Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Low Cost Online College Courses
Monday, October 25, 2010
Is College Really a Good Investment?
In an earlier post, I discussed some of the nightmares I experienced at a public college in Memphis. If I'd had the money at the time, I would have applied to a private college there. Ideally, I would have attended Rhodes College, one of the more elite schools in Memphis which has beautiful Gothic architecture with stained glass windows. I recently looked at Rhodes' website, and although it still seems like a very good school, the costs make me wonder if I really regret not going.
The tuition is $34,000 a year, meaning that a four-year degree at this college costs $136,000. If I had gone to this college, I'd now be wondering what other things I could have done with the money. If it was invested with a 10% return, it would produce $13,600 per year, and as a frugal person, I could live well on that. $136,000 is also enough money to buy a house outright, and would therefore mean not having a rent or mortgage payment each month. Being the single biggest expense in most households, getting rid of this expense is a giant leap towards financial independence.
There's also the question of whether or not it makes sense to pay all that money for an education when the contents of it are available cheaper elsewhere. For the past few months, I've been maintaining a list of free online textbooks on this website, and I'm frequently amazed at how much stuff is out there. If I attended a brick-and-mortar college at this point, I'd feel foolish for spending money on something that I know I can get for free. Not to mention the fact that it's easier to get information online at my own convenience rather than having to go to classes at a set time.
Last but not least, there's always the never-ending supply of college horror stories. My latest find is The Five Year Party, a blog written by a former journalism professor at one of the "party colleges," who gave up after a twelve-year teaching career. His blog is filled with horror stories, and he's also written a book about his experiences. It's well worth a visit if you're considering a brick-and-mortar college.
All in all, I'm glad to be doing college homeschool-style. Although I was never in the position to apply to a private college, I'm beginning to think that it was a blessing in disguise. Amongst other things, I probably wouldn't be writing this blog, and I always enjoy seeing what cheaper alternatives there are to the traditional college experience.
The tuition is $34,000 a year, meaning that a four-year degree at this college costs $136,000. If I had gone to this college, I'd now be wondering what other things I could have done with the money. If it was invested with a 10% return, it would produce $13,600 per year, and as a frugal person, I could live well on that. $136,000 is also enough money to buy a house outright, and would therefore mean not having a rent or mortgage payment each month. Being the single biggest expense in most households, getting rid of this expense is a giant leap towards financial independence.
There's also the question of whether or not it makes sense to pay all that money for an education when the contents of it are available cheaper elsewhere. For the past few months, I've been maintaining a list of free online textbooks on this website, and I'm frequently amazed at how much stuff is out there. If I attended a brick-and-mortar college at this point, I'd feel foolish for spending money on something that I know I can get for free. Not to mention the fact that it's easier to get information online at my own convenience rather than having to go to classes at a set time.
Last but not least, there's always the never-ending supply of college horror stories. My latest find is The Five Year Party, a blog written by a former journalism professor at one of the "party colleges," who gave up after a twelve-year teaching career. His blog is filled with horror stories, and he's also written a book about his experiences. It's well worth a visit if you're considering a brick-and-mortar college.
All in all, I'm glad to be doing college homeschool-style. Although I was never in the position to apply to a private college, I'm beginning to think that it was a blessing in disguise. Amongst other things, I probably wouldn't be writing this blog, and I always enjoy seeing what cheaper alternatives there are to the traditional college experience.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Free Online College
As a college education is normally a major investment, it's interesting to see that it's possible to get one for free. The University of the People offers free online courses to the Associate's and Bachelor's levels in Business Administration and Computer Science. As the education is free, many people will wonder what the catch is. The University of the People isn't yet accredited, and therefore, can't yet award degrees.
Still, this college might be worth considering for some. Although the college isn't accredited, it's courses do offer valuable knowledge. Amongst their computer courses are offerings in software engineering, programming, and operating systems. It might be an idea to use this knowledge to take IT certification exams, which would be widely recognized. Also, the value of this education depends on what you want to do afterwards. If you wanted to list it on a resume while applying for a traditional job, most employers would probably be wary. It would also be difficult to transfer to an accredited institution to earn a graduate degree. However, you might have more success if you listed it as a qualification to work as a freelancer. If you were using the knowledge in your own business, the lack of accreditation wouldn't be a problem.
