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Misconceptions of Online Education at Bryant & Stratton College

My husband is a self-professed, non-reader. He was never terribly fond of school, or writing or homework. But, he knew if he was going to advance in his career he had to earn a degree. His buddies convinced him that an online college would be easier. There would be less work, less reading, less writing, they claimed. And, no traffic to travel to class! They were right about the traffic. It seems there are a lot of misconceptions about online degree programs.
“People think it is going to be easier than traditional campus classes,” says Ricky Braun, Admissions Manager for Bryant & Stratton College Online Education. “But the curriculum is identical to our other 19 campuses.
“People may think they are going to come and glide through but that’s definitely not the case,” he says.
So, why the confusion? People make a lot of assumptions. Here are the facts for Online Education at Bryant & Stratton College
Tests: While they are often not proctored, and are open book, they are not easy. Generally, exams consist of essay questions, not multiple-choice questions.
Class participation: While there may not be any public speaking, students at online schools are often expected to participate in discussion forums. Students aren’t graded not just on how often they log in but also by the depth and understanding they demonstrate in their posts. At Bryant & Stratton College, student’s attendance in class is tracked through their activity and participation in the discussion board in their classes.
Lectures: Every instructor at Bryant & Stratton College will post a text-based lecture to their classroom. This means you don’t need to be in front of your computer at any specific time and there’s no worry about having to rewind to get proper notes written time and time again. Like with book reading, some additional assets and supplemental study materials may be video or audio assets, but that varies on a class-to-class and week-to-week basis, just like a traditional classroom.
Books: Bryant & Stratton College uses real, physical textbooks which are mailed to students for each semester. Often, supplemental reading will be provided via e-mail or other electronic means, giving students the information right at their fingertips through the online classroom.
Professor office hours: There are a number of ways to contact instructors at Bryant & Stratton College. Every instructor will provide students with an email address and each classroom also features a questions forum, which instructors monitor regularly and are required to reply to when questions are posted. Additional contact methods will vary by instructor but will include options such as Skype or other instant messaging services. Those methods typically are used for office hours each week. So, while there are differences in terms of traditional methods of communication, online classes at Bryant & Stratton College are very similar to attending class in a traditional class setting. But that doesn’t mean the program is without its perks.
Benefits of Online Education
Flexible class times: Most adult students work during the day or have responsibilities like caring for their family. Most traditional universities don’t offer the same variety of classes at night that daytime students enjoy. Online students go to school when they can, no matter what time the clock reads and have access to the same variety of subjects and classes. Each class at Bryant & Stratton College Online runs from Sunday to Saturday and students have 24/7 access to their courses. This means you can log in and access your classes at any point during the week.
Well-planned assignments: At Bryant & Stratton, students generally have a week to complete homework. Some work is assigned on the first day of the class week while others will come up in the middle of the week. However, students will have a course calendar that illustrates every assignment, reading, test and quiz that will make up the program. Still worried about the workload at an online college? Bryant & Stratton College administers placement tests to every student before they enroll in classes so they are not placed in a math or English class that is above their current level. The placement tests set students up to succeed in classes that allow them to progress. Additional support through our academic advising team and career services is available to all students, ensuring success in the classroom and beyond.
Student Support
Student Services: New students are each assigned a personal academic Success Coach for their first semester to help reinforce positive academic practices for new students. After their first semester students will begin to work with a new academic advisor for the remainder of their degree.
Career help: Upon graduation, you don’t have to road trip back to your alma mater for help building career connections. Bryant & Stratton College’s career services help graduates fine tune their interview skills, resume, portfolio and cover letter, even for students in remote locations. For students like my husband, what this all means is that there is no easy road to earning a degree. For students at Bryant & Stratton, however, that road is a little less bumpy.
“A lot of our students are working full-time and have children. Gas prices are high. Once you put the kids to bed, it’s a great time to get class work done. That’s why online school is so popular,” Braun says. “It is so flexible.  We’ve eliminated the commute, the stress and the childcare.”

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