Traditional or Online? Pros and Cons
By LaDeom
@LaDeom (17)
United States
July 10, 2007 2:21am CST
Starting college or going back to school can be a challenge. There are a lot of important decisions you have to make before you even start college, like what school do I want to attend? What should I major in? Is college right for me? One important question people face is whether to attend a traditional college or attend college online? What would you or did you choose and why? What are the pros and cons of going to a traditional college verses attending online classes?
1 response
@nbtalle (40)
• Singapore
10 Jul 07
I have experienced the traditional system, online, and correspondence.
For me, nothing beats the traditional system. But if you're looking for time flexibility then, online and correspondence is better. You know what happens in the traditional educational system: you go to the campus, attend class, meet classmates, and so on. It's good to see and to talk to your classmates in person. There's not much problem with the communication. With the traditional system, you don't have to be computer savvy to get the most of the course.
For online courses, if you're going to take the short courses, then there isn't interaction with other students. You just download the course materials, then that's it. You study on your own time, submit the necessary assignments and exercises, then you get a certificate. Actually, it depends on the course. There are online centers that have a virtual classroom where you meet with other students. The disadvantage of this is the time differences among the students.
Of course, you'll be needing a webcam, a good computer, a good internet connection, and a place suitable for studying. Most important, you'll be needing plenty of motivation, and time management to get through the course. Otherwise, you'll just be wasting your time.
You must also consider the cost.
