I started attending The University of Phoenix in 2007 after wanting to go to college for a number of years, and not being able to because of a full time career. With the University of Phoenix, I was able to go to work and study on my time off – which worked out at about ten hours a week. I thoroughly enjoyed the coursework: taking my education into my own hands was so empowering!
The advisors and the tutors were very friendly and accessible, regularly calling to see how I was getting on. I really felt like they wanted me to succeed, which made me feel great and put a very positive spin on even the most complicated and difficult days – it was nice to know that there were people who sincerely believed I could succeed.
The classes were filled with interesting people with whom I got along very well – the online forum based discussion sessions were full of thought-provoking material and often, the tutors would get very involved in the fascinating debating that went on. The coursework was a great chance to research fascinating subjects and draw real, science-based conclusions about the hypotheses we’d previously drawn up.
All in all, I would say that my experience at The University of Phoenix was a really positive one. My self-esteem was certainly increased during that time, mainly because I realized that my destiny lay in my own hands – and that this was a good thing! I would recommend the school to anyone wanting to attend college, especially those who are determined to be successful!
Roussey
I am proud to be part of this new online generation. The stigma, regarding online learning, may never wears off on some folks, but people that obstinate will never go away. Driving a car to a classroom, parking that car, carrying the correct books, that is all a waste of time. I already did that at CSUS for 4.5 years, though for the last 2.5 I road my bike to and from classes. Either way, that was a waste of time. As a working adult, a traditional model does not make sense.
An online program, you are researching, reading, or communicated rather than spending 30 – 60 minutes driving your car. Most likely you already drove to work, why would want to drive to school and miss your child’s little league baseball game? That does not make sense. If you are single, why would have class and miss game 7 of the World Series? It is not necessary; the online program offers you that convenience. But at the Univ. of Phoenix, that convenience translates into a heavier work load. You make sacrifices, regardless of the program you have committed yourself too.
Univ. of Phoenix online curriculum is rigorous and many people who lack the discipline cannot get through the program. Some people need their hands held while making up excuses why they cannot do it.
The online program was spectacular. I was able to set my own schedule and pump out my weekly projects. The team work was tough at times since that is the nature of dealing with a team. It mimics reality, it resembles any work; place, small, medium, or large. At Univ. of Phoenix, one class is deemed full time. That is fabulous.
The online program at UOP is the cream the crop, it is not cheap, in price, because of it. I have access to massive online libraries, forever, because of it. This access has already helped me in my profession. What is also worth noting, I worked at Apollo Group, therefore the classes were free to me. I do not miss working there though; I am glad that is over with.
When I first started the online program, I was nervous. I will not propose any fallacious thoughts about that, but once I learned to manage the system and what was expected, I fell head over heels with this new learning format.
Jill Wolfe
I am currently enrolled at The University of Phoenix. I am affected by attending an online college in a few ways. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to finish my degree that I started many years ago, yet, I question myself if it worth the money at this point in my life. I have taken out thousands of dollars in student loans. I have over 15 years of work experience and was thinking about changing careers. When I first decided to finish my degree it was for personal growth. I had the opportunity to learn and challenge myself in a way that I have not done for years. Now, it is practically mandatory to have a degree to work at most companies. I am a recruiter so I can attest to that.
Most of the classes I have taken have been a positive experience. It is so convenient to be able to work from any computer and to be able to work at your own pace. The instructors have been very involved and are quite accommodating if you need to speak to them in person. The workload is challenging and you it is important to keep up with the class and participate four times per week, which is mandatory.
The negative aspects I have encountered are the “Learning Team” part of the class, where you have to work together with at least four classmates. I find this part stressful and nonproductive. I understand the goal of the school is to teach us how to work together. It has been a constant struggle for me with other students who are not participating or pulling their weight.
I have one more year to finish my degree. I know there is a stigma about online degrees. At this point in my life, I have to work full time and I would not have any other options but to go to an online college. I am happy with the decision I made to finish my degree.
