school on campus?

Question

I am considering obtaining my degree online, but I don't know anything about it on the students perspective, Iv'e already talked to counselors and of course they make it seem great. Please let me know what you think and how your experiences were. Thanks

Answer 1

What I found best was taking summer classes. You can often do an entire four-month course in three weeks, and you'll form great relationships with your classmates because everyone in summer school has the same attitude ("let's get this over with") and you see eachother every day (usually!). I did my entire last year of university in a four-month summer school term. For three of the four months I still found time to work part-time and have a social life. It was just in the last month, when I had six horus of lectures five days a week that I had to stop working. Be careful because not all classes are offered in the summer, so you can't plan on meeting ALL your degree requirements that way. If I were going back to uni and had a choice, I would do as many classes during summer as possible.

Answer 2

I've been both a classroom student and an online student. On the undergraduate level, online universities do not offer a complete learning experience. So much of the learning is more than lectures and homework, and while it is easy and fast (generally speaking) it is not good preparation. The higher level, the better the student-teacher ratio which means that you lose less with online classes because you still have a lot of interaction with the professor. I wouldn't trade an on-campus undergraduate experience for anything, but I am choosing to do my doctoral courses online.

Answer 3

I am actually enrolled in on-line college classes right now. At first it's a lot different then attending classes at a college, a little harder to understand things at first, but after you get the swing of it, it's so much better doing the work in the comfort of your own home. I LOVE IT!

*In Response to the Lizard: In my online classes, we have a discussion forum, an email for our instructor and of course a phone number if we have any questions, we are not left alone in the dark second guessing ourself if we donot understand something, I don't understand why any online class wouldn't have some type of instructor, you have to have someone teaching you that class, and grading your work.

Answer 4

I really enjoy taking online classes. That being said, I know people who struggle with them. A lot of it depends on what kind of learner you are. If you need to see and hear things, you're better off going to class physically. If you learn well on your own, online classes may be for you. Each class is different. I've had one's that practically feel like a class you "attend", in that there are lecture notes, power point slides, modules, etc. for students to review. I've had others that just give you a syllabus of reading and you take quizzes and exams after reading them (i.e. teaching yourself the material) with maybe a few assignments to submit online.

A staple I have found in all my classes are forums/discussion boards to complete assignments and ask or answer questions. This is a great tool that makes you not feel so alone!

Personally, I love online classes, but I know my limits. I couldn't take math classes online despite being a strong math student - I need to see the problems. Also, there's a new online nursing program in my area, but that didn't sound like it was right for me. Certain things I need to see and hear...plus in certain programs (like my nursing program), I think the cultural and social aspect of actually being on campus and meeting people is very important.

Good luck to you with your decision.

Answer 5

i myself have been checking into online colleges. I started with a program that i didnt do much checking on and it was a huge mistake. it was called ashworth college. They sent me a photo copy of a book. They had no customer service either. So I as a little scared to try another one. My husban is in iraq and when he gets back we are moving so i needed online.
I have done alot of homework on a bunch of school. Penn
foster college is an amazing program. Its nationally accredited, fast, cheap and they have helped me so much. Mostly when you call an online college they just try and hurry to get you to enroll but the customer reps answer all your question. The only program is that its not regionally accredited which means credits probly wont transfer to a regular university. If you dont plan to go further with education its not bad. i am getting my associates degree in business management. Its can take anywhere from 12-18 months. But the average of people getting there degree is in 13 months. Its will only cost me about 3,700 which is really cheap cnosidering most online programs such as university of phoenix and aiu are $280 a credit and an associate degree is 60 credits!!! There customer service is great and they even have tutors that will help you. They offer a real graduation in pa, or arizona twice a year. Also fortune 500 companies such as ge,lowes,home depot, ford motors go through them to educate there employers further. They are the oldest online degree program they have been in business for 160 years. they also help you get a job after you graduate and set you up with a resume and interview specialist.
There are alot of colleges out there its all about what you want to do, how much time, and how much you want to spend. That is just one school that I am going through and really enjoy. make sure you dont just take there word for stuff on there web site. if it says they are accredited call around and see if they are. Check on bbb.gov about there status of complaints and make sure there are no extra hidden fees. I enjoy the online degree program bc it allows me to have a full time job, be home to talk to my husband when he calls from iraq, and not have to deal with going back and forth to classes. hope this info helped.

my email is [e-mail] if you have any otherquestion i will be happy to answer them

Answer 6

I found it hard to concentrate and keep up in class also and I now do homeschool online and I find it so hard to do my school work because theres others stuff i'd rather do and so many distractions and also theres no teacher there to help so I find it more difficult to do my schoolwork, but thats just me and everyones different so it might be a good option for you.

Answer 7

NO they stink, you can't ask questions, if you don't understand something there isn't a "physical" person to ask and reinterate the point they are trying to make. I only take the classes I have to online, all others in a real classroom..

Answer 8

It all depends on if you can push yourself to work