Online school sucks

[collegechick]

Thanks to all of you commented. Glad to read I'm not alone. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do. I looked at my local CC and see many communication courses offered there I could transfer. I might do this, but will wait to see what TESU says. Although I'd prefer a degree from a more legit sounding school. *Sighs* we'll see.

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

CSU Global is much more professional than TESU. They were able to review my transcripts quickly, get me scheduled and had excellent customer service. Also, a degree from Colorado State sounds much nicer on a resume than TESU. I was initially interested in their BS Communication because I read how easy it was on Yelp and I lived in Colorado at the time. NONE of it was easy!!! Pell Grant awarded me some money that covered one class, not even a text book. CSU has a very limited credit transfer policy as well. TESU will give you more from what I've read on this forum. We'll see when they finally get back with me!!

[collegechick]

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.

I agree with you. Tried teaching myself coding from free sources and I need an actual teacher! I don't really care if CC is a joke. I'd take an easy CC class anyday over the relentless agony of figuring everything out online. Plus, I think learning from other students is fun and keeps me young.

[Nixi]

Studying Saylor's BUS 210 Bus Communications is sucking equally.

Yeah, Saylor is really overwhelming if you go through all their lessons. For Saylor's Business Communication course, I skipped straight to the unit quizzes and just completed and studied those along with the practice final. I looked up anything I didn't understand and skimmed through the course book too. In all I spent ~4 hours studying and passed the final exam.

[collegechick]

Yeah, Saylor is really overwhelming if you go through all their lessons. For Saylor's Business Communication course, I skipped straight to the unit quizzes and just completed and studied those along with the practice final. I looked up anything I didn't understand and skimmed through the course book too. In all I spent ~4 hours studying and passed the final exam.

Thanks for the tip. I've been going through everything and completing a chapter a day. Day 8. I tried your method and attempted/failed the practice final again (50%). Which is ridiculous because I scored a 68% my first attempt, never studying anything. Saylor contradicts themselves on the resume section. Using the control + Find feature, there's quiz questions that have no text coverage. I've had to use google several times. I truly hate this! You must have a knack for online school!

[KayV]

None of the Big 3 take community college classes as upper level credit, so keep that in mind as you look at other options.

Does your community college have an articulation agreement with a 4-year institution? That might work better for you.

[tman7479]

I recently applied at TESU and CSU Global.

CSU Global completed my evaluation in a couple of days after receipt of all my transcripts. I am of course still counting down the 25 days for TESU to get back to me. I do agree that CSU Global is very professional. I've applied at a number of online colleges to see who would transfer the most credits and of all those schools the advisor from CSU Global has been in contact contact via phone and email. The other schools, not so much. CSU global takes up to 90 credits in transfer including ACE / CLEP / Alternative Credit project and their CBE's. Some of their degree plans allow up to 54 electives so if you have a lot of random classes or Ace credits you can dump them in the 54 credit elective bin. Their residency requirement is a bit stricter than TESU, being 30 credits as opposed to 16 and there is not an option to buy your way out of the Residency requirement like TESU. With that all being said the Online student portal at CSU Global is also much easier to navigate than the TESU portal. Also cost is relative I think. I was looking at ASU Online for instance since I am from Arizona and their in state program tuition I was looking at was $633 / credit!! CSU Global is only $350 per credit. That's actually on the lower end of most of 4 year programs I could find online for my major.

I do hope you find what you are looking for. There are so many online colleges and sometimes it doesn't hurt to apply at many to see who gives you the most transfer credit. Generally schools that allow a lot of electives in their degree map might be more accommodating if you have a lot of existing credits. Schools who have a very specific set of courses you need to take with no electives such as Patten will be harder to transfer credits into.

Best of luck!

Thanks to all of you commented. Glad to read I'm not alone. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do. I looked at my local CC and see many communication courses offered there I could transfer. I might do this, but will wait to see what TESU says. Although I'd prefer a degree from a more legit sounding school. *Sighs* we'll see.



CSU Global is much more professional than TESU. They were able to review my transcripts quickly, get me scheduled and had excellent customer service. Also, a degree from Colorado State sounds much nicer on a resume than TESU. I was initially interested in their BS Communication because I read how easy it was on Yelp and I lived in Colorado at the time. NONE of it was easy!!! Pell Grant awarded me some money that covered one class, not even a text book. CSU has a very limited credit transfer policy as well. TESU will give you more from what I've read on this forum. We'll see when they finally get back with me!!

[jsd]

Keep in mind that CSU Global counts their CBEs as part of the 90 credit transfer limit, and you have to take 30cr of actual courses with them, not just exams. That's $10,500 right there, not counting any of the money spent on alternative sources.

[cookderosa]

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.

You should pursue the path that makes you happy. One is not better than the other just because some of us think it might be easier or more pragmatic. Follow your heart.

[collegechick]

I recently applied at TESU and CSU Global.

CSU Global completed my evaluation in a couple of days after receipt of all my transcripts. I am of course still counting down the 25 days for TESU to get back to me. I do agree that CSU Global is very professional. I've applied at a number of online colleges to see who would transfer the most credits and of all those schools the advisor from CSU Global has been in contact contact via phone and email. The other schools, not so much. CSU global takes up to 90 credits in transfer including ACE / CLEP / Alternative Credit project and their CBE's. Some of their degree plans allow up to 54 electives so if you have a lot of random classes or Ace credits you can dump them in the 54 credit elective bin. Their residency requirement is a bit stricter than TESU, being 30 credits as opposed to 16 and there is not an option to buy your way out of the Residency requirement like TESU. With that all being said the Online student portal at CSU Global is also much easier to navigate than the TESU portal. Also cost is relative I think. I was looking at ASU Online for instance since I am from Arizona and their in state program tuition I was looking at was $633 / credit!! CSU Global is only $350 per credit. That's actually on the lower end of most of 4 year programs I could find online for my major.

I do hope you find what you are looking for. There are so many online colleges and sometimes it doesn't hurt to apply at many to see who gives you the most transfer credit. Generally schools that allow a lot of electives in their degree map might be more accommodating if you have a lot of existing credits. Schools who have a very specific set of courses you need to take with no electives such as Patten will be harder to transfer credits into.

Best of luck!

I'm in Vegas and have been accepted at UNLV. They'll only accept 60 credits! If I didn't mind a boat load of debt, I'd hands down attend ASU in person. What a gorgeous, clean University in a safe neighborhood! How's the economy down there in Phoenix? I want out of Vegas!!

CSU must have changed their transfer policy since I was enrolled last year. Like JSD said, you need at least 30 credit hours coming from CSU Global. Very costly to me.

[collegechick]

You should pursue the path that makes you happy. One is not better than the other just because some of us think it might be easier or more pragmatic. Follow your heart.

That would be no school whatsoever. I'm just tired of feeling like I'm passed over for someone with an additional piece of paper.