Online school sucks

[collegechick]

I need to vent. This is my second attempt at completing my Bachelor's online. I first tried CSU Global, which I found expensive. They would only accept 70 out of 92 credits. Their BS Communications required another math. I flunked out of Straighterline's Statistics math, even after getting help from my sister and her boyfriend, both engineers from UT, who were unable to understand it! I got a "B" in stats when I was in an actual classroom, with a real teacher. My GPA was 3.9!

From all the advertisement from TESU, I thought it would be easier. While I'm waiting for TESU to take their sweet, slow-assed time to review my transcripts, I've begun plugging away at few more courses thanks to this forum.

I just completed the free Ethics course from The Institutes. Horrible insurance content, but I passed. Studying Saylor's BUS 210 Bus Communications is sucking equally. Attending an actual university is SO much easier than online school. I miss classmates. I miss raising my hand and asking a real teacher a question to clarify. Online school is very lonely. But then cost/time is factored in attending an actual university and it just isn't worth it. Perhaps I'm not meant to ever complete my degree. This is awful.

[Lindagerr]

You sound young, impatient and maybe not the best candidate for online schooling. For me I didn't want to sit in a class socialize with young students, waste time driving back and forth etc. so online school was great. You have to decide what works for you.

Online learning requires self motivation, ability to learn without being taught in the traditional way and an interest in the subject you are learning. Are you sure that you really want the degree you are working towards? Don't give up on a degree just make sure it is in a field you will enjoy working in. Life is too long and work takes up too large a part of it to hate what you do.

[collegechick]

You sound young, impatient and maybe not the best candidate for online schooling. For me I didn't want to sit in a class socialize with young students, waste time driving back and forth etc. so online school was great. You have to decide what works for you.

Online learning requires self motivation, ability to learn without being taught in the traditional way and an interest in the subject you are learning. Are you sure that you really want the degree you are working towards? Don't give up on a degree just make sure it is in a field you will enjoy working in. Life is too long and work takes up too large a part of it to hate what you do.

Thanks for your comment. Nope, I'm not young, but *very* much an outgoing person. I have no idea what value a BA Communications will bring to my resume and bank account. I'm tired of a few past employers asking me when I'm going to "finish" my education. I've done the job of Master's/PHD holders at my last job, but wasn't compensated financially due to the lack of Bachelor's and the company went out of business. I've never liked school, but always had excellent grades. So far even these two classes are not applicable to any job I've had in the real world.

[tesu-acct-student]

:iagree:

I totally relate to this. I truly hate the OL format. Zero real social interaction. I also love being in a classroom and do a lot better there. For example, I got a C in Intermediate Accounting I taking it as an OL at TESU, but got an A in Intermediate Accounting II taking it at a local CC. Go figure. The second one is harder than the first, but I did better because of the format. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but it's the truth. Plus it was cheaper at the CC.

I recommend avoiding TESU's OL format (or any other OL format for that matter. I personally HATED Aleks, for example). Concentrate on other formats. First of all, take as many courses at your local CC as you can--this will scratch your itch for social interaction and is reasonably inexpensive. Then focus on testing out of courses via TECEP, CLEP and DSST. The Instantcert flashcards are excellent for that. I also recommend the GS format (guided study) as well as e-Pack and portfolio. Portfolio is great if you have a lot of experience in a certain area and like to write.

The best degree is the one you finish. I started in 1984 and finally finished this year. You can do this! Don't give up on your dream.

P.S. I am looking into master's programs that are local, where I can sit my butt in a classroom. Not going to do an online master's, even if it's cheaper. Can't stand the online format. You are not alone.

[ajs1976]

I've been there. I had to walk away from it for a few years, but then came back because it is something I need to complete. Keep trying different things until you find what works better for you. I learn best by hearing and miss the lecture part of some courses. I try to find youtube videos or sites like Khan Academy or Cybrary to help with some exams. Good luck.

Other than the expense of CSU-Global, what did you think of it? Did you take many of their courses (not the CBEs)?

[Lindagerr]

"young" is of course a relative thing. I worked many years without a degree as a chemist or in a laboratory. I liked the work so I finally got my degree in Math/science. towards the end of the degree I found I liked teaching so I added many education classes, that kept me interested. I was just trying to suggest that if "online school sucks" maybe it is the subjects you are taking not only the method.

As for a real teacher I don't know about the college level but in many K-12 classes more teaching is done online even when a human being is there.

[jsd]

It's not for everyone.

