Online Education

How To Choose A Laptop for Class

Picking up a laptop for school or for that matter a computer especially if you are considering an online course can have you soon scratching your head wondering how the hell can you find the ideal laptop, one that meets your budget and one that performs really well for your chosen online course.

The first thing to remember is that yes, there are many options but which are the ones that is most important to you. Usually the following will be your primary considerations

1. Price
2. Performance
3. Style
4. Resale value
5. Warranty

Let’s start with performance. This is probably the most important factor in your decision. Your computer performance mainly depends on the following

• Processor (CPU)
• RAM
• Hard Drive
• Graphics

Picking a top of the line laptop with the latest specs will mean a higher price. If you have to make concessions, then skimp on the hard drive speed and capacity. With storage being reasonable cheap these days you can always buy an external hard drive should you run out of space. Now if you are really on a budget then explore reducing your total RAM. But pick a model that has room or rather slots available to upgrade later on. Do NOT buy a laptop that has a low memory specifications and no additional slots to upgrade. Finally your graphics card is not crucial if you are not working on a design or multimedia intensive course. So this is another avenue for you to reduce the overall price of your laptop.

Style is something that is very individualistic. Some will swear by a mac whereas some will pick a refurbished windows machine. Style is entirely dependent on you and again the price you are willing to pay for your laptop. A fancy custom design looks awesome but be prepared to raise your budget accordingly.

Warranty is another factor that you must consider in your purchase. Most manufacturers offer a free 1 year warranty that should suffice in most cases with the option to increase that warranty further. Additional years do cost extra and keep in mind that with the short shelf life of most electronics, you most likely will be shopping for a new laptop in a couple of years since your latest and most powerful laptop will be so outdated by then.

Finally, let’s look at resale. Very few manufacturers command a resale value based on their brand. Apple is the only manufacturer that comes to mind and Lenovo to a lessor extent. That said, remember buying a Mac will set you back almost twice the amount than for a windows machine.

Picking the best laptop for school can be trying at times. Keep the above factors in mind and you should be good. Beyond that there a hundreds of tiny variables that I believe is not worth splitting hairs on. In the end you probably will decide based on the price, performance and who is offering the best deal at the moment. If you are lucky and your timing is right, you can pick up some fantastic bargains around Thanksgiving and X’mas and not to mention back to school savings.

Online Education is fast emerging today as a popular alternate to the more traditional campus degree course. Online learning offers many advantages over a campus course that appeals to many people but also come with disadvantages as well. The debate about which one is better, online learning vs traditional learning still rages today and is something that an individual must consider carefully as his whole future career and earnings to a large extent might depend on this decision.

Let us look at some prominent factors and compare the two

Accessibility

Online Learning:  This is perhaps the biggest advantages of online learning and because of which prospective students are now joining by the truck loads. What was once very inhibitive has now opened up many doors. No longer do you have to be in the same city or even state to go to your dream institution. Chances are the very same institution now offers an online program that you can enroll sitting anywhere in the world.

Campus Learning: Obviously you need to be at the campus and attend classes on campus to be counted towards your credits. You have to be physically present and quite often stay on campus throughout your degree course. This is something that you have to be open to if you are considering the traditional classroom based degree programs.

Validity

Online Learning: With the boom of online eduction came the inevitable scams and run off the mill programs and institutions that are solely setup to defraud unsuspecting students. It is important that potential students check the credentials of the educational institutions offering various degree programs and ensure that they are accredited and recognized. Only then will your online degree hold any validity and will be then accepted by your future employers.

Campus Learning: While there may be fraudulent campus schools they are few and very far in between. All the same do the same due diligence and check the accredition and recognition along with the standing of the university or school when compared to others offering the same degree program or course. After all if you have made up your mind to do a campus based program then doing it from the best or higher ranked institution is always to way to go.

Acceptance

Online Learning: While more and more companies and employers are recognizing the validity of an online degree, you will still run into bias when you are competing for the same position with an individual with a campus based degree. This however is slowly waning and online degrees and being treated at par with the more traditional campus based learning degrees.

Campus Learning: Campus based degrees will be more suited for certain disciplines such as any engineering program or programs that require extensive practical or hands on training such as medical or related medical associate degrees.

