Online College Courses

[Loquacious]

Have you considered any? I personally am enrolled full time with our local state college and love having the option to take my courses through the online system. I must admit I find the courses more challenging than when I attended courses on campus however the positive factors certainly outweigh the few negative factors in my situation.

Some of the positive factors of attending college courses online are not having a commute and thus saving on fuel, you have the option to login and complete assignments any hour of the day as long as you meet your deadlines. I do not have to pay for child care nor do I have to leave my children with a stranger. One of my favorite things is not having to deal with all the distractions that sometimes occur on campus. Overall, it takes much less time out of your day and overall costs are the same if not less than those expenses of attending courses on campus.

The few negative factors of attending college courses online may be more relevant to you than the many positive factors you could think of. Organization is an absolute must. You need to have the ability to work your assignments with little one on one help and be able to make enough time in your schedule to meet your deadlines. Some kinesthetic learners find online courses much more challenging and would rather avoid them. If you learn well by reading, this may very well be something you would prefer.

If you think that online courses are something you would benefit from then I highly recommend checking with your local colleges or universities because many of them most likely offer various online courses which end with an associate's or even bachelor's degree.

An education is an asset in most every way you can imagine! What's your opinion on furthering your education? How do you feel about online courses?

[Narnian]

I actually applied and was accepted to Capella University for my Master's in Instructional Design, but when I saw the price tag I nearly fell over in my chair. I had simultaneously applied to another, traditional grad school and was luckily accepted; they were much more in my price range.

I would gladly have taken online courses from a reputable school such as Capella, Pheonix, or Kaplan, if I could afford it. Oh well; adventures overseas for me!

[moonwind]

Online education offers more choices nowadays, and I would have gladly taken one to finish my masters degree, if not for the state of my memory and the lack of opportunities for further employment. I should be taking a doctorate degree at my present age. 

[Irelyn]

I took a couple of online classes before when my girls were babies and I must say although it was very convienent it is a challenge because the teacher is not right there, also you have to be very disciplined and make sure you don't procrastinate or you will get behind.

[Gidget]

My husband took online courses the year after we were married.  The job he had at the time paid for all his classes.  Unfortunately, his job shut down and we couldn't afford the price tag to keep him going.  He's now with another employer that will pay for his classes, so he's going back in the spring.  He plans to take online classes again.  He went to Phoenix last time, I'm not really sure which college he's thinking about this time but he doesn't want to go to Phoenix again.

[Apple123]

I earned some credits a few years ago by doing it online. I really enjoyed not having to go to campus every day, and I am a night person, so I was able to do the study at the best time for me.

[annika3in1]

I'm beginning to look into taking some online classes.  My brother has been working on his BA with Kaplan. He's in the Naval Reserves, and so it's worked out nicely for him.  It's really helped him move along with his studies while he's overseas. I'm hoping to find some courses on grant writing and international development.  I think for art classes or language classes, working in an actual classroom is a better choice.

[jenErey64]

My sister is finishing up her degree online. She loves the flexibility it allows and will be able to graduate a year earlier than she would have been able to otherwise.

[Gidget]

My husband is in the process of getting signed up again.  He decided to go back to Phoenix after all.  His job will pay about $5,000 a year and they won't cover more than four classes.  The prices at University of Phoenix will only allow three classes a year, unless we can scrape up another $1,000 or so.  I wish they had a payment plan or something, because that one more class could really make a difference.  I just hope all the credits he had before still count.

[knchatty]

This is something I'm looking into right now.  I need to finish 1 more year of classes to get my next degree.  I'm not sure if an online college will let me transfer in all the classes I took already.

Right now I feel online is the only way I can keep continuing.  Life is just too busy to go to classes at night and I work full-time during the day.

[LilyRose]

I'm not sure my experience counts as it was not exactly college course material for college credits, but I did take a course in Medical Coding not too long ago. I loved it. The flexibility of being able to work on it when you wanted, as long as your deadlines were met, was sheer heaven, and I didn't feel like I had to rush around to get the work done. I don't think I would have felt that way if I had taken a more "formal" approach.

All in all, it was a good experience for me. I'm seriously considering more classes on-line when the financial situation allows.