Old School

Or why I am a dinosaur when it comes to on line courses.

I am in the throes of taking a 16+ week class from one of America’s major universities. They have an on line program for the subject matter I am taking that is pretty comprehensive-involving on line classes ( live with the instructor on the other end of a whiteboard screen), self paced lectures-that are not so self paced, they have to be done in the week they are programmed, and projects and homework e-mailed back and forth.

I hate it. I’d much prefer to be going to a class room-even if it meant I wasn’t getting home till after 10pm or later. Besides the fact that there would real girls people to look at, the home environment offers too many distractions. Even though I close the doors and lock myself in my man-cave, the fact that I am on my own computer-finds me shifting back and forth between some easy web surfing and coming back to the white board. At least in a class room, I would have to take notes.

I’d also have a set commitment of time and the ability to stop somewhere fun on the way home. Sure I can drink beer while listening to the lecture-but that one benefit does not offset the down side(s). I spend all day sometimes in VTC’s-now I have to come home and do it too?

But-I’ve put your tax dollars to work on it ( Thank you very much for the Post 9-11 GI Bill!). So I have to keep plugging away for several more months.