Online Vs. Campus Courses

 So you really want to go to a certain school and study this super cool program but you just can't seem to pull yourself away from home! Sound familiar? Well certain schools have been hearing your cries and Online Courses has sprung into action. This new fad probably sounds familiar to a lot of people but I only recently got to experience it myself.

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The arrival of the internet has pretty much taken over my generation. Luckily for me I was about 15 when I truly discovered it and by then I'd have a pretty decent (read - awesome) childhood. Still, when it came to picking up and moving to Canada to complete high school, an online course wasn't an option. I'm a firm believer in the fact that the experiences a child or a young adult gains from school opens eyes to the World and the people in it. My school years have played a huge role in who I am and what I believe in today... Had I completed those years online, I would most likely be an entirely different person. That being said, online courses can play a major role in the life of a working adult or a university student. A major role that is both helpful and beneficiary in many ways.

The University I am currently attending has a relatively small body of 13,000 students with 7,000 of those studying online. However, given the nature of the courses offered (Music Production, Sports Marketing & Media, Game Art, etc.) it becomes quite easy to see why half of the student body choose to study in the comfort of their homes or work spaces. In fact! I can tell you honestly that the majority of these students are not only older than the typical University student, but they also are occupied with jobs, families and other joys of adulthood.

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When deciding between studying online versus campus, you'll need to take some things into consideration:
1. Online degrees require as much commitment as campus. There is a common misconception that online degrees are somehow 'less work'. I can assure you that is not the case.

2. Are you willing to give up the experience of learning in an environment surrounded by people that may share common interests.

3. Is the nature of your degree more hands-on (Show Production), or does it entail memorization and recall more than anything else (Music Business).

4. Cost. Moving from home does require you to find a new place to live, gas to get to class, and of course food.

5. Can you work a computer? Perhaps the most important. Taking an online class may require you to use iChat or Skype for face-to-face discussions and more personal experiences with your teacher; e-mail will become your life; and of course the actual course itself is more or less all on a computer screen. If you do not mind sitting in front of a computer for the majority of your day then an online class may be for you.

6. Classmates. If you thrive on the energy of people surrounding you, online may be a bit tough. Of course you will get to interact with your classmates when it comes to group projects and there will be discussions you can post on and the such.. but the actual intermingling will be rather absent.

I've toyed with the idea of moving back home and doing my course online, however the degree I am studying requires the use of a lot of equipment that back home.. simply can not offer. Yes you will probably miss your family and friends a whole ton, but the time you spend away strengthens you as a person and it does fly by rather fast. Just fill your days up, stay busy and keep your mind on the prize!

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