Pros and Cons to Taking Online Classes | College Tips with Kenzie
- 11:45 AM
- By Kenzie
- 16 Comments
Some of you already know that I am currently on a break from school. I decided to get a job whilst being in the process of transferring. But before that, I was taking online classes at a community college. I've taken quite a few online courses, and since my younger siblings are currently taking college courses online as well, I will admit... I have some insight I'd like to share with you.
Pros and Cons to Taking Online Colleges Classes
There's always a pro and con to something, regardless of what it is. Online schooling is definitely convenient and it really helps, depending on your living situation. For me, taking online courses was convenient because I don't have my own car, making it hard to commute to classes. Plus, most of the classes I wanted to take was only offered at the main campus (which is kind of far commuting wise). Another reason is I'M INTROVERTED. I prefer to stay in the comforts of my home instead of worrying about everyone's gaze lingering on me when I raise my hand to ask a question*.
* I'm THAT type of student who asks the professor a lot of questions. Mainly regarding assignments.
But I'll admit, there have been moments when I felt insane from sitting down and staring at my laptop screen for too long. So, let's start with the bad and end with the good, shall we?
CONS
- There is more work!
You're not in a classroom. The professor won't know you're doing your work unless you're actually working on assignments. That is why there are a lot more assignments in the online classroom. I would never recommend taking a full course load online because that already sounds insane. And if you have, congratulations! You can conquer anything.
- There is A LOT of writing
With more assignments there comes more writing! Personally, I enjoy writing. I love written assignments (especially over exams!) but some people can find this very tiring. And since you aren't in a classroom, verbally communicating with your fellow classmates, you will have to participate in discussion boards. Those can be fun at times and other times they can be draining. It all depends on the course!
I took a course one semester and my professor was so strict about the word count! We had a lot of discussion boards and whenever it came to replying to another student's discussion, our responses had to be a certain word count. Whereas, in most of my other courses, the word count didn't matter as much as providing insight.
- You feel like a zombie (and you may never see the light of day!)
With all that extra workload and practically being on your computer 25/8, you end up feeling a bit... MEH. There were times when I'd wake up and get right to my school work before getting dressed or brushing my teeth!
There have also been times when I hadn't left the house in DAYS. (It could have been weeks but sometimes I was forced to leave because I had to run to the store.)
And once I'm finished with my school work, obviously I don't want to touch my laptop until the next day. This sucks because I love blogging and writing for my creative outlet... And if I'm already on my laptop doing schoolwork all day, I don't feel like being on it any more than I have to.
- The professors...
The majority of my online professors have been great! Some tried to connect with the students more than others. It's really good if you do get a professor who tries to connect with you (i.e. posting videos of their lectures and participating in discussion boards) because it makes everything a lot easier. Whereas, in an actual classroom, it might be easier to get a letter of recommendation from a professor because they were able to have more of a connection with you.
Also, you never know who you are getting for a professor. The worst course I had ever taken was online and it was all because of the professor. They were never online and they never responded to my emails until days later. They never used the (expensive) textbook and when it came to grading small assignments, they gave us good grades. But when it came to the real and final assignments, it was always bad! It was the very first college class that made me cry.
The only good thing that came out of that course was that I had made friends by bonding over how awful our professor was!
- You are the teacher
When it comes down to it, you're basically teaching yourself. That can be hard if you are finding a certain subject really tricky. If you're having a hard time, don't be afraid to ask for help.
PROS
- You get to make your own schedule!
Since I am so bad at time management, I find this tricky because it was easy for me to fall into a bad schedule. However, I feel like many of you could find this really helpful- especially if you have other things going on in your life.
Eventually, I was able to get into a pretty good schedule for certain semesters. There was this one semester when I would only do my coursework in the morning, take a break, then finish sometime in the afternoon.
Taking breaks is so important when you're your own boss. I found myself mentally better when I made time for breaks.
- You can do your work WHEREVER
As long as there is wifi!
Isn't that great, though? You don't have to stay at home to be in class! You can be in class at Starbucks, the library, even on vacation! Wherever you want to go, you can take your school work with you.
I found myself being more productive at the library over home, where I was constantly interrupted. Also, at home, you can lose track of time and before you know it, you've been working on this small assignment for five hours. Whereas, if you go to the library and you can only stay for three hours... Now you have a time limit and you're able to get it done faster.
It's all about knowing how to work the system. ;)
Isn't that great, though? You don't have to stay at home to be in class! You can be in class at Starbucks, the library, even on vacation! Wherever you want to go, you can take your school work with you.
I found myself being more productive at the library over home, where I was constantly interrupted. Also, at home, you can lose track of time and before you know it, you've been working on this small assignment for five hours. Whereas, if you go to the library and you can only stay for three hours... Now you have a time limit and you're able to get it done faster.
- You can write and blog more!
If you like multitasking, this is a huge plus for you. I found myself able to blog more while doing online schooling. I'd usually set a timer for 30 minutes and do my school work then take a 10-minute break by writing a scene or working on a blog post. I did NaNoWriMo during a couple semesters and this method really helped me get my word count up.
Another thing that is great about taking online courses is that if someone sees you typing away like a maniac on your laptop, they are totally going to assume you are deep into an essay and not writing that climactic scene in your NaNo novel and leave you alone! Isn't that great? A lot of people think that doing other things aside from school work on your laptop is a waste of time (I beg to differ). So, if they know you're currently enrolled online, they won't bother you...
person: hey, I need your help--
me: I'm in the middle of a quiz right now, maybe later?
person: okay
me: *proceeds to next buzzfeed quiz to find out what tv show character is my soulmate*
It's all about knowing how to work the system. ;)
- It's okay to go to class in your pjs (you're safe, introverts!)
I know I said that there were some days when I wouldn't even get changed out of my pajamas and that made me feel meh? Well, sometimes that isn't such a bad thing.
You don't have to doll yourself up anymore. And you don't have to mentally prepare yourself to socialize with strangers or do those awful icebreakers! You can do it all online, behind the screen of your computer where no one will see you. I don't know about you but that eases my anxiety.
What do you think?
Like I said, it definitely has its pros and cons. Before I took my first online class, I was told that online courses were HARD. But I actually found out that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It's no different than being homeschooled. It's all about time management and motivating yourself. If you can do that, you got this!
Quick tips
If you're still scared about reverting to the cyber classroom then I highly suggest that you:
- Read the syllabus and know what your professor expects
- Log on every day, even when assignments are not due (it will save you in the long run)
- Don't be afraid to ask questions! (I have a feeling I'm the first student to email the professor every semester)
- Read the syllabus and know what your professor expects
- Log on every day, even when assignments are not due (it will save you in the long run)
- Don't be afraid to ask questions! (I have a feeling I'm the first student to email the professor every semester)
