What My Online Degree Has Done For Me

Posted by Jeff Davis on May 7th, 2009

My online degree has proved as valuable as a traditional degree in every sense of the word to me. It has been an invaluable tool and has opened up many more opportunities in my career field, including ones that would not have been possible without it. In fact, I have found it to be such a rewarding experience and of such great value that it has encouraged me to go back to school online and pursue my graduate degree. I am now halfway through an online graduate degree program and am looking forward to seeing what opportunities and doors will open even more once I am finished.

Earning my degree online was way more rewarding than I ever imagined it would be. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had only attended a traditional school up to that point in my college experience. But once I became familiar with the online process and the overall familiarity of how things worked in this realm, I was off and running towards graduation.

Overall, I feel more confident about pursuing and applying for future employment opportunities because of my online degrees and educational experiences. I have learned so much during my online courses that I never did during my time on the ground. Attending school online has been a terrific experience and a great reward for me. I believe that you have to take advantage of the opportunities put before you and this could not be truer than with earning an online degree.

Are You a Good Candidate for an Online Degree?

Posted by Jeff Davis on April 20th, 2009

Not everyone is a good candidate for becoming an online student. In my opinion, online courses seem to be geared more towards students with a verbal learning style versus a visual one. Why? Well, namely because the study materials, classroom discussions, assignments, and interaction are all replaced by writing. So, if you are the type of student who prefers a more hands-on approach, the online school environment may not be for you. But whatever your learning style, you must be able to learn and work independently in order to succeed in an online degree program. This means that you must be organized and able to complete all assignments with little to no supervision. Effective time management is very important, so procrastinators beware. Among the many benefits to this type of learning environment are that online students usually don’t have to worry about waiting for the entire class to catch up to speed so that everyone is on the same level and I have personally found it to be beneficial by working at my own pace like this so that I can help to speed up my graduation date and getting my degree.

Among the other characteristics of a good online program candidate are that they must be able to effectively demonstrate comfort with using technology and especially such items as the Internet (for research and classroom activities), word processing software, and communication tools (like email and instant messengers). Lastly, I think it’s important for an online student to have the necessary reading and comprehensive skills in order to understand the text because in the online school environment you will be missing out on the more traditional instructor-led lectures.

Would You Like Another Online Degree? Why Yes, Thank You

Posted by Jeff Davis on April 17th, 2009

Not only am I considering earning another online degree, I’ve already started on one. Once I completed my online Bachelor’s degree program, I told myself over and over that I would not even contemplate a Graduate degree program for at least a year so that I could give my mind a rest and take a much needed break. However, it didn’t quite work out that way. I finished my online education in April and by November, I was eager to start school and start learning again. Well, here I am smack dab in the middle of a Master’s degree program and of course, it’s another online program. I wouldn’t have it any other way, especially since I already know that a traditional school wouldn’t offer me the flexibility I need for my hectic schedule.

After looking at some various options as to which program was right for me and which online school I wanted to attend, I came to the conclusion that the school from which I just graduated, seemed to provide me with the best opportunity for meeting my overall goals in the long run. I am now approximately halfway through my Master’s degree program at the University of Phoenix and am starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel (or it could just be my eyes playing tricks on me from being so tired). I am looking forward to graduating in about 6 months now and being able to utilize what I’ve learned into my professional career.

I don’t feel that I have done anything different this time around than in my online undergraduate degree. However, I do notice that there seems to be more work involved and is therefore taking up more of my time each week. So, for those of you who may be considering embarking upon the journey of obtaining a graduate degree online, listen closely. There is work involved, just as if you were going to a traditional school. My best advice for anyone considering returning to school to pursue another degree in the online environment is to do your homework and comparison shopping wisely in order to get exactly what you are looking for. I am noticing more and more traditional schools coming online with their degree programs each and every day. I can imagine that it won’t be long before the majority of all schools offer the traditional classroom environment or the online classroom environment for all students. In fact, they may have to do this in order to compete for students because the online enrollment is growing by leaps and bounds.

The Value of an Online Education

Posted by Jeff Davis on April 9th, 2009

I think we all would agree that a college education is one of the most valuable tools that anyone can ever have. In fact, I would say that it is actually invaluable. With a college education, you are only helping to make your future that much more desirable by increasing job opportunities, making more money, gaining important skills and knowledge, and having an overall healthier life.

One of the values of an online education versus a more traditional college is that you can gain significant technical knowledge which can increase your individual value in any workplace. It has been my experience through attending the University of Phoenix that I was able to obtain the critical skills and knowledge necessary to make me a valuable asset to my employer. During my online program, I was able to quickly apply any new skills almost instantly into my job and because of this it opened up a lot of doors for advancing in my career. Another valuable benefit of an online education is that you get to work with such a diverse group of students and instructors who are located all over the world. This is not only a great networking opportunity, but can also increase your employment opportunities after graduating with your degree.

