Online vs Classroom?

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I haven't taken any online classes yet, but I am about to this semester. Which do you prefer? What is the difference? Is there really more work if you do the online one?

I am taking Chem II this summer, but I need to try and knock out one or two other very basic classes if possible. I would need to take them online because of childcare (or lack of.) However, I don't want to take on too much.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I tried to take as many classes as I could online. If you are motivated, then online classes aren't a problem. I love online classes.

I know when go to apply to bridge programs I'm going to have to retake my sciences. There is a college an hour away from me that does hybrid science classes. So when I have to take the classes I won't have to drive an hour every day to class.

I wouldn't say there is more work, that depends on the teacher.

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I found I had to do more work with online courses, in that simply "being in class" has no credit value online :) In order to account for attendance/participation for online courses, it's pretty common to have discussion groups and threads posted with questions and situations that require each student to contribute X amount of times to X amount of topics. In a live classroom, you participate as you see fit; in an online class, it's forced. Some are good with that....some not.

Be very careful of online science courses with labs, though. Unless you are taking a course specifically for a nursing program through that specific college, you might find that credits earned this way don't transfer, or aren't accepted as complete pre-requisites. Check it out thoroughly before you do it!

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Thanks for the input. I need goverment, Econ, world literature, and American history. These would be the classes I may take online. Yuck! I love math and science and am dreading these classes. I have finished math and science except chemistry which I am completing now.

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Specializes in ICU.

You will be ok as long as you don't take any science classes that have a lab component online. I took my first online class last summer. It was college algebra. I had to take it online because of our school's attendance policy. I was traveling to Hawaii and would have missed one class too many and they would not make an exception for me. I am an excellent student with great grades and never missed classes but because of this one trip they wouldn't do it. And I'm not trying to say I am special or anything, but I had a girl in my intermediate algebra class who should have failed due to attendance but they gave her an exception because she told them she worked until late the night before every week. But she also always had a Starbucks in hand too when she came to class late. But I digress. I had a hugely difficult time with it. Me personally, I do so much better in the classroom when I can ask questions and understand. I had nobody to ask questions to, and it would take me forever to get through the practice questions and homework. I honestly spent probably 20 hours a week on this class and it was a 3 credit hour class. I never worked so hard to earn a B in my life!! I don't know how people do all of their classes online, I could not.

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Specializes in Med-surg, home care.

I am currently taking online classes and I love it. I like that I can go to school on my time. I also have other obligations that make in- person class difficult right now. As for taking online labs, all the sciences courses I have taken so far have lab components but I checked with my school of interest ahead of time to be sure they were acceptable. Some schools will prefer web labs. Transcripts don't specify that a course is online or not though

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Last semester I took 4 out of 6 classes online. Next semester I'm taking 2/4 online. If you are organized and diligent I think it's a great advantage. In the beginning of the semester I was able to get ahead in almost all of my online classes, so that when things got intense in the middle/end of the semester for me it gave me much needed breathing room so I was able to focus in my harder /more important classes. It is more work in a sense of # of assignments, but it's only fair because you have to make up for class time somehow. However I found that I could accomplish all my work in the same or less amount of hours I would have spent in class.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day:

For pre-nursing and general education classes, I've completed online, in classroom, and hybrid (lecture online, labs on campus) in terms of class venues. I think it really matters on the class subject matter, the professor teaching the class, as well as you, the student in terms of which venue works best. For me, math and core sciences are best done either on campus.

Thank you.

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Specializes in Cardiac PCU/Med-Telemetry.

I have taken half my classes online. I must say you must really work in online classes. In my experience some classes were just basically self taught. I had to read the required books and go through power points with sometimes no real lectures from professors or any help really. So sometimes I feel it is harder. However, if you have the motivation and you must do it then it can be done. I chose some online classes because of childcare as well.

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