| With the explosive growth in online courses in recent | | | | awaiting for my next class to start. Between doing |
| years, students have more educational choices now | | | | homework and working on my job, my social life |
| than ever before. Before enrolling in any online course | | | | ceased to exist and it was difficult to keep in touch |
| however, a student may wish to consider this | | | | with friends. However, when my husband earned his |
| question: Is conventional learning better than | | | | degree online he worked part-time, took care of our |
| e-learning? While each student must come to his or | | | | young son and attended school. We were able to |
| her own conclusion, in my opinion-based on my own | | | | take part in our favorite events and still socialize with |
| personal experience and observation-the answer is | | | | our friends. |
| definitely, "No!" | | | | After two years of traveling to and from the |
| About eighteen years ago I was working in retail | | | | University three to five times a week my car was |
| sales, in my family's business, making a decent living | | | | literally worn out! So as soon as I graduated I had to |
| but at the same time becoming thoroughly frustrated | | | | buy a car to get to my new job! When my husband |
| with my job. I needed a career change, and finally | | | | earned his degree online he didn't have to travel even |
| decided I wanted to pursue my interest in a teaching | | | | one mile to get to school. In fact he could go to |
| career. I began researching undergraduate programs | | | | school anytime that was convenient for him. He could |
| in order to earn my Bachelor's Degree. After | | | | even go in his pajamas! |
| investigating many programs I settled upon a state | | | | While my tuition may have been less expensive than |
| university located more than sixty miles from my | | | | my husband's online courses, when I figured in the |
| home. | | | | cost for transportation I ended up paying much more |
| It took me two years of my life, hours of travel, | | | | for my conventional education than the University |
| thousands of miles on my car's odometer, and | | | | charged me on paper. My husband didn't pay one |
| hundred of dollars in gas to earn my Bachelor's | | | | cent in travel charges for his online education. He |
| Degree. I attended school full-time, while continuing to | | | | didn't have to fight the traffic and crazy drivers |
| work full-time at my job as well. Getting my degree | | | | either! |
| was worth the effort, but in retrospect, I really wish | | | | When you compare my husband's and my |
| e-learning courses had been available back then! | | | | educational journeys side by side, I think you'll see |
| In contrast to my educational experience, my | | | | that online education has definite advantages over |
| husband went back to school in August of 2002, but | | | | conventional learning. Ultimately however, the decision |
| he was able to get his entire education online. | | | | on whether to enroll in a traditional campus-based |
| When I was in school, much of my day was spent | | | | program or in an online program is up to each |
| either on the road traveling to and from school or | | | | student, based upon individual needs and preferences. |