Any experience with online college?

[b.dawgson]

Has anyone around here obtained a college degree online? I'm thinking of getting my Associates at a community college then had contemplated trying the online courses for my Bachelors.

Anyone know anything about pricing, difficulty, accreditation, etc for any schools offering exclusive online bachelors programs? I'm interested in an IT major.

 

[MadMonk]

Be real careful signing, or agreeing, to any number of things. Read ALL the fine print. Some have clauses that state once you;ve gotten so far into the studies, you automatically become indebted to them for the whole amount of whatever program you started. This could equate to may thousands of dollars.

 

[Mr Peat]

I've taken some online courses and they tend to cost more than if I sat in the class for the semester.

 

[Jamie76]

If you are going to do online courses or a degree, your best bet is to go with a "real" school. There are many private and state colleges and universities that offer these programs. Go with one of these. Stay away from anything other than those and you will be fine.

 

[JHolmes763]

Second what Jamie said. I'd stay away from an online only school. "Distance" learning is the term often used instead of online. You'll watch and participate in the same classes as everyone on campus, via email and online discussion forums.

I'm currently going to the Univ. Of Colorado at Boulder and they have a very good distance program. I've been paired up with distance students for projects and everything was pretty smooth.

Good luck.

-John

 

[b.dawgson]

The ones I'm gravitating toward are schools that offer mostly on-site degrees but also offer online or distance. I kinda gathered that the online only schools are money grubbers or diploma mills.

I may just end up trying to do everything through night classes / extension centers. Just hate to have to be away from the wife and boy more than being at work....

 

[JHolmes763]

All depends on the individual, but I think on-site is the way to go. Too many temptations while watching at home and it's tempting to just "watch it later". Somtimes it's boring sitting in class, but at least the instructor has my attention if he says something important.

John

 

[kramer0622]

My wife went through a career change and got her masters degree through an online college. It was a teaching program and she was easily certified in our state and got a job right after graduation. I know other folks who went the online route and it was successful for them. I suggest that you go through a college or university that is accredited and it has a physical location. Talk to the admissions people and do your research before committing. A lot of traditional colleges and universities either have online programs or are establishing online programs. If you have any specific questions, please PM me. I would be happy to help as much as I can with what I know from my wife and other people I know who have been through it.

 

[Bxcigrfan]

i will just reiterate what most have said, distance learning can be beneficial to some and works fine if done by an accredited University or College. Most state universities are offering distance learning now. Even the Ivy leagues have some type of distance learning program.
i for one cant do it, tried it sucked at the class.

good luck

 

[Rural Guy]

The other thing to think about is what your diploma/degree will say. A degree from a real school will look the same regardless of where you took it. Up here if you say you have a degree from Athabasca University you get laughed at where as if you did all of a degree distance from Waterloo no one would be the wiser.

 

[SS 316]

For me, online college has been a blessing. I was finally able to finish up my BA in Business last year. I am currently working towards my MBA now. Cost for me has been free, since I'm Active Duty Army. I have attended several different colleges in both traditional and online formats, and for me online works best. I was able to take classes no matter where I was (even while deployed to Iraq). Working full time and raising three kids does not leave much extra time.

 

[b.dawgson]

Well I think my final decision is to get my AAS in Computer Programming at the local community college then think about a Bachelors after I complete that. My employer said an IT position could be filled with an Associates and some experience so I may be able to fill my desired position then go on to the Bachelors study.


My thoughts are all jukmbled... Beer will do that...

 

[successor]

I currently attend University of Phoenix online and I am 5 credits away from my degree, I enjoy online schooling much more than traditional college have done both its very nice, go at your own pace, no classrooms and it is an accelerated course you will get your degree much fast hope this helps!!

 

[MarkQ]

My wife has taken some courses on line thru the local community college. The difficulity and time commitment depends on the class and instructor. She spent more time on some of the online classes than she would have if she had taken them on campus. The other problem she's running into is they keep changing the requirements for her degree. This is an issue primarily because she's only taking one class a semester and is therefore taking too much time to complete her degree.

 

[JHolmes763]

I currently attend University of Phoenix online and I am 5 credits away from my degree, I enjoy online schooling much more than traditional college have done both its very nice, go at your own pace, no classrooms and it is an accelerated course you will get your degree much fast hope this helps!!

What are you getting your degree in? I'd be interested to hear how a degree from U. of Phoenix is perceived once you start job hunting. I've heard mixed reviews. Good job getting your degree either way, though.

John

 

[Josh]

I currently attend University of Phoenix online and I am 5 credits away from my degree, I enjoy online schooling much more than traditional college have done both its very nice, go at your own pace, no classrooms and it is an accelerated course you will get your degree much fast hope this helps!!

What are you getting your degree in? I'd be interested to hear how a degree from U. of Phoenix is perceived once you start job hunting. I've heard mixed reviews. Good job getting your degree either way, though.

John

I've noticed several job ads that have a required degree stating that they will not accept University of Phoenix graduates, but I'd assume to most employers a degree is a degree.

 

[successor]

Well I am getting my associates from the university of phoenix, I will then transfer to a school with more credibility for my bachelors, it doesn't really matter where you get your associates but when you get to higher degree levels it is better to attend a respected school that will improve your chances of getting a great job.