Overall, I believe that degrees earned online are just as valuable as degrees earned from traditional programs and especially now as technology continues to advance and is utilized in almost every company in the world today. It is just a matter of choosing the right online program from a well respected and accredited school and one that meets your personal and professional goals.

Life Outside of the Classroom: Interaction with Faculty Members

Posted by Jeff Davis on April 1st, 2009

I believe that the overall communication and interaction between faculty and students in an online environment is necessary in order for the online education to be successful. While at the University of Phoenix, interaction with the faculty members was actually quite easy for me outside of the classroom. Since the student-faculty ratio was so low, I had no problems in understanding the course work and in reaching the faculty if necessary…especially after class. This is typically not the case in a more traditional classroom setting where the student-faculty ratio is normally quite high.

The interaction experience with faculty members was much different in an online school than in a traditional one and partially due to the fact that you just cannot simply walk in to a faculty member’s classroom or office when you are attending school in a virtual environment. Based on my experience at the University of Phoenix, I have found that the online faculty members seem to be much easier to contact outside of the classroom. Not only does the student-faculty ratio play a factor, but it could also have something to do with the number of contact methods available as compared to those in a traditional school. In my online learning experience, I always had the faculty member’s home phone number and multiple email addresses along with the best times they could be reached. I found their response times and availability to be excellent. They really did make it quite simple to interact with them outside of the classroom.

This was not the case when I attended a traditional school. Most of the faculty there were difficult to get in touch with outside of the classroom. For example, an email to a faculty member might go unnoticed for days, the faculty member might not be in the classroom or office, and often the only phone number that students had was their school office line. Not to mention that if you tried to interact with them on a weekend, you might as well forget about it because they just did not make themselves available for you and that is really the biggest difference. The online faculty members make themselves readily available for the students. The interaction between students and faculty members in the online environment was far superior in my opinion.

An Online School with a Local Campus: Was it an Advantage?

Posted by Jeff Davis on March 25th, 2009

When I first began my search into selecting an online school and furthering my education, it was important to me that the college I chose have a strong internet presence as well as a local presence. You can call it personal preference or what have you, but I just preferred a more locally recognized school over one that wasn’t. Why? I guess I believed that an online school without a local campus presence wouldn’t offer me quite the same opportunities or that potential employers wouldn’t take me as serious. Boy was I wrong! What I found out after graduation was that the same opportunities existed for students regardless of whether the program had a local campus or was strictly online and that employers were more concerned with what I learned rather than the name of the institution on my degree.

So, although I attended an online program with a local campus, it didn’t really make a difference. In fact, I never once even visited the institution’s local campus facility or ever had the need to. Everything I ever needed for my online classes was always available online. Now that I look back on my own experience, I believe all that matters is for students to attend an accredited and respected school and one of their own choosing. As long as you are happy with your final decision, then that is all that matters. I don’t believe that it’s necessary for the chosen school to have a local campus presence in order to be advantageous to the learning environment.

This has been my personal experience and I found a wealth of resources and information available online in helping me make my final decision for finding the right online program. I found my personal experience to be educational and rewarding and would highly recommend an online college to anyone who is thinking of returning to school.

My Online Classmates: Thoughts and Interactions

Posted by Jeff Davis on March 16th, 2009

It has been my experience that during my online learning at the University of Phoenix, fellow classmates were always helpful, courteous, dedicated, and as much a part of the learning experience as the course itself in this type of environment. In regards to being courteous and professional, there was rarely an incident involving inappropriate behavior in my online classes, unlike a traditional classroom which may allow time for “horseplay” or for things other than just learning. It has been my experience that an online school is more for those who are serious about learning and being able to quickly apply their new knowledge and skills immediately in their respective career fields. Maybe that is why online schools seem to appeal more to an older crowd. From what I can recall, most of my fellow students held full-time jobs and were experienced in their career fields whereas my experience with a more traditional school was quite a bit younger and typically just out of high school and with little actual work experience. There just didn’t seem to be any time available for “having fun” like I did when I was going to a more traditional school. Of course that was 15 years ago!

In regards to being helpful, there were many occasions where I have learned an important skill or valuable information from what my other classmates had shared with the class. In this type of environment, everyone must participate since it’s a required part of the grade. This was not my experience during attendance of a traditional school. In my traditional school, many students did not participate and that is why I think it hinders the opportunity for growth. In a full participation type of setting, you can gain many helpful tips and tricks that can help you progress in your career field. In regards to being dedicated, I have never worked on a team in my online classes where we accomplished anything less than satisfactory. Most of my team experiences were very positive and very productive in terms of cohesion, overcoming diversity, accomplishing tasks, and getting assignments turned in on time.

I was able to interact with other students in my online courses very easily by email, chat, or telephone. Working in a team environment gave us an even broader range of tools to utilize in order to hold productive team meetings and such. Some of the tools that we used to effectively communicate were email, telephone, instant messengers such as Yahoo or Microsoft, and even more recently, Skype. All of these were very effective in helping to meet our overall goals. Most of the time, the tool used depended on the assignment involved. Now that I am attending school online once again, while working on my Master’s degree, it seems that the most effective communication tool used among the learning teams is probably Skype.