Personally, I'm taking a serious look at this option, as the computer science courses do look good, and you can't beat getting it for free. I still don't know what this college's policies are on taking transfer credit, or in letting people enroll for individual courses rather than the entire program. I'm thinking that it might be possible to transfer the UoP course credit to one of the Big Three distance colleges, and get an accredited degree from them. At the same time, the Big Three might also not recognize college credit from an unaccredited college.
Still, this college might be worth considering for some. Although the college isn't accredited, it's courses do offer valuable knowledge. Amongst their computer courses are offerings in software engineering, programming, and operating systems. It might be an idea to use this knowledge to take IT certification exams, which would be widely recognized. Also, the value of this education depends on what you want to do afterwards. If you wanted to list it on a resume while applying for a traditional job, most employers would probably be wary. It would also be difficult to transfer to an accredited institution to earn a graduate degree. However, you might have more success if you listed it as a qualification to work as a freelancer. If you were using the knowledge in your own business, the lack of accreditation wouldn't be a problem.
Personally, I'm taking a serious look at this option, as the computer science courses do look good, and you can't beat getting it for free. I still don't know what this college's policies are on taking transfer credit, or in letting people enroll for individual courses rather than the entire program. I'm thinking that it might be possible to transfer the UoP course credit to one of the Big Three distance colleges, and get an accredited degree from them. At the same time, the Big Three might also not recognize college credit from an unaccredited college.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Learn Filmmaking Online
Filmmaking would seem to be one of those subjects which you can't learn at home on your own, like medicine. Although some smaller aspects of the process, like screenwriting, might be learnable at home, the whole process of filmmaking seems to be just too big to fit in the garage. Anybody who's ever been to a film studio has seen the warehouse-sized studios where they work, along with the room-sized equipment that's used to piece the film together afterwards. And filmmaking requires the participation of so many people. The end credits of most movies list the names of hundreds of people. All in all, it seems to be too complicated and too major a project for amateurs. The only way to learn filmmaking must be to go to an expensive film school that might be hundreds of miles away.
Some websites challenge this presumption. Wikibooks' Movie Making Manual and the Film School Online both offer free filmmaking lessons. Both websites offer a detailed description of the filmmaking process from the original idea to postproduction and marketing, and the process isn't as overwhelming as it might seem. It isn't necessary to have a warehouse full of equipment, and the film can be edited on a laptop with a software program like FinalCut. It's also possible to get background music without having an orchestra in the living room. The Film School Online has numerous book recommendations which can supplement the filmmaking course.
These websites can be an enormous help to an aspiring filmmaker who wants to start with short films and to go on to larger projects as they gain experience. Anybody who wants more hands-on experience might attend a workshop in filmmaking as a supplement to self-study and still come out of it in a shorter time and with less debt than a traditional film school student. Anybody who's planning on going to film school anyway can be familiarized with filmmaking through these websites before making a commitment to it.
There seems to be some debate as to whether or not traditional film schools are worth it. Not long ago I found a forum in which some of the posters had been through film school but wouldn't go through it again. It's been argued that most film school graduates don't work as fimmakers, but as teachers in other film schools, and that it might be a better idea to put the money that would have been spent on film school into producing an independent film. An idea might be to combine independent study in filmmaking with business subjects, which aren't usually throroughly covered in the film schools. Whether one decides to go to a brick-and-mortar film school or not, it's a good idea to do one's own research as to how the film world works before making a final decision.
Some websites challenge this presumption. Wikibooks' Movie Making Manual and the Film School Online both offer free filmmaking lessons. Both websites offer a detailed description of the filmmaking process from the original idea to postproduction and marketing, and the process isn't as overwhelming as it might seem. It isn't necessary to have a warehouse full of equipment, and the film can be edited on a laptop with a software program like FinalCut. It's also possible to get background music without having an orchestra in the living room. The Film School Online has numerous book recommendations which can supplement the filmmaking course.
These websites can be an enormous help to an aspiring filmmaker who wants to start with short films and to go on to larger projects as they gain experience. Anybody who wants more hands-on experience might attend a workshop in filmmaking as a supplement to self-study and still come out of it in a shorter time and with less debt than a traditional film school student. Anybody who's planning on going to film school anyway can be familiarized with filmmaking through these websites before making a commitment to it.