Quality

Online Learning: The quality of an online learning education is tied completely to the institution that provides it. As more and more traditional universities and schools that are well known for their quality of education start offering an online variant of their popular programs, the quality of online education, both literal perceived are improving with each passing day.

Campus Learning: Most campus based programs are well known for their quality of education. It is an important metric in the ranking of schools and universities and is given great focus and attention. It is generally accepted by one and all that the quality is top notch especially at ivy league and reputed universities and schools. The content and breadth of education is well rounded and is often the reason for pursuing the more traditional campus based degrees. That said, these days many reputed schools and universities are tailoring their online classes to be exactly the same as their campus based programs.

Flexibility

Online Learning: This is one area that is perhaps the biggest advantage that online education offers when compared to a campus programs. The flexibility that students have is unparalleled and is the reason for the explosion of online courses and degrees you find in this day and age. It is because of this flexibility that working professionals and people with other responsibilities are now signing up for online courses in immense numbers and are fast becoming the vast majority of online degree students.

Campus Learning: Most campus based programs have set schedules and offer very little flexibility when it comes to attending and rescheduling classes, deadlines and tests. There is a fixed timetable that needs to be followed by all students and a minimum attendance requirement to complete the course. This is the reason that many working professionals are turning towards online classes.

Cost

Online Learning: Online classes are generally priced more economically when compared to traditional campus based coursed. In addition you also save money on travel, room and board and well as study material including textbooks.

Campus Learning: It is no secret that education and more pointedly campus based education costs are spiraling beyond control. Most of these costs are passed on to the student. While you have more scholarships and grants to students that attend campus based degree courses it is not enough. Many students have to work part time in addition to scholarships and any grants that they might receive.

Finally, all I can say is that it really boils down to the individual and his particular circumstances. There are merits to both online education and to the classroom based face to face style or the more traditional education. This is why you have many schools that are adopting a hybrid format where most of the course is conducted online with a certain portion of the course especially the hands on part being conducted live on campus. This hybrid form of education is gaining popularity and acceptance with both prospective students employers.

We touched upon the advantages of an online education in our previous article. Let us look into the disadvantages of online learning classes in this article. Both of these combined will help shine light for a prospective student on answering the question if an online class is harder or easier or if one is debating online degrees vs traditional degrees.

Disadvantages Of Online Learning

Time Management

Time management is crucial when you sign up for an online degree course. Sometimes an advantage of an online class can quickly become a disadvantage if you take it too far. While an online class gives you the flexibility to manage your schedule, you have to be careful that you do not take it too far and become pretty lax with your deadlines. If you are the type that procrastinates too much or the kind that needs the environment of a live classroom to get the best out of you then you have to seriously weigh your options.

Discipline

Unless you are very disciplined and dedicated an online degree might soon become something you constantly play catch up with. You have to realize that you need to dedicate a certain portion of your daily schedule and stick with it no matter what. Both time management and disciple are very important qualities that you must posses in abundance. Yes you can record your online class but you still need to get to it and listen to it every day or soon you will find yourself left with too much to do and deadlines looming.

One to One interaction

The biggest advantage of a campus course is the one to one interaction between you and your peers and your instructor. This obviously is very restricted in an online class and if this is something you find very important for you to be able to perform then an online class might not be the right choice for you.

Transfer of Credits

You might find yourself in a situation where transferring credits to an existing course or a future program might not be possible or at the very least very difficult without additional makeup classes. Do ensure before you sign up that your online degree is from an accredited institution and is recognized. It is always better to be safe before you leap.

Technology

If you are the kind that find it very difficult to operate a computer then you might be signing up for more work than you realize. With fast changing technology, online classes are getting more and more technical. No, you do not have to be an expert but being able to browse and work a computer at the basic level is a must.

So there you go, the advantages and disadvantages laid out. Now it is time for you to decide. Good luck.

One of the most asked questions that we get is “Are Online Classes Hard?” Now honestly there is no straight forward answer to that question. Yes not the answer you were looking for but the question of whether online classes are easy or hard is a very subjective question and is completely dependent on the individual.

What we can do however is to look at the advantages of online classes and the  disadvantages on online classes and hopefully then it becomes a little easier for you to judge if your should purse an online degree or a campus degree.

Without any further ado, here are the top 5 advantages of an online degree.

