Going Back To School Without Ever Leaving Home by Kristen Math

I have to admit that I used to be a skeptic when it came to the idea of distance learning. I would have never considered distance education to be a ‘legitimate’ way to take a class or earn a degree. In my mind, this simply was an easy out for students who wanted to earn a college degree without having to put out the effort.

When my husband switched from a three year research fellowship to a two year clinical track, that all changed. I had carefully planned out my classes and research to ensure that I would be able to finish graduate school in the three years available to me. Some courses were available only during certain semesters. None were available in the summer session. I quickly realized that I was going to have to take a distance learning course or risk not being able to graduate on time before my husband finished his fellowship.

I was amazed to find a wide variety of accredited distance learning courses and programs available at undergraduate and graduate institutions throughout the United States. In addition, I was surprised to discover that these courses were vibrant and active. The Molecular Biology course that I chose required online discussion group participation. There were online office hours and even group assignments to be completed with other students located at various other universities. All exams were proctored (and were identical to the ‘on-campus’ exams). In many ways, I felt that this class rivaled my traditional classroom-based courses.

The Pros and Cons

Choosing Distance Learning as an option to earn a college degree or fulfill course requirements is a big decision. There are many advantages to taking coursework online. For those of us with busy work schedules or children at home, the flexibility of being able to sit down at the computer to download notes and listen to streaming audio lectures at our convenience is a huge draw. The courses are also portable. It’s possible to complete online assignments or participate in office hours and discussions while you are going on residency interviews, moving, or even in the local coffee shop (if things are just too noisy at home!). In addition, you often have direct email contact with an instructor who will likely respond promptly to your questions. There is a certain anonymity that comes along with email and I often found that it was easier for me to ask those ‘stupid’ questions that I might not have asked in class.

Of course, distance learning also has its drawbacks. Taking courses in a non-traditional format can induce a chronic state of procrastination. When you have to be in class on established days it is easier to motivate yourself to be prepared and keep up with the coursework. The biggest adjustment that I had to make when taking my distance learning course was learning to be very self-directed. I wasn’t going to be ‘in class’, but I knew that in order to do well on the exam three weeks away, I would have to prepare the chapters. It was surprisingly difficult to maintain that self-direction as the semester went on because I wasn’t in the classroom each week. Obviously, distance learning courses don’t provide any level of socialization. That can be important for many students.

Finding What You Want

Exploring distance education options can be a frustrating experience. There are many books and websites dedicated to helping the prospective student sort out their options. My first piece of advice? Don’t waste your money at the bookstore. Most of the information that you need can be found for free online. When deciding on a course of study , it’s important to consider your current student status , the goals for your online coursework and whether you are looking for one class or an entire degree program.

For many medical spouses living in the limbo of the medical training process, the goal may be to complete an entire degree online. Without the geographic constraints of medical school or residency becoming an issue, studies can be completed with much less stress. Others may be close to completing a degree, like I was, and may need to add a few more courses in order to graduate on time.

Start your search at your own local institution. They may have distance education options for courses that are poorly publicized. To maintain in-state tuition, do a search of local colleges and universities. Nearly every university now offers some type of distance learning. Search the university website for ‘distance learning’ or ‘distance education’. This will likely bring you to their distance education department where you can browse course and program offerings.

Another free resource to consider is Petersons. The Peterson’s website boasts a large distance learning database. It is not always up-to-date, but it can be an excellent place to find courses, degree programs and compare the costs of different classes. Newsweek also offers a free, searchable database. There, you can search by institution, program or keyword after registering. Your best resource though may end up being a search engine such as Google or Yahoo. Many of the most interesting online programs aren’t listed in the available databases. .

You will quickly discover that the options are endless. It is possible to take laboratory-based science classes online through the Colorado Community College Consortium, complete a master’s degree in Biological Science through the University of Maryland, earn a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the University of Illinois, or even receive a PhD in Computer Science from Nova Southeastern University….online. Some programs require short blocks of on-campus attendance, but others have no campus requirements.

One you have found a course or program of interest to you, contact the institution and professor for more information about course requirements and the format. If the course offered is simply a ‘buy the book, read the chapter, take the test’ class you may want to pass it up and move on to the next option. Another big if: IF you are currently enrolled as a student in a degree program and are hoping to use the course towards your graduation credits, don’t register for a distance education course before getting written permission from your department chair. Take the course information and requirements in to be reviewed and accepted before beginning any coursework. To do otherwise might result in wasted money and a lot of disappointment.

Paying Your Way

Paying for your studies is likely to be the biggest hurdle. Many distance learning programs do qualify for full federal financial aid just like their on-campus counterparts. Programs offered through accredited Universities do not often differentiate between courses taken through distance education technology. This information is not recorded on a transcript and admission to an ‘online’ learning program is not considered to be different from admission to a traditional classroom-based program. The financial aid office at the University will have the best information.

If you are interested in taking out Federal Student Loans, a good starting place is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid website. At the site, you can determine whether or not you qualify, check out application deadlines and even file your application online. Another excellent source of information about federal loans, and scholarships can be found at http://www.finaid.org/ . Private sources for student loans include Citiassist and Access. Beware though that private loans come with higher interest rates and can be much harder to consolidate later on.

Accreditation

A discussion about distance education would not be complete without touching on the issue of program accreditation. There are many good universities and professional schools that offer the option of online courses or programs. Unfortunately, there are also degree mills that will offer credits in exchange for life experience, or degrees in a matter of months….all, for a small fee, of course. Before embarking on any course or program, make sure that the institution you are choosing is fully accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization. The Council For Higher Education Accreditation provides a searchable database of schools as well as information on Degree Mills and Accreditation Mills.

For many people, taking classes at a local university provides time away from the monotony of daily life. Today, the internet can extend that possibility to anyone, anywhere. You can explore a subject that interests you just for fun or with the intention of building a new career. Going back to school can open the door to a world of new options. Don’t let the nomadic nature of your spouse’s medical training stand in your way. Get online and check out your options.