Jason Nalewak ⋅ Chambersburg, PA Boeing ⋅ 3 years experience

Thank you for your service Janelle. In finding the right school there are a few things to consider when making that tough decision. It is important to find a school that offers a curriculum that fits your career aspirations and has the proper accreditation. If you are going to pursue a higher degree later possibly with another institution, you will want to make sure the school has a regional accreditation. I found a useful tool was the US News & World Report’s yearly review of colleges: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges . Their review also includes information that is useful for knowing application deadlines and requirements for schools.

The debate about online versus classroom schooling is one that people have different opinions about. My opinion is that online is actually more difficult than classroom because it takes a higher level of personal initiative to get your work done. I have two Bachelor’s degrees, one from each method of education and so I can speak to the difference between online and classroom study. My last degree is from Penn State University’s online campus and it was what got me into my professional career today. I am not just plugging the school here but giving an example that online degrees from the right schools are just as valuable as degrees earned in the classroom.

I wish you all the best in your journey and I hope my input helps you along the way.

Jennifer Larsen ⋅ Seattle, WA Boeing ⋅ 16 years experience

Janelle,

Ironically I got busy working on my thesis when I planned to message you last night. Since that time 3 people have posted, 2 of which are people I know from my company. All good pieces of advice above, especially the bit Casey noted about accreditation. Very vital if you ever want to build on that education for a graduate degree or find yourself needing to transfer schools.

I have done a face to face BS, an online MBA, and am currently finishing the last few trimesters of a blended deliver (a mixture of both) MSOD (I am not HR- but many HR folks also get this degree). I have also done various certificates in person and online - so I can give you perspective of all 3.

I think it comes down to assessing your personal needs. Do you need to build up a new network of folks outside of the service or place a high value on inclusion and being social; because in person will help in this area. In person is not as flexible in most cases as online. Flexibility is something to think about if you are juggling a family, work, or any other large life obligations. In the past, I have challenged mentees to think about what they want to accomplish in their personal lives over the same time period. Things to consider during those few years of school: will you want to move, get married, have kids, etc- Then online might be a better option if your need for flexiblity increases. I will note that there are many traditional in person colleges that will do evening classes, but in my expirence of taking evening classes for 2 years- there is usually less degree options offered in the evening and not always the full elective class options- so it can limit the quality of that face to face evening degree.

Luckily with HR, those soft sciences rarely need tutors like you might need for finance or chemistry. I find tutors hard to find quick enough for online classes - especially accelerated classes that only last a month or 2; and this was a point of struggle during my accounting and finance classes during my online MBA. Online is great if you are a self motivator or a shy introvert. Given that your doing HR, I am guessing you might be more extroverted. I failed to do well the first time I took a crack at online classes in my mid 20's when still doing my undergrad.

A suggestion learned from my own online stumbles: If you do go online, try a few easier classes &/or lighter courseload at first to ease into a rhythm that works for you. Tackling the hardest classes first- will only get you stress and likely lower grades during this adjustment period.

Lastly, My blended delivery Program is the choice I have enjoyed most. I have 2 to 3 classes at a time, 1 to 2 are completely online with virtual interface with other students, but the final class has part online then a 10 day offsite at the end of the trimester to apply real time what we are learning. There are not a lot of blended programs out there, but they are growing. I only caution that it takes a lot of planned time away (like all your vacation time from work) and out of pocket costs to travel. I mostly see this option in graduate programs, but wanted to tell you a bit about it just the same because it seems to be very comprehesive.

Good luck with whatever you choose, I am sure you will do wonderfully. And as Jason mentions, thank you for your service.

Jennifer

Casey Neff ⋅ Glastonbury, CT Travelers ⋅ 7 years experience

Janelle, I'd like to reinforce Jason's comments about accreditation. My wife works for a state university, administering a master's-level program. She recently turned away a veteran applicant who earned a BA from a classroom-based, for-profit college. The school could award a bachelor's degree, but was not accredited, so the student could not apply her BA or any of her classes towards her MA. This is an important, but overlooked, aspect of your search. Good luck.

