I am so close to obtaining my associates degree in early childhood education!! But, with 3 young kids (9mos, 4, and 7) & a home daycare, I am finding it next to impossible to finish up my classes!! I have about 2-3 semesters left, and I have decided that I'd like to try and finish my degree with an online program. Has anyone received their college degree online?? I took classes online with my previous college, but not 100%. My questions are: What college did you go thru? How did you find it and know it was legitimate? Was it similar in cost of tuition to an on campus college, and how do you go about purchasing books for your classes? And, what is your overall feeling from your experience?
Thanks so much in advance for your input!!
I obtained an online bachelors through Eastern Illinois University. I dont think there is a difference in cost between online and campus classes but Ive never really looked. It was also very convenient because they do text book rental and all my books would be shipped to me a few weeks before each semester began.
I did not obtain my degree, but I took online classes thru Nothwood University (Michigan). I found the commitment to be more than attending classes on site. The instructors would schedule chats and participation was manditory. Of course, they were during hours I worked (afternoon shift), so I had issues attending. I was of the minority complaining because I was the one working the off shift. I just pictured online courses fitting better into my "busy" life than attending classes on campus, but it did not work out that way for me.
I am an adjunct instructor at a non on-line school (traditional/on-ground) as well as an adjunct for an online university. The key is to ensure that any online school you select is accredited by one of the accrediting US agencies. If it is not, I would not consider it because if down the road you plan to transfer any of those courses to a higher level program at another school, it is highly likely that they won't transfer if they came from an unaccredited institution. This site lists the accrediting agencies in the US and may be of help. Any online school should have this posted on their site or any recruiters or advisors should be MORE than willing to share this with you if they are reputable:
http://www.back2college.com/library/accreditfaq.htm
Being accredited means the agency has monitored them for quality, which is a good thing!
One other option to consider since you said you are near completion of a degree....find comparable courses that you need and transfer back to your home/original institution to complete it where you began. This may reduce the number of classes you need to finish rather than starting over. I did this with my Master's degree. I had begun it at a traditional university, but moved several hours away with just 4 classes left to finish. I went and found comparable courses by checking both school catalogs to find the descriptions of the courses I needed. If they were similar enough, I submitted them to my original school and they accepted them. I got this in writing and was able to complete my degree without starting over someplace else. Do be aware that most schools have a limit of how many credit hours you can transfer in.
Two of the classes I took to transfer back were from U of Phoenix Online. I will tell you that the convenience is great if you have a family and/or work. But the time commitment is still just as much as you would need if you took an on-ground class. Most online programs have flexibility when you can log on and work on your class, but most still have deadlines each week for assignments. This is like the online school where I teach now. We have a module each week and while students can log on 24/7 to read lectures, work on homework, etc., they still have two due dates within that week for work. Schools will give you a site to purchase your books. Journey Ed is a common one. You can also purchase used books online through a variety of sites, including Barnes & Noble or Amazon. You can also rent texts through chegg.com. Many of my students choose that site.
Some students miss the personal interaction that you get in a classroom, although most online courses have discussion threads where you converse with classmates each week. If you like that personal interaction, I recommend making sure the format of any program includes weekly discussions. My students love being able to connect with one another this way. They provide a lot of support and encouragement to each other this way. Many have said they would not enjoy the class as much if we didn't have the discussion thread assignments. Each week they have to make a post with their response and then respond to at least two others with solid comments (details, examples, and strong feedback).
If you choose online, I recommend setting aside scheduled work time that does not allow for interruptions just as you would any other course. This will ensure you can devote enough time to get things done. I work from home teaching online with two kids, and I have to schedule time where my husband knows not to bother me so I can get grading done without getting interrupted. It's amazing how much you can get done in an hour uninterrupted!
Good luck!
I got my bachelor's degree 100% online at U of Phoenix. I chose Phoenix because at the time that was one of the leaders in online education. I agree with another person's answer in that you need to check the accreditation of the school. So do your homework on whatever school you choose before you sign up for anything.
At the time I got my master's I was living in Ohio and there was a program at Mount saint Joseph that was a hybrid program. So I was required to go to class about 50% of the time and the rest was done online. I did like that because it was geared toward the working adult and all classes were on Saturdays. I had to give up my weekends for a year and a half but it was worth it. So if you think you need that face to face interaction look for a school that offers something similar to that.
Although not a full degree I've taken classes online, including for graduate school. Capella is pretty legit. Also you want to contact your current school's admissions office or advisor to make sure that they accept the classes, or at least to get their opinion on the school, if it's legit or not.
Books you can buy online. I got mine on dealoz.com The cost is a bit cheaper, but comparable to a state college. The experience was OK. Deffinitely good enough if you're JUST looking to get a degree but if you're looking for the whole college experience I wouldn't go online.
Good luck!
My husband is getting ready to start back to school to finish up his bachelors and he is able to take all online classes through Ottawa University. They are an on campus school as well as online and the classes are pretty cheap. I can't remember, but I think they charge by the class instead of the credit hour.
I am getting my degree 100% online at DePaul University adult program, which is called School for New Learning. I LOVE IT! They understand that as adults we have full time jobs and families. You can either choose to do some online or on campus, or do it all online. Here is their link
http://www.snl.depaul.edu/
inbox me if you have any questions
good Luck with getting back to school. It is definately a challenge with kids but being able to do my homework anytime during the day or at night makes it easier for me.
Here are the big issues to think about: does it have a real place near to you if yopu find yourself struggling/a lot of state schools offer some classes online but you will still have to attend for some to finish:If you were a hiring manager and you had never heard of the school before would you hire that person:a lot of the credits do not transfer to other institutions and if later you decided to go further you'd start over again:if you are having issues getting time to go to a campus for a specific time a lot of instructorss schedule chats and if kids are crying or you didn't have time to read the m.aterial there is no lecture to "cheat" from. Make sure your are really a committed and well organized person if you choose online or you will quickly fall behind:there is no child in class to pull you away as online classes that distraction is going to be an obstacle.
