In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, more schools are offering online courses than ever before. In fact, during the spring of 2020, that was your only option. The good news is you got to go to class without ever leaving your Athens Ohio apartment. And the bad? You nearly slaughtered your roommate because he never cleans his dishes and refuses to wear a mask.
And even though Ohio University will reopen for in person classes in the Fall of 2020 (at least tentatively), it still may be a good idea to attend classes remotely. The virus is still out there, after all. It makes sense to leave your Ohio University student rental as little as possible. It’s safer — and you can stay in your PJs if that’s how you roll.
COVID-19 is excuse enough to take an online class, but there are plenty of other reasons students might opt for remote enrollment. These include:
- They need to get core courses out of the way.
- They need to take a certain class for their major before the fall semester starts
- They can’t be on campus in the summer.
Most colleges tend to provide limited offerings during the summer, with the thought that students would rather enroll in gen ed courses, so that’s where enrollment will be highest.
Is an online course right for you? Think about these points before you enroll.
- Are you going to be traveling in the summer, where the opportunity to get online may be difficult? If so, you may miss deadlines for turning assignments in. Traveling in different time zones can present challenges; and if you’re going to certain foreign countries, remember some content may be blocked. You may want to put off enrolling in online courses until you’re sure you’ll have access to the internet regularly.
- Do you expect to need some one-on-one during the course you’re interested in? You’re probably better off taking your course in a classroom, where you will have better access to the instructor.
- Online courses taken any semester require good time management skills and superior motivation. Assess yourself honestly in these areas before you enroll.
Increasingly, colleges are also offering online courses in fall and spring. Sometimes a mix of traditional classroom courses along with an online class or two can be a good way to manage a tight schedule.