Archive for the ‘Fears Before Enrolling in an Online College’ Category
Posted by Sharon Cece on November 28th, 2008
I had a number of fears prior to enrolling online, some relating specifically to online mechanisms and format, and others that dealt with the more with typical fears of a returning college student.
In regard to the first, though I had a general knowledge of computer applications, I certainly was no tech whiz. At first glance, being hit with the numerous course websites and academic pages as well as ”blackboard”, the online education platform, gave one the impression a new student might require a preliminary degree in “learning how to be an online student” before becoming an online student! Thankfully, this is not the case. There are numerous support vehicles in place to assist distance learning and online students, and after a few days of trial and error you soon become quite adept at maneuvering the various course sites, finding out where you need to be and gaining the information you need to have. Advisors, professors, mentors, and TA’s are very helpful; moreso, my fellow students were invaluable in pacifying e-course apprehensions.
I also was concerned that learning online would sequester me socially compared to attending a brick-and-mortar classes, where social interaction is a virtual inevitability (no pun intended). However, I found that online learning can offer similar social benefits, and soon “clicked” with a number of students with shared ideas and similar family circumstances. One student, who happens to be from Tallahassee where Florida State is located, was following the same course schedule as I and we became fast friends as well as study partners. When I drove from North Carolina to Tallahassee to walk for graduation, she was right there in the bleachers cheering me on. Our friendship continues, and I hope to do the same for her when she graduates.
Another fear I entertained was, quite frankly, that I would not be able to test well after so many years of being away from school, or find time to study with two small children to care for, or devote myself to coursework the way I did when I was the quintessential 18-21 year-old college student. My fears were unfounded. As an older student, I found I was more disciplined, more determined and–well–smarter than I used to be. My grades as a young, fresh-from-high-school student were varied, A’s to C’s (okay, a couple of D’s too). When I returned to FSU as an online student, I received straight A’s from my first class straight through to graduation. I mention this not as a bragging point or to minimize the scope of difficulty regarding online classes; on the contrary, some online courses were the most challenging I have ever had. Rather, I hope to highlight the possibility that our fears can in fact drive us to be more successful. That you have a fear at all means that you care, and to care makes you work harder to succeed.
Posted by Jeff Davis on November 27th, 2008
One of my biggest fears before enrolling in an online college was that I would not have enough time available or maybe how I would juggle my time between work, family, and school. All I could imagine is that this could be quite stressful. After all, it is not always easy balancing just work with family time and adding school on top of all my other responsibilities seemed almost impossible. I soon realized that this was really not a problem. The key to overcoming this fear was being able to balance my time effectively. If done properly, you would be amazed at how much extra time you can squeeze into your day. For me, it was important to develop a routine, find a quiet place to study, leave work at work, and to take time away from school each week. Once I developed a routine, I was more motivated. Once I found a quiet place to study, I was able to concentrate better. Once I made sure that I got my work done at work, I did not have to bring it home and could focus on my class work. Once I made sure to take at least a day off from school each week, I was able to relax more and enjoy quality time with my family. You have to remember, that in all circumstances, there will always be sacrifices that you will have to make, but just think about the great reward that will await you at the end.
Another fear of mine was how long it would take to finish my degree. I was afraid that it might take forever. But the fact is that most online degree programs today are based on accelerated learning. This means that most will take less time to complete than in a traditional learning environment. Since the online courses are typically based on shorter semesters, they can excel at delivering a quality education as quickly as possible and without sacrificing your ability to learn and absorb the material.
I was also fearful that employers would not take my degree seriously once I had graduated. I was concerned that since my degree would not be coming from some big name university, that employers might not view it as credible. Realistically, however, it has been my experience that most employers today view online degrees as not only credible, but just as equivalent as their traditional counterparts. I believe that as the demand for online education continues to grow, that more employers are realizing the validity of degrees earned online.
It has been my experience that online colleges are not that much different from traditional colleges. Having done both, I can now say that, for me, online education is the solution that I was looking for.
Posted by Pamela Gustafson on November 26th, 2008
In 2002 I considered myself a pioneer in online education. Shortly before my 50th birthday, I took a leave of absence from my teaching job and signed up for three online classes. To help support myself, I was a substitute teacher. I wanted to be a technology integration specialist before the job actually existed in our elementary schools.
Two classes used Yahoo groups and emails to teach the class; the other was from a university, using a platform called Blackboard. I was confident going into this, but the fear factor increased as I moved forward. The volume of emails I received was far beyond expected. The excitement at the outset evaporated into a cloud of fear and drudgery!