There seems to be some debate as to whether or not traditional film schools are worth it. Not long ago I found a forum in which some of the posters had been through film school but wouldn't go through it again. It's been argued that most film school graduates don't work as fimmakers, but as teachers in other film schools, and that it might be a better idea to put the money that would have been spent on film school into producing an independent film. An idea might be to combine independent study in filmmaking with business subjects, which aren't usually throroughly covered in the film schools. Whether one decides to go to a brick-and-mortar film school or not, it's a good idea to do one's own research as to how the film world works before making a final decision.
More Reasons to Homeschool College
Anybody who reads homeschooling forums and blogs is well familiar with school horror stories from the grade schools, which often involve mobbing, violence, bad teachers, and/or poor academic standards. Many people believe that colleges and universities are a step above this. However, I recently found two blogs which help to prove the contrary.
Rate Your Students and College Misery are websites which are well worth visiting for anybody considering a brick-and-mortar college. Both blogs are written by college professors, and most of the comment writers are also professors. Rate Your Students gives the horror story of the day, in which a college writing class is devoted to teaching the students how to write on lined notebook paper, complete with six rules for doing so, ie, don't write to the left of the pink vertical line.
Another post at Rate Your Students is written by a professor who swears in class, partly to make her students aware that they've entered the adult world. This is a good example of the modern tendency to confuse negativity with maturity, as there are many adults, even college students, who don't swear and find it offensive. Movies which contain pornography and violence are often referred to as "adult" entertainment. This attitude ignores the act that it's only been very recently that foul language has become socially acceptable, and that even today, there are many places in the adult world where swearing isn't allowed. For instance, many TV and radio stations don't allow their anchormen to use foul language.
College Misery reveals the hostility which often exists between the professors and the students. At least one post refers to the female students to as "snowflakes," and the professors' overall view of the students seems to be that they're mostly drunk and lazy. Reading the posts, and the following comments, gives one the impression of an environment in which the professors are frustrated and burned out, and who are dealing with students who don't really want to be at college nor learn anything there. As neither of these blogs is limited to professors of only one college, it shows that the problems with today's colleges are widespread throughout many schools.
This situation might also make one wonder if the traditional college experience is really necessary. As I was reading the horror stories, I kept thinking about the expense of college, and whether the hostile environment there really offers enough benefits to be worth the trouble. At one point, I considered becoming a college history professor. These blogs make me glad that I didn't.
There's another benefit to doing college homeschool-style. There was one night last winter, when the temperature was below freezing, the sidewalks were covered with snow, it was ten 'o' clock at night, and I was studying economics. It was an enormous relief that I only had to turn off the laptop and pull out my sofa bed, instead of traipsing out into the freezing cold to get home.
Rate Your Students and College Misery are websites which are well worth visiting for anybody considering a brick-and-mortar college. Both blogs are written by college professors, and most of the comment writers are also professors. Rate Your Students gives the horror story of the day, in which a college writing class is devoted to teaching the students how to write on lined notebook paper, complete with six rules for doing so, ie, don't write to the left of the pink vertical line.
Another post at Rate Your Students is written by a professor who swears in class, partly to make her students aware that they've entered the adult world. This is a good example of the modern tendency to confuse negativity with maturity, as there are many adults, even college students, who don't swear and find it offensive. Movies which contain pornography and violence are often referred to as "adult" entertainment. This attitude ignores the act that it's only been very recently that foul language has become socially acceptable, and that even today, there are many places in the adult world where swearing isn't allowed. For instance, many TV and radio stations don't allow their anchormen to use foul language.
College Misery reveals the hostility which often exists between the professors and the students. At least one post refers to the female students to as "snowflakes," and the professors' overall view of the students seems to be that they're mostly drunk and lazy. Reading the posts, and the following comments, gives one the impression of an environment in which the professors are frustrated and burned out, and who are dealing with students who don't really want to be at college nor learn anything there. As neither of these blogs is limited to professors of only one college, it shows that the problems with today's colleges are widespread throughout many schools.
This situation might also make one wonder if the traditional college experience is really necessary. As I was reading the horror stories, I kept thinking about the expense of college, and whether the hostile environment there really offers enough benefits to be worth the trouble. At one point, I considered becoming a college history professor. These blogs make me glad that I didn't.
