Online Classes - Belle Vernon,PA

my husband and i just enrolled in an online college starting after thanksgiving. we're going to university of phoenix, which so far i LOVE because all their books are also online, and you don't have to spend 250 on a book the school may not buy back. you just have to be really diciplined and really careful not to get lazy...that's EASY

I attended Axia College through the University of Phoenix. I loved going to school online! I had a baby during this time and when she was a week old I started my classes back up and never had to leave her, it was awesome! I was able to work and raise my daughter and have a normal life while getting my degree. Actually going to school was not for me, online was so much easier to fit into my schedule and now I have a degree! I did not find any cons to it, if you have problems you can contact other students for help or contact your instructor. I did not find it difficult to learn this way and in my problem classes, such as math, there were plenty of examples that I was able to walk through and learn how to do the work.
Good Luck to you in whatever you decide!

I am currently taking a Bachelor of Arts online through Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. I take 4 classes a semester and should be done in 2013. Its a bit of a struggle to keep everything together but it will pay off when I'm done. Find out from the school everything that is required and if you are able to take all of your classes online or if some have to be in class. My final year I will be travelling back and forth (6 hrs away) to finish up my Bachelor of Education. I would say, DON'T GET BEHIND... it's too hard to catch up again, and make a schedule of everything that you need to get done that week, (I do mine on Sunday) and cross it off as you go. this helps me keep focused and allot the correct amount of time for each subject. Best of luck! I have 4 kids and a husband that works 2 jobs and I can still do it, just takes motivation and determination.

You don't mention what you'd be studying, which I believe is a major factor in what you get out of an online program. In my opinion, online is a better option for certain degrees than others, as well as for certain learning styles. In my case, online courses in a particularly challenging field would be difficult for me, as I am the type of learner who does better in an environment where someone is explaining the material, putting it into context and letting me interact with it in a hands-on (or thought provoking) way. If you are a learner who does well with a lot of reading, then online courses would be a better fit for you. Having said that, I have taken a number of courses online (working toward my teaching certification), while taking others on campus, and this is what I've found...
Some of the pros are: flexibility of schedule, self-paced, can be less $$
Some of the cons are: minimal or convoluted group discussions, self-paced, can be a lonely way to learn, requires a good/reliable internet connection
Just as with classroom courses, what you get out of it is highly dependent on what you and the instructor put into it. I have had online instructors that did a pretty decent job of simulating classroom interaction and those who simply let you teach yourself the material (basically you're spending your money to get "credit" for completing the work). I recommend doing your homework - sorry for the pun - on the specific program, the courses included, and the actual instructors that would teach you to make sure that all are proven effective online and a good fit for you and your learning style. Hope this helps...

Check out www.collegeplus.org

Most of my classes were online. I started taking them at the Community College than I took them through Texas A&M Commerce.

You have to be very disciplined. It is easy to fall behind. Some Instructors require you post online a min number days a week,some require just require a min of different assignements regardless if you go online everyday or once a week. There are live chats,everything is in writing laid out for your viewing 24/7 and you can email or talk to Instructors by phone.

If you are weak in an area I wouldnt recommend taking it online. For instance, if Algebra is difficult for you then I would not take it online. From personal experience I knew a course was going to be difficult but I was stubborn took it online and had to repeat it. I regrett it because it put me behind and affected my financial aid.

Also, if you live out of county the cost will increase. You still have to pay fees like library access,parking permit, etc... as if you attend on campus. This could have changed since I last attended in 2007.

Another consideration is what you plan to major in. In my field (science), when my employer hires, we need people with hands-on experience in the laboratory, so most grads of online schools don't make the HR cut because they don't have the required experience. Grads of traditional colleges have lab courses where they get at least some hands-on experience that they can list on their resume.

T.,
Before I went to school online, I attended 2 different colleges. I had a lot of credits and I was able to find a college (Charter Oak State College) that used all of those credits towards my bachelors. After I completed my bachelors, I enrolled in and completed my MBA through Colorado Technical University.

The key is to be very disciplined. As some of the previous posters stated, once you get behind, it is very difficult to catch up. There is a lot of written work as you have to write out your discussions, which would normally be verbal in a class setting. For me, CTU was as close to a class setting as I could get. The instructors hold live sessions each week so you can ask questions and make comments via voice or chat sessions.The instructors all have office hours if you need assistance. You also have group assignments with your classmates so you get to interact with others in the class. The only drawback was the classes were back to back at CTU so you don't get a break. At COSC, you usually get about a week to recoup before moving to the next class.

Each school is different. I would highly recommend asking a lot of questions about the format, the spacing between classes, and instructor availability. I would also ask to see a demo (if available) of the class structure.

Depends on you the school and how long the classes are. I attend Davenport I have been in school since 2006 and take a mixture of classes. Online are 7 to 10 weeks and are fast paced 2 chapters or more a week. I take the classes I believe I would benefit from the most in seat or a class I know I am going to have problems with. But I usually end up getting frustrated because they move so slowly. I have completed to associate degrees and now I am working on a bachelors. I like in seat for the interaction sometimes also. I work full time and have two children at home we also have a small farm.

Online classes require you to do most of the work. They're very independent. You won't be going to lectures, so you have to do that work yourself, usually by way of lots of reading. Some people are very good at that, but many have trouble keeping up because of the time commitment. Personally, I'm better off attending class than trying to learn it on my own.