Responses about Online Schools (online schools)

Online Schools

While browsing the internet, i tried typing in this question at one of the Q&A websites :- DO ONLINE SCHOOLS REALLY WORK?

And here are a few of the best answers that I get:-

1) I am now attending an online school. I enjoy it so much. I have learned alot and am still learning. I have to say that that taking courses on line is a challenge because you have to figure things out on your own with basically no help. My classmates and I help each other a great deal. If time is a problem I would recommend on line classes.

2)I'd be really careful about online schools. If you want to get a degree online, you should definitely register with a college or university in your area. That way you know they are legitimate. Of course, taking that route, it's very unlikely that all the courses you need for a specific degree will be offered online, and since the courses you'll be taking would be online you'll probably be looking forward to a lot of report writing. In other words, it isn't neccessarily easier, especially when three classes want 5-10 page reports and they're all due at the same time! That said, I would consider where my priorities really lie. If you really want to go to school, if you're really looking for a better job, and a better future, either way you go, you may want to consider dropping that full time job, getting a part-time one, and doing without and sacrificing for those few years it will take to give you something greater in the end.

3)THE BEST ANSWER:-
I can most definitely answer this question. I've completed my Bachelor's Degree in Paralegal Studies via online school through Kaplan University. They are an online school as well as have a campus in Davenport, Iowa. You can also apply for FAFSA and PELL GRANTS through the Department of Education -- this online school takes federal funds so they are 100% legitimate. You don't have to put on your resume that you obtained your college degree via online schools. Online schools are the way to go and work full-time. However, I don't advise taking more than 2 classes a term. For undergrad, the cost of books is included in the tuition -- a cool feature. The terms are 10 weeks and you have almost a two week break in between terms. The class week starts on Wednesday and ends midnight Tuesday night (all assignments are due at midnight -- 5 points are deducted the first week the assignment is late and 10 pts for each additional week). If you know you're going to be late delivering an assignment, notify the instructor ahead of time and you might not lose any points. The online instructors are professionals who not only teach online, they also teach on land and some are practicing the profession. Yes there can be a lot of reading and writing --espeically within my degree, however, if you have good time management skills, you will do well. Some Kaplan courses are going to online text and you will receive numerous websites with so much information you don't have to read the text. You have message board questions that you have to answer and respond to at least 2 postings that have been left by your classmates. This number depends on the instructor, however, the more indepth your posts, the better points you will receive. Don't be afraid of the 5-10 page papers -- they are double spaced and the only papers that will be that long are mid-term and finals. Those exams will either be multiple choice and/or essay. The instructors have limits because they teach more than one class.

You will have a weekly seminar which you meet with the instructor and your classmates from your online school in real-time -- not a recorded video. Right after the seminar, you can download and save a copy of the transcript. The instructors do check their emails and will respond to any inquiries you may have.It is my belief that online school is great for anyone that works 40 hours a week. You can come home, relax, have dinner, do homework, be with your family and obtain a degree from your online school. Kaplan also offers credit for any work or certifications you've received. A computer class was in my curriculum, however, since I'm a CompTIA Certified PC Repair Tech, Kaplan gave me credit.

I hope that these answers from those who have first hand experience with online school could give us some picture about what to expect from online school. I will try to find more information about online schools, the pros and the cons etc. So stay tuned!!

Online schools