There's another benefit to doing college homeschool-style. There was one night last winter, when the temperature was below freezing, the sidewalks were covered with snow, it was ten 'o' clock at night, and I was studying economics. It was an enormous relief that I only had to turn off the laptop and pull out my sofa bed, instead of traipsing out into the freezing cold to get home.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Online Courses from MIT
In a recent post, I discussed the open courses offered by Yale University. I've since discovered that MIT also offers free courses online, and that they offer a greater variety, over 2000 to be exact. MIT offers free graduate courses as well. Many of the courses on offer are technologically oriented, including advanced mathematics courses like algebraic topology, quantum computation, and assorted courses in statistics. The engineering courses include airline schedule planning, sustainable energy, and space systems engineering. Before I found this website, I thought that MIT only offered courses in science and technology, but there are many courses in other areas, including a variety of courses in micro- and macroeconomics. The foreign language courses include four levels of Chinese, along with Japanese, Spanish, French, and German. If you look at the history department, you'll find a course in "How to Stage a Revolution." Of course, there's the question of how an independent student can get college credit for this knowledge, as CLEP doesn't offer an exam in algebraic topology. One idea might be to find a university that will let you "challenge" the course, in which you take the final exam and give you the credit if you pass. At any rate, the MIT Open Courses are an excellent resource for those who are studying independently at home, and give free access to knowledge that only students with the best academic performance get access to normally.
College Blog Directory
College Blog Directory
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Free textbooks
Here is a list of college textbooks which can be read online for free. I will be adding to this list as I find more of them.
Accounting
Principles of Accounting - This textbook offers an in-depth introduction to accounting and can be good preparation for the CLEP or DSST exams in accounting.
Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Art History
SmartHistory - Free online art history textbook.
Astronomy
General Astronomy - Wikibooks offers an online introduction to astronomy.
Biology
Biochemistry textbook
This Online Biology Book offers a good introduction to many areas of biology, including cell biology, anatomy, and eveolution.
An Ecology textbook is offered at this website.
Creation Science - Creationists might be interested in this online book which refutes the evolutionists' arguments in numerous areas of science.
Fundamentals of Microbiology - Introductory microbiology textbook from Washington State.
Human Genetics
Chemistry
Chem1 Virtual Textbook - This textbook covers the first two semesters of college-level chemistry.
Chemistry Books Online - General, Organic, and Biochemistry
Computers
Blender - User Manual and free download for Blender, an open-source computer animation software.
Computer Animation
Introduction
How to Design Programs: An Introduction to Computing and Programming.
Introduction to Computer Science
Java
Dick Baldwin's website offers a large assortment of instruction in various programming languages, including Java.
Fundamentals of Java - This online book presents Java programming in a simplified manner.
Introduction to Computer Science Using Java
Introduction to Programming in Java: An Interdisciplinary Approach - Free online textbook from Princeton.
Java programming is also offered in this online textbook.
Python
Invent Your Own Computer Games With Python might be of interest to people who want to become game designers.
Economics
About.com offers online textbooks in Macroeconomics and Microeconomics.
CyberEconomics - Introductory economics textbook.
Online Economics Textbooks - Extensive collection of economics textbooks for all levels.
English Composition
English Composition 1 Hypertextbook
English Literature
The Cambridge History of English and American Literature
The Harvard Classics - 50 volumes of literature from all historical eras. This page also contains The Harvard Shelf of Fiction, which consists of 20 volumes of classic fiction.
Luminarium: An Anthology of English Literature - This free online textbook features extensive information on British authors from the 14th century to the 19th century.
Ethics
Online Ethics Textbook
History
Academic American History
Europe in Retrospect - Modern European history.
History of Western Art and Civilization
U.S. History from precolonization to the present.
World History from prehistory to the 20th century.
Languages
Digital Dialects - This site offers free lessons in over 50 languages, some of which I'd never heard of until I saw this site. Oroma?
French
Grimoire - French literature for intermediate and advanced students.
Liberte - Beginners' French textbook in PDF fromat.
Latin
Latin from Wikibooks.
Spanish
Spanish 1050 - Intermediate Spanish.
Spanish from Wikibooks.
Mathematics
A First Analysis Course
An introduction to Statistics can be found at this website.
An Online Calculus book is offered here in PDF format.
College Algebra in PDF format.
Electronic Statistics Textbook - This is a free online version of Statistics: Methods and Applications, which sells for $80 new at Amazon.
