I feel as though online courses have not been a new concept at all, especially now that more websites than ever are coming into the scene that not only offer them to students but the general public. However, as a new first-year student, choosing to take a university course online for the first time is both exciting and worry-inducing. Hopefully, I can provide some insight for those of you wondering if this is right for you (a question I also had), now that I’ve officially begun my course. Let me assure you- For some, it might not only be an equally good option as learning in a traditional classroom but better.
Pros:
If you’re a very self-regulated person- or desperately want to become one- I think going this route is going to be a great choice for you. One of the first things I realized during my first lecture video was that I’m going to be able to set my own pace in many ways, like deciding when to watch these videos, do the weekly assignments (that no one is breathing down your neck to complete!) and in general manage my time in a way that is best suited for MY learning style. Best of all- I get to do this in the comfort of my own room, with snacks at arm’s reach and my digitized professor in front of a fun greenscreen background. Having these classes separated into weekly tasks really makes things easier because you have the portion you need to learn each week laid out for you- You just have to be able to bring yourself to do it. Plus, worry not if there’s something you don’t understand- there are helpful TAs and fellow classmates on the Quercus discussion boards everyday to help out.
Cons:
With all that being said, everything can flip if you would prefer having the supervision of your professors and the pressure of the attendance record in order to do well in a course, which is completely understandable because most of us are procrastinators and can have our lazy days. The computer in itself also comes with too many distractions that will make the work appear a whole lot less interesting, as opening a new tab or checking your social media accounts can be too easy and tempting. Furthermore, being able to pause a video to take notes might be nice but at the same time there is no way to ask your professor to explain something more in depth right then and there, which can indeed be frustrating!
My takeaway from all of this is that, if you really want to see if online courses are for you, go and try one out at some point! University is a place to try new things and figure out how you learn best, and everyone is differently wired. If something doesn’t work out, you can always switch to another. All roads lead to Rome- or in this case, good grades as long as you try your best.