Michael Calonita ⋅ New Hyde Park, NY U.S. Navy, Petty Officer Second Class ⋅ 5 years served

Janelle,

You may have already seen this post, but here is a link to a similar questions I had asked in the past, and received great response.

https://acp-advisornet.org/question/136/do-employers-value-online-degrees-differently-than-traditional-degreess

Kasie Dugan ⋅ Charleston, SC Boeing ⋅ 4 years experience

Janelle,

Thank you for your service, and I know that you have worked hard as an NCO! I think that you have asked a great question. I am assuming that you have the GI Bill available and I would take advantage of that benefit to the greatest extent possible. Others have mentioned that making sure you are going to an accredited school is important, and it is. It will hold more weight when applying for jobs and especially if you plan to attend graduate school.

When considering online vs. classroom, I personally chose a graduate school that had an inclass option. I was able to network with my classmates and my professors. There were some semesters that the classes that I needed were only offered online and they were far more difficult in my opinion. It required a lot more self-discipline, busy work and difficult group project coordination.

However, if there isn't anything close to Goldsboro, NC, I would choose the best online college possible, even if it means taking a little longer to take pre-requisites, community college to boost your GPA, etc. I know that University of Florida and many other state schools are starting to offer online Bachelor's degrees. I would also check out East Carolina University, which may be close to where you are going in Goldsboro.

Going to school isn't easy, especially if you are also going to be working full time but you have already shown commitment and dedication.

2LT Dugan

Janelle Hughley ⋅ Riverdale, GA U.S. Army, Sergeant ⋅ 4 years served

Thank you everyone,

For you responses, please continue to response, comment, and share. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to comment and offer advice.

After reading everyone's responses I think I have a plan in mind that will best fit me. I plan on taking up my associates in business management with a concentration in human resources at a local community college near me. This college offers this degree both completely online and in a classroom setting. This will give me the chance to have the flexibility I need, but also have the academic help necessary, and begin building a bigger network in my area outside of my immediate family and friends.

I think I will then transfer to the college I mentioned earlier and finish my degree in HR. North Carolina has a transfer agreement with its colleges. So all of my classes will transfer into the college, so I will definitely get credit for all the classes I completed.

Jennifer hit a point I hadn't really thought about when considering an online school, which is building my network, not to say that you can't do that at a completely online school. I choose to move back to NC to build a bigger network in that area, so its easier to build a network with people in that area by seeing and being involved in this area everyday.

Thanks everyone, please continue to comment because this thread may help others who have struggled with decision as I have!

Jeff Shoemaker ⋅ Lake In The Hills, IL Colorado Technical University ⋅ 20 years experience

Janelle,
More employers are using online schools as part of their benefit package. More traditional university's are providing classes online as well.

Brian Marcus ⋅ Webster, NY U.S. Navy, Petty Officer First Class ⋅ 20 years served

Janelle,
I go to SNHU.EDU for my online education since I'm not in the states at this time. They have a great staff and the Advisors are more than happy to help out with anything they can. They take into considerations all the responses from surveys and decide to retain or release professors from the students.
Brian

Dave Zimmerman ⋅ West Palm Beach, FL ⋅ 7 years experience

Janelle,

I ll give you pieces of Advice I did follow after tripping over myself. When I was a young Marine, I asked my well educated Uncle where should I go to college. Back then, they wouldn't answer you directly, there had to be a story. Two candidates, one from Harvard, 3.0 GPA, another from University of I don't Remeber with a 4.0. Which did he hire? Harvard, because it is Tougher to get into and the Name Recognition. Missed that advice, I was a Marine then, but went on to go to Harvard for a Masters degree, some online, years later. No one ever talks about non Harvard Masters.

