In your opinion, what will be easier: Obtaining your degree online, or at the school of your choice?

Question

I've decided to obtain my degree online if I don't get the chance to drive after all. I suffer from a condition related to epilepsy. If I get nailed with a seizure, I'll have to wait for 3 months to be cleared to drive. I just went to see mt neurologist nearly 2 months ago, and he said that I look healthy enough to drive, but during the last couple of days, I've nearly had about 5 seizures, but I didn't get them. Whew! That's the main reason why I can't go to school: Lack of transportaton, and that I can't drive. What do you suggest that I do? I want to return to school at the beginning of January. Really, really bad!

Answer 1

easier: in the classroom. Online courses in a legitimate program are hard. You can expect that you will read the entire text and that you will write a lot. Usually, there aren't multiple guess exams - there are papers.

You also don't get the advantage of being able to ask a professor for help 1:1 and you don't get the added motivation of peers like you do in the classroom.

That said, I've done a lot of online courses and I like them. You have the distinct advantage that you can work on them at 2AM when you feel better.

I have a seizure disorder too (closed head injury in '91) and my best friend also has a seizure disorder. It makes going to college a bit harder but it also makes it more important. The thing is, we can't use that seizure problem in the work world or we suffer employability issue. Having more education means we can pick work that is conducive to our health.

Remember, the reputation of the school you take your classes at is more important than whether it's online or in the class. Schools like Harvard, UMass, Florida State, U Florida, Louisiana State, Brigham Young, etc... (wondering if Kalos will tell us which of these are bogus) have online classes with a great reputation and transferability. Those heavily advertised online programs are probably not the way to go.

Don't give up just because of the seizures. There are alternatives that work just fine.

Know that the recent academic research shows that employers don't consider online less than traditional. What they consider is the reputation of the school. Some schools have a better reputation than others. Harvard and Stanford both do master's degrees with very significant online portions. No employer worth working for would say "but that was online, ewwww"

I don't buy that 4 years of keggers and all-night escapades in residence at local East Podunk State U makes for an "education" that has any relevance in the world of work. I don't buy that napping in the back of a lecture hall during a lecture by Joe the grad assistant, surrounded by 100 other napping freshman is "interaction". I don't even buy that employers remotely care if the degree was done online since most of those employers are now paying big bucks to instructional technologists to get the company training online. It's 2007 - the days of the traditionalist education is over. Fact is, the traditional 4-years in the seat is antiquated and doesn't work. Quality online is far better than garbage traditional and employers know this now.

Answer 2

The only thing I would warn about online degrees is that they aren't quite taken as seriously yet as they should be in the working world. If you do go the online degree route, make sure the university is accredited. I do believe Devry and University of Phoenix both are. I have noticed they seem to be quite a bit more expensive than other colleges.

Have you checked into whether or not there's a shuttle to the college campus near you? The college I went to had a shuttle that actually went pretty far away from the campus.

Also, maybe look into taking some online classes through a traditional college near you if you think the seizure uncertainty is temporary.

Answer 3

If you absolutely, positively can't attend a real school (how about living in the school's residence ?), then distance/on-line is an option, but a poor one at the undergraduate level if you're interested in getting a real education.

Be very careful about accreditation. Many on-line schools are bogus. Others are barely accredited, and are worthless money pits. What do you want to study ?

In response to Coach T's comments. Yes, the reputation of the school trumps whether courses are taken on-line or on-campus. Also, it's true that distance courses can be as difficult or more so than campus courses. However, a well rounded education requires immersion in a campus environment for four years (three in England). There's just no substitute, and grads of totally distance degrees are just fooling themselves if they think otherwise.

Regarding the idea that employer's don't care whether a degree is gained on-line or on campus: the best refutation of that is the great length grads of distance degrees go to make sure their sheepskin doesn't say "on-line:" or "distance". It's a major humiliation...

Responsible people don't advise students to get a degree by distance education if there is an on-campus accessible alternative. If there is no alternative, then by all means seek admittance to a reputable school with a campus, that offers the same courses on-line.

Incidentally, distance degrees at the Master's level are feasible in many fields, but get that first education - the Bachelor's degree - on campus if at all possible.

Answer 4

Really really bad? Not just really bad?

Then DO IT. I have taken online classes as well as classroom classes on my way to an associate and bachelor degrees. There are some classes that I prefer online, such as english and humanities, and some that I prefer in classroom, such as math and accounting. But you can certainly get a complete degree online, and no employer will ever know the difference. An online degree doesn't say "online" on the degree. So stop wanting to go and just go.

Go go go go go go go go! Now!