Thank goodness for the web! I know many of you have always been able to use the internet to do research, but for those of us back in the old days, there were HUGE catalogs of books in the reference section of the library that a prospective student would have to page through to determine what schools to consider and ultimately choose. The internet has made this research very simple - but now there’s almost too much information.
My search was conducted several years ago, but I know I looked closely at at least 5 schools. I contacted them via email and phone and started interviewing them to find out the basic information I needed to know. I had a hit list of questions:
- What was the program like?
- What are the classes like (self-paced, workload, etc)?
- Is the school accredited?
- What were the faculty like?
- How many classes at a time?
- How long to complete?
- How much money?
- What were the residency requirements?
- Would my credits transfer?
- And many more.
I felt that most sent literature that answered my questions. I had to make a few additional phone calls to follow up.
I thought that a phone call to a school was a good idea. They offered information I didn’t think to ask. The counselors were very helpful and professional.
I felt that I had all the information I needed to make an informed decision. As times have changed, and schools have come and gone, I am pleased with the approach I took.
I have some students who didn’t take the time to fully research the school they chose. They find that the school format doesn’t work for them and they go to another school. This trial-and-error approach might not be 100% avoidable, but if you learn about the different approaches each school takes, you can make an informed choice as well. Finding the program that works best for your learning style and discipline is essential to success.
Posted by Pamela Gustafson on December 25th, 2008
In 2001 I went fishing in a small pool of online classes, not knowing at the time what kinds of fish I wanted to catch, but I knew this: I wanted to learn fresh new ideas. I started taking an online class from a technical school, to get a taste of what it would be like to be a network specialist. Teachers are always complaining about computers not working. The first fish I caught was a class to become certified as a Microsoft Administrator. I found out quickly that I didn’t like the taste of this fish! There was little human-to-human interaction in the regimen and it didn’t fit my style. While I was successful in the class, most of my classmates were recent high school grads. It was the wrong pond for me, though it was a good experience and a lot cheaper than taking a university class. I learned that I needed to combine my interest in computers with my first love of helping children grow and develop.
I didn’t really need to do a search or request information. The information came to me in the form of flyers from various universities. The universities know that true educators believe continuing education is imperative and they capitalize on this knowledge by marketing to teachers. The information they voluntary sent was helpful and I took the bait and signed up for classes. Shortly after that, I found another fishing pond — in my very own school district. They offered online classes for all teachers in the district. While the classes were not for credit, they helped me to develop skills to use computers effectively with students.
Currently, I have decided to go deep sea fishing! I am interested in a set of skills that will allow me to be employed as an online elementary or middle school teacher. I’m not interested in a degree. The University of Wisconsin—Stout offers an e-learning certificate that can open doors for online teachers. There’s now an explosion of public schools offering this option for their students. After 34 years of dragging my tired body out of bed and working a 9- to 10-hour day, I long for the day when I can crawl out of bed, limp to my computer in my pajamas (diet pepsi in hand), and correct assignments emailed or posted online. The Ocean of Opportunity available to me can also reach my own students. Let’s hope they go fishing for something valuable, too!
Posted by Jeff Davis on December 24th, 2008
It really is important to do your homework, especially when you are considering pursuing an online education where the final results will benefit you for the rest of your life! When choosing an online school, there are many things to consider such as whether the school is accredited or not, what programs and degrees are offered, and help with financial aid. Asking good questions can help guide you into making the right decision.
Before enrolling in an online degree program, I had requested information from 10 different online schools. Only 6 provided me with enough information from which I was able to make an educated decision (no pun intended). That helped to narrow down the online colleges field and so began my contact of the admissions office at these remaining schools which I deemed necessary in order to gather the final pertinent information needed for making my final decision on which online school and degree program is going to work best for me. Among the questions that I still needed answered were items like: the school and its history, financial aid, etc.