I dreaded going to the computer to check my email and quickly learned how to sort it with folders. Even with the sorting system, it was still overwhelming. I told one instructor I was involved in three classes — she said I should drop one. What I was attempting was nearly impossible. I asked why she didn’t use Blackboard (so you can keep messages online and never download them to your computer). She said the platform was cost prohibitive. Too bad!
For the first time ever, after a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees, and many other credits; I took an incomplete in one class.
Going back to school was a big decision for me. I decided that it was a good time to start - I was in my late 20’s, no kids, no significant other, life was easy. I wanted to finish school before my life got too complicated. While that sounds very neatly packaged, I had several fears about returning to school. Could I do the work? Could I balance the schoolwork with my work and social life? Could I afford it? Would I stick with it? What happens if I’m not good at it? I had to work through each of those quesitons (and still do have to work through them) as I am still working on my degree.
Could I do the work? I think we are all afraid of failure to some degree. While I enrolled in a PhD program, I wasn’t sure I was ready. My master’s degree program came relatively easy for me - I got a 4.0. One reason I selected the school I enrolled in was because they graded on a Pass/Fail basis. That meant I didn’t have to strive for the A’s, but could do the best I could and likely would pass. That took some of the stress off.
Could I balance the schoolwork with my work and social life? While I was working on my courses, I took every opportunity to do my schoolwork. I read chapters during my lunch at work. I often stayed late at work to post or write papers (I was more focused at work and tended to slack off - oops, I mean become less disciplined - when I got home. I found that discipline was the most important key to success. My social life took a hit, but I tried not to lose too much of that. I didn’t want to miss out on all the fun - then being in school might have been too much for me.
Could I afford it? Money was a big challenge. It was costly to return to school and I wasn’t making a lot of money. I took out students, but I knew that if I did that for the whole degree, I would run out of available loan money. I have always paid my way through school and wasn’t going to start asking for handouts for this degree. I did eventually move in with my best friend to save on some living costs - that was a huge help!
Would I stick with it? Honestly, this was where the discipline came in. My track record has been, if it gets tough, get out. Why put myself through the pain if there was an easier way out. It has continued to be a long, challenging road, but I am determined to finish. I want those letters (PhD) after my name!
What happens if I’m not good at it? This was another major hurdle. I did not get a lot of feedback on the quality of my work. I thought it was good, but was it PhD level? I really didn’t find out for sure until I completed the Comprehensive Exam and was successful. That was my validation that I was good at this. Too bad that came after several years of classes.
I’m still afraid - but now I’m afraid of not finishing. I’ve put a lot of time, money, sweat, and tears into this pursuit. I think if I stopped now, I’d be letting myself down as well as those who have supported me. So I must persist. It’s still scary, but it’s doable.
Posted by Jen Zeman on November 24th, 2008
While earning my associate’s degree at a local community college, I completed an online class and loved the flexibility and the freedom it gave me. However, when I started my online bachelor degree program, a few fears crept into my brain: How hard will the classes be? How much work will be involved? How much time will I need to complete the work? Will I be able to handle three online classes a semester while working full time?
Before starting my classes I decided to come up with a game plan in order to quash my fears and guarantee my success. The game plan was simple: organization. Being organized is by far the number one way to guarantee success with an online college. It is essential to devise a plan of how you will study and complete assignments. Here are the five tactics I used:
- Plan out your semester prior to the start of the semester. If you work full-time, schedule days off strategically so you can give yourself enough time to complete major class assignments/projects without scrambling at the last minute. This will alleviate a ton of stress.
- Assign a separate binder for each class you take a semester. Print the syllabus and put it in the front of the binder. This eliminates confusion and a constant search for important documents. Even though all your required documents will be available to you online, having them at your fingertips makes life less stressful.
- Assign a designated room in your home as your “school zone”. Make it a place where you can close a door and have privacy for studying and completing assignments.
- In this room, hang a large white board on the wall. Use this to write down assignments and major projects for each class, along with corresponding due dates. It is a great feeling erasing completed projects off the board! This was a lifesaver for me.
- Allow yourself some down time to relax. For me it was allowing myself an hour each day to exercise. However, realize while you are in school you will not be able to participate in activities the way you did before – you simply will not have the time. Choose the activity you cannot part with and schedule it in. All others will have to fall off your radar until you graduate. It may seem harsh, but remember you won’t be in school forever.
You will find with organization comes discipline – discipline will keep you focused on your goal. Tell yourself you will succeed in your online courses and it will happen. Once you complete the first semester of online college following the tips above, you will ask yourself, “What was I so scared about?”
