going to college online

[skybytch 273]

I've always regretted not getting a college degree. I enjoy learning new things, stretching and challenging my brain and widening my horizons. I'll be hitting forty next year. It's time. Not because I want a new career but because I want more education.

Part of the reason I never completed more than one college course (community college, not university) was the fact that I'd get sooo bored in class. I've always "gotten" what was being taught long before many of my classmates, so while the instructor was repeating, explaining and answering questions I was usually doodling and trying not to fall asleep. I also have ADD, which makes it hard to put up with boredom. I worry that if I start taking classes at the local community college I'll be just as bored as I was in the past and I'll end up blowing it off - why drive 15 minutes one way to be bored out of my mind for a few hours a couple times a week?

So I've been looking into the University of Phoenix's online degree programs and I'm real interested. Seems like the perfect way for me to go to school. I learn best "visually," I like the idea of being able to progress at my own pace instead of being held back by either my classmates or a traditional college schedule... and I'm already online the majority of the time anyway, both at work and at home.

So... has anybody out there done any online college classes or degree programs? Anybody gone to University of Phoenix classes (either online or at one of their campuses)? Good? Bad?

I'm calling their admissions counselor next week.

• Quote

[winsor 236]

I, too, am ADHD/Aspergers, and am very easily bored (to say the least). The only programs I was able to tolerate were those that let me go at my own speed and/or came so thick and fast that I didn't have the chance to drift off.

As far as online college goes, it's not all one way or another. I have seen people with "online degrees" that were wallpaper. University of Phoenix, OTOH, seems to be intent upon offering real degrees.

If the University of Phoenix is accredited (IIRC it is), I say go for it. If I'm hiring someone, the fact that they scratched and clawed their way to degree requirements goes a long way to granting them an interview.

Go for it, and don't get discouraged. I didn't complete my Master's until I was 42.


Blue skies,

Winsor

[idoru99 0]

My brother-in-law took a few courses from Phoenix. He enjoyed them, was able to do the coursework on his own time, which helped a bunch with a wife and 2 kids. I took one course online and had problems with actually doing the coursework. I'd put it off and wait to do a bunch at one time. I ended up with a good grade, but I didn't care for it too much. Now I'm in Post Grad school in Monterey, CA and just found out one of my course for next quarter will be completely online, a JAVA programming course. I personally wish that there was at least some classroom time, but I'll have to deal with it the way it is.
Online course are great, if you have the discipline to do the work on a continuous and steady basis. Good luck and welcome back to the world of education.

edited because I can't spell or type

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The greatest risk you take in life is the risk you don't take.

[RevJim 0]

I checked into them Lisa. They might be perfect for you, but as far as me, I have to actually attend classes. This is why:

Quote

Due to current regional policies, the Teacher Education specialization is not available to residents in Canada and the U.S. states Delaware, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Arkansas.

Wisconsing Teachers Accociations do not recognize online degrees.
Back to the classrooms....

And yes, unlike you, I'm trying to do it for a career change.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[fallman 0]

I think online classes are great if you have the discipline to take them seriously. The problem is that all the tests are open book(since there is no way they could prevent that with online exams), and all the homework is simple busy work(since there is no teacher to explain the assignments in detail). As a result I got an A in my last online class and am at about a 96% in my current class but I haven't learned anything. I just do the exam with the book next to me and complete the busywork. It's a good way to take care of units you wouldn't enjoy anyway, but perhaps not such a great idea if you're really after an education.

woa....that was cool....

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

You may want to check out www.aiuonline.edu as well.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[Rainbo 0]

It is not a bad way to go. I am finishing a degree and am using both classroom and online classes. Many universities and colleges now offer online classes as well as complete on degree programs. Check out the institutions in your local area as well as the national ones. The institutions accredidation is the most important issue.

I found it easier to do some courses online because of my schedule while others it was nice to have the classroom time. Formats do vary and my school actually had it's own chat forum so you do do private time with your instructor if you needed it to clarify issues that you may have been struggling with.

Rainbo
TheSpeedTriple - Speed is everything
"Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting."

