Online vs Face-to-Face

Technology plays a huge role in college courses today. The option of online courses is

continuing to grow and now is more popular. We have the availability of online or face-to-face

courses and can now take the class that best fits our lifestyle. Just like everything in life there are

positives and negatives to these options. Determining which is the best situation suited for you is

completely up to you.

Online classes can be very convenient. This reason alone already plays a big part in why

online programs are becoming more popular. In fact, nearly 5.8 million people are enrolled in

online college courses ("Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes: Pros and Cons", 2019). When

taking online courses you are able to have more flexibility in your daily schedule. I have a full

time job, I am a coach’s wife and a mother to two kids. My weekly schedule is completely full

and I am still able to take as many classes as I need. I do not have to quit my job or sacrifice time

with my kids. Online classes have allowed me to sit down at night while my kids are sleeping

and complete my assignments. I have been able to fit a full load of classes into my already

fulltime schedule. Also with the convenience of online courses, I am able to do my course work

from anywhere. I am not confined to my house. Five out of the seven days a week I am usually

gone to a sporting event. Taking online classes allow me to login and complete a discussion or

study for a test on the way to a game or during halftime of a game. Studies show that learning in

shorter bursts is actually better than long study sessions ("Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes:

Pros and Cons", 2019). The biggest reason I take online classes though is because I don’t have to

travel to the campus. I am able to attend college full time forty-five minutes away. Having the

availability to go to any college without physically being there is a huge deal. I move around a
lot for my husband’s job and knowing that with online classes my school is not going to change

is very reassuring.

One underlying problem with online classes, that I myself struggle with, is the ability to

be held accountable. You are completely responsible for yourself and your completed

assignments. The professor is not there to remind you daily to complete a task. This can get

tricky when taking classes online. Organization is a big key factor in excelling online. Being able

to have organization and time management skills will help you to become successful during

these courses. How you progress, especially when taking a full load of classes, organization

extremely important. You are in charge. Another downside to taking online classes is missing the

face to face interaction with your professor and fellow peers. The convenience and flexibility of

online classes are amazing but some students thrive more when able to physically see their

professor. A good solution for this is live learning. Live online learning allows you to interact

and receive feedback from a professor without them physically being there. Face-to-face learning

also provides an opportunity to physically engage with your classmates trying to get the same

degree as yourself

Online vs Face-to-Face each have positives and negatives that go along with them. It is

up to you as a student to determine which course is right for you and your lifestyle. In the end

they are both very good options. You are working towards achieving the same goal, which is to

graduate with a degree.

 References

MyCollegeGuide.org. (n.d.). Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes: Pros and Cons. Retrieved
from https://mycollegeguide.org/blog/2017/05/online-classes-vs-traditional-classes/

Key differences between classroom and online learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/general/key-differences-classroom-online-learning/