Rant Time
You know, normally I am a fan of gawker. I find some of their articles amusing and it did a fine job of following the late night talk show war earlier in the year. But this article pisses me off so much. It claims that my school and others like it are 'fake' colleges. For those who don't know, I am attending University of Phoenix because the online classes are much easier for me at this time in my life.
Going to a regular campus just became too difficult for me due to my disability. The commute became a problem for me. I got up at 5am on the days I had classes just so I could make it to class by 9am. Sometimes the commute home was two to three hours. Frankly, it made me too exhausted to do anything, and my grades suffered. So did all of my social activities, including RP. I really feel my grades were sub par at West Chester University (mostly Bs, some Cs) because of that awful commute. Seriously, I was so tired all the damn time, so much that I wrote half assed papers just because I wanted to get them over with. So after the Fall 2006 semester, I pretty much gave up on school.
For the longest time, I avoided doing the online thing because I did not believe they were 'real' schools and felt too ashamed. Then one day, I had an epiphany. I only had a few years left, and I realized I did not want to quit. So I looked into UPX. I found out UPX was accredited, which to me implies that it is, indeed, a real school with real things to offer. And it's not easy. I have at least one paper to write a week, sometimes two. We are assigned Learning Teams, which means we have to work with other people on a major project. As someone who prefers working alone, this was not an easy adjustment. But I learned to deal with it. I am pleased to say that I have gotten an A in every class I have taken thus far. IMO, the classes I am taking are challenging and the instructors are all very good and know what they are doing. Many have degrees from well known universities. If UPX is good enough for them to teach at, then it is good enough for me.
That article is one of the reasons I did not want to attend a school like this at first. It's that condescending and elitist attitude that prevents a lot of people from going back to school. It pisses me off so much. Not everyone can attend so called traditional schools for a variety of reasons. Mine happens to be a disability. I did not want the disability to get in the way of my education. This is the best way I can do that. So the guy who wrote this article and the commenters who support his claim can kindly STFU, please.
In case anyone is curious, these are the classes I am attending. I realize there is a negative stigma involved with being a Com major, but I feel it is incorrect and I will argue with anyone who says otherwise. I am currently taking Ethics and Communication. I have already taken all the classes listed prior. I still need to take the classes listed after, most of which include technology classes that I kind of fear. But I am ready for that challenge. And I am glad UPX exists to give me this opportunity.
Going back to school online was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I won't let articles like this one make me feel differently.
Going to a regular campus just became too difficult for me due to my disability. The commute became a problem for me. I got up at 5am on the days I had classes just so I could make it to class by 9am. Sometimes the commute home was two to three hours. Frankly, it made me too exhausted to do anything, and my grades suffered. So did all of my social activities, including RP. I really feel my grades were sub par at West Chester University (mostly Bs, some Cs) because of that awful commute. Seriously, I was so tired all the damn time, so much that I wrote half assed papers just because I wanted to get them over with. So after the Fall 2006 semester, I pretty much gave up on school.
For the longest time, I avoided doing the online thing because I did not believe they were 'real' schools and felt too ashamed. Then one day, I had an epiphany. I only had a few years left, and I realized I did not want to quit. So I looked into UPX. I found out UPX was accredited, which to me implies that it is, indeed, a real school with real things to offer. And it's not easy. I have at least one paper to write a week, sometimes two. We are assigned Learning Teams, which means we have to work with other people on a major project. As someone who prefers working alone, this was not an easy adjustment. But I learned to deal with it. I am pleased to say that I have gotten an A in every class I have taken thus far. IMO, the classes I am taking are challenging and the instructors are all very good and know what they are doing. Many have degrees from well known universities. If UPX is good enough for them to teach at, then it is good enough for me.
That article is one of the reasons I did not want to attend a school like this at first. It's that condescending and elitist attitude that prevents a lot of people from going back to school. It pisses me off so much. Not everyone can attend so called traditional schools for a variety of reasons. Mine happens to be a disability. I did not want the disability to get in the way of my education. This is the best way I can do that. So the guy who wrote this article and the commenters who support his claim can kindly STFU, please.
In case anyone is curious, these are the classes I am attending. I realize there is a negative stigma involved with being a Com major, but I feel it is incorrect and I will argue with anyone who says otherwise. I am currently taking Ethics and Communication. I have already taken all the classes listed prior. I still need to take the classes listed after, most of which include technology classes that I kind of fear. But I am ready for that challenge. And I am glad UPX exists to give me this opportunity.
Going back to school online was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I won't let articles like this one make me feel differently.