Online Education Courses

Online education courses are a relatively new thing. Many people don't know what they think of it. Those who put down this kind of schooling say that you can't get a real educational experience without the daily interaction with your instructors and peers. They say that the actual coursework is not up to standards. More recently, experts are debunking these claims. This is a growing industry, with more and more reputable institutions offering classes on the web. In addition, more employers are looking at these diplomas favorably. This is a topic that is especially interesting to me. I have tong to both types of universities, both on the web and traditional. Here are some of my personal experiences.

When I was a freshman I went to a traditional university. Even though I saw them every day, I hardly ever talked to the other students in the class, and I can honestly say I never spoke one word to the professors. I would sit in the lecture class and furiously write notes that I would then promptly forget as I left the lecture hall. At home, I would often find things I didn't understand. I would think of questions that it would be too late to ask. I really didn't feel like I was getting the most out of my classes that way.

The next year, I started taking classes on the web. This may be surprising, but when I was taking classes on the internet, I actually had more interaction with my professors and classmates. If I sent an email to my teachers, they would get back to me often within 24 hours. You know how they say, 'There are no stupid questions?' Well, I always felt like my questions were stupid and I could never ask them in front of 200 people in a lecture hall. But, using the computer, I could go ahead and ask. Chatting with classmates on the web or over the phone is so much more comfortable for me, I have not problem speaking up. In fact, I found it so much easier to communicate using the computer that I've decided to stay and finish a four-year program over the web. It's like night and day.

One thing is that the coursework has been challenging. I think it's tougher than a traditional university. For one thing, you don't get together every couple of days, so you have to keep yourself on track. If you're too lazy, or prone to slacking, it can be hard to keep up with things on your own.

But, just like your usual school experience, you get used to it. Once you can handle doing it all yourself, it gets easier. My GPA has gone up since I started doing the internet classes. I think this is because I can manage all the information by myself here on my computer. Being able to put it all together yourself makes it much easier. You can individualize your classwork. I never did that well in lecture classes. I always felt like I spent the entire time trying to scribble down everything the professor said, and then I didn't know any of it when he threw a pop quiz at us.

The other thing is that I have more time since I don't have to go back and forth to campus, and I can review the material whenever it is convenient for me.

After all of this, I wanted to talk with more people who had had a similar experience to mine. So, I got on the internet and started looking for forums and things. I wanted to find people who had attended both, like me. What I found was that most people were much happier with their educational experience on the internet. Their reasons were largely the same as mine. It is ironic that we would consider it easier to communicate over the web, but that seems to be the consensus.

The only major drawback is that it is not easier. It's a lot harder at first. I'm not an organized person. One day it hit me, 'I have to take care of all this stuff myself.' From then on, I decided to GET organized, one way or another. I don't know if I ever did, but I got used to the online routine. I had to learn a little discipline. You also have to motivate yourself. I really don't know if this kind of thing is for everyone. You have to really be motivated and determined. It may be better for some people to attend a regular university where they have to attend classes regularly. Check it out and see if it's for you.