Elementary Calculus: An Infinitesimal Approach
Multivariable Calculus in PDF format.
Statistics: Problems and Exercises
Music
Introduction to Music Theory
Understanding Basic Music Theory - A continuation of the introduction course.
Philosophy
Introduction to Philosophy
Physics
Essential Physics 1 is available for free online in PDF format.
Light and Matter offers an assortment of free physics textbooks online, both for non-physics majors and engineering students.
Psychology
Psychology: An Introduction
Public Speaking
Open Knowledge Guide to Public Speaking
Religion
Exploring Religions - Information about the major world religions.
Philosophy of Religion
Sacred Texts offers extensive information on many world religions, along with parapsychology, the supernatural, prophets, and related subjects.
Sociology
Introduction to Sociology from Wikibooks.
Technical Writing
Online Technical Writing Textbook
Over 3 Million Full-Text Copyrighted Books, Journals and Articles
Accounting
Principles of Accounting - This textbook offers an in-depth introduction to accounting and can be good preparation for the CLEP or DSST exams in accounting.
Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Art History
SmartHistory - Free online art history textbook.
Astronomy
General Astronomy - Wikibooks offers an online introduction to astronomy.
Biology
Biochemistry textbook
This Online Biology Book offers a good introduction to many areas of biology, including cell biology, anatomy, and eveolution.
An Ecology textbook is offered at this website.
Creation Science - Creationists might be interested in this online book which refutes the evolutionists' arguments in numerous areas of science.
Fundamentals of Microbiology - Introductory microbiology textbook from Washington State.
Human Genetics
Chemistry
Chem1 Virtual Textbook - This textbook covers the first two semesters of college-level chemistry.
Chemistry Books Online - General, Organic, and Biochemistry
Computers
Blender - User Manual and free download for Blender, an open-source computer animation software.
Computer Animation
Introduction
How to Design Programs: An Introduction to Computing and Programming.
Introduction to Computer Science
Java
Dick Baldwin's website offers a large assortment of instruction in various programming languages, including Java.
Fundamentals of Java - This online book presents Java programming in a simplified manner.
Introduction to Computer Science Using Java
Introduction to Programming in Java: An Interdisciplinary Approach - Free online textbook from Princeton.
Java programming is also offered in this online textbook.
Python
Invent Your Own Computer Games With Python might be of interest to people who want to become game designers.
Economics
About.com offers online textbooks in Macroeconomics and Microeconomics.
CyberEconomics - Introductory economics textbook.
Online Economics Textbooks - Extensive collection of economics textbooks for all levels.
English Composition
English Composition 1 Hypertextbook
English Literature
The Cambridge History of English and American Literature
The Harvard Classics - 50 volumes of literature from all historical eras. This page also contains The Harvard Shelf of Fiction, which consists of 20 volumes of classic fiction.
Luminarium: An Anthology of English Literature - This free online textbook features extensive information on British authors from the 14th century to the 19th century.
Ethics
Online Ethics Textbook
History
Academic American History
Europe in Retrospect - Modern European history.
History of Western Art and Civilization
U.S. History from precolonization to the present.
World History from prehistory to the 20th century.
Languages
Digital Dialects - This site offers free lessons in over 50 languages, some of which I'd never heard of until I saw this site. Oroma?
French
Grimoire - French literature for intermediate and advanced students.
Liberte - Beginners' French textbook in PDF fromat.
Latin
Latin from Wikibooks.
Spanish
Spanish 1050 - Intermediate Spanish.
Spanish from Wikibooks.
Mathematics
A First Analysis Course
An introduction to Statistics can be found at this website.
An Online Calculus book is offered here in PDF format.
College Algebra in PDF format.
Electronic Statistics Textbook - This is a free online version of Statistics: Methods and Applications, which sells for $80 new at Amazon.
Elementary Calculus: An Infinitesimal Approach
Multivariable Calculus in PDF format.
Statistics: Problems and Exercises
Music
Introduction to Music Theory
Understanding Basic Music Theory - A continuation of the introduction course.
Philosophy
Introduction to Philosophy
Physics
Essential Physics 1 is available for free online in PDF format.
Light and Matter offers an assortment of free physics textbooks online, both for non-physics majors and engineering students.
