For one reason or another, many older adults find themselves having to go back to school either to boost their chances of getting a better position, become competitive to land a new job or even enter a new career. When deciding to go back to school there are two clear choices; attend classes on a campus, or attend online classes. Raising a family, working full-time or other everyday commitments leaves precious little time for attending a traditional classroom. Adults, who need to boost their education, may find attending an online class more beneficial. While there is no face-to-face interaction with the professor or other students, an online class is less stressful for older returning adults because they do not have to agonize about their …show more content…
Being an online student means not having to worry about it. One of the perks of growing older and mounting responsibilities, people learn the value of money, particularly how fast it goes. Financial worry is one of the greatest stressors in people who have family commitments and though they may be working on a degree to give them more flexibility in their career or more financial freedom, until the goal is met there is still the monetary and physical cost of journeying back and forth from campus. Traveling to a campus in a personal vehicle means using more gas, hence more gas needs to be bought and while gas in Kentucky is below $2.30 a gallon, the cost of filling up an automobile can add an extra financial burden. Financial hassle of traveling aside, the weather is also a consideration. Watching flowers grow and grass turn green in the spring can make traveling to class enjoyable. On the other hand, the spring also brings storms which can make driving to campus and then walking to class harrowing. Going to school in the summer for most people would not be a hardship, unless the outside temperature in the eighties or greater and their car does not have air-conditioning or it’s broken. Autumn, typically, is cooler than the summer, but warmer than the spring, on the other hand, it also has its share of fierce storms. Snow covered trees and roads are beautiful and peaceful to look at, but driving under those trees and on those roads, can be dangerous. Coupled with the dangerous driving conditions, a commuting student must contend with freezing temperatures. An older online student can stay safe in the comfort of their home, in their pj’s, drinking hot chocolate while the younger students drudge through the snow and freezing temperatures to get to
Many people are choosing to return to school to further their education. The majority of students returning to college are choosing to do so online. Most people in this day and age do not have the time to attend classes daily at specific times. There are many advantages to taking online courses. Several reasons for going back to school online are saving money, having more time with family or children, and the flexibility to work full time while going to school.
Have you ever wondered what the best college learning method for a working adult is online or campus? If working adults took online courses they can do their work anywhere there is an internet connection however they have to ask themselves; would I get the same or better education I could if I was sitting in a classroom? In a classroom setting they would get the interaction with fellow classmates and the professor who all come from different places in their lives. If the working adult had a question or did not understand they would get the results right away, on the other hand, if the student is learning online they have to wait for their professor. The response time for their email to be read and returned will not be there when it’s fresh in the student’s mind. If one is planning on going to college as a working adult, he or she should consider the value of taking the time and attend classes on campus.
Since 1965, the California Online Colleges, has joined the characteristics of an imperative examination school with the wealth of a one of a kind Southern California range. California Online Colleges' fearless obligation to careful scholastics, front line examination, and organization and character headway makes the grounds a primary force for improvement and revelation that serves our neighborhood, national and overall gatherings from different perspectives.
On the other hand, disadvantages some may see with traditional education would be cost and flexibility. With traditional education a student could easily endure more expenses such as, cost of transportation for gas to and from school, bus passes, or parking passes. Furthermore, the cost of on campus housing, or food could be a very costly expense. When living on campus, students tend to eat out a great deal and
Over the last decade there has been a steady rise in college and university enrollments. The vast majority of the enrollees are from the 25 to 40 age bracket, and this trend is only expected to continue into the foreseeable future. The trend has been recognized and embraced by colleges and universities all of the country, and as a result the traditional educational methodologies have been adapted to accommodate the adult learners of today.
Online classes offer more flexibility to adult learners, allowing them to balance work, family, and their education for success. Brenda earned her degree through this platform for this flexibility; however, the school’s representative also played a role in her decision to go back to school and attend Ashford University in San Diego, California.
In recent years, United States universities have experienced a large influx of enrollees over the age of 25, a group referred to as non-traditional students. After America’s relatively recent economic troubles, nearly all citizens feel as though higher learning is an important tool for financial success. Many non-traditional students include first-time students, and more than half of the student body over the age of 25 consists of stay at home mom attending online classes.
