25 or so years too late I' have decided I'd like a degree. I can't afford to stop working and my work means I would most likely miss a lot of evening classes. Are these online courses worthy ? Do they offer a true qualification ? Do you submit work online and take exams online? I don't even know what I want to study and I left 6th form years ago months before I was due to take A levels so I never got those qualifications. Is that a barrier ? ( I did leave, I wasn't expelled as some may tell you )</p> Hundreds of questions realy, but has anybody done anything like this online degree thing ?</p> Cheers</p>
Can I ask... (a) Do you want a degree for having a degree's sake?</p> (b) Do you want a degree that is related to your work and therefore can help your career?</p> The reason I ask is that many universities offer part time degree courses that are geared towards people who work. Classes are in the evenings (you expressed that this is not a viable option for you) with some blocks of sessions during 'holiday' times. If you want a degree just to say you have a degree, then an online degree will be fine. try to find out where it is conferred from (it will most likely be affiliated to a recognised university of some description or it won't be worth a jot). I lecture at a uni so know some aspects but I've never been involved in, or tried to find out about on-line courses. I would say that if it is ralated to your career progression, then you ought to consider applying to a local (to you) uni and giving up some evenings, vacation time and weekends. Most of our degrees are modular for exampleand, part-time, they typically take 5 years to complete. Also we generally offer an entrance exam for people who have not got any formal qualifications, other alternatives include attending afoundationcourse followed by an entrance exam or some course work.</p> I'm notsure I answered your question, but I hope it was useful.</p> </p>
Distance Learning Might be the best option. All online seminars, essay submissions etc. You never go to the actual uni except to graduate.
Thank you. I'd prefer something outside my current career path and its more of a self-fulfillment thing than a professional requirment. After wasting (totally) my early working life I settled into a monotonous, unfulfilling, low-paid, low ambition retail job for many years. 12 years ago, I took some professional (Microsoft) courses which I found stimulating and led me on to my current career in IT. Having no previous IT knowledge I remain proud ofthe fact I was able to learn a new career from scratch at 30+ years old.I seem to have been studying ever since, just to keep apace with all things Microsoft, and although the qualifications I have are professional, recognised and relevant to what I do, a small part of me wishes I had a "real" qualification. I could do something like photography or flower-arranging at a college which I'm sure would give me a kick, but I fancy something more substantial. I'm going to have a look through available online course and try and submerge myself in a language or perhaps a history or geography type thing. In fact, I quite like history.</p> Thanks again, I'll take your comments on board.</p> Might have to watch Good Will Hunting again now ! </p>
Hopefully, I'm starting a degree course next year I retired a couple of months ago and see it as an opportunity to pursue a totally different career to the one I've just left. My personal circumstances dictate that the most practical type of course is Distance Learning. Good luck with you choice.
