Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > Chuck, B.A. in Criminal Justice
He has not regretted his decision. The experience has been so positive he has trouble nailing down just one favorite class. Although he readily identifies his favorite group project—one that required the team members to take opposing sides, defense and prosecution, in the Laci Peterson case. “We worked together in the Yahoo! chat room we created.”
Name: Charles Hall
Age: 30
Marital Status: Married
Current Location: Alaska
Personal Quote: "There have been many times when I've stayed up until 3 a.m. doing schoolwork, slept for a couple of hours, then had to wake up, go to work, and do it all over again."
School: Ohio Dominican University
Target: B.A. in Criminal Justice, 2008
Most classes require that students post a response once a week to a question posed by the instructor, and twice a week to fellow students. “That's the minimum,” he says.
But it often goes beyond that because discussions are so interesting and engaging. “People disagree sometimes, but it's kept respectful. People's opinions are what they are.”
As he found himself in class with some of the same students in his program time and again, he has developed a rapport. Still he has found something missing.
“I do miss the face to face interaction with students in a traditional class,” he confides. But he makes as much of the college experience as he can. He still feels a certain camaraderie with the others, traditional students and e-learners alike.
“I plan to walk with my class at ODU [graduation] next year. I worked just as hard as anybody.”
When he does feel a sense of isolation, and time permits, he utilizes the option of going to a physical college campus.
“I took Spanish at the University of Alaska,” says. The units transfer in, so it is a win-win situation.
He is getting a handle on the pace, but looks forward to finishing up soon. Writing one to two papers a week, one or two journals, and a couple of postings to discussion boards is a lot.
Online Degree Programs: Find an accredited online degree program that's right for you
Online Schools: Explore colleges and universities who offer online degrees
Distance Learning Discussion Forums: Ask others for opinions of online schools and online education
Copyright eLearners.com 1999 - 2008
