patten university undergraduate

[ladylearner]

I think a lot of the issue with Patten is the newness of it. Straighterline wasn't working for me until I found this forum. I jotted down some of my pros and cons. Obviously some of these will be more relevant to some than others; these are my observations and experiences.

Pros:
1. super customer service - everyone I've talked to is knowledgeable and polite
2. speed - although 7 days might seem like a lot of time to wait for a project to be graded, it's a decent turnaround time
3. access to all coursework before you're enrolled in the class (the syllabus might be generic/vague but you can actually look at the learning materials, quizzes, etc. of classes you haven't started yet)
4. speed - takes about 30 minutes to enroll
5. speed again - my transfer credits were received and applied in the same day and I received an email each time a transcript was received and the courses were reflected in my account immediately (having a lock-step program helps here)
6. great website that's easy to navigate
7. monthly payment plan
8. downloadable tuition reimbursement form for work so I don't have to wait or go through the request process
9. programs being developed constantly
10. regionally accredited university so I can still transfer back to one of the Big 3 if I want (the purpose of attending Patten would be the affordable upper level credits that my job will pay for)
11. can start any Monday
12. NO discussion forums
13. Examity is less invasive than ProctorU
14. You don't have to wait to schedule an exam and if there's same-day availability, it doesn't cost extra

cons:
1. lock-step program means losing transfer credits if you already have a lot of credits under your belt
2. no one to talk to about assignments
3. no one to talk to about projects
4. no room for electives
5. final exams seem to be disconnected from the course materials
6. it's still new so I can't get any tips from the folks on this lovely forum
7. WAY too much science!