By Marty Chester, M.S.Ed. Good news! You can take online courses while enrolled in college elsewhere. Places like StraighterLine offer low-cost, self-paced college courses you can take at any time, before, or during your enrollment at a college or university. Understanding college transfer policies at your school of enrollment will be the key to using online courses to knock out prerequisites, general education courses, and possibly graduate sooner.
You Can (and Should) Take Online Courses while Enrolled in College
More than half of all college students take online courses. Doing so while enrolled offers an academic flexibility and savings on-campus courses cannot. The following list spells out the major benefits of taking online courses will enrolled in college:
- Taking additional online classes will allow you to accelerate your degree.
- You can take courses during breaks to get ahead (winter, summer, etc.).
- Tackle prerequisites so you can get into courses you want at your college.
- Enroll in a course that might be full or waitlisted at your college.
- Reduce the cost of college tuition, fees, and travel.
What I Wish Someone Told Me Before Taking My Introductory Courses On-Campus
Depending on the size of your college or university, you will likely find yourself sitting in a lecture hall with 50-250+ other freshman, paying expensive tuition for a small amount of individual attention. Taking general education courses online gives you smaller class sizes, schedule flexibility, and saves on tuition and fees. For example, English Composition I, a three-credit course, would cost $1,000-3,000 at most campuses, but less than $200 at StraighterLine (books included) if completed in a month. Before you leap, you’ll want to ensure the courses will transfer back to your institution and you have not exceeded the number of allowable transfer credits. A conversation with your academic advisor or registrar will inform you and help you make good decisions for your academics and your finances. Take a look at some of our most popular intro courses and see for yourself:
- English Composition I
- Intro to Communication
- United States History
- College Algebra
- Introduction to Biology
There are many advantages to taking online classes while enrolled at a college or university. The biggest advantages are saving both time and money as you work toward your degree. On top of that, you’ll have a variety of courses to choose from, be able to learn at your own pace, and become a master of the online environment. Do these advantages have you thinking about taking an online course while enrolled in college? Read this article on the Advantages of Online Learning and find out why online learning is the number one way to save time and money on your college degree.
