Does online vs on-campus really make that big of a difference? Advice needed

Hello everyone

I have 30 credits left until I will be finished with my BS in Communications. At my current university, I would need to finish my degree on campus. The degree is a BS in Organizational Communication.

I recently found out that another nearby university in my state has a degree in Communication Arts with an Information Specialist emphasis. This degree is all online and the tuition is basically the same as my current school, but slightly less expensive. Both are state universities.

I think my current university might have a slightly better reputation. It is also a lot larger than the other school.

The thing is, I get extreme anxiety being on campus. I am also in my late 20's and I work full time. Going on campus is not convenient for me at all.. needless to say. The time it takes to drive there, actually find a parking spot (ha) and all the other stuff that goes with it... well, time is money.

I have a friend who claims I'm holding myself back if I finish this degree online. But I have to say that out of all the classes I've taken on campus so far, I haven't really formed any meaningful, lasting friendships with any of those people. We might be Facebook friends, but that's as far as it goes. We don't speak.

I'm just not sure what to think. I need to be working and making money while I'm in school and if I do this degree on campus, I will have to do 15-18 hours next semester and that doesn't leave me with a lot of time for work when I'm on campus that much.

My main question is... do you think finishing the degree online would be holding me back or be lower in quality? I have started to feel that school is a drain on my bank account and my time. I know that may sound awful, but I'm in so much student loan debt now and I am stressed about it. I just want to be finished! I honestly don't see how it makes a different if I'm on campus or doing the classes online. Please give me your insight. Thank you in advance!

 

Hi bellakai,

Welcome to Degree Info. In some fields the fact that your degree was earned online might hold you back. For example, many in the banking or finance field seem to look down on online degrees, but it is not justified. Dr. Pina, a regular here, often points to research indicating that the quality of learning via online methods is just as good and sometimes a bit better than traditional. In most fields, online vs. traditional is not an issue; nobody cares. I have several online degrees and I have never had trouble, it seems that most people don't care where it was earned, as long as it is accredited. The degrees are respected and accepted without a problem. In your field, I don't think it would hold you back at all.

The problem will be transferring your credits to another school. Most universities will not accept large amounts of transfer credits and the state school you mention is likely to be the same. 15 credits is often the limit. Fortunately there are a few schools that are not that way. While there are probably others, three of our favorites, known as the "Big 3", are fully regionally accredited, just like a state school, yet they are fairly liberal with accepting a large number of transfer. I know Excelsior College and Charter Oak State are both more liberal and will often take large amounts of credits. I'm not sure about TESC.

You should call the school you are considering and find out about their transfer policies. If they are not favorable, you should check out the others.


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Well actually, I would just be transferring from one state university to the next. All of my credits would transfer. You only need to do 30 credits at the school in order to receive your degree from them. My question was not regarding credits transferring because in my state, that won't be a problem since both are state universities. I'm not talking about transferring to an online college. It's just that the degree can be completed online through the state university.

Employers won't know I finished my degree online. I've done most of my classes on-campus save for a handful. My question was more directed toward whether I'm holding myself back by taking classes online. I have never really formed any lasting friendships through on-campus classes. It seems that everyone is just there to fulfill their goal of graduating -- and that's fine. But my friend keeps telling me that I'm holding myself back if I finish this degree online. I'm just not sure what to think.

 

No, you will not be holding yourself back. Your friend is wrong, the networking thing almost never happens on campuses. In your situation, you will be happier and more productive by not having to go on campus. You will not regret it. Don't worry about the reputation thing either. Unless you are comparing a top tier school with a much lower school, it doesn't matter. Slight differences in reputation are irrelevant.

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In general, TESC is the most liberal in accepting transfer credits. They also give UL credits for community college courses (the other two do not) and many CBEs that are transcribed as LL by Excelsior and Charter Oak.

 

I'm with surfdoctor on this - transfer to the other state school and finish your degree online. The benefit of taking classes on campus, from what I understand, is the relationships you can build. However, if by now you haven't built any relationships and only are causing yourself anxiety, I'd say you're no better off suffering through the last 30 credits at the campus. Take those 30 credits online and spare yourself the stress. I would, however, call the department and ask about the similarities between Organizational Communication and Communications Art - they may be completely different fields and/or not designed to land you in the same career. Another word of advice is, alot of folks majoring in Communications do so because they enjoy writing, talking, and engaging people through mass and interpersonal communication. If being around fellow students causes you anxiety, and you find it difficult to network/build relationships - you may want to focus on breaking out of your shell (you can join toastmasters for public speaking help, as well as to make friends who are interested in PR) - it takes alot of effort for introverts, from what I understand, but you will need to beat the streets and network extensively if you want to be successful in the comm/PR world.