Advantages of online college courses

1. Time flexibility. First and foremost is the time flexibility you get with online classes. Online classes are structured in a manner where it is not important for you to be on your computer at set given times but you have the choice of fitting in your online courses according to your schedule. This is especially great for people already working and people bringing up children. If you are in such a situation then online classes will really work without making major changes in your life.
2. Geographic flexibility. Second is of course not having to be physically present in a particular city or college campus to take a class. You save on commute times, gas and more importantly allows you to sign up to schools that offer courses that are of interest to you irrespective of where the college or university is located.
3. You have flexibility when it comes to being on top of things when compared to a campus course. Online courses give you the freedom of not scribing down the lectures as it happens because most online course material can be printed or is available online. This gives you the freedom to listen and understand better rather than scribing furiously during your lecture.
4. With the technical advancement that are taking place, online classes gives you the freedom to rewind, playback and forward/skip through portions that you have missed or you feel you have a very good grasp of. The various multimedia features allow you to understand and interpret your subject quickly allowing you to be more productive
5. If you are the shy kind and conscious in a group then online classes might just be your thing. There are a vast number of people that are hesitant to participate in a group or live class discussions. Online classes are a no brainer in such situations.

I’m going to end this and pick up the disadvantages of online courses next time. With that hopefully you will have answered the question – Are online courses easy or hard?

So many people want to strive for a college education. The only problem is they do not have the time to make it happen. Unfortunately not everyone who goes to school can manage a household and full-time job at the same time. Then again, this train of thought does not apply to today’s schooling options. At this point you can acquire and online bachelors degree from the comfort of your humble abode. This is amazing on so many levels, and it basically means that you can obtain the education you’ve always wanted, but without having to deal with the typical hassles of college life and school class times. Are you ready to go to college?

Stop wasting your precious time! You can shoot for a online bachelors degree, and all you need to get started is a personal computer and Internet access. There are many reasons why this is so wonderful for so many different people. First of all, if you are a stay-at-home parent that cannot physically go to college on a regular basis, you need another way to obtain that high level of education. Online university classes are the answer to your problems. You can essentially search for the type of online degree you are interested in, and then proceed to sign up for different classes. Suddenly you’re attending school, but you’re doing it from home.

There are also plenty of people out there with full-time jobs that cannot manage a full load of college classes on a university campus every week. After all, this can mean commuting, finding a parking space each day, and the sitting through long lecture classes. Luckily you can still go after the degree you want and keep your full time job. When you get involved with online bachelors degree programs, you can set your own schedule, and since you are acquiring the education from home, you do not have to worry about showing up on time in specific classrooms. This is so much easier than grappling with university buildings and parking spaces.

Before you discard the concept of an online bachelors degree, it is important to check out what programs are available. The exact degree you are looking for could be offered through several online university programs. The university you attend does not even have to be in the same state you live in. After all, you will be taking the course online. Therefore there is no reason to worry about where the school is actually located. If you have questions or concerns, simply contact the university directly via email or by telephone. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions that are relevant to the online bachelors degree program you’re interested in.

We get a lot of questions from readers that are not sure about what direction to take when it comes to continuing their education. Are you confused about taking online classes? Are you debating if online classes are the best fit for you? Are you debating the merits of an online degree vs traditional degree? Either way, the linked articles will help you understand the merits, advantages and disadvantages of an online degree and the more traditional campus based degree.

Here are some sample questions that we get asking us to recommend an online degree or if an online degree was a better choice over a more traditional campus based degree.

• I want to go back to school and start taking a networking course. The classes are online and seem like a good fit for me. I’m very interested in computer networking but have been unable to commit to a campus school for many reasons. Do you think I should go for an online class? Previously transportation was an issue and had to use public transportation to go to school.
• I’ve never taken any online classes before and so am completely in the dark about what to expect. Can someone point out the  pros & cons to taking online classes? I’m very concerned about the practical portion of my degree and how this will work in an online degree school. Any feedback around this will be greatly appreciated
• I find myself constantly thinking about going back to school. I have a bachelors degree and feel a masters degree will add weight to my resume. I’m exploring the online school option since I have a 9 to 5 job and quitting my job is not an option. Am I making the right choice?

