How do you feel about your online college?

[jsd]

to be fair, i've done less than 8 hours of actual studying total for some butt-in-seat courses, and still came out with As.

[alzee]

gee, I just can't understand why some people have a low opinion of online degrees /sarcasm

My attitude is a reflection on the quality of degree provided by an online school? You think there aren't any people attending B&M schools with exactly the same attitude?

Life in fantasy land must be nice.

[sanantone]

gee, I just can't understand why some people have a low opinion of online degrees /sarcasm

hey, everyone look at me !
I got a whole semester of credit with only 8 hours of study

hang that diploma up and display it proudly
you worked hard to achieve it LOL

You'd might have a point if you didn't like a post by Trailrunr advocating to use Ratemyprofessor.com to find the easiest instructor for general education courses.

[bjcheung77]

Haha, my learning experience has been a roller coaster ride that has been an exhilarating journey...
It's actually been 20 years in the making, in short, this year has been a great ride for the last few months...
Now, I'm finally doing what I was wanting to do and at the pace that I like to do it...

[SweetSecret]

I've studied hard in butt-in-seat college classes, some I got As and some I could have jumped through hoops on fire and the instructor still wouldn't have liked me... either way many of those classes were 12-17 years ago and I don't remember any of the content. On the other hand the content from my TECEP exams is still pretty fresh and I'll regularly refer to studies or information learned while studying.

[keepsingin]

I'll answer just for fun, not sure if you're sincere or just trolling. First I will turn it around on you, how do you feel about completing nearly 1/4 of your education with non traditional CLEP credit? Cheated? Is it really the "easy" route? What will an employer say if they learn you tested out of nearly 1/4 of your degree? Truth is that no one will likely ever know except you, and that is essentially true for most of us as well.

I think your nomenclature is flawed. I think you are asking about non traditional or alternative education rather than online. Online doesn't really carry much of a stigma as far as I can tell, and to deny it is the way of the future is probably a certain course to extinction. Most traditional Colleges and Universities offer online education in one form or another and many offer full degrees online...if the traditional schools are "all in" I think making a distinction that online is bad is really a moot point. If on the other hand your real issue is with alternative methods then we can maybe have a little debate.

To engage in the debate you need some background. CLEP was designed and sanctioned by the College Board, same folks that brought you the SAT's and AP exams. The boards stated purpose is to expand access to higher education. It is a consortium of some 6000 schools, and related organizations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Board So, at least in a round about way, the exams are sanctioned by Colleges and Universities. In fact one generally takes the exams at a member college and applies that credit to a member school (not always, but usually). So the problem with legitimacy is greatly diluted when you understand the foundation of the credit. Note also that schools are always the final determinator of what credit is allowed and where it will fit...sounds like this is the case with your school, you indicate that they take some but not all CLEP...just as the system was designed. Schools are also free to limit the number of allowed credits, Yale doesn't accept any CLEP, Harvard Extension School is the only member of Harvard University that allows any CLEP and they limit it at 12 credits, Florida Public schools limit you to 45, TESC to less than 117, Charter Oak to less than 114 (or is it 90?)...so schools run the gamut. Note to that AP varies as does acceptance from one school to the next even for credit earned butt in seat at a regionally accredited institution.

Imagine this for a moment, I don't know what school you go to, but I assume it is a regionally accredited institution. I doubt anyone would dispute the validity of your acquired in class credits...but there are numerous schools who wouldn't accept them in transfer. Harvard College, Yale, US Military Academies...all of these feel the students experience at their school is diminished by the acceptance of outside credit so they simply don't take it (in most cases, there is an exception to everything). Do you feel shortchanged knowing that much of your acquired credit is worthless at many other schools? You shouldn't, because it in no way diminishes your accomplishments, but the value is arbitrary when thought of in the abstract.

As it happens, I did make use of alternative credit in completing my degree. In my case however I went in with over 160 semester credits. They simply weren't the right credits to acquire a degree. many of my credits included stuff like pharmacology, how to intubate or gain venous access on a patient, how to shock a heart back into a normal rhythm, how to cut someones throat to provide them an airway.....but colleges see all of this training/education as lower level and not worthy of 300-400 level credit...so I had the wrong 160 credits. I had to rely on straighterline, two DSST exams, and taking online classes through Colorado State University Pueblo and transferring them back to Charter oak State College to earn my degree. All of those CSU-Pueblo classes were studied and completed in between calls while I was working on the ambulance. I had to support my family and couldn't deplete our meager family savings (my two kids were about to hit college themselves). While my partner slept I studied ethics in healthcare, operations management, human resources, and human geography of all things....human geography WTH will I need to know that for ...but it's a requirement. So in the end, sure kid, I will put my "school experience" my "easy route" against anyone's...anytime.

Since obtaining my degree from Charter Oak...which is a "State College' btw, I have been promoted three times and was accepted and subsequently completed an online MBA...my undergrad education served me, and continues to serve me quite well. Should anyone ever ask me, i will relate my experience detailed above...but here is the kicker...no one freaking cares! Most HR departments wouldn't know NA from RA State U from pudunk online college...The folks who interview you only have their own experience to relate to. When you say "college" they think of frat parties, or study group, a favorite teacher....or the inside of an ambulance. This said not to diminish the value, but outside of certain occupations (most occupations) and certain schools (few schools) where you went to undergrad has little bearing...what you studied and your grades may matter, but RA to RA the name over the gate has little bearing. (I will give extra points to those gatekeeper schools like the Ivey League, the MIT's, and the flagship football playing juggernauts that have strong alumni bases that can get you jobs), but a place like Chadron State, University of South Florida, XYZ State....please Thomas Edison State University, Excelsior College, or Charter Oak State College are every bit their equal on paper...for the most part it just doesn't matter.

I'll close with something that really will affect your future...borrowed money. I've no idea where you go to school, and know nothing about your finances...but if your borrowing money for the experience you may well be making a mistake. Student loans are a yoke of oppression. Owing significant money will drive your decisions on what job to take, where you can live, what else you can buy, how long you stay at a job you may hate, when and potentially to whom you marry, rather or not you can afford the life you hope to live. Alternative education eliminated this concern for me and in large measure is responsible for the brilliant way my daughters are completing their educations (a hybrid model where they maximized CLEP/DSST then relied on other methods like dual enrollment to complete as much as possible). Alternative education is a gift you can give yourself...good luck and congratulations on finding those 22 credits to shorten your stay and reduce your costs.

Best,
Rebel

Not sure how I missed this... This is such gold! So eloquently and succinctly put... I'd love to hand this to people who give me grief about my nontraditional degree route! Two thumbs up!!

[rebel100]

Not sure how I missed this... This is such gold! So eloquently and succinctly put... I'd love to hand this to people who give me grief about my nontraditional degree route! Two thumbs up!!

Do whatever you like with the information (please attribute it back here to IC when a[appropriate), thanks for the note.