For Higher Learning, online courses are a more beneficial option than universities

I will show in this post that Online courses are the more practible, responsible choice. Education is the top priority over networking and a fun environment. Remember, we are living in a time of great recession. The way to counteract this is by getting an education that garners success, while at the same time saving valuable resources and time. The College ExperienceMy opponent suggests that a student should, instead of maintaining a normal job, help out their professors. In response to this, I have one simple question for you readers. Would you rather gain experience by working for free, or for money? Also i would like to point out that teacher assistant positions are usually reserved for seniors or graduate students. Finally, 4 years of work experience looks more accredible on any resume than years of work within a college. Work experience outside of college is rather difficult to find for full-time university students, and is most conducive to one taking online classes. The Classroom ExperienceI cannot proove that correlation equals causation, but we can use logic to understand why this study points towards benifits in online classes. We see that the survey considers both freshman and senior college students. If my opponents point that age = maturity= better class communication, then we should be seeing answers that are closer in response for the senior students. We also know that peer pressure weighs heavily on a student, whether it is a conscious thought or not. The internet gives an anonymity factor, which can help a student to let their walls down and be more responsive in their classroom. There is no fear of being judged for a silly question. This shifts the focus from social networking to education. This logic shows how there is a potential and likely cause of the results based on the dynamic of online classes. My opponents link to the survey he posted is not working for me. So I cannot say much about it's validity, but I will point out that his survey focuses on students from only one college, while mine is a nationwide survey. A nationwide survey will generally show more accurate results. It is also worth considering that students enrolled in a university will have more biased answers against online courses. It's clear to see that different people have different levels of engagement in the classroom, and different things that stimulate their minds. Online students can do their work on their own time, when they are in the best mindset for learning. Many students would say that this online experience is more cohesive with their stressload and ability to learn. CostMy opponent misconstrued my point here. Financial aid is available for both online and regular college courses. The point is, tuition at College is generally higher than tuition for online courses. Financial aid can decrease the amount of tuition, so it follows that online courses and financial aid would be the optimum option for saving. Let me also remind you here that online tuition is paid by class, not semester. There are more options for pacing of payments. You can pay for one or two classes without having to take a loan out, therefore not having to struggle with interest. Also, I will use my opponents own source to show that many online classes don't require books. [1] There are also a long list of Campus fees such as an id or parking. My opponent missed the fact that students living on campus will still have to consider the cost of transportation (gas) to and from home on breaks or weeekend visits. All of these little extra costs are simply not there online. Time EffeciencyThe classes that my opponent brings up are only avaliable in the summer; not for regular school year curriculum. Only so many classes can be taken during the summer. If the student does not live near campus, this becomes an even more limited option. Online accelerated courses can be taken any time; so that the student has the option of enrolling into all of their classes at accelerated speed. I will also reiterate that online classes can be taken at in time, to the convenience of the student. This will allow them to get things done on their own time, which will make their learning more effective and efficient. Matching time of day to student preferences can rasie grades, improve test scores, and improve behavior. [2] Online courses can be scheduled around this for a students optimum learning experience. Option AdvantageThe point here is that online courses give a plethora of avenues one can take. This includes pacing, and specialty degree programs where elective courses are not required. ExperienceCredits for internships isn't quite the same as credits for life experience. The online student who has either schooling, interning, or work experience can start ahead; while the university student with the latter is left at square one. ConclusionOnline classes are the more practical option for our fast-paced society. Online courses are cheaper, more time efficient, and more convenient. One can truly say that they have control of when and what they learn. Online courses are for the individual who wants to get ahead without investing all of their hard-earned resources, time and effort. Online courses are the fast track to the reward: A degree worthy of a high paying job and ultimate success in the work place. 1. . http://oedb.org...2. . http://www.family-source.com...