What You Miss When Getting an Online Education, and What You Gain
There are pro's and con's to getting an online education at an online school like Axia College of University of Phoenix or Kaplan University or getting an education at a physical university. This article will take a look at some of the things you won't have available to you when getting an online education, and then look at what you will gain in their place.
The first (and what many consider one of the most important) aspect one loses when attending an online university is the social aspect. While online schools have forums and chat rooms to help combat this, they aren't the same as face time with fellow students and professors. Losing that personal, social aspect can make students feel more isolated and cut off from their fellow students and professors. The downside to this personal interaction, however, is that it's an expense to achieve it, either by living on or near campus or using some method of transportation to get there.
Another downside is access to resources such as libraries, labs and so on. Because of the lack of hands-on training in certain areas such as sciences or certain types of technology, online schools can't offer the same variety in courses or training that physical schools can. This lessens the ability to learn some of the tools you might use in the career of your choice.
So what are some of the upsides to getting an online education at a place like Capella University? The biggest are convenience and flexibility. When going to an online institution, you can take classes in the comfort on your own home. You can also take classes when you're able to, allowing for great flexibility as courses an fit within your busy schedule. This also helps you save money by saving on gas and transportation expenses. You also save time associated with travel, parking, etc.
So while there are some things you will miss by attending an online school such as University of Phoenix, the gains are substantial. The convenience of taking classes at home, the flexibility of going to courses on your own schedule, and the savings in time and money. All of this means getting an online education adds up to quite a bit of savings.