Online College: Definition, Pros and Cons

Online College: Definition, Pros and Cons

For some people, there are some things that can hinder them to attend a traditional college in regard to the expensive cost and strict scheduling system. In this case, Online College may be the solution to solve the problems.

What is Online College?

Online College is a modern education system that allows students to get an Online Degree without the obligation of being physically present on campus. The conducted courses on this online lecturing system can be fully distance learning, blended (face to face lecturing combined with distance learning) or hybrid. There are other terms referring to this Online College system, such as distance learning, online learning, and distance education. 

What makes Online College different from traditional college

Actually, both online and traditional college systems have the same major purpose, which is: to provide education and also the degree to their students. Although they aim the same goal, they are still different in many aspects.

Online education is often defined as a process of formally educating students in which the students and their instructors do not always see face to face in the same place during the lesson. Unlike the traditional education in which you are supposed to attend the class physically and should be present during the exams, in online education, most or even all lectures and exams are conducted online.

Therefore, the process of exchanging the information with your peers and lecturers in an online course will be very different from that of a traditional course. The feedback from lecturers will usually be given through audio clips or written feedback that tends to be longer than that of the traditional lectures. Another difference between online and traditional educations is the fact that the former one is considered to be more flexible than the later. 

Pros and cons of an Online College system

There are various opinions regarding the Online College system that offers not only several advantages, but also some undeniable weaknesses at the same time. Here are some pros and cons of the system that you should consider before joining the program.

Pros

Flexible

You can still attend the classes no matter where you are or how far you live, as long as you have an access to the internet. Besides, you can also get the opportunity to decide the schedule of when you will take the Online Classes.

Inexpensive

Online College definitely cost lower than the traditional one, because you do not need to spend the fee for room, board and other campus facilities. Besides, you also do not need to spend extra money for transportation, meal, etc.

Shorter period of study

Usually, the students of online education get their degrees in a shorter period of time than those of the traditional one.

Enhance writing ability

Since most of the interaction and assignment are done online, you are demanded to write a lot. Automatically, your writing ability will be brushed up by the time you attend the online lectures.

Unique and democratic

In an online course you are demanded to actively participate in every discussion. Here, you will be encouraged to convey your opinion, give reviews and give comments.

Cons

The students should be highly motivated.

The students have limited opportunity to face their peers and professors.

The students will not experience the campus-life.

The students should have the needed technology.

The students might encounter misconception.

Not all majors are covered online.

Those are some of the pros and cons of the Online College that you need to consider when you want to give Online College a try.


Do Not Attend An Online College before You Read This!

Students who are not yet familiar with the Online College system usually ask “how does online an course work?” You will be able to find the answer to this question in this article. Besides, there will also be some information about the best Online Colleges that are recommended to attend.

How Online Classes work

Actually, the Online Classes are conducted similar to the regular classes, although there are some differences between them. What makes Online Classes different from the regular ones is the fact that most of, or even all of the activities during the lessons are conducted online, without the students’ obligation to physically present in the classroom. Not only the discussion, but all assignments and exams will be carried out online. Then, what exactly you have to do to attend the Online Classes?

Logging on

First, you should make sure that you have all of the facilities needed to support your online lectures. You will need a reliable computer and internet connection. Besides, you may also be asked to download certain softwares required by the campus or by the classes you are going to attend.

After all of the requirements are completed, you can start to attend the courses by logging on the college’s main website. The website will usually guide you to check all of the courses that you need to take, the schedules, the materials, etc. If you face any difficulty in accessing the website or navigating the program, you are suggested to contact the college or the lecturer as soon as possible.

Checking the materials

Next, after taking all of the courses that you need to take, what you have to do first is understanding the course materials by either reading or listening to them.

Doing all assignments

Online courses usually demand you to complete a lot of assignments. Therefore, you have to make sure that there is no single assignment that you miss. Completing and uploading them on time are also important to do.

Participating in all discussion

You should actively participate in any discussion conducted by your lecturers. Your active participation will definitely become one of your lecturers’ considerations in giving marks and predicates to you.

Some mistakes that the students usually make

In planning to attend and attending an Online College, you should avoid doing the following common mistakes:

Not carefully checking the college before deciding to join.

Not providing at least ten hours a week for a course.

Being unrealistic, like doing anything in the last minutes.

Not preparing the facilities and technology needed for the course.

Doing “copy” and “paste” without adding your original thoughts.

Not being cooperative with your virtual team. 

Best Online Colleges in the world

Are you looking for the best colleges offering reliable online course programs? Here is the list:

Harvard University

There are at least 41 online programs offered to its students. The students attending an online program will get the same right to all Harvard facilities like academic advising, counseling services, tutoring assistance, and also financial aid.

Presbyterian University

This is one of the best colleges emphasizing on the Christian-based education. The online courses that you can take are divided into various different areas, one of them is language courses like Hebrew and Greek.

Drexel University

The online programs of this university offer the same benefits and facilities as the regular campus program to their students, like career resources, financial aid and 24 hour technology support.

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