The growing trend of older adults going back to school has doubled over the last ten years according to Career Builders.com and online employment service I have used in the past. With increasing technology changing the job market to skilled labor and the current economic crises causing loss of employment, lay offs and business closings, more and more adults are faced with finding themselves back in the classroom.
Traditional programs offer easily navigable websites for the traditional student, one just out of high school and seeking a dorm life experience, but should work on a strategy to include and entice those returning to school with families and career already in place, including “video testimonials, program previews, transfer credit calculators, plain-English knowledge bases, live chat, and unfiltered social media conversations” (Maslowsky, 2012). University of Phoenix accomplishes this through the interactive website, targeted commercials in adult learner rich audience demographics, and easily navigated web content. Adult learner programs at traditional universities target the traditional college student, and by and large their websites have information for the adult earner ‘tacked on’ to pages and pages of information about the dorm life, meal plans, and campus life. This is a fundamental difference that bears exploration, and likely frustrates potential students and sends them to a system which, like University of Phoenix, offers a more tailored approach for the busy adult learner who wishes to study from home.
When deciding to take college courses there are many choices you have to make. One of the more important choices is where you plan to take your classes. Online classes are becoming increasingly popular because they can be easier to fit into a busy schedule, but some people still argue that nothing beats a traditional classroom setting. Having the option of online classes makes continuing an education more appealing to people that have to balance many other responsibilities like family, jobs, etc.
Frustrated with current career options, considering a major career change or simply having a zest for learning sparks many adults to earn their Bachelor's degree. Years ago, the only way to earn a degree was within the confines of a brick and mortar classroom. Today, one can earn a degree from an institution 3000 miles away, from the comfort of one's own home! While classroom learning is always an option, many are finding it much easier to maintain their family, their career and pursue a college career at the same time by pursuing a degree via online learning. Learning via traditional classroom or online is a financial, strategic and personal decision for each student. This paper will compare and contrast these two options as well as provide a discussion on the merits and drawbacks of both. I contend that for many adults, online learning is the practical way to earn a degree while still maintaining their current lifestyle. Without the option of online learning, many adults would find it logistically challenging to return to school, stalling their opportunity to earn a degree.
In today’s society, so many people are continuing their education beyond high school. We realize that in order to make a decent living, a degree is most likely a requirement. In some cases even a bachelor’s degree is not enough to qualify for many positions. Nevertheless, thanks to technology, we now have the option to learn online or in a traditional classroom setting. There are very few differences between the two, and students need to understand that as much time and energy will need to be devoted to the online courses as on a campus. “A 2010 meta-analysis and review of online-learning studies concluded that online learning was as good as or slightly more effective than traditional face-to-face instruction” (Mendenhall, 2011).
It seems that technology is growing, improving, and changing at an exponential rate. Technology now affects every part of our lives from the time we get up to the time we go to bed, and even as we sleep. One of the major areas that has been affected by technology is education. At one time, the only option for students to complete their education was in a traditional classroom setting. There has become a major need for non-traditional education because there has been a growth in the amount of non-traditional students that exist in our society. The advancement of technology has
Technology is changing every aspect in our lives, even the way we learn. Online classes are a rapidly growing trend it today’s society. Online classes are a cost-effective substitute for traditional courses and more convenient for many, so more schools and universities are offering this option. Due to the increase in online course enrollment, people are questioning if students truly learn something from online classes because it’s not a traditional learning environment. Online classes are just, if not more, effective as traditional classes because grades have increased and online discussions provide students with the chance to interact through networking while earning a degree for less than what it would cost to enroll at the same university.
In contemporary times, the technological advancement known as the Internet, has revolutionized the way in which society is educated. This tool greatly impacts not only the field of education, but every aspect of society. Indeed, Lewin documents, “those ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day” (A1), connected to the Internet. This citation illustrates the extensive amount of time today’s youth are online. To that end, the Internet is prevalent in many homes throughout the world and continues to influence the way in which people are educated both in the classroom and even while performing homework. The impact of the Internet becomes evident when one begins to examine similarities and differences between the slew of