Many on-campus college students take at least one fully online class at some point during their education.
That’s according to a 2018 report from the Babson Survey Research Group, which found that more than half of the more than 6 million online students in the U.S. — referring to those who enrolled in at least one online class — complete both online and traditional coursework concurrently.
As the line between online and residential students increasingly blurs, additional challenges and opportunities have emerged for learners. It’s important that the traditional degree-seeking student who’s taking a mixture of online and on-campus classes be mindful of the complexities of doing so.
Here are four things to keep in mind about online education for those who are also enrolled in on-ground classes.
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1. Students should avoid taking online classes just to overload their schedules. Many online courses don’t have set meeting times and won’t necessarily conflict with on-campus options. I have seen residential students who are taking a full on-campus course load attempt to squeeze in another two online classes simply because there are no scheduling overlaps.
This is a bad idea. If anything, students taking both types of classes should allot the same or even more time each week to online courses and be equally serious about success regardless of format.
Online classes typically require just as much study time; the common assumption that online classes are easier than face-to-face options simply isn’t true. In fact, most students find online learning more challenging because they don’t have a professor directly overseeing them and must develop self-discipline.
2. Time management may become even more challenging. After high school, many traditional college students struggle to master time management, especially without parental involvement. College campuses also provide plenty of social distractions.
Couple this with the pressure of attending on-campus classes and newfound social freedom, and it’s easy to see how students can start falling behind when mixing online and face-to-face classes. Understand that online classes demand an enormous amount of self-motivation and organization — perhaps even more so than traditional courses.
3. Adding online classes may tempt students to cheat. Cheating in online classes continues to threaten the legitimacy of online degrees. Some colleges counteract and catch online cheaters through security measures such as keystroke pattern recognition, random challenge questions and video proctoring.
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Students who primarily learn on campus may choose to enroll in an online course with a friend. The virtual format — away from an actual classroom — can make cheating on exams or assignments even more tempting. While studying together may be encouraged, engaging in academic misconduct is a terrible plan; if caught, the academic and financial stakes are high and potentially costly.
4. This approach to learning can help enhance the college experience. There are many positives to being on a campus and taking some online classes.
Students can meet their online course instructors, leverage in-person library resources, better connect with academic advisers, create face-to-face study groups and find ways to take advantage of both virtual and in-classroom learning opportunities. Enjoy the experience of learning and living away from home, and balance it with your academic success.
The takeaway: Residential students should seek every opportunity to maximize their learning experience through online courses, while avoiding enrolling in these classes to overload, cheat or otherwise shortchange the college experience.
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Consider Taking Online Courses as an On-Campus Student originally appeared on usnews.com
