My recent decision to enroll in a university to continue and complete my pursuit of an undergraduate degree was not especially difficult. Selection of and commitment to a particular university was not as simple. Multiple factors including, but not limited to, price point, reputation, ease of access, and career relevance were weighed. I selected Western
Governors University and remain very satisfied with this choice.
Cost is a major determining factor, and one in which
WGU holds a tremendous advantage over competing learning institutions. One must consider the annual cost of WGU at
$5,780, compared to the average annual cost of a public institution at $32,617. Other online institutions also cannot compete in regards to cost,
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The mentor program is a benefit of WGU that, while described in their promotional material, is not fully realized until experienced personally. Each student is assigned a
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mentor as a “personal point of contact and guide throughout the duration of the program” (WGU, 2012). Weekly status update phone calls have been essential to my keeping on track and motivated
- issues I was concerned with considering the self-paced nature of online learning. The mentor is just one aspect of WGU’s support. Each course is supported by multiple class mentors - experienced professionals that lead online webinars, publish video tutorials, and respond to personal inquiries. All of these are offered at many different times to accommodate students’ schedules. Returning to college as a working adult is a serious commitment. Balancing work, family life, and attempting an education is difficult. While cost benefits, reputation, and career relevance were my primary drivers in selecting WGU as my university, the support of my personal mentor and the staff committed to each course have been the biggest factor in my satisfaction with WGU. I do not hesitate to suggest Western
Governors University to anyone interested in pursuing higher education. 5
REFERENCES
How WGU’s tuition compares. (2013). Retrieved from http:// www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/tuition_comparison_pop Fast
In 1983, Raymond Carver introduced his short story “Cathedral” to the public. The first-person narrative takes place within the narrator’s home, where his wife is waiting upon the arrival of her blind friend Robert. The narrator, however, becomes more concerned about how Robert’s visit will affect him rather than enjoy the situation. Once Robert arrives, the narrator tries to understand the blind man, but he is unaware of what tasks Robert is capable of performing due to the narrator’s inability to “see”. In time, Robert shows the narrator the difference between looking and seeing through illustrations of a cathedral, drawn by the narrator with his eyes closed. “Cathedral’s” narrator exposes readers to anti-heroic views
Although taking online courses may appear to be very time consuming and hard at times, the idea of obtaining your college degree from the convenience of your own home has made it easy for students to continue on with their everyday life. This article has given me a whole new perspective to this online learning experience. Through the group assignments and class participation, online learning generates relationships amongst peers and instructors and allows us as the students to value each individual student’s walks of life under the same subject. This online course will prepare me to become the educator that I need to be when dealing with the different diversities with the students, parents,
Have you ever wondered what the best college learning method for a working adult is online or campus? If working adults took online courses they can do their work anywhere there is an internet connection however they have to ask themselves; would I get the same or better education I could if I was sitting in a classroom? In a classroom setting they would get the interaction with fellow classmates and the professor who all come from different places in their lives. If the working adult had a question or did not understand they would get the results right away, on the other hand, if the student is learning online they have to wait for their professor. The response time for their email to be read and returned will not be there when it’s fresh in the student’s mind. If one is planning on going to college as a working adult, he or she should consider the value of taking the time and attend classes on campus.
This occurs because the education received is competency based, rather than credit based. If a student has prior experience and/or knowledge of a particular subject, or is able to work quickly and learn fast, he or she can demonstrate that competence very quickly and move on to another subject. ("About WGU: How We’re Different," 2010) The student is also billed per semester, not per credit or course taken. This allows the student to complete as many credits as he or she can adequately handle, all for the same low price. This saves the student both time and money, both of which are precious in today’s economy. ("Tuition and Financial Aid," 2010)
The University of Montevallo located in Montevallo, Alabama has fairly cheap prices when compared to other universities. For tuition and fees, not including room and board, costs $24,410 per year for out of state students. This is fairly cheap compared to other schools whose out of state tuition is $30k+ per year. In-state tuition costs $12,140 per year for tuition and fees. One of the highest selling points for me for Montevallo has the opportunity to have in-state tuition if I get a 3.0 GPA and a 23 on the ACT. This would save me a lot of money, making college cheaper than even some colleges in Colorado. The University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia is more expensive when it comes to out of state tuition. It costs $29,844 per year compared to Montevallo’s $24,410 per year. In-state tuition is $11,634 per year which is around $500 less than Montevallo. However, UGA does not offer as many opportunities to save money like
While tuitions rose and salaries static, families no longer see the need to splurge on the “college experience”. Not only are students paying for the expense of academics, but on campus dorms and a meal plan as well. Although Students could choose to commute to cut out the cost of dorms, many colleges are too far away from home to do so. If living on campus and commuting were out of the question, then students may enroll in online schooling to get the education they need
“That decision came after a lot of research. There are so many online programs—some good—some bad—and none of them are cheap. I liked how the course study was laid out, along with how the enrollment agent treated me. I had a lot of questions. Rather than just giving me the "sales pitch," she talked to me about the instructors' backgrounds, how many years the University had been in operation, along with how long they had worked with online programs.”
