Debating on On-Campus classes vs Online

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Aug 16, 2016

They aren't cheaper for me - the classes are through my community college, same cost as all the other classes I take. I take online classes because I'm a stay at home mom, and I homeschool my two kids. I need the flexibility and the freedom to prioritize.

That said, online learning is self teaching essentially. You need to have a lot of focus and good time management skills. My online classes are generally harder than my in person classes. I take my science courses in person, because labs - and just one class is 6 hours a week.

There are benefits to online and in person classes - choose the one that fits your lifestyle the best.

Good luck.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

Online classes were actually $40 more expensive at my school because of some extra fee they tacked on.

I would wholeheartedly recommend taking your social sciences or electives online as in general I found the work load to be a lot less and easier -- a couple of discussion forums not unlike what you're doing right now, a couple of open-book quizzes/tests (compared to closed books in person), maybe a couple of papers to write. In general, they're a big time saver and more convenient than in person classes.

For harder, more intensive courses like your lab sciences and math, I would take those in person so you can have hands on experience learning them and get instant feedback from the instructor if you need assistance.

RainbowHead · Aug 16, 2016

Online classes were actually $40 more expensive at my school because of some extra fee they tacked on.

Wow, that's really something. Maybe there are more hidden costs to online than I thought. Money is an issue for me.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

Wow, that's really something. Maybe there are more hidden costs to online than I thought. Money is an issue for me.

Have you already applied for FASFA? Also, check for available scholarships. I've gotten $11,000 so far this first year of nursing school from scholarships.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Aug 17, 2016

There is a growing body of evidence indicating some classes are better suited to in-person, traditional delivery methods. Intro statistics is one of 'those' classes where interaction with a qualified instructor has been found to make all the difference, especially for students without a strong math background.

OliveOyl91, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2016

For me, it all depends on the class before I'll take it online. I've taken psychology and allied health classes online without a problem, but I tried taking statistics online and I wasn't even a week into the class when I realized this wasn't going to work for me. At my school, online classes are also more expensive, especially if it's a science class requiring for a lab. A friend of mine took general biology w/ lab online and the lab portion alone cost her an additional $100. The online chemistry class requires you buy a lab package costing almost $300.

barcode120x, RN, NP · Aug 17, 2016

I loved taking online GE classes. Made life so much easier. I was able to do HW as early as I could when posted and could binge do them in a day so I would have the rest of the week off. Saved a lot of money and time by not having to go to school/lecture. The only downside was the lecture portion. I prefer being "talked to" about the subject rather than reading the whole book myself. This is pretty much the same reason why I am doing an online BSN program rather than attending a full class one. I don't have the time due to work and even if I did, I would have no life. Oh and online classes were the exact same price as regular classes.

verene, MSN · Aug 17, 2016

None of the online classes I took were cheaper than regular. I paid full-tuition plus a small technology fee for every online course I took. The biggest advantage was flexibility of time. I get the work done as fit into my schedual - but it did also mean I had to make time consistently in my schedual and prioritize my own learning. Fortunately I'm fairly self-motivated and organized so this wasn't a big issue.

Some classes though do work much better in person or at least done hybrid. I tried taking stats online and it was not a good fit at all. I ended up taking it a quarter later as a hybrid course - all lectures were online and once a week we met for discussion and quizzes. I also took chemistry hybrid as well - lab was in person, lecture online. Bio and A&P coursework I took in-person and I feel that having and instructor and other students readily available to ask questions of made a huge difference to my learning in those courses.

Maybe start out with one or two social science courses to get a feel for online learning and see how well it works for you?

NuGuyNurse2b · Aug 17, 2016

I'm taking online Rn-BSN and the school charges an additional $300 for an online course vs a regular in class course...just because.

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Aug 18, 2016

Most of my classes were online, part time and 2 classes per semester while I worked full time. Here's what it comes down to in making your decision, how far do you plan to go in nursing? Why? Because some graduate programs do not accept online courses especially ones with labs will not transfer. The majority of the science classes I did as hybrid classes with online class and "live" in person labs or totally classroom on campus. So my lab days were like once and twice per week for 3 hours on campus and the rest I did online. This mainly applies to the science classes. All my non-science coursework was online. I would look into this first and then make your decision.

Sciencegirl08 · Aug 18, 2016

Speaking of making the best grades, I find online math classes easier. It's easier to go at your own pace in a way and it's easier to clarify a topic and get extra help from the professor, whereas in a regular class you may feel timid to ask for understanding when it seems like everyone else understands the topic. I also supplement with online tutoring from chegg.com where you can get tutoring 24/7. YouTube is also helpful.