Online Assignments, and Papers, and Exams! Oh, My!

Posted by Jeff Davis on March 12th, 2009

Much like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz, most students can often feel scared of their surroundings of the unknown. Especially when it comes to school and the many assignments that go with this type of educational environment. I am sure that the method and format for completing assignments varies among the different online universities. But in my experience with the University of Phoenix, assignments consisted of mainly reading chapters, writing papers, and creating presentations both individually and in a team environment. But at least there were no exams to worry about! In many regards, my assignments were very much like those in a traditional classroom environment. Among the differences between my online assignments and the more traditional assignments were that you could work at your own pace and all assignments were submitted by email. By having the flexibility of attending an online class, you get the opportunity to work at your own pace as long as your assignment meets its deadline. This works out great if you know how to effectively manage your time. I don’t recall being able to do this in a more traditional classroom setting. Instead, it seemed like that experience was more along the lines of everyone keeping the same pace week in and week out.

In my opinion, the assignments involving written papers were not much different in my online class versus my past experiences in a traditional class. For both types of classroom environments, you knew what was required and had to devote the time to do the necessary research, decide on the writing style, apply proper formatting, etc. My typical paper assignments usually consisted of two individual assignments and one team assignment per course. If this seems like a lot of writing, remember to keep in mind that there were no exams to worry about or study for. Exams were simply not a required part of the online learning environment at the University of Phoenix.

When it comes to online assignments, I have to say that there was a lot more work involved in earning my degree online and that this type of learning should never be mistaken for being “easy”. It is every bit as thorough and challenging as any traditional classroom environment.

University of Phoenix: Procrastinators Need Not Apply

Posted by Jeff Davis on March 4th, 2009

To procrastinate or not to procrastinate? That is the question. College is not easy whether you attend online or on campus. But then again, is it really supposed to be? It is just one class after another and deadlines to meet and class participation and both group and individual assignments. Whew! It is a procrastinator’s worst nightmare! Lucky for me that I do not fall into that category.

One thing about the online classroom environment and flexibility is that they tend to go hand in hand. My online classes at the University of Phoenix were very flexible in my opinion. They allowed me to get my work done ahead of time when I had family or work commitments and we all know how life can often get in the way of pursuing our goals. Although I liked the flexibility that was provided, it might not be suitable for just anyone. There were often times when it was difficult to stay on focused and on track, but I managed and without missing out on the important things in life. Yes, there were some last minute assignments and many a sleepless night but it was all worth it in the end.

This is one online school where deadlines had to be met. The class syllabus always informed the students of all due dates for assignments from the very beginning on the first day of class. I always appreciated this so that I could better manage and schedule my time between work, family, and school. If I knew of a family obligation coming up, then I could simply make sure that my class work was done ahead of time.

It used to be that the University gave us one week off between each class and I liked this because it allowed me to regain my sanity, if only for a brief time. Unfortunately, that has ended now and there are no breaks between classes. When one class ends, a new one begins the very next day. Working on my Master’s degree, I am used to this schedule now and actually glad about it since it will allow me to graduate a few months earlier than it would have previously. If you gain nothing else from your online experience, you will gain a new appreciation for time management.

Online Materials: Who Needs Textbooks? Not me!

Posted by Jeff Davis on February 27th, 2009

For my classes at the University of Phoenix online, basically the only materials required were a computer, an internet connection, and any software that the class specifically required or asked for. However, some online collaboration tools were necessary, especially when working in a team environment. As for textbooks, there was no need to purchase any since all course material was available online through the University library or other University resources.

An up-to-date computer was required in order to run the appropriate software for the online classes which included programs such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Project. Up-to-date doesn’t necessarily mean “brand new” however. The minimum system requirements for running the chosen software would work just fine on any computer running a recent Windows operating system such as Windows XP or Vista. As for an internet connection, I wouldn’t recommend anything other than a broadband connection in order to achieve adequate speed for tasks such as downloading course materials and uploading assignments.

Some of the other materials used included online communication and collaboration tools in order to work effectively within a team environment. Among these tools were applications such as Skype, email, and an instant messenger program of some sort. Based on my experience, there are many excellent and inexpensive tools located on the web that would work well in an online classroom team setting.

One thing I really enjoyed when it comes to textbooks was being able to download book chapters and read them offline at my own convenience instead of having to do it only while online. Also, the thought of saving money for every class by not having to purchase textbooks got me even more excited about attending online. The University’s online library was a tremendous help in locating articles and journals for research and in writing papers. The size of this library is quite huge and includes a large number of databases in which to search from. I can’t even imagine that I skimmed the top of it all during my enrollment there. But I can say that I never had any problem finding adequate material for my research.