With that, think outside the box, you can go to Harvard Online and after a year or two of performing exceptionally you will get noticed and you could go full time in person having them pay for it. Dream it, Do it.

I went at night for years as a Special Forces Officer. I would sign up and go. Only once did I get penalized by a Professor for missing class. He didn't like the military and showed it. The other piece of advice, take a class every semester! Keep moving forward. So many times, my buddies would give excuses about being too busy or worried about deployments. Weeks later they would be kicking themselves for the lost opportunity

Phil C. ⋅ Fort Worth, TX ⋅ 3 years experience

Janelle,

Thanks for your service. You definitely sound like you have purpose, direction, motivation and are doing the NCO Corps proud! Have you taken a look at state veteran benefits by any chance? My home state of Texas waives up to 150 semester hours of tuition at any state institution and can be used concurrently with the MGI Bill (Ch. 30) and VEAP. Each state has it's own veteran affairs department and I would strongly recommend you see what kind of education benefits they may offer. You've been offered great advise so far, especially from Boeing employees. Like you, I got out of the Army with many questions on education. My route to college was to make sure the school was accredited and also the program (ABET for Engineering). I actually worked my way backwards and started with the University I wanted to finish at and then found community colleges that had transfer agreements. In my case, I went back home to Dallas, Texas and found the UT Dallas engineering program I wanted to suffer through, and then found Richland Community College which allowed me direct transfer of 80 semester hours towards a BS EE. I also recommend you get PEL grants and apply for as many scholarships as possible. The bureaucracy you have to deal with to get the grants may be bothersome, but once you are in their system, applying for the grants each semester gets easier and easier. Good luck and Godspeed!

June R Massoud ⋅ Burlington, VT School Boards/Teaching, Tutoring Business and Technical Business ⋅ 25 years experience

Send me an email at: junermassoud@hotmail.com and I will help you out.
-June Rosemarie Massoud, Computer/Electrical Engineer, Teacher and Technical Writer

Anna monaco ⋅ Huntington Beach, CA Boeing ⋅ 16 years experience

Hi Janelle,
Thank you for your service! You have sparked the interest of many on this topic. The resounding message is that it is dependent upon your personal preference and needs. I have attended both types of classes as I earned my Masters. I am a people person and really enjoyed the camaraderie experienced face to face in the classroom. I quickly learned that I did not have to give that up by going to the virtual classroom. Students are actively engaged and you can forge networks online. So it really comes down to what works best for your given situation. If you need the flexibility you may want to consider going for the online classes. I suggest this route because part of your grade can be based on attendance. If students can't get to the campus classroom they may forfeit participation points which impact the overall grade. Some companies/positions consider a GPA as a differentiating factor when reviewing applicants so every point that contributes to your course grade is critical. I hope all the advise we have shared helps to lead you to what works best for you.

Janelle Hughley ⋅ Riverdale, GA U.S. Army, Sergeant ⋅ 4 years served

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for all your great advice, suggestions, and tips! I really appreciate them. Please feel free to continue to comment and share. I haven't made a decision quite yet. I hope this thread can help others as well. Have a great day!

Damin Kirk ⋅ North Charleston, SC Boeing ⋅ 21 years experience

Hi Janelle,

I've done both. My undergrad was in the classroom and my Master's was mostly online. I have the job I want with a great Company. They count the same. As long as you have the degree with solid experience, you'll be fine.

Tina Wohlford ⋅ Macon, GA Boeing ⋅ 28 years experience

Hello Janelle,

I have degrees from both in class room and on-line. Both instances were vastly different, but both were really good experiences and learning environments. I think the type of class room sitting depends on you. What I mean is on-line classes require a lot of self discipline and time management. I would also recommend that if you decide to go with an online degree ensure it's from an accredited college. I would also suggest to research the college and degree program and then seek input from current students to see if this atmosphere is the right one for you. There are so many great choices out there, and I want to wish you the best of luck in your college search and experience.