Psychology
Psychology: An Introduction
Public Speaking
Open Knowledge Guide to Public Speaking
Religion
Exploring Religions - Information about the major world religions.
Philosophy of Religion
Sacred Texts offers extensive information on many world religions, along with parapsychology, the supernatural, prophets, and related subjects.
Sociology
Introduction to Sociology from Wikibooks.
Technical Writing
Online Technical Writing Textbook
Over 3 Million Full-Text Copyrighted Books, Journals and Articles
Monday, June 7, 2010
Free Online Courses From an Ivy League School
The Internet offers a wealth of learning materials for independent learners. Last fall, I discovered Open Yale Courses, a website from Yale University, which offers online lectures of some of their courses for free. Although the school doesn't offer credit for these courses, it's an excellent way to get access to instruction that many people pay $120,000 over the course of four years to get. The lectures are offered in video format, but if you have a slow computer that "puffs" a lot like mine does, there are also transcripts of the lectures. I've read through the two religious studies courses, Introduction to the Old and New Testaments. One warning about these courses for conservative Christians: They do present the Bible through a secular lens, ie, they presume that the book of Daniel was written after the events he predicted had already taken place. However, they do present an interesting view of Biblical history and little-known facts about the world in which the Bible was written. One of the professors also teaches a course on the historical Jesus, and I'm hoping that it also is placed on this website. I'm currently studying the course on Financial Markets. As the world economy plays such a major role in the world, it would be good if more people had a good understanding of how the economy works. There are also courses offered in chemistry and physics which require a good knowledge of mathematics, along with courses in biology. Some of these courses would be a good aid in preparing for CLEP exams, and as they often put new ones online, it's well worth checking back periodically to see what's on offer.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Why a Traditional College Can Be a Bad Idea
As the current school year comes to an end, many high school students are considering which college they'll attend next year, and many have already applied. However, many people decide to attend a brick-and-mortar college without considering alternative ways to get their degree. When one looks at the case against attending a traditional college, other options are worth considering.
For starters, college is expensive. $2,500 per semester is at the lower end of the scale, and that comes out to $20,000 over the course of four years. These costs only cover tuition, and don't include books, housing, food, and other living expenses. Some people would include lost wages as part of the costs of attending college, and that leads to the second argument.
College can mean a lifetime of debt. As there's no guarantee that the degree will lead to a job, taking out student loans isn't always advisable. Many college graduates can't pay the loans back, which can lead to credit problems. Some employers won't hire employees with less-than-the-best credit, and this makes it even harder to find a job. Even if one can make the minimum payments, the amount due means that even with the higher income gained through the college degree, one's living standards are the same as they would have been without it. At the same time, many college graduates earn less than one might expect, or are working in jobs which don't require a college degree. Students also have to be careful who they borrow from. With some less-than-honest loan providers, the balance of the loan continues to rise even when the minimum payments are being made.
The social environment of the colleges is another argument against going, as the colleges are getting just as dangerous as the high schools. Single rooms are a rarity in the dormitories, and one often has no say over who their roommate will be. There are a lot of tough kids on campus. Anybody who was sharing a room with one would have to keep a sharp eye on their wallet and other belogings at all times. You can't just leave your wallet on the side table like you can at home. The situation in the dormitory bathrooms isn't much better. Not only do the shower stalls not have locks, but some people don't believe in flushing. Also, the kitchens must often be shared by a large number of students.
This may sound odd, but there's often no quiet place to study on campus. The dormitory I lived in at the University of Memphis usually had loud rap music pounding from somewhere, along with the tough sorts communicating at top volume, punctuated by loud screams. These people would often turn aggressive if asked to be quieter, and I often feared for my personal safety. Even the library was periodically populated by the loud and tough sorts.
There's also the issue of on-campus violence. Although massacres like the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech are rare, violence on a smaller scale is commonplace.
Housing is often a problem for college students. Students who live more than commuting distance away from relatives not only have the costs of dorm rent. The airfare or other transportation costs to get to the university don't only have to be paid in August and May, but also during Christmas and Thanksgiving break when the dorms are usually closed and people often want to be at home. There's also spring break when the dorms are often closed.
Academic standards are going down, and this makes it easier for the tough sorts to get in. The ironic thing about college is that the coursework is best suited for somebody who enjoys studying, but the worsening environment at many colleges makes it more advisable for an academically-oriented student to study at home.
