I'm at a distance campus site. To respond directly to what you said:
You watch classes via the internet.
That is true, but the majority of students in Gainesville also watch lectures online. Why wake up for an 8 AM class when you can watch it in the comfort of your home? I like to watch at McCalister's Deli or Panera Bread Company, but that's just me. I think it comes in handy when you're reviewing for a test, as you can watch whatever part of the lecture you want, and refresh your memory on parts you're shaky on.
There are not as many student organizations on campus.
We have FSHP, ASP, Student Council, CPFI, KE, and do intramural sports. Granted, it was limited to soccer and I think volleyball, but there's nothing stopping you from starting other sports. It is what you make of it. If there's not something you want, be proactive and set something up.
There are no dual programs there.
Got a point there. We don't have a dual degree program at my site. However, I know of one student from St. Pete campus who's in the dual degree program for his MBA. He moved to Gainesville last year, between his 2nd and 3rd years, to do that coursework, and should be going back to St. Pete to finish his last 2 years for his PharmD. It's probably not as easy as if you were in Gainesville, but it's still possible to complete your degrees.
There are a lot of older students there.
What's wrong with older students? Some of the older students are at an advantage in that they've worked in healthcare before starting pharmacy school. There are plenty of people who hadn't turned 21 when our first year started, and there were a few that were over 30. I'm 28, and I'm definitely not the oldest person at my campus. I like to think it's a good mix of older and younger students. Most of the people in my class seem to be around 24, and they can still have fun like the 21 year olds. I definitely don't think having older students around is a detriment. When we're all together, I don't see any segregation based on age. Everyone has different experiences, and some of the stuff the older students share is very enlightening.
I have also read that there are course facilitators on site so u(sic) do have access to professors.
There are course facilitators on site, but the best way to access the professors is to email them or post on the discussion board. Dr. Peris, for example, is on the board religiously, and I much prefer getting a response back the same day than having to rearrange my schedule to make it to someone's office hours. If you have a follow up question, post it, and get a reponse back to that also. It also takes some of the fear out of the face to face meeting with a professor, especially if you worry that you're asking a "stupid" question. Remember there's no such thing as a stupid question. Just think about it and read a little bit before you ask something. Usually it's more of an obvious question, because it's something clearly stated on a slide, and you just missed it when you were reading over your notes.
Usually other students will answer your question quickly, and the professors have always written in to either say that they agree with what others posted, or that there's a small mistake, and what the real answer is. I like the fact that it's very efficient. How many times have you gone to office hours to find that there's a group of students waiting there, with different questions, and you waste your time while they ask their questions? Here, you simply post on the discussion board, do other things, and look back to find out what's been said. You can see what others have asked questions about, and usually find answers in that.
What is it really like..anyone wanna shed some light?
I think that if you are a self-starter and can stick to a schedule that a distance campus site is wonderful. If you have a problem looking at a list of classes you've got to watch that week, and procrastinate until the last minute, you might have a problem. I think you could get in the same rut in Gainesville though, by not going to classes or watching them online, and then pulling a mad study session right before the test.
How does a distance site compare to the Gainesville campus? They published a study comparing them in the American Journal of Pharmacy Education, available at
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1637004
To summarize, they measured burnout among the campuses, and Gainesville students were significantly more likely to identify as "emotionally drained" and "burned out" than the other campuses (p<.04 and p<.001, respectively). The distance campuses had better integration, possibly due to smaller class sizes (60 at distance sites vs 150 in Gainesville).
Anyways, just my thoughts. I did the whole large university experience for my undergrad, at UF in fact, and I appreciate my distance campus site for professional school. There's a lot of distractions in Gainesville, like any large college town, and I don't feel like I'm missing out on my social life here at a distance campus. If anything, people in class are more approachable, because there aren't as many of us, and we tend to stick together. It really just depends what you want out of pharmacy school.