I feel that it is important to note that this decision was not one that I wanted to rush into since it would have long-term dire consequences in both my professional and personal life. To me, education is more than just getting a degree, but also about what the degree provides in terms of value such as the skills learned and the available career opportunities it provides.
Finally, let me say that nothing can really replace a good education. Education helps you in your overall development and broadens your outlook on life. As I look back on my research of information, the requests that I made, and the final choices that I made, it was arguably one of the hardest searches in my life but definitely the most rewarding.
Posted by Sharon Cece on December 23rd, 2008
The $64,000 question (or perhaps the $64 million by the time my kids finally go to college) is “What college should I choose to attend“? It is an extremely important question, since your alma mater will be part and parcel of your life forevermore. This blog is case in point: even though I’ve graduated from FSU I’m still representing FSU in this forum and a number of other ways. Which I know has you begging the question, Why FSU?
As it happens, I applied to a number of colleges both when I was starting out at 17 and again when I decided to finish my degree at 38. Now, admittedly I chose a county college 25 years ago primarily because I was broke and, well, it was cheap. Good, cheap education– by and by something no 17-year old can turn down. A few years later I transferred to FSU out of sheer adventurous spirit, the Sacagawea of the Educative Expedition.
And, as I’ve pointed out in previous articles, left with 96 credits under my belt sans degree.
Okay, fast forward, oh, fourteen years or so. I’m ready to take the plunge and finally finish that degree. Back to the $64,000 question.
Number one in the list of my “choosing” criteria was locality. Since I now live in the Academic Mecca (Duke, UNC, NC State, Campbell University, East Carolina… just to name a few) I was fairly sure I would pick a program from the local zone to finish my degree. I sought information from three of those and had sticker shock from two; the third, NC State, was conveniently located and cost effective, but did not offer the program I was seeking.
Concurrently, I inquired about FSU programs, never believing I would end up back there but did so out of sheer sentimentality; as well I considered two other “online” schools, one a well-known online university that is in fact featured on this website. So all told, I requested information from six college programs– three brick and mortar, three online.
Looking back, all of the information I received was very helpful in making a choice (in other words, the costs of some colleges alone were enough to help me make a decision, that being a whopping YEAH RIGHT). It’s easy to eliminate a college simply because you can’t afford it! Which left three finalists. Well, really one finalist. FSU was probably my only choice deep down, and I requested information from the other schools simply because I felt it’s what a practical person should do, which is to consider many options. I felt six was a good round number for inquiry and I’m glad in retrospect that I did entertain other options, if for no other reason than simply to be able to remark with aplomb, “Why, naturally I considered many other schools and after careful consideration decided on…..”
Good luck!
Posted by Jen Zeman on December 22nd, 2008
When I started my search for an online degree program, I requested information from about three different schools, all within my home state of Maryland. I wanted to start my search local before considering out-of-state institutions, primarily because I knew in-state colleges and universities would accept more transfer credits and in-state tuition would be less expensive. The information I received included full admissions packets and I did find the information helpful since it helped me determine if the school offered online degree programs AND in the discipline I wanted to study (i.e. legal studies). As I have mentioned before, I was fortunate to find the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) offered an online legal studies bachelor’s degree.
I am very satisfied still to this day with the quality of education and the online experience with UMUC, so I do not have any regrets in not requesting information from additional schools for my bachelor’s degree. When I started a search for master’s degrees online, I broadened my search to include more out-of-state institutions and requested information from about three schools. I did this because I found most colleges and universities offer online graduate degrees mainly in business or education fields; I was looking for a liberal arts graduate degree. I found a few schools that offered an online graduate liberal arts degree and found a good program at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. The best advice is to know what you want to study and keep searching. A larger variety of online programs become available each year, so you are bound to find what you are looking for. Requesting information is not a commitment to any particular school, so gather as much information as possible and then develop a pros and cons list for each. This will help you narrow your search to the eventual ideal institution. Happy hunting!