Good luck,
Tina Wohlford

Sarah Morgan ⋅ Friendswood, TX Boeing ⋅ 2 years experience

Janelle,

From one vet to another, I preferred classroom courses better while obtaining my degree. This is because I was used to the micromanagement type accountability of military life which is more present in classroom courses. It's much harder to stand in front of a professor (or slink out without notice) when you haven't completed your assignment then to blow off an email/discussion board.

As for the school itself, accreditation is not only vital for seeking employment it is required to use your GI bill. Make sure you find the veterans services office/team at any school you're considering and talk whit the VA rep. If they don't have a veterans services office/team be cautious in proceeding with that school.

No matter where you choose to go to school or how you take your classes, you're already making all the right decisions. You're working towards going to school and seeking out suggestions/insight from others.

You've got this!
-Sarah

Dossie Randle ⋅ Florissant, MO U.S. Air Force, Senior Master Sergeant ⋅ 26 years served

Hi Janelle,

Thank you for your service. I have been going to school a long time for two types of career paths. I am a attended several universities and a seminary.

I would suggest attend classes at the school first because it will help you get back into the swing of attending school, meeting students, and educators.

Nothing beats the side conversations that you have outside the classroom, and the friendships that will evolve in study groups. Disciplining yourself to do the required course work on time is critical. You may not believe this, but changing a daily routine is very challenging when your friends and family are having fun doing things other than studying.

Also be prepared to make a personal sacrifice and commitment to achieve your educational goals. My suggestion is start with a written plan for what you want to accomplish (i.e. Degree, Certificate, Continuous Education), and follow it. Remember, always have a Plan B.

Don't quit if things get rough (you already survived military training). Stay committed, and it will pay off in the end,

Good Luck!
Dr DJ

Jacob Coreano-Mangual ⋅ Philadelphia, PA Boeing ⋅ 4 years experience

Hello,

I had a great experience with Liberty University for my online program. Many of my classmates were either Veterans or Active Duty military.

Their advisors did a great job with the applicatio/enrollment process and answered my questions in a timely manner. They also offer a tuition discount for veterans.

I highly recommend them if you are looking at an online program.

http://www.liberty.edu/online/military-students/

Jacob

Marc Newsome ⋅ West Monroe, NY CSX Railroad ⋅ 6 years experience

It does not really matter, Companies value work experience

Julie Abadie ⋅ New Orleans, LA UPS ⋅ 8 years experience

Janelle,
First and foremost, thank you for your service. I have a Bachelor's from Louisiana State University and a M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans where I took both classroom and online courses. I can agree with the comment above that online requires a dedication of time and initiative. You have to be diligent in blocking out time to complete the course work as well as the additional items that are typically asked of you in online courses, such as posting multiple responses to discussion boards, projects, and assignments.

You will also want to consider how you learn best. Are you a self-learner? Can you read a book or review notes and understand the material? Do you learn better and retain information while participating in a discussion or lecture. I found that the online classes were more difficult for myself since I tend to retain information when in a lecture/discussion type environment. You will need to think about how you have learned best in the past and use that to make your decision. You could also consider taking a combination of the two if the school you are considering offers both.

The best advice I can give you on school choice is do your research and tour the facility. You need to make sure you are comfortable in the environment and feel it is conducive for you to learn in. What are the class sizes? When do they offer classes? What days and times?

Good luck in all your future endeavors!

Shannon Everett ⋅ Saint Peters, MO Boeing ⋅ 5 years experience

Hello Janelle,

I am currently wrapping up my Master's Degree from Webster Univeristy in St. Louis which is highly accredited and worth a look. I have taken traditional classroom style classes and also online courses. I liked both but have to warn you that sometimes online courses require more more. You are activly engaging in discussions, projects, etc which is something you might want to think about. I know Webster has several satellite campuses so I think its worth a look. Their website is www.webster.edu.