Online education is ideal for people who want to advance their training and gain an extra degree, switch careers, have an extremely busy schedule and family commitments and therefore are not able to attend courses on campus, or are first time job seekers who need specialized training in order to stand out from the other candidates. However, there are certain things that need to be thoroughly straightened out before deciding to enroll in an online course:
Myth 1: I have a very busy schedule, but thankfully, studying online means that all I have to do is hand in my homework assignments whenever I can.
Truth: It is important to actively participate in an online course, asking for necessary clarifications and exchanging opinions with the other students. If you don't, there is a chance you will not fully comprehend the course material. Also, even though there is a certain degree of flexibility offered, it is wise to arrange to hand in your homework assignments within a specific time frame, otherwise you run the risk of procrastination which in turn may result in the late completion of the online course.
Myth 2: I can attend an online course while doing household chores, answering the phone, watching TV, and generally while doing something else.
Truth: Even though it is possible for someone who is good at multitasking to successfully attend an online course while doing something else, exactly because there is no tutor supervision, it is of crucial importance for the student to be especially motivated and disciplined, so as not to fall behind.
Myth 3: Since online courses are so flexible, i can enroll in as many as I want.
Truth: Even though it is possible for someone to be able to attend successfully several online courses at the same time, it is wise to start with one course, monitor your progress for a while and then decide if you can really handle enrolling in more online courses. If you see that you are easily distracted and tend to procrastinate a lot, then it would be better to stick to just one online course.
Myth 4: I am used to learning by listening to lectures and keeping notes, but I think I will have no problem having to learn by just reading the online course material.
Truth: Students who attend online courses are required to have very good reading comprehension skills, without needing the direct or constant guidance of their tutor. If you notice that you usually need a lot of time to understand the written text, or you are not sure if you have understood the written text correctly, then maybe an online course is not ideal for you. It would be best to attend a traditional course on campus instead.
Myth 5: Most online schools are legitimate and accredited and so are their courses and the degrees they provide.
Truth: Before enrolling in an online course, it is important to conduct a detailed research in order to find out which online schools are really legitimate and accredited, which prices are reasonable to expect and which are the best resources you can find. Consult friends who have already completed online courses.
Myth 6: After submitting my responses, i do not need to participate in discussions with other students and my tutor for that week. I can return weeks later to hand in my next assignment.
Truth: Students are expected to participate in discussions with the other students and the tutor at least twice every week in order to share their thoughts and make comments.
Myth 7: Copy-pasting several paragraphs from the internet saves time and energy. Noone will find out.
Truth:While the internet certainly makes it very easy to plagiarize, sophisticated tools are available which can catch cheaters, and for that reasons students are required to always citing their sources.
Some of the best online schools are the following:
University of Phoenix
Devry University
AIU Online
Capella University
Kaplan University
Virginia College Online