Your Questions About Business Online Courses

Jere answers:

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, “Employers Often Distrust Online Degrees” an article that notes, “Silvia Guzman, regional human-resources manager for ProTec Building Services, likens online degrees to diploma mills or institutions that advertise on career Web sites promising to help you earn a degree in a year. . .She mentioned several universities that raise red flags for her when she sees them on résumés, including Capella University, an accredited for-profit online institution . . .”

You will find many negative comments and criticisms of Capella University, a for-profit on-line school, on the Capella Facts web site – http://www.capellafacts.org/capella_university_reviews.html

Jere answers:

Most schools that include books in the cost of tuition are more expensive (for obvious reasons). I think you will probably save more in the long-run by attending a school with reasonable tuition and buying your books used, or buying the eBook version (which is usually half of the cost of a new book).

I attended Columbia College and majored in Business. Their tuition is $210 per credit hour, which is about what I would be paying at the local college in my area. Books were about $65 per course when I purchased used or eBooks (which was most of the time). So, that is about $275 per course including tuition and books.

I did a review of this school on my blog if you have time to check it out: http://www.online-school-reviews.net/index.php/columbia-college-online-missouri/

Jere answers:

You will need a Bachelors degree to become a RN. You can have an Associated degree and apply for a four year Bachelors degree as a transfer student.

A good article is blow on how to become an RN./

Jere answers:

Some disadvantages to online classes are:

1. The lack of face-to-face interaction can be difficult if you like personalized attention from your teachers. In addition, an online course does not provide the social aspects of a traditional classroom.

2. There is no set time and place when your class will meet, so you will have to take responsibility for your learning, and be self-disciplined and motivated enough to work on your assignments on your own.

3. If you are a procrastinator or you always need an extra push to complete assignments, you may have difficulty making time for your online classes.

4. You must possess a minimum level of computer knowledge in order to function successfully in an online environment.

5. Online courses will also require you to learn new skills, such as navigating within the features of your course.

6. Because there is no verbal discussion, you must be comfortable with and have time to focus on writing. Most communication is written.

7. Online courses are often MORE work than campus-based courses. (The online classes I took freshman and sophmore year had so much busy work, I only took in class courses the last 2 years of undergrad)

8. You can feel isolated when questions and technical issues come up.

You mentioned you want to go to medical school. If you want to go to medical school, you should be thinking about majoring in biology or a related pre-med field, which will require labs. Labs can not be done online. Trust me, I was a biology major.

Common medical school prerequisistes are:
General Chemistry with lab: 2 semesters
Organic Chemistry with lab: 2 semesters
General Physics with lab: 2 semesters
General Biology with lab: 2 semesters
English: 2 semesters
Calculus:

Notice that the sciences all have labs. There will be many more sciences that you will need to take.

Also, admission committees look at the school you attended and consider this when they analyze your GPA. Having a 4.0 from an online program may not be weighed higher than another with a 3.0.

I am not discouraging earning your bachelors online at all. I am just warning you that medical school may not be very fond of all your courses being online. You can have some. They do not really care if you take online courses in non-science courses. If you are good at math, you can even take that online. Just realize that medical schools are very tough to get into. You need every advantage of the classroom that you can get to earn your professor’s respect. This will help you get an excellent recommendation. Also, if you did extremely well in the class, you could conduct research with the professor and/or become a TA. Medical schools love that. During your interview, they may even ask you about research you have conducted.

Labs are to be in a laboratory. I had at leat 10-12 labs as a biology major. They consisted of experiments, research, disections, and observations that simply can not be performed online. Even if you can, it will not be the same as hands on.

If you want an online earned degree, I would recommend looking into another future path that would be able to accomodate your degree, such as psychology or even business. However, if you are passionate about going to medical school, talk to your advisor about your situation. He/she may be able to have to dean authorize you to take some science classes at a local college where you will be and have the credits transferred. If you are coming back within 4 years, wait to take the science classes when you get back. Take all the humanities, social sciences, englishes, etc. Online.

Basically, if you just want to take online courses to satisfy social sciences, humanities, english, etc., that is absolutely fine! The only classes that require you to be in class are science classes. The material cannot be taught online. Wait until organic chem if you don’t believe me.

Hope this advice helps! Good luck 🙂

Jere answers:

$2,000 isn’t too bad for school. I spent $4,500 and that was 15 years ago.
Someone else said that if you haven’t worked in the grooming feild before, you should do that first. Probably a good idea. I was a bather at a very busy salon for 4 years before I decided to go to school. Alot of people think that being a groomer, all we do is play with dogs all day…I wish that were true.

In a way, yes it will matter where you get your training from. You need to learn correct breed standards and proper handeling from a GOOD groomer.
You have a few options…

Find a groomer who is willing to train you…this may be harder than it sounds. Alot of groomers are too busy working to have the time to show you everything. That is why schools are a good way to go. The instructors are there to teach you and have the time to do it. The place I was a bather at started to train me to groom. The groomer just did not have the time, and I only learned a few things.

Petsmart/Petco..personally, I myself would not hire someone fresh out of their training. Then again, once you go to their training, you have to sign a contract with them for at least a year. Their course is 4 weeks and then you train under their grooming manager..great if the groom mgr is a decent groomer, but I have seen alot of them who should not be grooming dogs themselves, let alone training others.
But, they do pay you while you are training.

Online courses…I have mixed feelings about those…to me, grooming is a hands on learning experience…unless you have all the different breeds available to you to learn on…an online course is just a bunch of words in a book.

Personally..I would go to an accreditied school. I went to one and I think it was a good decision. Alot of groomers will call the schools when they are looking for help. The school may be able to help you find a job right after completion.

Go check this site out
http://www.petgroomer.com/pet_grooming_schools.htm