Laura Holmes
I started attending The University of Phoenix in 2007 after wanting to go to college for a number of years, and not being able to because of a full time career. With the University of Phoenix, I was able to go to work and study on my time off – which worked out at about ten hours a week. I thoroughly enjoyed the coursework: taking my education into my own hands was so empowering!
The advisors and the tutors were very friendly and accessible, regularly calling to see how I was getting on. I really felt like they wanted me to succeed, which made me feel great and put a very positive spin on even the most complicated and difficult days – it was nice to know that there were people who sincerely believed I could succeed.
The classes were filled with interesting people with whom I got along very well – the online forum based discussion sessions were full of thought-provoking material and often, the tutors would get very involved in the fascinating debating that went on. The coursework was a great chance to research fascinating subjects and draw real, science-based conclusions about the hypotheses we’d previously drawn up.
All in all, I would say that my experience at The University of Phoenix was a really positive one. My self-esteem was certainly increased during that time, mainly because I realized that my destiny lay in my own hands – and that this was a good thing! I would recommend the school to anyone wanting to attend college, especially those who are determined to be successful!
Emily Monaco
I decided to attend online college for a summer semester so that I could graduate early from my home university. I needed several courses that could be applied to my major, so my main criterion in looking for an online school was one that offered a variety of communications courses whose credits would transfer back home, which is how I stumbled upon Canyon College.
I took four courses over the course of my summer at Canyon College, each of which was very different. Some teachers were more hands-on than others, and it showed with regards to the way the courses were laid out: some courses, like Political Communications and Anthropology, had syllabi that required students to check in every week; other teachers assumed we would do all the work ourselves and turn in a final essay or take a final test to assess our work.
One of the hardest things for me to was track down second-hand copies of the books we were using, because not only was I studying from home, but from Europe. Other than that, though, my experience at Canyon College went very smoothly, and I have since recommended it to friends looking to supplement their regular college time with extra credits or whole semesters to graduate early.
Robin Krueger
I attended DeVry University Online in 2008 and 2009 and have mixed feelings about my experience. An online education was a great way to go for me because I was in a somewhat rural area and taking care of a young child. I could do my classes around my life and the staff was really great about helping me get all my classes and financial aid set up. I found the whole online setup pretty easy to navigate and enjoyed being able to move at my own pace.
While I definitely felt good about finally beginning my college education as a 32 year-old housewife, I did not realize that the degree I was going for (Web Graphic Design) was not worth the price I was paying for it. I was unable to complete the program due to the high cost, and if I had, the money I would have made in that field would not have been enough to justify the student loans. On top of that, some of the classes I took (not all), were lacking in content. I don’t feel that I learned all that I needed to learn about some subjects as they would pertain to actually working in the real world.
The plus side about DeVry is that they are an accredited university and all of my credits were easily transferred to a different school. Overall, it really worked for me at that time in my life. If I knew then what I know now, I would have definitely done more research and compared the cost with other schools.
Shane Remer
Online universities have provided me with my entire education so far with the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) first and Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) second because of less cost.
Learning online grants opportunities to work while obtaining a degree. It provides avenues to fit classes in the gaps of free time left after work, friends, and interests. While learning online removes me from potential wonderful social experiences, sports leagues and other volunteer work recuperates some of that loss.
Nonetheless, the overall experience has been enjoyable. It might be useless arguing over whether learning online was better than attending classes at a school. While social interaction and discussing topics with others furthers my knowledge and grasp, self motivation and ambition also propel me.
Some of the classes become tedious and some professors allow students to direct most of their learning, although that can be a situation anywhere. Online discussion boards, which serve for discussion and enrichment. Instead, many professors attempt to further learning through mini-assignments, questions, or other topics related to the week. Minimum posts requirements for each week and other criteria turn the discussion boards into just another task to finish or a regurgitation of material from the book said differently.
Time will show whether or not online learning fully prepared me for a career. At the least, it allowed me to obtain a degree and with potential for a career, and I would recommend it for anyone self-motivated, ambitious, and with desire to learn and progress.
