An easy way to maximize a college education is to take online courses.
This helps a student stay flexible around their lives while trying to get an education. The average cost of one credit hour with sophomore or freshman status is $431 dollars. With this, students are encouraged to get their full amount without overworking for their credits or overpaying with too little. Online coursework is ideal for students who are busy working jobs, students with families, students who fill their plates with extracurricular activities and, of course, students who check all of these boxes above.
“I would have totally taken my gen. ed. classes if they were available last year, or earlier this year,” Ferris pre-physical therapy sophomore Lilli Kempisty said.
During the last few years, Ferris has been trying to increase the number of online courses, especially courses considered general education (gen. ed.) This is in part designed to aid freshmen transitioning from high school to the college setting on their own time.
“Online courses allow students to complete courses without having to be tied to a traditional Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. academic schedule,” Ferris Executive Director for online learning Amy Greene said. “In addition to flexibility, online courses give students an opportunity to enhance their technology-mediated communication skills.”
On the other hand, some students find it demanding to keep up with their online class.
“I don’t find them to be easier than regular classes, because it is harder, because I have to teach myself,” Ferris medical laboratory science sophomore Audrey Bellina said. “The online classes are more demanding than an in-person class, and I have to find time between everything to do them.”
Some contradiction and hesitation are factors when choosing online courses. The transition from Blackboard to Canvas has been a long and confusing switch, many cite.
Yet, to counteract the confusion, the eLearning Department is working to develop a Canvas “course” so students familiarize the Canvas online class platform.
The eLearning department is constantly accepting suggestions for new classes and finding ways to make online students’ lives better.
Last year, the department created a new semi-semester so students could have more opportunities to take online courses outside of the traditional fall and spring semesters. It is called the wintermester.
If there is a class you would like considered as a future online course, email elearning@nullferris.edu. For more information on the winter semester, search “wintermester” through the Ferris website.