Should I complete undergrad degree online?

[Jones1]

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Hi everyone,
I apologize if this question has been asked a few times but my question is a bit more specific. I have a few questions if you don't mind helping me out.

I am 24 and wish to go back to school. However, I have 3 children under the age of 5. We have chosen for one parent to stay home and raise the children. My husband works while I run a business on the side.

However, I have always wanted to pursue a medical career and have had 90%+ averages in High School biology, sciences, math etc.

Instead of me waiting until my children are school age, would it be better for me to study for a Bachelor's degree online or would that be a complete waste of time?

What would be my best bet? We do not want to use daycare at the moment for many reasons. We also do not have family for a great distance (1000 km).

Another question..
I have had issues with seeing people severely hurt or dead. I feel very upset when I see hurt or sick children. Would this be an issue for medical school?

Thanks in advance!

 

[deleted303591]

The issue about seeing hurt children--Yes, that will be a problem, but most people are not ok with children being hurt anyways.

As for doing a degree online make sure to look at Arizona State University or University of Florida. ASU online tuition is same for in-state and out-of-state. The degree at ASU looks exactly the same as if you received it on their main campus.

I am accepted in to ASU online for the undergraduate electrical engineering program (ABET accredited--necessary for getting a job in the US in engineering). They have been extremely friendly and easy to get in contact with. If you are wondering how the courses are executed, here is the interface, to give you an idea of how your course will be like. They treat me SO much better than my current university.

I am transferring out due to medical reasons and my school not treating me right, and I have been forced to take medical withdrawal for 4 semesters and I am undergoing chemo as immunosuppression for autoimmune disease.

Also, make sure to take a quick look at the US News and World Reports Online Bachelor's degrees, but this is not the most accurate way to gauge schools. Just make sure the school you decide to "attend" is a brick and mortar school (as in you could take courses in-person) and is well-known.

Oh, and good luck!

 

[Jones1]

Thank you so much for your reply. I am sorry for what you are going through and hope that you make a quick recovery.

As for seeing hurt people/children, I will often feel very sad or upset for a day or more..so I am not sure if I would be able to handle the load of medical school or even a medical profession..but I have a passion for helping others and being a doctor and definitely would not be in it for the money.

I will definitely check that out. I live in Canada so it might be an issue for Medical schools here accepting students that have degrees from out of country, but I will definitely take a look at the universities you have mentioned. Thanks!

 

[deleted303591]

I forgot to mention Washington State University offers online degrees too, and they seem decent.

Obviously stay away for for-profits like Devry, Strayer University, American Intercontinental University, etc. I would also stay away from schools you have never heard of before.

Here are reviews for ASU Online: http://www.cappex.com/colleges/Arizona-State-University-Online/reviews There is lots of advice on this review site, so make sure to read all of it.

Here are general reviews of online Universities: http://www.onlinedegreereviews.org/

 

[ciestar]

You could also check out Penn State - World Campus
They have about 50 (if I remember correctly) online degree programs

 

[deleted303591]

You have to choose what you want to do, but...

I know that the ASU bachelor's degree in electrical engineering (online--there is no distinguishing between the online and the actual program in Tempe, Arizona) is covered under the Washington Accord, so you could work in Canada as an electrical engineer without a problem, as long as you legally have the rights to work there (i.e. Canadian citizen). http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=170 (Scroll down to Electrical Engineering).

Also, at public schools in the US, the average grade point average by course and instructor is published on certain websites such as myedu.com. In addition, make sure to consult ratemyprofessors.com to make sure that the instructor is not an issue. ASU has pretty high grade points for their electrical engineering courses, just FYI.

You do have to find a proctor/invigilator and scan your homework yourself but it is not a big deal. http://asuengineeringonline.com/student The lectures are video recorded and you have office hours with your professor via Skype.

University of North Dakota offers an online electrical engineering degree but the program is outdated, expensive, and is not 100% online (requires up to 2 weeks in the summer in North Dakota to complete the labs), which is also covered under the Washington Accord.

 

[onelastpuff23]

You have to choose what you want to do, but...

I know that the ASU bachelor's degree in electrical engineering (online--there is no distinguishing between the online and the actual program in Tempe, Arizona) is covered under the Washington Accord, so you could work in Canada as an electrical engineer without a problem, as long as you legally have the rights to work there (i.e. citizen). http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=170 (Scroll down to Electrical Engineering).

Also, at public schools in the US, the average grade point average by course and instructor is published on certain websites such as myedu.com. In addition, make sure to consult ratemyprofessors.com to make sure that the instructor is not an issue. ASU has pretty high grade points for their electrical engineering courses, just FYI.

You do have to find a proctor and scan your homework yourself but it is not a big deal. http://asuengineeringonline.com/student The lectures are video recorded and you have office hours with your professor via Skype.

University of North Dakota offers an online electrical engineering degree but the program is outdated, expensive, and is not 100% online (requires up to 2 weeks in the summer in North Dakota to complete the labs), which is also covered under the Washington Accord.

If you're in Canada, you may want to look at Athabasca University. It may have a general degree which is three years in length. I am not sure how US Schools view online degrees, but Canadian medical schools do not care. Tuition is much cheaper as six credits is about 1200 dollars CDN. ASU had it for about 500 USD per credit-hour, so your' looking at 3000 per credit. Mind you, ASU has a better overall reputation.