It's worlds better for me personally. Sitting in classes that are tailored at the pace of the slowest participants in the group was agonizing for me. Self-paced is perfect for me, speeding through what I already know or pick up fast, slowing down on my own personal problem areas. No suffering through inane questions from classmates or doing the work of a whole group in a worthless group project scenario.

I've also found many online courses more challenging than community college courses, and they should be. Community colleges are a bit of a joke sometimes, just extended high school. That said, I've also taken online courses I could have passed sleeping. There's going to be variations everywhere. I've had great community courses and professors as well, but they were further in between in my experience.

I grew up on computers and still do a great deal of socializing online (on here for example -- though I am involved in many more personal communities as well), so I'm use to online interaction. And I have a job where I see people face to face and work with friends, and I have a pretty normal family and social life as well. I don't need to hang out with 20-somethings on a campus.

But like I said, it's not for everyone. Everyone has to figure out their own path. Obviously most of us here will be bias as far what we think the best path is, but that is only applicable to ourselves.

[davewill]

I completely understand. It can be difficult and frustrating to have to teach yourself difficult subjects. It's definitely not for everyone. You might try analyzing yourself and see if it is all online classes or just certain types like the stats class. You can always take individual courses like stats from a CC, if that works better for you.

Saylor can be a pain in the butt. Because they pick up content from all over the web, the presentation is fragmented, links are broken, content is sometimes duplicated and it is often overkill for what the test actually covers. Some courses are better than others. I used their Sociology to study for the CLEP and it was fine because it used a single online textbook rather than a melange of sources. I used Env Ethics to study for the TECEP, and it was a bear with random readings and online lectures to plow through.

[TrailRunr]

I've taken several TESU online classes, and I felt like I was giving TESU money to teach myself the subject from a crappy textbook and take exams from TESU at home. I did learn those subjects well. But I feel I would have learned more butt-in-seat. There is nothing online about this learning other than taking the exam at home and discussion. The discussion forum posts were pointless busywork to pretend classmates were talking to each other. In many instances, the required textbook stinks. So I would go to other resources like youtube videos and other textbooks, etc. to learn the material. I prefer textbooks I can download for free. I would not have used a friend unless I couldn't find a better resource online, which is very unlikely. The upside is that I can finish the class in 12 weeks or less without wasting gas, commute time, and parking fees. I don't have a lot of free time to take traditional butt-in-seat classes, so I have to be picky as far as what classes to avoid taking online.

SL was mentioned in this thread, and I never seriously used it as a place of learning. I use it as an extended version of credit-by-exam. Instead, I used the open book policy to get great scores on the nonproctored exams so that I could fail the proctored exam and still barely pass. I used it for calc as a refresher and to meet 24 brand new credits in the AOS for a 2nd bac. Basically, the math courses helped me remember forgotten material rather than learn something new. Although I can complete SL courses quickly, I can't learn all of the material in SL courses quickly. If I tried to learn it, it would be another form of paying someone to teach yourself.

Community college is a joke. To me, it's slightly easier than high school, which was already quite easy for me. I get A+ grades from lots of courses where I learned the material in a superficial manner or it involved pure memorization. I learn more from the average self-taught TESU UL courses unless it's a notoriously hard CC class with a ton of homework.

With foreign language classes, I take them butt-in-seat always. You learn way faster with immediate feedback from 20-year-old classmates and the instructor.

TL;DR - You teach yourself at TESU, but you do learn the material. SL is not real learning the way I do it. Community college is a joke. Foreign language should be taken butt-in-seat.

[ladylearner]

I understand the OP's frustration. I really do. But having taken online classes at different colleges and in different subjects, I can say that they're not all the same. The amount of interaction varies as does the teaching style. There are still colleges that have face-to-face lecture-style instruction that is less interactive than some online classes. I took foreign language classes that involved group assignments and weekly video sessions with a TA who is equipped with a PhD in the language. I even did mock job interviews in an online foreign language class and had lots of interaction. In fact, I'm still in touch with two of my online classmates and one of my professors. Now I'm studying online at a foreign university and we attend class via videoconferencing. Not ideal for me, but the point is that all these experiences have been different. And I said all that to say that if your schedule prevents you from attending traditional classes but you like a more traditional format, I suggest looking around for more interactive online classes or a local program that offers hybrid learning. You can still take the requirements that are of interest to you via nontraditional means. Whatever you do, don't give up because a particular teaching approach doesn't work for you.