In recent years, United States universities have experienced a large influx of enrollees over the age of 25, a group referred to as non-traditional students. After America’s relatively recent economic troubles, nearly all citizens feel as though higher learning is an important tool for financial success. Many non-traditional students include first-time students, and more than half of the student body over the age of 25 consists of stay at home mom attending online classes.
When I began my search for grad school I was looking for far beyond an exceptional education. George Washington University is a well-established university that maintains a great research program that in fact can offer me with an excellent education. I am confident that I will gain great knowledge from George Washington University’s professional educators. George Washington University’s Health Administration program will also strengthen my character in the field. Also, it will allow me to use the skills that I am learning and apply it to my everyday working life. By strengthening my demeanor, I will be able to further ambition as a leader, and be brave enough to make critical decision-making a natural habit. In addition, not only will I give
Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Health, United States, 2002. Flegal et. al. JAMA. 2002;288:1723-7. NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, 1998.
In conclusion, learning online comes with the unique perk of flexibility and pitfalls related to flexibility. Juxtaposing the classroom with my dining room ( traditional vs. nontraditional learning environments) reveals the only difference between the two environments a personal state of mind. Meaning, I must remain focused, humble, and fearless because my success is ultimately my responsibility. When I accepted this responsibility in 2005 and I started by taking one class at a time until I gained enough confidence to enroll full time. Graduating next year is going to prove that how you start is not as important as how you finish; I plan to finish stronger and wiser than when I began this
At least 11% of women smoke during pregnancy. Many of these women smoke without knowing the significant negative effects smoking has on their babies before, during, and after the pregnancy. When a woman smokes during pregnancy, she exposes her baby to dangerous chemicals such as tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine, and other poisonous chemicals that travels through the bloodstream and goes directly to the baby. Nicotine restricts the oxygen through the blood vessels throughout the body, including those leading to the umbilical cord. There are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes. Among these chemicals, there are life-threatening issues that can happen while smoking during a
Non-traditional students are finding it easier and easier to maintain a job, a family, and pursuing a college career at the same time. This is possible because more and more non-traditional students are receiving an education using distance learning, as opposed to traditional, in-the-classroom teaching. Distance learning is basically taking college level, credit-bearing courses via the Internet. One of the most obvious advantages of distance learning is that it puts the classroom in your home, office, or wherever you can find a computer and log on to the Internet. However, there is much controversy regarding the quality of the courses being offered on the Internet versus the quality of
Technology is changing every aspect in our lives, even the way we learn. Online classes are a rapidly growing trend it today’s society. Online classes are a cost-effective substitute for traditional courses and more convenient for many, so more schools and universities are offering this option. Due to the increase in online course enrollment, people are questioning if students truly learn something from online classes because it’s not a traditional learning environment. Online classes are just, if not more, effective as traditional classes because grades have increased and online discussions provide students with the chance to interact through networking while earning a degree for less than what it would cost to enroll at the same university.
Education has undergone significant changes because of the development of information and communication technology over the 21st century (Lin & Jou, 2012:2). As a convenient and inexpensive way to gain knowledge while pursuing higher education, online learning, a form of training or teaching that takes place over the Internet, has been considered as an alternative to traditional classroom learning (Zhang et al, 2004). This essay will argue that even though online learning has benefit such as flexibility which could outweigh traditional learning, traditional classroom learning might still not be entirely replaced. This essay will discuss positive and negative aspects of online and traditional learning in terms of four criteria: