How to get started with Online College Courses?

Factual Questions
1

I’m looking to enroll in some college courses online (as opposed to actual traditional classes) due to a really hectic life schedule, and I’m a little lost as to what will constitute a good choice.

I have gone to college before, but dropped out due to major illness, and was unable to go back due to health/financial/personal obligations. My major at the time was Fine & Performing arts, and it would be pretty worthless for me to try to finish that. I would like to go back to school and get a teaching degree, which seems much more sensible and useful than finishing a theater degree I won’t use.

I’ve always been an honors-level student, so doing work and research and writing is really not an issue for me. I enjoy studying. Part of my problem in college was that I was actually missing necessary classes from my major, because I was taking so many other History and English classes that weren’t required. I liked so many subjects that it was tough to nail myself down to a narrower field.

I’m looking for some help in going about taking classes online, and what I should look for when I sign up. I know some people here on the dope do the online class thing, and I’d like to know what works well and what doesn’t, in their experience.

I do live directly next to Burlington, VT. Burlington is a huge college city, and there are tons of colleges all over the place here, which is another reason why I’m having difficulty figuring out where I should go. I have a lot of options.

Also, if it helps, I would eventually (read: 5-10 years in the future) like to do ESL teaching in a foreign country (Europe/Asia, preferably), so if there’s anything specific I should look for, I’d like to know. I know most of the placement agencies for ESL teaching require you to have a degree of some sort, but I really want to teach, anyway.

Money is a general issue, as I can’t afford to spend exorbitant amounts on tuition, but I am applying for Financial Aid and I don’t make a lot of money, so I should be able to get some help, there.

Any tips or general information would be helpful (what to look for, what order to go about doing things, et cetera). I’d like to have a decent general plan before I go ahead and actually do anything. I’m not looking to complete an entire degree though online courses or anything like that, but I’d like to have a jumpstart this year until I can actually get into traditional classes possibly next year.

Everything was so much easier when I was 15 and didn’t have a life to worry about.

2

The short answer is to get a copy of the college’s catalog and scheduling bulletin and follow the directions.

Before you do anything, I’d start with either UVM or the local community college and meet with an advisor, who can walk you through what you’ll need to do to complete a teaching degree and get licensed in your state. Public colleges tend to be less expensive overall and can help walk you through the aid process, as well. There’s nothing wrong with trying a private school, but they’re more expensive and may have other requirements that are not conducive to a working adult’s lifestyle.

The procedure for enrolling in online classes varies by school. Some will allow anyone to take classes, others require you to go through the formal admissions process. Some offer online courses that you schedule the same way as you would any other class; others have a different office that handles it. Some make you go through the financial aid process, some don’t. And so forth.

The last bit of advice I’ve got is to take one online course to see how you like it, and how well it works for you and your schedule in terms of meeting deadlines and the amount of work it involves. I’ve taken courses that were relatively flexible in terms of deadlines and others that weren’t. Some professors require chat sessions that are at set times; others are content with message board-style discussion that isn’t all that dissimilar from posting at the SDMB. In fact, studying posts and threads in GD helped me tremendously because I learned how to back up my arguments and assertions with cites.

Also, I wouldn’t worry about anything you plan to do 5-10 years from now. The requirements to teach ESL may very well change, and planning for that now doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Robin

3

Thanks, MsRobyn. I’ll see about arranging a meeting with an advisor.

4

**MsRobyn’**s advice is excellent, and most of it applies equally to traditional classes.

I was going to say not to restrict yourself to a local university but if financing is an issue you probably want to pay in-state tuition. I don’t know your job or employer (and I won’t ask) but don’t discard the possibility that your employer might pay some tuition (although what you study has to be related to your job).

I completed a master’s degree online at Virginia Tech, and though the experience was very positive there are a couple of drawbacks to the online mode.

My program used Centrix, Windows software where you load a client on your computer. You need speakers and a mic. When you run the client, you see PowerPoint slides as shown by the instructor, and hear live streaming audio, both instructor and other students. There is a little button to push to raise your hand, and the instructor sees the queue in order. There are also whiteboard features, and the instructor can show anything from his own desktop that he wants.

Pluses: Hugely convenient. No commute time to class, except for the occasional proctored exam. I have two kids and could have dinner with my family then walk into the next room for the start of class, and usually be done in time to say goodnight to the kids. And today, at $4 a gallon…

Minuses: You lose the personal connection with a classroom full of fellow students and the instructors. Instructors do make themselves available for phone calls but nothing beats a hallway conversation after class. Classes that rely heavily on interaction in the classroom, such as a business class using case studies, suffer the most. The courses included some group projects. I did one where the group met in person, and one where we all collaborated online. You get to know people better in person.

This type of study is great for a self-starter who doesn’t need much instructor support or guidance.