Best of luck.

 

I say transfer to the other state school & finish online. You're not a traditional student, so I don't see the value in a complete "on campus" experience. Are you worried you'll miss an awesome kegger? No. You're a working adult finishing up a degree. If you can do it more conveniently and at a lower cost (including commute, parking, tuition, etc.), why not? You've already stated the prospective school is a nearby state school, so there's no issue of credibility, right? I say go for it.

 

I agree with all of this. At some point, you are beyond needing hand holding by a professor. Using up your valuable time sitting with a bunch of 19-year-old kids in a lecture can be very annoying for a more mature individual with little time to spare. I earned one degree the traditional way and then decided to cut to the chase. Give me the material I need to know, I'll learn it on my own and then write the papers and take the tests. Done!

 

Frankly, we'll be finding the reverse question being asked very soon. Within 5-10 years, I believe it will be the norm for college students to attend classes online, with very little B&M education being available. The face of higher education is changing, and changing fast.

 

Lance, how are you enjoying your studies at Liberty? I think I liked Liberty better than any school I ever attended.

 

I agree with your friend. B&M is the way to go. Why get a replica degree online when you can get the real thing in person? :mischievous:

 

Hey SurfDoctor, thanks for asking. I am really enjoying Liberty, and have really gotten used to it over the past several years. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the grading scale in graduate school being different from that in undergrad, but that may be the same in all graduate schools.

 

The higher required percentage is not the same in all graduate schools, this was the one thing I dislike at Liberty. I made 2 B's at Liberty and would have made all A's if the grading scale had not required a 94 & up for an A. What the heck the education is good, a couple of teachers were overbearing (one is now gone) and I passed the Licensed Professional Counselor Exam on the first sitting.

 

I can't exactly remember, but I think the grading scale required a 95 for an "A" when I was working on my EdS there. That is tough alright.


Sorry bellaklai for hijacking your thread. :hijacked:


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I think of online v on-campus learning as being more of a change in flavor than a change in quality. It's not even chocolate v vanilla, it's more like peach v strawberry. I think that B&M universities provide a social service (disservice) by providing an opportunity for H.S. grads to have an extended adolescence. They are (often) away from their parents with a somewhat more independent lifestyle but still in a protected environment where there is some sort of supportive network and some sort of protective presence (residence assistants, etc). There is a level of familiarity (sitting in a classroom, a time oriented structure/schedule, etc.) and so it eases the teenager toward adult life. Nice system. It works well for lots and lots of people. But if you're already an adult and don't need that transitional assistance, or if you're a mature enough kid then that whole super-structure seems unnecessary. To me it's a Jerry Maguire thing . . . "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!" In this case it's "GIVE ME THE LEARNING!!!" There's no evidence that I know of that indicates that living in a dormitory next to a bunch of idiots doing beer bongs and jello shots enhances my learning experience. In some ways it's nice to be able to stick your hand in the air and ask a question while you're sitting in a lecture hall but at a certain point you realize two things. 1) I can probably figure out the answer to that question on my own and 2) I can ask that question via email or whatever if I'm really stuck. I'm guessing that traditional higher ed is in decline. In our lifetimes we'll see a transformation. It's already begun. We'll never see an end to B&M universities but technology will continue to transform higher ed and my prediction is that someday it will actually be more common to have an "online" degree rather than a B&M degree. Welcome to tomorrow.

 

Surf and Psy,

Here is the current graduate grading scale at LU:

A = 940–1010 A- = 920–939 B+ = 900–919 B = 860–899 B- = 840–859
C+ = 820–839 C = 780–819 C- = 760–779 D+ = 740–759 D = 700–739
D- = 680–699 F = 679 and below

This was the same for my M.A. in Counseling and my current work in the M.Div. program through LBTS. However, I can't comment on all the graduate programs, but I'm guessing it's the same. It can be tough getting an 83 average in a class and getting a C...especially when in many of the grad programs at LU, no more than one C can apply to the degree.

 

LU's grad grading scale sucks. That's one reason I had to go from the MBA programs to the MAML. I just felt it was a safer bet then being stuck in limbo. I thought the 80 point scale was common among grad programs. Is it not?

 

Yes, they were strict, but they were fair about it too. Every one of my professors were easily accessible and did not mind counseling students who needed help. They were the friendliest and nicest people I have ever studied with. In my opinion, the combination of strict, fair and friendly makes an ideal learning situation.