Sunday, April 26, 2009

Pros and cons of getting an online degree

By Bobbie McKee

Online degree is all the rage right now. When before the only courses available over the internet are those that are either computer-related or those that are vocational or technical in nature; now there are probably a hundred different kinds of courses that are patterned after university courses. Some of them are offered for shorter periods of time while others are legitimate full course offerings that are much the same as the education that you will get should you decide to attend classes instead in a university.

It is actually not surprising that many people are opting for an online education. After all, who can beat not going to wake up early in the morning in order to go to school? But like many things, an online degree also has its disadvantages.

To help you make a decision, here are just some of the pros and cons of getting an online degree:

Pros #1

Convenience This is perhaps the most convenient that school will be able to come. Just imagine, you don't have to go to school and suffer from the soliloquy of your old professors. You don't have to endure the length of the hallway in order to get to your next class, which you are always late for. You won't even need to travel, saving your time and energy on more worthwhile things.

Pros #2

Moneysaver With your classes all online, you don't have to pay for miscellaneous fees or any fees that are added by the school for the use of their facilities. Another potential saver will come from the transportation expenses. Because you are no longer traveling to and fro, you can save your allowance or your supposedly transportation expense for the future.

Pros #3

More interaction If you are the shy type or the one who want to keep a low profile in class, an online degree is for you. This is because most of the interaction that we will have to our classmates and teachers will be through chatting and video-conferencing. This will allow more people to express themselves and to participate in class discussions.

Cons #1

Not as recognized Although some companies are already treating online degrees as the equivalent of university degrees, there are still groups of people who see online education as the vocational or technical course. If you do want your course to be recognized as equal to any university course, make sure that you only enroll at any universities across the country. The downside is they may not have the course that you want since these universities will not be able to offer as many courses.

Cons #2

No live interaction Although on the positive note, this can be an advantage to those who are shy, not having live interaction can also take its toll on learning. Remember that learning often takes place through modeling. We learn to do things by copying those that we see. Without live interaction, subjects that frequently deal with laboratories, methods and processes will be harder to learn and harder to teach for the professors.

That is why some universities created hybrid classes where in majority of the classes will be conducted online while others will be done in the traditional setting of attending classes and sitting while teachers are explaining.

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