There are often times when the classes you need to take are offered both online and in-person. These choices can be tough to make depending on the class the type of person you are.

Let's have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of online classes so you will be able to make the right decision when the time comes!

Advantages

• You can work on the assignments whenever and wherever you like (as long as you have access to a computer). If you are a night owl or some other variation, you will be able to study for the class at a time that you are most productive at.
• You don’t have to attend class. If you work a job with demanding hours, live far away, or are incapable of waking up at 8 am for the alternative in-person class, there is no necessity for you to have to be on campus when it is demanded of you.
• You don’t have to deal with schedule conflicts between classes. Sure, this is kind of the same thing, but taking an online class allows you to take other face to face classes you want without the drawback of having to fit in your schedule.
• Course structure is generally more organized. Professors that teach online classes usually have a more organized course structure that is posted on Blackboard every week. This helps us as students to plan our semester/week better, as compared to a face to face class where the pace depends on the students in the class.

Disadvantages

• Your professor probably won’t know you, and you will probably not get much attention from the professor unless you make an appointment to speak to them over the phone/meet in their office. If you are someone who requires a strong relationship with your professor, online classes might not be that great.
• You have to hold yourself accountable. Online classes can be easy to lose track of since you don’t have classmates to remind you about assignments and quizzes, and you have to make sure you’re on top of your work.
• You most likely will not have classmates to work with. Everyone taking the online class is most likely not going to be around/want to meet up to discuss course content, so working alone can be a challenge.

My Experience

So far, I have taken 3 online classes – two of them were English Composition classes and the third was a public speaking class. Don’t ask me why I took public speaking online, it just seemed like the best option at the time.

I made an effort to get to my online classwork on Monday/Tuesday so it would not stand in the way of my weekends. There were always weeks where this didn’t happen, so I did find myself scrambling on Sunday nights a few times, frantically trying to submit my assignments in time.

However, every professor that taught these online classes were very responsive to email and they were always willing to meet in person. In the cases where the professor was not in Cincinnati, they were always okay with talking on the phone. They were also very helpful when I had questions.

Overall, I've had a good experience with online classes, but I have made it a point only to take courses that I find relatively easy to work on by myself, so keep that in mind!