what are the advantages and disadvantages of online college?

Question

and can i be under 18 yrs if i wanted to do an online college?

Answer 1

advantages:
* flexibility, you can "go to class" at 2AM if you want to
* timing, you work on your own schedule, if it takes 20 minutes to do an assignment then fine, 3 hours - fine too.
* location, you can take classes from Harvard and Berklee without moving to Boston
* intensity, you will read the texts and cover the material - you learn a lot in those fields that don't require a lab experience.
* programs, it's likely that there just isn't a program in music technology design right there where you live

disadvantages:
* reading and writing, you WILL read the texts and you will write about them. Assessments tend to be in the form of papers and not multiple guess tests. There aren't lectures so you must read and understand the material.
* dedication, if you get behind (if you're a procrastinator) then you will fail. There is nobody saying "you have to be here on Tue/Thurs from 2-4 and nobody saying "don't forget that you have a paper due on....." You have to be self-motivated.
* confusion, if you don't understand then you will need to find an answer. Communication with profs is by email or phone and may take some time.
* cost, online classes are almost always more expensive than the same class at the same school in the classroom -- it's also harder.

Acceptability:
acceptability of the program depends entirely upon the reputation of the school and not on whether it was online or classroom or a combination. Almost every college is now teaching online and this includes the likes of Harvard and Oxford.

If you attend a college with a bad reputation then you have a degree with a bad reputation. This is the same online or traditional.

There are plenty of choices though and many are top-notch universities. Look at the state U where you live and you may find that they have a degree offered online.

I use http://www.petersons.com as a good source of information about which colleges have which programs online.

You do not have to be 18 to attend an online (or any) college -- you will need to have a high school diploma for almost all of them though.

Answer 2

I'll do my best to answer this but it's a little bit of the blind leading the blind because I have many of the same questions. My understanding is that the biggest advantage to an on-line degree is that you can do all the studying " in the comfort of your own home." You can also still work full time and go to school. My question about an online degree is this. How valid is the degree? Once you finish your degree will someone actually hire you to do what you studied to do? So the only thing I know about an online degree is that it is convenient and you can still work full time. I'm not sure about the age thing.

Answer 3

... make sure that it is a online acredited college that will transfer if you decide that you want to attend a different university down the road.. University of Pheonix is a very good one.. some online colleges will not transfer so if you decide to go to a different university you have to start from scratch.. online schools , if choosen correctly can be great.. however, on disadvantage is the cost.. they cost more than some or most universities.. but over all there are more advantages.. just remember, you will be missing out on the college experiece of being in a dorm and the crazy college parties.. good luck