Online College Course Forum

My life is beginning to get seriously sorted now, and I'm planning to move into a new house in five days. I've arranged for broadband to be installed on the day I move in, so I'm now storing things up for access.

I had not really realised just how lost I would be without broadband access. I find that I listen to talk radio a great deal, and from the UK as well as from New Zealand. In particular, if there is a discussion in a subject area that I am studying in my online program, or something that is of interest at work, I listen online.

I'm definitely suffering withdrawal symptoms, and can't wait to get back online. I've got a list of programs that I'm going to see if I can access, to catch up with my listening. So once again I'll feel as if I'm well informed, as opposed to completely out of touch as I do now.

I'm beginning to settle down into some kind of routine after my move of both job and home. Actually I'm still in a hotel, but I've jsut found a house to rent and hope to move into it within a couple of weeks - I can't wait, I just hate being itinerent.

The most disturbing thing for me is that I don't have broadband, although I can sometimes manage dial-up. However this is not reliable, and I had forgotten just how slow and time-consuling it can be. I find it almost impossible to use for my online program, as the website is so complex and much of the material I need to access is very bulky, making it difficult to download over dial-up.

So I'm doing some stuff after work - not the best situation in the world. At weekends I'm storing up all the reading I need to do, and horror of horrors, I'm making notes using paper and pencil! I had almost forgotten what it is to write freehand, and I find that I get writer's cramp very quickly these days.

Did you know that some 49% of higher education establishments offer some part of their degree programs as online courses? This means that half the institutions offering degrees do blended learning of some description.

There is no doubt that blended learning is taking off in a big way. Online programs now can be offered giving you the best of all worlds - if you want to study some of your program on campus you can, and some of it at home or at work online.

For some subjects this is particularly useful. It means that you can take practical programs online, doing the practical courses on campus and the other more theoretical parts online. You can also do an on campus program, but elect to take some courses online in your own time.

Education is beginning to get the idea that fitting in with people's lives can make sense, and now we have the technology to begin to do this, online programs are being used more and more effectively.