I have been both an online college student and a traditional ground college student. I have my preferences now as a seasoned college veteran and have learned a few tricks to keep online students on track. Here are my top five things to consider when looking for an online school:
1. Are you able to commit yourself to learning on your own? Online degree programs offer the convenience of going to class when it's convenient for you. This is a major plus for those who work full time and are juggling a family. The trade-off for this convenience is actual face to face contact with faculty and students. There are no online lectures with notes and handouts to facilitate your learning. Everything you learn online will be from reading your text and doing research in the library. You are responsible for your own success or failure.
2. Can you handle the cost? I was amazed at how much it costs for the convenience of going to school online. I was paying almost $2,000 for a 3 credit course. You have no room for failures or dropped course work online since the fees are so high. Financial aid grants will only cover so much be prepared to take out hefty loans. To some students ground college will make more sense if they foresee paying back these $40,000 loans will cause a problem.
3. How many transfer credits do you have? This is an important fact to consider when thinking of online schools. Make sure you take a good look at the college catalog to see what degree program your credits fit into. I can say with great probability that all your credits will not transfer and the school is allowed to give credit for a certain number of credits. Make sure you go over the transfer credits with your academic representative to make sure your getting the most credits possible.
4. Is the school accredited? It would be an absolute horror to spend four years and $40,000 getting a degree from a school that isn't even recognized as a reputable facility. You wouldn't go to a fake doctor would you? Same holds true for schools. Schools that meet educational standards are accredited and are the online students best bet.
5. Can you get the same quality out of a traditional ground school for half the cost? I am a firm believer in using the county colleges to knock out the core classes like English 101 and 102 before entering a costly online program. I understand the simplicity online schools have to offer but the fact is community colleges are so much cheaper in comparison and in some cases it makes more sense to get rid of the bulk of your classes to ease the loan payback.
Online schools offer students a chance to work full time and still earn their degree. It makes sense to a lot of students who are juggling school, work, and family. The downside is the cost of this convenience. With cut throat enrollment tactics, academic sales people will tell the student anything to get them enrolled, even if they can't afford the loan payback. Think long and hard to decide if an online degree program is right for you and your family.
No comments:
Post a Comment