We get tons of related questions as above and therefore have written extensively about the subject. Take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of an online education and also the comparison between an online education vs a traditional education. I’m positive these should help you come to a fair understanding on what direction you would want to go.

As you start your online class/course degree you will soon find that sitting in front of a computer the whole time is very difficult unless you have the willpower and dedication to soldier on. The main issue is that of attention span and is a key question that a prospective student has to consider when he or she was considering taking up an online class and had to evaluate if an online class was harder or easier when compared to a campus degree.

Now that you’ve decided and enrolled in an online degree course there cannot be any looking back. It is important to make the best of the situation. Since most online classes or courses are conducted and accessed via your home computer, the first thing to do is to invest in a screen capture software. My personal recommendation is to use Camtasia. It comes with a 30 day free trial and one worth investing in. It comes with a windows and a mac version as well.

Set up your screen capture software to record your entire class as and when it plays online and you can then watch it and follow the class or lecture at your leisure. This way you can manage all the distractions that crop up especially if you have work or personal things to take care of. You will also have to luxury of going through your class lecture repeatedly and will make you a better student.

So there you go, yes there are options to record your online class. The sooner you get to it the better it is.

Below are a few typical question about recording your online course.

• I am looking at taking a online course, no direct instructor involvement, is there a way to record or output the session to record on dvd? there will be no direct instructor involvement, just distance computer based training and a server based emulator system.
• I’m having trouble following my class online and need someway to record the class. Is this possible?
• I’m a stay at home mom and have recently signed up for an online degree. My courses are completely online and require very little interaction. I’m unable to follow my class while it is going on since my son takes up all my attention. Is there a way to record my class course online so that I can then watch it when I have the time?

So there you go, record your online class and then write it onto a dvd and you soon you will have your own collection that you can revisit anytime you choose to.

We get many questions around this topic on games, especially on games that are not blocked on a school computer. Schools and school administrators block games frequently to ensure that students are using their computer facilities optimally and for educational purposes only. That said, almost all schools have access to the internet and once you have an open internet, you will have students using them to play games. To combat this, schools have turned to blocking sites that run games. They do this by individually blocking each website on their internal firewall or they set up a filter that looks for certain keywords that indicate that the website is a game site.

Some schools are taking this to the next level by blocking access to frequently used and popular social networking sites since social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace allow you to play games within the website itself. Finding games that are not blocked on a school’s computer becomes a cat and mouse game between the students and the administrators as new sites keep cropping up and once they do, the schools network administrator will go through their monthly logs and add those sites that are suspected as gaming sites to the network filter thereby blocking access to the site.

That said, there are certain games that are very educational in purpose. More and more games are being created each day that focuses on education and help to improve certain skills of a student, be it Math or English. Sites such as coolmath.com and many Disney sites are left unblocked simply because they have games that educators recognize as games that improve the education of a student.

In the end it is a fine line, educators are coming down on games and game sites that are deemed to not add value and students are always on the lookout for new destinations and websites where they can play fun games, games that are most definitely blocked on most school computers once it comes to the school’s attention.

Are online classes hard? I heard that online courses are easy? Is that really the cases? Are online classes easy and will they help me get a job?

A very subjective set of questions if there ever was one. All the above questions around online classes are basically the same thing and really depends on many factors. What subject are we talking about? Are you comfortable in a group? Do you have issues communicating during group discussions? Are there other factors like commute distance, college reputation to be considered? Is tuition expenses a factor is your decision?

Yes certain subjects are easier online but each person’s situation is different. The best way to answer this would be to examine your situation and answer the above questions. Once you have done that, take a look at the advantages of online education and also read about the disadvantages of online education. By now you should have a fairly balanced opinion about which direction you want to go

In the end, there is no straight yes or no answer to this question. You know your situation better, think it through, the advantages and disadvantages explained here along with the questions should help you decide how you want to proceed. It’s not a question of “Are online classes easy?” or “Are online courses hard?” but rather “Are online classes the right choice for me?”

Below is an example of the numerous questions around the subject we get.

I’m recently moved out of town for a few months and with the new semester starting, I was thinking about taking online classes so I can save on gas and still work an everything. I was wondering if the classes were easier or harder than regular classes on campus.

Obviously an MBA is not something you want to take online but what about something like Journalism?