 

[deleted303591]

If you're in Canada, you may want to look at Athabasca University. It may have a general degree which is three years in length. I am not sure how US Schools view online degrees, but Canadian medical schools do not care. Tuition is much cheaper as six credits is about 1200 dollars CDN. ASU had it for about 500 USD per credit-hour, so your' looking at 3000 per credit. Mind you, ASU has a better overall reputation.

Thank you. I am not Canadian though, or in Canada 🙁 . I just did a lot of research before picking an online University. In my many searches, one of the challenges that many people were encountering was finding an online degree that was covered under ABET and the Washington Accord.

 

[Mr Avante]

Hi everyone,
I apologize if this question has been asked a few times but my question is a bit more specific. I have a few questions if you don't mind helping me out.

I am 24 and wish to go back to school. However, I have 3 children under the age of 5. We have chosen for one parent to stay home and raise the children. My husband works while I run a business on the side.

However, I have always wanted to pursue a medical career and have had 90%+ averages in High School biology, sciences, math etc.

Instead of me waiting until my children are school age, would it be better for me to study for a Bachelor's degree online or would that be a complete waste of time?

What would be my best bet? We do not want to use daycare at the moment for many reasons. We also do not have family for a great distance (1000 km).

Another question..
I have had issues with seeing people severely hurt or dead. I feel very upset when I see hurt or sick children. Would this be an issue for medical school?

Thanks in advance!

High school stays behind and forgotten
No online degrees
Medicine is not worth your children
Issues with dead people? what kind?
Why not a nursing degree?

If troll
7/10 good job

 

[deleted303591]

High school stays behind and forgotten
No online degrees
Medicine is not worth your children
Issues with dead people? what kind?
Why not a nursing degree?

If troll
7/10 good job

Wow you sound more like a troll than the OP.

I am sure this thread is useful to more people than the OP.

 

[Jones1]

Why on earth would I troll? That is ridiculous. Issues with dead people? Well why not? I am sure many have a hard time looking at deceased people or having to deal with them. Nursing does not appeal to me and I know I have the intellect to pursue medical school.

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely check the Universities out.
I plan to go to Medical school in Canada. I always thought the requirements were to have an undergraduate degree from a school in Canada but will double check on that.

onelastpuff23: Would Canadian medical schools accept Athabasca University degrees? What would be the best degree to get from them? Does it matter at all?

Thanks again!

 

[deleted303591]

Why on earth would I troll? That is ridiculous. Issues with dead people? Well why not? I am sure many have a hard time looking at deceased people or having to deal with them. Nursing does not appeal to me and I know I have the intellect to pursue medical school.

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely check the Universities out.
I plan to go to Medical school in Canada. I always thought the requirements were to have an undergraduate degree from a school in Canada but will double check on that.

onelastpuff23: Would Canadian medical schools accept Athabasca University degrees? What would be the best degree to get from them? Does it matter at all?

Thanks again!

There is no need to defend yourself. That individual is way out of line.

I do not know about Athabasca University.

There is a Canadian pre-med forum, but I am not allowed to post it on SDN as it is against the rules.

Search "Canadian pre-med forum" and it will be the first hit on Google.

I just searched on that forum and only Ottawa has an issue with Athabasca degrees, from what I have read, so far.

 

[Mr Avante]

Why on earth would I troll? That is ridiculous. Issues with dead people? Well why not? I am sure many have a hard time looking at deceased people or having to deal with them. Nursing does not appeal to me and I know I have the intellect to pursue medical school.

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely check the Universities out.
I plan to go to Medical school in Canada. I always thought the requirements were to have an undergraduate degree in Canada but will double check that.

Thanks again!

Trolling is quite frequent in the forums
I asked what issues not the reason. Students often assimilate to the dead within days or even hours. However, if you have severe anxiety issues that trouble your efficiency, then I strongly recommend against.
There is no doubt you may excel in any profession
Have you considered a physician assistant education? I say this because there are professions that are as equally as rewarding as being a physician but without the costs.

Yes, I am out of line. My resting time is out of line as well after 27 hours.

I am not even going to reply to Avante's post

👍 you just did

You are welcome

Glück!

 

[Jones1]

I wasn't going to reply to your post then I realized you have some credibility on this forum with numerous posts so I decided to.

 

[onelastpuff23]

There is no need to defend yourself. That individual is way out of line.

I do not know about Athabasca University.

There is a Canadian pre-med forum, but I am not allowed to post it on SDN as it is against the rules.

Search "Canadian pre-med forum" and it will be the first hit on Google.

I just searched on that forum and only Ottawa has an issue with Athabasca degrees, from what I have read, so far.

Why on earth would I troll? That is ridiculous. Issues with dead people? Well why not? I am sure many have a hard time looking at deceased people or having to deal with them. Nursing does not appeal to me and I know I have the intellect to pursue medical school.

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely check the Universities out.
I plan to go to Medical school in Canada. I always thought the requirements were to have an undergraduate degree from a school in Canada but will double check on that.

onelastpuff23: Would Canadian medical schools accept Athabasca University degrees? What would be the best degree to get from them? Does it matter at all?

Thanks again!

Canadian medical schools don't care about the undergraduate institution. It's not just about online either. They view ALL accredited programs the same. You can study astrophysics at a lower end schools and it won't matter.

I would pick a degree in a discipline in which I would be the most successful. In all honesty, the school is known for being notoriously easy but in full disclosure -- it's all heresay -- I have never taken a course myself.