Many community colleges offer courses online. Community college online courses can be great for students, because students can complete coursework at their own pace and enjoy a flexible class schedule. However, there are some considerations to take into account which considering such courses, to confirm that they are the most appropriate choice for the student.
Often, community colleges offer a mix of classroom and online courses. Community college online courses allow the school to expand catalog offerings by offering courses which would not normally be available on a particular campus. This can help students rack up transferable credits more quickly, and it can help students complete a desired course of study on time. It also provides students on small campuses with more educational opportunities, which can boost enrollment by making a campus more appealing.
When selecting community college online courses, the first thing to do is to confirm that they are transferable. Even if a student is not planning on transferring, transferable courses look better on a transcript, and they leave the door to transfer open for the future. The courses should also be offered by an accredited authority, whether it is the community college itself or another school which is offering the course in cooperation with the community college.
Students should also take note of who the instructor is, and find out what kind of resources are available to students. If a student needs help during the semester, access to tutoring services, email with the professor, or mentoring can be very helpful. It can be especially valuable if these services are available on campus. If a student runs into problems with a set of math problems, for example, it would be nice to be able to go to a tutor on campus to talk about the situation. Community college online courses may also require students to take proctored tests, in which case access to a proctor and a testing facility will be necessary.
Students may also want to think about whether or not community college online courses seem like they would be workable as online classes. Math, for example, can be difficult to learn when there is not an instructor present in the room, while it can be challenging to stay on focus with a foreign language when there are no formally scheduled classes or opportunities to practice speaking. A literature class, on the other hand, might be fine in an online format, with students reading at their own pace. Students may also want to find out if the class provides opportunities for interaction and community building. For example, a student in a basic biology class might like a chance to chat with other students about the material.