Some people would argue that the "college experience" is worthwhile in itself. If this is true, why do excessive drinking, drugs, promiscuity, and a generally bad attitude play such a major role in it? These are hardly the attitudes of people who are having fun.
Another argument is that college can give you valuable career contacts that you wouldn't get through independent study. If one is attending college for this reason, it might be an idea to do as many of the courses through credit-by-exam as possible, and only do the courses which are directly linked to the major on campus. If the school has a limit to how many CLEP and DANTES credits they'll accept, one could take the courses for the major on campus, and then transfer the credits to a school which is more generous in this area, such as Excelsior or Thomas Edison State College. Another idea might be to do the bachelor's degree through independent study, and then go to a brick-and-mortar university for graduate school.
The purpose of this blog is to discuss cheaper alternative ways of earning college credit and college degrees without going into debt. It has just been moved from http://homeschoolcollege.wordpress.com/. I'm currently studying for the CLEP exams in chemistry and biology.
For starters, college is expensive. $2,500 per semester is at the lower end of the scale, and that comes out to $20,000 over the course of four years. These costs only cover tuition, and don't include books, housing, food, and other living expenses. Some people would include lost wages as part of the costs of attending college, and that leads to the second argument.
College can mean a lifetime of debt. As there's no guarantee that the degree will lead to a job, taking out student loans isn't always advisable. Many college graduates can't pay the loans back, which can lead to credit problems. Some employers won't hire employees with less-than-the-best credit, and this makes it even harder to find a job. Even if one can make the minimum payments, the amount due means that even with the higher income gained through the college degree, one's living standards are the same as they would have been without it. At the same time, many college graduates earn less than one might expect, or are working in jobs which don't require a college degree. Students also have to be careful who they borrow from. With some less-than-honest loan providers, the balance of the loan continues to rise even when the minimum payments are being made.
The social environment of the colleges is another argument against going, as the colleges are getting just as dangerous as the high schools. Single rooms are a rarity in the dormitories, and one often has no say over who their roommate will be. There are a lot of tough kids on campus. Anybody who was sharing a room with one would have to keep a sharp eye on their wallet and other belogings at all times. You can't just leave your wallet on the side table like you can at home. The situation in the dormitory bathrooms isn't much better. Not only do the shower stalls not have locks, but some people don't believe in flushing. Also, the kitchens must often be shared by a large number of students.
This may sound odd, but there's often no quiet place to study on campus. The dormitory I lived in at the University of Memphis usually had loud rap music pounding from somewhere, along with the tough sorts communicating at top volume, punctuated by loud screams. These people would often turn aggressive if asked to be quieter, and I often feared for my personal safety. Even the library was periodically populated by the loud and tough sorts.
There's also the issue of on-campus violence. Although massacres like the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech are rare, violence on a smaller scale is commonplace.
Housing is often a problem for college students. Students who live more than commuting distance away from relatives not only have the costs of dorm rent. The airfare or other transportation costs to get to the university don't only have to be paid in August and May, but also during Christmas and Thanksgiving break when the dorms are usually closed and people often want to be at home. There's also spring break when the dorms are often closed.
Academic standards are going down, and this makes it easier for the tough sorts to get in. The ironic thing about college is that the coursework is best suited for somebody who enjoys studying, but the worsening environment at many colleges makes it more advisable for an academically-oriented student to study at home.
Some people would argue that the "college experience" is worthwhile in itself. If this is true, why do excessive drinking, drugs, promiscuity, and a generally bad attitude play such a major role in it? These are hardly the attitudes of people who are having fun.
Another argument is that college can give you valuable career contacts that you wouldn't get through independent study. If one is attending college for this reason, it might be an idea to do as many of the courses through credit-by-exam as possible, and only do the courses which are directly linked to the major on campus. If the school has a limit to how many CLEP and DANTES credits they'll accept, one could take the courses for the major on campus, and then transfer the credits to a school which is more generous in this area, such as Excelsior or Thomas Edison State College. Another idea might be to do the bachelor's degree through independent study, and then go to a brick-and-mortar university for graduate school.
The purpose of this blog is to discuss cheaper alternative ways of earning college credit and college degrees without going into debt. It has just been moved from http://homeschoolcollege.wordpress.com/. I'm currently studying for the CLEP exams in chemistry and biology.
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