Posted on Apr 25, 2014
Which is more beneficial while serving in the military: Going to college online or in the classroom?
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I've tried both online and the traditional "brick and mortar" universities. For me, going online was more flexible with my daily schedule. This allowed me to finish my degrees at my own pace without interfering with my missions or developing my Soldiers. What are your thoughts?
College
Education
Professional Development
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 16
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It depends on the individual. I have had the chance for both online and in classroom. I feel I do a little better in the classroom however I am able ot get more classes done online due to the reasons you stated. Either way getting your education is a good thing.
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The answer depends on several things. You mentioned your schedule and that is a big one. Many can't make regularly scheduled classes due to their work schedules. The other primary factor to consider is the field of study. Some fields just don't lend themselves to online studies (such as those requiring labs, or practicums). Cost may also be a factor to some. Bottom line, it's an individual decision based on your own circumstances.
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It depends on what type of learner you are. If you can essentially self teach through on-line, then that is a great flexible and usually much cheaper. Always look at your ROI(return on investment) even with education. Don't want to spend a lot of money to get a degree that won't pay much.
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SSG Mike Angelo
Maj Steve,
I take that as a subjective philosophy where money is concerned. This is a type of ism that suggests capitalism be considered in a higher educational endeavor. The character of an individual should be the determinant of the desired outcome of a degree, hence using the degree in action should not be inhibited by the status quo of Ivy League institutions and their partners. However, I see your point; ROI, return of investment. Our government does have opportunities for Tuition Assistance, forebearance, economic hardship deferrment, or even debt forgiveness after 10 years of qualifying teaching service.
I take that as a subjective philosophy where money is concerned. This is a type of ism that suggests capitalism be considered in a higher educational endeavor. The character of an individual should be the determinant of the desired outcome of a degree, hence using the degree in action should not be inhibited by the status quo of Ivy League institutions and their partners. However, I see your point; ROI, return of investment. Our government does have opportunities for Tuition Assistance, forebearance, economic hardship deferrment, or even debt forgiveness after 10 years of qualifying teaching service.
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First off, Congrats on getting your Associate's degree. As far as seeing any differences in the online degree vs the classroom degree goes, I haven't seen any. Out of all the people I know with degrees, about half have online degrees and they didn't have any problems getting jobs with those degrees. I would have to say it would depend on the employeer on whether they prefer an online degree or an in the classroom degree, but I haven't seen or heard my friends having problems with their online degrees.
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SGT(P) Karen Lonn
Thank you, I have always had my suspicion, but haven't had anyone that I knew that had gone through it themselves.
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SGT(P) Karen Lonn Whether you choose on site or online as an option I strongly recommend checking on the accreditation and the profit seeking status of the school. I linked to a study about veterans and SMs being manipulated by for profit schools in this discussion. https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/transition-what-do-you-wish-you-had-known-or-done-earlier
Transition: What do you wish you had known or done earlier? | RallyPoint
There are already a few good threads on this, but each are few months old, and most give advice either too specific (headhunting firms and programs) or too general (use transition assistance). Here's some of what I've learned so far (and I still have a long way to go-still being on the fence and all) As I've considered a transition I've learned the following points would have been helpful to know earlier: 1. Figure out what you want to do: A.)...
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Either way SGT, there is no difference. I will tell you this, go regionally accredited not nationally accredited unless you can score a reg/ntl' accred school. online school is no different than brick and mortar school.
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LTC (Join to see)
It is an it isn't. I am not slamming online schools, but there are many that are just the degree factory that most people think that they are. It is good to get a degree, but the question is...What do you want to do with it? If you want to have plans for future advanced education then you should strive to get a degree at a "brick and mortar" school vice an online one. Just my humble opinion.
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SPC (Join to see)
Thank you very much for your opinion sir. I went to an online university because i dont have time to atttend a traditional school.
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Having taken my fair share of both online and classroom classes, I know that I personally do better in a class if I attend it in person. However, I think I actually learn more in online classes because there is that self-teaching aspect. Both have their pros and cons, it's just a matter of personal preference and learning styles.
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Both of these options have their benefits.
Online courses are great if a Soldier is in a unit that doesn't have a ton of field time. Unfortunately, some units are in the field so often that it makes it hard for a Soldier to take online courses without missing key assignment windows.
Brick and mortar universities are great if you can find one near a base (or at the education center) that offers courses in the evenings or weekends in the program of your choosing.
Personally, I did both. I went to a traditional university for a year before joining the Army, then I took online and classroom (night) courses between deployments while on active duty. I got my first degree through mainly online courses. Then, I did the ADO program and went to school in the classroom full time at UW and received a second degree.
Of the two experiences, I much prefer to take classes in a traditional classroom, but that isn't always an option. For that reason, I'm now doing my masters degree online.
Online courses are great if a Soldier is in a unit that doesn't have a ton of field time. Unfortunately, some units are in the field so often that it makes it hard for a Soldier to take online courses without missing key assignment windows.
Brick and mortar universities are great if you can find one near a base (or at the education center) that offers courses in the evenings or weekends in the program of your choosing.
Personally, I did both. I went to a traditional university for a year before joining the Army, then I took online and classroom (night) courses between deployments while on active duty. I got my first degree through mainly online courses. Then, I did the ADO program and went to school in the classroom full time at UW and received a second degree.
Of the two experiences, I much prefer to take classes in a traditional classroom, but that isn't always an option. For that reason, I'm now doing my masters degree online.
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It depends on location, learning ability, and schedule. If you are hands on learner then classroom would be best. If you have a busy schedule then online would be best. If you are deployed then online would be best. I have taken both classroom and online. It just depended on my schedule on which I chose to follow.
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It really has to do with the individual. As much as I enjoy socializing with others my time off is very limited an geared towards my family and church. Online school has being perfect for me I do all my work on staff duty, nights or during lunch I can go to class when it's convenient for me.
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