[Chizazz 0]

I'm a sophomore right now in college. I'm so bored in classes I can't stand it. I'm so sick of classes and school

[pleifer 0]

Quote

I checked into them Lisa. They might be perfect for you, but as far as me, I have to actually attend classes. This is why:

Quote

Due to current regional policies, the Teacher Education specialization is not available to residents in Canada and the U.S. states Delaware, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Arkansas.

Wisconsing Teachers Accociations do not recognize online degrees.
Back to the classrooms....

And yes, unlike you, I'm trying to do it for a career change.

When I was working full time in a mill and going to school, I was took a few online classes (and any questions I'd be more than happy to talk about my experiance) but in reply to the rev...
when I was asking eastern oregon about there distance education program I asked if it was a different degree.. they said no there is no way to tell from transcript or diploma, how they were taken. PSU (portland state univ.) also said the same thing.
So somthing to look into.

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The Angel of Duh has spoke

[RevJim 0]

Nah, it's the way the system is set up around here. Like the comment someone made earlier, he's done a few classes, kept A's, and not really learned anything. Wisconsin sees this. I don't know if they accept degrees from KNOWN online sources, such as Phoenix, for other areas, but if you want to be a teacher, as I have for many, many years, you need to sit down in a classroom.

No worries though. It all depends on financial aid, and more specifically, how much of it might be available to a 33 year old unemployed married male with 4 kids at home. If I am eligible, I go back to school. If not, I go back over the road.

at this point, I would prefer school. It's time to make a difference with my life.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[rmsmith 1]

The four-year programs are also meant to be a hazing gauntlet. These degree programs require that a person stay focused over four to five years and tends to shake-off those who are not really interested, which is a good thing for employers who don't want to waste time training someone who will drift away when the weather warms up. The military also does a good job in training people to stay focused on a goal. However, the difficulty with this pre-employment approach is that it offers little help to those who need immediate income.

[sunshine 2]

I've been thinking of doing this also. As much as i would love to attend a classroom, i just don't have the time, so the online thing seems like a good choice.

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meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[skydyvr 0]

Keep one thing in mind about Phoenix: You WILL be required to participate in a collaborative effort with 2-4 of your classmates in the form of a paper EVERY class.

The paper will count as a substantial percentage of your grade, and therefore you will find yourself dependent on the performance of others to get a good grade. If you like working with others like that, great.

I hated this aspect of Phoenix so much, I switched over to Saint Leo University to finish my degree. All the course work I do there is well administered and on my own, and I love it.

. . =(_8^(1)

[Ripple 0]

I can give you the opposite perspective. I'm an educational designer/web developer. I design online content for two Master's programmes that are delivered to HM Armed Forces overseas.

Obviously the pedagogy and content will vary enormously from course to course and from university to university. But what seems to be the main factors in online learning/e-learning/distance learning/blended learning courses are:

1. Motivation. Without having to attend class, it can be easy to loose momentum. It is essential that students have sound academic discipline and rigour.

2. Interaction. Part of any learning experience is interaction with other students. It is of great benefit to the course if a closed forum is available for online discussion.

3. Experiential learning. This is of great value in the vast majority of courses, whether online or face to face, postgraduate or undergraduate. If the student is learning online, experiential learning can go along way to making up for lack of group work/interaction.

In my opinion, blended learning (a mixture of online and face to face teaching) is by far the best option for any student. Very few of our students, especially if they have been out of the educational loop for any time, have the academic discipline to study without contact (and subsequent motivation) with their lecturers and/or course.

Next Mood Swing: 6 minutes

[jfields 0]

Bytch,

I'm doing the online school thing now, which is why my postwhoring has gone to shit.

As other people have said, you have to be disciplined. Nobody is watching out for you, and you don't have a teacher calling on you in class making you look stupid if you haven't done the work.

I've found that there is more work in an online class that in its classroom version. They add extra to reinforce what they aren't sure you are learning without personal interaction.

I am at University of Maryland University College, which with Univ. of Phoenix are among the most respected online programs.